Camera Labs

I'm after some tips on how to quickly and efficiently change lenses from a camera bag and how to reduce the likelihood of dust getting in while standing up and not having anything to put the bag on while im out shooting.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

Try this:

1) Take out lens from lens case, if any.
2) Remove rear-element cap.
3) Detach mounted lens.
4) Mount next lens.
5) Place rear-element cap on lens you're not using.
6) Remove lens cap from the lens you're about to use. (optional)
7) Shut bag if it was opened. (optional)

If you're fast enough I'd say you could do this in under 10 seconds although don't rush through it. Should be faster with practice.

I saw an event photographer doing something similar to the above listed steps, except it was with a leg/belt-attached lens case. I forgot when was the 'keep-previous-lens' step though

Good luck finding your preferred method!

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

thanks for the advice. The main problem I have is not having enough hands, I only have two! Having to hold the camera and the two lenses that I want to switch is difficult.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

The A100 comes with a neck strap right?

The method I mentioned only requires 2 hands at a time. Hold one lens and the camera. With practice you won't even need to hold the camera while mounting the lens(not recommended though). You could leave one lens in the bag while holding the next.

Ask if you have any doubts

SnS

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.: Sony DT 18-70mm :: Sony 75-300mm :: Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro 1:1 :: Minolta 24mm f/2.8 :: Sony 50mm f/1.8 :: Samyang 8mm f/3.5 fisheye :: SLIK Pro 330DX :: Manfrotto 496RC2 :.


my flickr

To minimize (if not prevent) dust infiltration, you may try detaching/mounting lenses while the camera is pointed downwards.

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"Shoot RAW, ask questions later"
My Flickr Photostream. C&C Welcome!
Nikon D80 | AF-S Nikkor DX 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6G ED | AF Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8D | AF Nikkor 70-210 mm f/4

Here's my method:

1) Camera around neck, I let it go and leave it hanging.
2) Grab the lens, with the lens cap on.
3) Push the lens release button on the camera and twist the lens until it has reached the point of removal, but is still over the lens mount.
4) Using my pinky and ring finger on the hand that holds the new lens, I twist and remove the lens cap while dropping into my camera bag.
5) As I bring the new lens up to the camera, my left hand removes the old lens. In an instant, the lenses have changed.
6) Put the old lens cap on the removed lens, and stick it in my bag.
7) Take the picture

That's what I do... Most of the time I'm shooting.

if you wanted to take your time looking through your bag you could put the lenses cap on the body temporarly.

I guess this is one of those things you find out for yourself and heavily depends on how dextrous you are and what your bag is like ... and also your location

I change my lenses more or less like this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiWctOW5p6A
I do try to do it with the camera pointed downwards.

+
quick
-
It took some exercise to do it quick and right, while I do not have very big hands.
not very practical with big lenses.

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Nikon D80 - Nikon 18-70mm - Nikon 70-300mm - Nikon 85mm - SB-600

Kevin Verelst Travel Photography

thanks for that video, really helpfull.

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

this minimises the time taht the camera body is open but if you camera has a ust removal system on the sensore should you not be more worried about dust getting into the open lenses?

Dust removal systems are usually next to useless in my experience (except perhaps in Olympus cameras). Have a look at this dust test photo of my 40D. As you can see the anti-dust has had no affect at all and there are many more dust spots visible at 100%. So although it is necessary to ensure that the mount end of the lens is kept clean (I agree with you completely) it is equally important to protect the sensor.

Mark

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Canon EOS 40D / EF-S 17-85mm IS / EF 50mm f/1.8 / My Flickr

how do you actually test how much dust is on the sensor?

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Tobywuk personal website || My Flickr
Gear: Sony a700! || CZ 16-80mm! || Sony 75-300 || bag: Crumpler PB xxxl / Lowepro slingshot 200

Well it's not scientific or anything but all you do is take a picture of a white/gray surface and use a small aperture. The result is here. You can clearly see the dust spots all over the sensor. After cleaning the sensor take another picture of a sheet of paper to make sure it's all gone. Remember that I have used f/32 in the above shot to identify as much of the dust as possible. This much would rarely show up in real life as those apertures are best avoided because of softness caused by diffraction, but some was showing at around f/11.

Mark

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Canon EOS 40D / EF-S 17-85mm IS / EF 50mm f/1.8 / My Flickr