Lens harness

[cyrus]

So while using a 360mm lens on my old Deardorff with the fiddly little tabs that keep the lensboard in place, I figured that some sort of harness consisting of a cord that goes around the lens and attaches to the camera body would make me feel much more relaxed. (Yes I feel a pang of concern when I put the lensboard on that it may simply fall off one day.)

Other, much smarter people must already do this -- where do you attach the other end of the harness? I don't want to damage the camera by screwing some sort of anchor into it.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'd look for a knob where it's not in the way.

I don't use such a harness for lenses with my LF cameras, but I did put a leash like that on the rare slip-on lens shade for my Bronica-Nikkor 40mm/4.0. It's saved it a few times.

[Jim Galli]

360mm = 44DD?

[cyrus]

DOes the lack of the usual immediate response to this particular post suggest that I am being overly anxious, and shouldn't worry about the lens and lensboard falling off the camera front?

Even so, I suppose using a harness of some sort is worth it to placate my anxiety.
We sailors have a thing for lanyards & lashing stuff down.

I guess what I should really do is find a way of replacing the fiddly little rotating lensboard-holder tabs with something more substantial & reliable which is more likely to stay in place.

360mm = 44DD. Yup. but less bouncy.

[David A. Goldfarb]

There are a lot of old lenses out there with dented filter rings, so evidently they do fall off sometimes.

[Jim Galli]

Cyrus, you know how lens boards have the 2 narrow sections of grain that oppose the wider center section? I learned the hard way one afternoon that the 2 narrower sections go up and down, not side to side. Yep, a 12" Wolly Velostigmat made it's way to the concrete floor. Ouch! I still don't have enough sense to put a lanyard around my lenses though. Maybe a slinky? Give it a nice soft descent. Probably a very good idea.

[cyrus]

Cyrus, you know how lens boards have the 2 narrow sections of grain that oppose the wider center section? I learned the hard way one afternoon that the 2 narrower sections go up and down, not side to side. Yep, a 12" Wolly Velostigmat made it's way to the concrete floor. Ouch! I still don't have enough sense to put a lanyard around my lenses though. Maybe a slinky? Give it a nice soft descent. Probably a very good idea.

So in other words, even if I get a good retaining clip, the lens could theoretically still fall off if the lensboard cracks.

Great.

Thanks for the added anxiety! LOL!

[Jim Galli]

So in other words, even if I get a good retaining clip, the lens could theoretically still fall off if the lensboard cracks.

Great.

Thanks for the added anxiety! LOL!

No, if I'd had a lanyard tied to the base of the camera it would have caught lens board and all before it hit the concrete. I suppose clattering into tripod legs is better than a nice clean fall to the concrete.

[John Schneider]

I've often thought of something like this myself. Also, because I tend to hold lenses by their front element or step-up ring, I have resisted getting any type of slip on filter holder (like the SK Grimes version) because I know that at some future time I'll thoughtlessly pick the lens up by the ring and the lens will fall off onto a large rock.

[rippo]

I use a special lens pillow. I inflate it before every set up, and place it directly below where the lensboard would be. Then when I install or remove the lens, I am protected in case the lens falls on the floor. It's less hassle because I don't have to worry about attaching/removing a tether. B&H sells them (http://home.epix.net/~hce/sillypillows.html) for $149 or thereabouts, and I'm sure it's made the money back countless times over.



















I'm kidding. ;)

[Glenn Thoreson]

All you need is a piece of stout string and you're in business. Tie it to anything higher than the length of the string. Easy. Like you, I don't really like those little tabs. They're out to get you, so watch it. :D

[cyrus]

I use a special lens pillow.
I'm kidding. ;)

You may think that's a joke but I was taking it seriously! The moment you see a lens falling, or a tripod tipping over, etc., can be one of the longest moments in a life.

[Struan Gray]

I sent four years at a monastery in Yunnan honing my reflexes for just this reason.

"Snatch the Symmar from my palm grasshopper."


Sinar sell a lensboard catch that will stop a lensboard after it has rotated ten degrees or so. It attaches to the grooves in the sides of the F and P format frames, so is on of the few accessories not compatible with my Norma. Hence the training.

A compendium or filter holder would do the job. I use a Lee filter hood mounted on the round Sinar filter holder. When in place it will catch a lens nicely.

[timparkin]

Well I just rescued my Nikkor 360T from falling onto a bunch of rocks because the slider on my Ebony 45SU felt like it had seated properly and obviously hadn't ... I'm not sure if an extra dose of vigilance is better than relying on 'insurance' (you might forget to attach the lanyard properly - if you've got to be vigilant about attaching the lanyard then it's probably enough to be vigilant about the lock). I suppose it depends on the style of 'lock' - I can see if mine is correctly locked if I bother to look, I just needed the incentive to bother and seeing your lens head towards a bunch of rocks is good incentive!!

Tim