Cable release and lens wrap

[Casey]

G'day

I would like to know what brands of shutter releases (10 inch) you all recommend for 4x5. I know that I can purchase generic brands for less, so I'd like to know if there is a real quality difference between generic brands and name brands. If there is, please recommend a good name brand. Also, I am looking for good quality lens wraps that will not scratch the elements of my lenses when I wrap the lenses without their caps. Any recommendations? How are the f.64 wraps?

Casey

[paulr]

in my experience they all break, so i go with the cheap ones. it's simple to leave a short one permanently attached to each lens ... one less thing to fuss with. I put a tab of velcro tape on it and that sticks it to the lensboard, so it doesn't fly around in the wind.

i wouldn't trust a lens wrap to not scratch the lens, because there's no way to be sure it stays completely clean. the softest one in the world will scratch if there's sand on it!

[Frank Petronio]

Your lens will get marred if it is capless and wrapped, unless you treat it as though it is naked, which defeats the purpose of the wrap in the first place. Buy some aftermarket caps or make a basic protective cap out of cardboard, then use a lenswrap or multiple rubber bands to keep them in place.

A firmer Gnass Gear or cheap Tupperware case might also be a good idea. it's not like you're shooting like a photojournalist, pulling capless lenses out of your Domke bag while running to the next shoot...

[Mark Sampson]

Strangely enough, since I bought a bunch of the fancy Calumet braided-cloth cable releases, I haven't lost any of them, and only one has bent beyond repair. I wrap one around each shutter and keep my lenses (capped) in whatever brand of nylon/velcro wraps. One of those must be 20 years old and the fabric has worn so the velcro doesn't want to hold anymore. Apart from the lots-of-pieces syndrome, it's been an effective way to take care of lenses in the field. The real trouble is keeping lenscaps, especially the oddball sizes the fit the backs of LF lenses.

[Donald Brewster]

They are rather expensive, but I've had nothing but good luck with the Linhof cable releases. Never had one break yet, which I can't say for any of the others I've used. I only wish Linhof made long throw releases for my Ilex #5 shutters .

[Dan Fromm]

Paul, I can't give solid advice on shutter releases. I like Gitzo and Minette for no particularly good reason; also the 4" Gepe extension, which I find invaluable with short lenses.

I'm with Frank, most of my lenses live in food storage containers. Dust proof, can be lined with foam, ...

I have one lens that's just too big for a food storage container. 12"/4 Taylor Hobson Telephoto. It travels in a large f64 lens wrap. The wrap is held snugly closed by velcro, seems to exclude dust. The lens has a front cap and the rear element is deeply recessed, so there's not much risk of scratching the glass. I don't care that much about the paint on the barrel, but so far I haven't marred it.

Good luck, have fun,

[Richard Schlesinger]

My wife sewed the end over on some nice soft dish towels (about 6 inches) so my Arca boards cum lens will slip inside. Then, folding the towel over the lens and using some sticky sided velcro to keep it closed I managed to get excellent lens wraps for a fraction of the cost of the 'fancy' ones. However, I should add that my wife is not available for loan.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

I don't know how anyone using technica sized small boards (or toyo or canham) gets away with storing lenses with the cable attached. The rigid section of the cable protrudes outside the perimeter of the board and when you wrap them or put them away, the slightest bump to this section will break the tiny pot metal casting that receives the end of the cable release. A real pain in the ass. I attach the cable whenever I attach a lens to my camera.

[John Kasaian]

I like the Zeiss disc lock style from Gepe. My Gepes will reliably fire my old Ilex Universals and Betax with no problem. I also have a Calumet (made by Minette?) which is very nice but won't fire my old shutters reliably. Works fine on a Copal though. FWIW, I've yet to have a Gepe break. As for lens wraps, I don't use them. Each lens has its own board and caps. Each cap goes in its own zip lock plastic bag then in a padded compartment in my pack or case. I know this sounds ridiculous, but very few of my lenses share the same flange so swapping lenses on one lensboard isn't practical for me.

Cheers!

[John_4185]

Gepe is a good brand for sturdyness. I got my first one from some wierd character on that auction site - what's his name, something oriental or Frank P or something like that. :)

However, not all releases screw into all shutter just right. I become so accustomed to losing cable releases that I bought a few dozen old ones. Went through them all to isolate those that worked best on the Technika (snake around nicely and the nipple fits well), another few for the big #5 shutters (a whole different requirement), and the rest I'm sending back to that Frank guy just for the hellofit. (Hello Fit).

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Scott - Also, I am looking for good quality lens wraps that will not scratch the elements of my lenses when I wrap the lenses without their caps.

I would not recommend EVER carrying a lens in a wrap or case without fairly rigid, properly fitting lens cap. The only thing that touches the surface of the glass when I'm carrying my lenses in the field is the air between the cap and the glass surface. Anything else will scratch the glass. In addition to protecing the lens surfaces from scratches, caps also provide some protection from impact damage - such as banging up against your camera, film holders, other lenses, etc. when carying lenses in a pack. Lenses are expensive. Caps are cheap. Replacement caps are available from a number of sources. Geniune Schneider caps are available from Schneider. B&H stocks replacement Schneider and Nikkor caps. Although I don't like them as much as genuine Schneider, Nikkor or Fujinon caps, Kaiser caps are better than nothing. They are also cheap and available from a wide range of dealers. Do yourself a favor and get some properly fitting caps.

Kerry

[Kerry L. Thalmann]

Oops, sorry for the incorrect attribution. The quote in my post above is from Casey (the original poster), not some fictitious person named "Scott".

Kerry

[John_4185]

What a fuss! By all means, find lens caps! If you are hiking, wrap the lenses in your clothes. I'd kinda avoid the used underwear unless you want brown prints.

[Richard Boulware]

Cable releases? In my mind there is no question that the Linhof is far and away the very best. I have four, and my oldest was with me 40 years ago at Art Center. It is still going strong, even as I converted to those little 'cone' fasteners that allow a quick release when you attach them to the quick release on the shutter/lensboard. Now, I can't tell which is my old one.....they all look and operate pretty much the same. Hellluva piece of engineering and quality manufacturing.

[Emrehan Zeybekoglu]

As regards cable releases, I have a Horseman that was not particularly cheap, but it's good. I never leave it on my lens. The time that I "lose" while attaching it to the lens is not that critical for me.

With respect to lenses, NEVER, NEVER go w/o caps. As others said, lenses are expensive, but caps are dirt cheap. I don't use lens wraps; even if I did, I would still have caps on my lenses. One thing I can recommend, however, is that you could use soft, synthetic (foam or foam-like) packaging material to wrap your lenses, provided that you have additional padding in your bag.

Photo bags are bulky and add significantly to your load (not to mention their cost), but they really provide good padding. If you go hiking in the field, you need that kind of security.

[Dan V]

The Gepe releases with disc lock suit me and at 1/3rd the price of the large NYC stores I couldn't resist getting a handful.

Going without lens caps is asking for trouble IMO. I don't use lens wraps because they would take up too much space in my stuffed backpack. I just carefully place my caps-protected lenses where they won't shift.

[Scott Davis]

Cable releases - try the Konica/Minolta releases. They're wonderful, braided metal bodies with clear nylon tubing over top, and they will absolutely reliably fire even an Ilex #5 or a Betax #5 every time. They're a bit pricey, but worth every penny - not as expensive as a Linhof of course, but more than a generic. Following Kerry's advice, I have one on each lens I have, so there's no delay in setting up while wondering where is the cable release. I get mine from Penn Camera in washington DC - www.penncamera.com . They have them for around $15 a piece.