Little lens bags?

[mabelsound]

Does anyone make inexpensive neoprene or fleece sacks to keep rangefinder lenses in? I am sick of having a camera bag full of socks.

Thanks!

[sockeyed]

Zing makes smallish neoprene bags that fit RF lenses pretty well although they are a bit bulk. I like to use a soft microfiber sunglasses pouch/bag for my lenses. I can pick them up at my local outdoors store for cheap.

[mabelsound]

Originally Posted by sockeyed

I like to use a soft microfiber sunglasses pouch/bag for my lenses. I can pick them up at my local outdoors store for cheap.

Aha, that sounds perfect, thanks!

[Steve Bellayr]

quantaray I picked them up at Riz Camera. Less than $10 each. I think they were about $7.

[biomed]

I use small pouches made by Tamarac or Lowepro. These are made for small digital cameras and have a velcro closure and some hahve belt loops. Here is one (Tamarac 5688) I keep my CV 15mm finder, double shoe adapter and spirit level in. Small lenses like the CV 35/2.5 and 21/4 will fit in these cases too.

[chris91387]

I use the microfiber bags that come with Oakley sunglasses. I just bought 4 of them in one Ebay transaction for a few bucks. They're not the best for shock protection but they do keep them clean and they don't clank around. All of my lenses fit just fine but my 28mm Hexanon is my largest lens.

[mabelsound]

Behold! In a grand masculine triumph, I have made my own lens pouches, using some scrap fleece and my wife's sewing machine. OMG aren't they adorable? Couldn't you just die?

[Roger Hicks]

Microfibre is very good but better still is chamois leather -- a traditional trick from the 1930s. My wife Frances Schultz makes them up for our lenses: as well as being a photographer and printer, she has four sewing machines from about 1905-1975...

Can you sew?

Cheers,

R.

[gDallasK]

I use Hama soft nylon bags with drawstring closures. Yhey cost around £7 here in the UK.

[-doomed-]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Microfibre is very good but better still is chamois leather -- a traditional trick from the 1930s. My wife Frances Schultz makes them up for our lenses: as well as being a photographer and printer, she has four sewing machines from about 1905-1975...

Can you sew?

Cheers,

R.

I read this in shutterbug a while back and have been meaning to look into doing this , do you happen to have pictures of them ?

[ChrisN]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Microfibre is very good but better still is chamois leather -- a traditional trick from the 1930s. My wife Frances Schultz makes them up for our lenses: as well as being a photographer and printer, she has four sewing machines from about 1905-1975...

Can you sew?

Cheers,

R.

Roger, what type of sewing machine do you think makes the best bags? Personally I prefer my 1950 Singer light industrial, with dual treadle/electric power. Perhaps we need a poll.

[Bill58]

Try these. They're great and even cheaper due to the strong dollar: http://211.234.100.187/~matin/system...ery=view&no=20

email: matin@matin.co.kr

[dcsang]

Inexpensive and functional but not padded.
Mountain Equipment Co-Op (http://www.mec.ca) produces small sunglass pouches made from the same material one uses to clean ones lenses (That "new" fibre lens cleaning cloth) - they cost something like $1.75 CDN and seem to do the job for me.

Cheers,
Dave

[John Robertson]

Originally Posted by mabelsound

Does anyone make inexpensive neoprene or fleece sacks to keep rangefinder lenses in? I am sick of having a camera bag full of socks.

Thanks!

You should wash them first

[brainwood]

I find these cheap lens cases very useful

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=200262792425

enough so I can carry a lens or two in a coat pocket

[veraikon]

I use leather tobacco bags. You can get them in evrey tobacco store.
It is always a fun to step as a non-smoker in a tobacco store and to see the clerk when you put a lens in the bag. Price 4-9 € .

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by -doomed-

I read this in shutterbug a while back and have been meaning to look into doing this , do you happen to have pictures of them ?

No, but I'll try to take some in the next few days, on the back of photographing something else. I might even do a step-by-step for the website.

Basically, you cut a circle about 15-20mm (0.6 to 0.8 inch) larger in diameter than the lens: that's the base.

Then you cut a strip a bit larger than the circumference of the lens, and roll one end into a casing -- like a fat seam -- to pass the draw-string through. Next, sew the base onto the strip, leaving enough overlap on the strip to make a seam. Next, sew the ends of the strip together, up to the bottom of the casing. Turn the bag inside out (as Frances said, actually, you are now turning it right-side out).. Finally, add the draw-string. Push a piece of thin but reasonably stiff wire through the casing; bend the end in a tight hook to hold the ribbon; pull through.

Frances suggests you make one from a piece of scrap material -- an old jeans leg or some such -- before commiting to the chamois.

Chamois varies widely in quality: all you need is smooth leather that isn't shedding bits, as low-quality chamois does. Even on a good skin you may have to cut off a corner if it isn't of the same standard as the rest. Chamois also varies in thickness: use the thickest bit for the base.

Cheers,

Roger

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by ChrisN

Roger, what type of sewing machine do you think makes the best bags? Personally I prefer my 1950 Singer light industrial, with dual treadle/electric power. Perhaps we need a poll.

Dear Chris,

Funny you should say this...

Frances's favourite is indeed a 1950s Singer with dual power, though I don't think it's 'light industrial' -- more 'heavy duty domestic'. That and her 1920s treadle Singer allow her to work more slowly than the 1970s Kenmore. The early 20th century hand Frister and Rossman does not see as much use, but would work fine.

She asked me to emphasize that the only hand-work in making these bags is tying off the ends of the machine-sewn threads.

Cheers,

Roger

[beethamd]

The Lowepro Altus 30 is perfect for rangefinder lenses. There's also a little pocket for your filter (meant for a memory card).





They fit perfectly - very snug. The padding/protection is excellent, and they even have a belt loop and detachable shoulder strap).

[cubastreet]

My favourite sewer is a c.1950 Singer as well, an industrial machine with 'Charlie' scratched into it from it's time in a Manchester sweat shop. Might have to make up some leather bags now.

[rlouzan]

Rock Climbing Chalk Bags

[Roger Hicks]

By good fortune, Frances had already planned to make some other small chamois bags today, so I persuaded her to make a lens bag too.

A few more hints:

Leave wide seams -- you can always trim them after you've sewn them.

Make bags to fit a range of lenses, because you can put a small lens into a big bag, but you can't put a big lens into a small bag. (I speak from painful experience here!)

Don't store the lenses in the bags for months or years on end. I don't think there'd be any problems, but I don't know. Having said that, I have left things in thebags for months and have seen no problems.

Frances reckons that by the time she has got up to speed by making 3-4 bags, she can make one in 15 minutes.

I'll do a module for 'How Do I...?' on www.rogerandfrances.com, with many more step-by-steps and bits of information, but don't hold your breath waiting.

Pics are:

(1) sewing base on -- you have to sort of twist the upper part as you sew.

(2) bag inside out

(3) bag finished with drawstring

Cheers,

Roger

[-doomed-]

Roger ,
Thanks for this , im going to have to give this a shot in the near future.

[kxl]

I have a few of these:

http://cangrenade.com/

[neelin]

Originally Posted by mabelsound

I am sick of having a camera bag full of socks.

I love this thread. I used to carry my work camera Canon G7 around jobsites in a white sport sock & it would get dirty & just scream "steal me"

cotton dust does concern me for my lenses, since I don't have any 100% nylon socks.
robert