Camera and Lens Wraps

[Richie_Perkins]

Morning all, I’m just starting out my Large Format journey and the camera should be with me next week. As I will be using this mainly for landscape photography I have a rucksack for carrying the camera, lenses and film holders but I am concerned about having them all unprotected in the ruck sack. I have been looking at camera and lens wraps as a way of protecting them in the rucksack but have no idea if they are any good or if there is a viable alternative.

Im looking for advice on the wraps and if they are any good and if so where do you get yours from as recommendation from a user is preferable to a buy and hope approach. If any of you have an alternative way of protecting your equipment please let me know?

Kit will be Zone VI camera (4X5) 1 lens on a lens board and 3 film holders.

Thank you in advance
Richie (At the start of my journey)

[vinny]

I use Cabelas spinning reel cases for most of my lenses on linhof boards. They close with a zipper.

[Drew Bedo]

When I broke into LF in the early 1990s, I made my own custom padded back pack.

The bag was a JanSport book bag from a Goodwill resale shop. I bought a closed cell foam sleeping pad from an Army Surplus store. I cut (and re-cut) cardboard to fit the interior shape of the book bag till there was a tomb-stone shape that would sit against the back interior of the bag. This was used as a templet to cut up the sleeping pad into similar shaped pieces. These were layered into the pack to fill it .

Next step was to layout the things I wanted to pack: Camera, Lens on board, film holders etc. The cardboard templet was cut with windows to match the layout and used to guide cutting the foam layers one at a time. When everything seemed to be about as good as it could get, the layers were tacked together with a hot glue gun and reloaded into the pack.

Looked a little rough, as I'm not a finicky craftsman . . .but it worked really well for several years. I am sure that a skilled and careful worker could turn out a near professional job.

Advantages: cost is very low (under $20 in 1992), initial layout is flexable, the padding is pretty thick all around, the bag does not scream "StealMe!". Nothing rattled, everything was held tight and separate by the foam.

Drawacks: Layout is not flexible after its all done, the padding fills the bag and less bulk may be carried (compared to a commercial bag).

The whole thing, bag and all was much less than $20.
***************************

Now-a-days all my stuff (much more than 25 yers ago) goes into a LowePro back pack or a LowePro shoulder bag. Some items are packed inPhotoBackpacker boxes.

[Richie_Perkins]

Guys thanks for the advice I was thinking of going down the DIY route.


Richie

[fishbulb]

I use the Domke lens wraps that you can get on Amazon for about $15 each. I like that they come in three sizes and a number of colors. http://www.amazon.com/Domke-F-34M-15-Inch-Protective-Wrap/dp/B00009R88S

It would be hard to duplicate the quality of those wraps as a DIY project for less money unless you already have the fabric, velcro, thread, and a sewing machine.

The 11-inch wraps fit small lenses, like a Nikon 150/5.6 or 300/9. The 15-inch wraps fit larger lenses like a Nikon 75/4.5 or 90/4.5 or 210/5.6. The 19-inch wraps will cover most wooden folding 4x5's when folded up, or really, really big lenses like the Nikon 360/6.5.

[brucetaylor]

I use wraps a lot, both for lenses and cameras. They provide good protection, especially for storage. They can get a little fiddly out in the field, but it's how I wrap up and protect my Technika to slip in my backpack when I go for a hike (a short one, it is heavy!). I have purchased a selection of quality Calumet brand wraps over time on the 'bay, very inexpensive.

[pdh]

In the UK, you can at least double that $15 for the same product. And the OP is from the UK. Which is why it might be better value for him to try the DIY route ...

[Willie]

http://www.amazon.com/The-Photorito-Lens-Wrap-Neoprene/dp/B00HX4IIUK

Lens wraps are nice. If you get one of those above you will be 'cutting edge' with large format for at least the next decade.

[Daniel Stone]

I made some nice padded wraps with 1/4" thick foam and static-free felt, both sourced from my local fabric store. I had velcro sewn onto them by a local shoe shop, as they had a walking-foot sewing machine with enough oomph to sew through the velcro. There is also the sticky-back variety, if you should choose to do velcro. Heavy duty rubber bands work well too, just replace them when/if they break.

-Dan

[Mark Sawyer]

I'm cheap, so I buy the thickest hand towels I can find at second-hand stores. I like them as much as anything else I've seen.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Our super sacks and lens wraps are well done feel.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?122099-ULF-Film-Holder-Bags-amp-Lens-Wraps&highlight=super+sacks

[cuypers1807]

+1 for Domke wraps. I also purchased some Calumet wraps right before they went out of business. The Calumet wraps were cheaper and provided more padding.

[AtlantaTerry]

I make my own lens wraps from micro-fiber cloth that I find in Dollar Tree discount stores for ... US $1. The ones in the automobile care section are large and have a thick fluffy nap.

To make sure there is no fluffy nap to get loose inside my equipment cases I wash and tumble dry the micro-fiber cloths first.

Then I bought some self-adhesive Velcro pairs in the hardware store. I stick one of the hook squares on the fabric, wrap the lens then stick the loop on the fabric where it will form a closure.

The total cost is almost nothing yet does the job quite well.

[Richie_Perkins]

Some great ideas the Domke looks a good product but I'm going to have a go at DIY. I have the stuff to make DIY dividers in my ruck sack so will have enough to give it a go.

Richie

[Robert Langham]

Take a marker and write the lens length on the outside of the wrap so that even an overwrought fool in the crushing grasp of compelling subject matter and shifting light can see what lens is inside at a glance.

140085

[BerndR]

Im looking for advice on the wraps and if they are any good and if so where do you get yoursI use Tenba wraps (http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=tenba+wrap&rh=n%3A560798%2Ck%3Atenba+wrap) (<- click) and I like them a lot.

[JMO]

As for me, I like the Novoflex wraps that are available through B&H (and probably elsewhere). They are well padded, and fuzzy everywhere on one side so the Velcro can cling almost anywhere and the wrap is more adaptable to different sizes and configurations. ...