I carry (usually) two lenses. The first one has a screw-in rear metal cap. The front cap is a snap-on plastic kind, and i have one of those giant wide extra-strong rubber bands that goes over the lens (front to back) to keep the front cap on. This goes in one of those $10 velcro-corner lens wraps. The other lens gets the plastic cap and rubber band treatment on both sides, and the lens wrap also, but gets stuffed in the bellows of my disassembled camera.
Try the $0.99 store for CD cases. Tear out the sleeves. Lenses mounted on boards up to maybe 210 fit just fine.
I have had to replace a skylight filter twice, but I have never had the surface of the lens suffer. Even If I don't shoot with the filter, it always travels with one on it, saved me twice.
Orvis sells a foam padded, lightweight fishing reel and gear case which is padded and has spaces for 8 reels (lenses). The velcro dividers can be moved to make room for smaller and larger lenses. Only $59.00! On sale every once in a while.
Brian,
Wow, a Sinar in the 'Chants. I've been up there six times, always with a large format camera, but never anything as bulky and heavy as a Sinar. I hope you got some good photos.
WRT your question about protecting lenses while backpacking... Proper fitting caps are a must, and a ripstop bag offers next to no protection. Others have made some great suggestions. The Gnass Gear cases are extremely well made. They protect your lenses from other things in your pack, and since they have dividers, they protect your lenses from each other as well. They are a good solution for carrying multiple lenses. I started using one of his standard length 4x5 multiple lens cases earlier this year for carry the five lens kit I use for shooting 4x10. Unfortunately, if you have all your lenses mounted on Sinar boards, they will not fit in his 4x5 lens cases. The larger boards will force you to use his larger, heavier 8x10 lens cases. One option that will save you both some weight and bulk would be to get a Sinar to Linhof lens board adapter and then mount the lenses you use for backpacking on much smaller/lighter Linhof Technika style boards. You could leave the adapter mounted on the camera and store the lenses on the smaller boards in one of the Gnass 4x5 lens cases.
Another option is to carry your lenses in individual padded cases, pouches or wraps (as other people have suggested). Again, using an adapter with smaller Linhof style boards will save some weight and considerable bulk. For years, I've used a variety of small padded individual cases to protect my lenses when backpacking. One type that has worked well for me is the small size Zing Pouches. They are cheap and lightweight. They don't offer as much protection as the Gnass Gear multiple lens cases, but they work great for individual compact lenses on small boards. I've used them with compact lenses on Linhof and Toho boards, as well as Canham and 110mm ARCA-SWISS boards (a bit tight, but usable). They come with colored collars (black, blue and purple). So, it's easy to know which lens is which when grabbing one from the pack. Again, they don't offer the same level of protection as the Gnass gear cases, but a lot more than a ripstop nylon bag.
As far as caps go, something that fits tight is a must and cheap insurance. Although others have recommended against them, I do use snap caps on some of my lenses when backpacking. I have standardised on 52mm filters for my bckpacking kit. Every lens that takes smaller filters gets a step-up ring and a 52mm Nikon snap cap in place of the original cap. I've never had one of the Nikon caps come off in my pack - but again, I'm carrying the lenses in protective pouches/cases. For some larger lenses, I replace the factory caps with something more rigid. For some reason, certain manufacturers (especially Rodenstock) have been skimping on caps in recent years. Some of these caps are so thin and flexible that any pressure at all on the front of the cap can cause it to flex and rub against the front (or rear) element while in your pack. Whether or not this is an issue depends on how big around the lens is, the curvature of the front element and the flexibility of the cap. If I can easily cause the center of the cap to contact the glass with mild finger presure, it gets replaced with something more substantial. The threaded metal caps mentioned above offer the highest level of protection, but contantly screwing them off and on can be tedious. A rigid plastic cap, like those made by the folks at S.K. Grimes is a good compromise. As long as the cap isn't too big around, the standard slip-on plastic caps from Nikon, Fuji and most Schneider caps work well. Many of the Schneider caps are bowed outward to provide a little extra clearance. The Schneider 54mm slip-on caps (labeled 223/25 - part number: 91-030356) fit snuggly over the 52mm Kenko step-up rings I use on my smaller lenses. These, and other Schneider slip-on caps are available from B&H or directly from Schneider Optics. B&H also sells replcement Nikon slip-on caps at very reasonable prices. The Nikon caps are thicker and more rigid than the flimsy caps that come on many Caltar and Rodenstock lenses.
Once I have a properly fitting cap and a lens case/pouch (either an individual or multi lens case). it goes inside a small daypack, which then goes in the top compartment of my backpack. The only other things that get carried in the top compartment of my pack are clothes - nothing hard or pointed that could poke through and damage the camera gear. When I want to go off and do a little photography, I simply grab the day pack and my tripod and head off - leaving the big pack and camping gear beside the trail, or at my campsite. This works especially well in places like the Enchantments where I set up a base camp in the middle basin and then set off from there for repeated photo excursions.
Kerry
I have also used the Outdoor Research padded cell cases. They are very well made, and the various size boxes are ideal for carrying multiple or single lenses. I reinforce the sides of the boxes with 4 ply mounting board to give some rigidity. Like Kerry and QT I put them on top in my bag. I recommend the red for large boards, the yellow (fits two lenses - eg my 58 and 75 or 200 and 300, on Linhof boards), or silver for 3 lenses. They are relatively cheap, and lightweight.
Mike
Fishpond makes a padded fishing reel case that must be similar to the Orvis case. Works for me. About $60, if I remember correctly.
Mike Lewis
mikelewisimages.com
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