Lens changing without three hands

sirch

sirch

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I always feel really like I need a third hand when changing lenses. It is probably just me being a bit cack-handed (for want of a better phrase) and I am probably over thinking it but is there a "good" way of doing it. The things that need to be handled are, rear cap off the replacement lens, current lens off the body, replacement on the body, rear cap on the current lens.

How do you do it? Assume fairly extreme conditions, i.e. on a beach with a gale blowing and sand and spray in the air. I guess if there is a sequence that works in that situation it will probably work anywhere.
 
I usually use the following process,
  1. Remove lens, place in bag
  2. Swap rear cap
  3. Attach new lens
Simple.

If you want to travel light i.e. Without bags, what about something like this
http://store.lowepro.com/s-f-lens-exchange-case-100-aw

It expands to give a second lens space, once you've removed the second lens it compacts back into its normal size. They do a longer one which fits 70-200 f2.8 too
 
If planning for extreme conditions take 2 bodies, if you have a back up.
 
sirch said:
How do you do it? Assume fairly extreme conditions, i.e. on a beach with a gale blowing and sand and spray in the air. I guess if there is a sequence that works in that situation it will probably work anywhere.
Click to expand...
I would not ever change lenses in those conditions. I would be more concerned about the exposed innards of the camera than about the lenses.

When I do (rarely) change lenses I make good use of an empty trouser pocket.
 
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Two hands is enough - if you've got a surface or something to put one lens down safely. Like a spare space in your bag, eg where the camera usually sits (method I usually use), or I guess you could take a little cloth or plastic bag etc to just pop on the ground. Or just use a big pocket - jacket, photographer's waistcoat, cargo pants etc.

Chris H has linked to a couple of the better options - Lowepro Lens Exchange, and Peak Design's Capture Lens. I have the Lowepro and it works pretty well (comes in two sizes), though TBH I don't think I've ever used it for real.

Edit: how about a spare rear lens cap and one of those Velcro cable wraps bolted to the back, then attach to the strap, bag, belt.
 
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I'm always taking one lens out of the backpack when changing lenses. Each lens has its own section in the bag, it's just a case of:

1/ undoing the rear lens cap on the one in the bag,
2/ take off the lens from the camera and put it down in its own section
3/ transfer the rear lens cap from lens to lens
4/ put the new lens on the camera
5/ tighten the rear lens cap on the lens taken off.

I've set up the sections in the camera bag so that each I'm carrying has it own storage section. The camera is stored down the middle and can be stored with any lens attached. This way there is always a free section in the back pack to aid lens changes. My backpack is also rear entry so it is possible to use it as a 'table' with only the waist band attached.

sirch said:
How do you do it? Assume fairly extreme conditions, i.e. on a beach with a gale blowing and sand and spray in the air. I guess if there is a sequence that works in that situation it will probably work anywhere.
Click to expand...

If in extreme conditions like on a beach with sand blowing I'm never going to change lenses. I try plan ahead making sure I have the most appropriate lens on the camera for what I'm trying to capture.

john.margetts said:
I would not ever change lenses in those conditions. I would be more concerned about the exposed innards of the camera than about the lenses.

When I do (rarely) change lenses I make good use of an empty trouser pocket.
Click to expand...
I was in the lakes last year and a friends camera misted up on the inside because of the moisture in the air getting in during lens changes. I now have a bothy bag that could potentially be used to do lens changes in at a push in extreme conditions.
 
Gaz J said:
It's a neat idea but you can only carry one spare lens and there is nothing to stop debris etc getting into the top chamber when the other lens is off which would then get transferred to the lens then it is put back in and turned upside down.
Click to expand...

The unit holds 2 lenses and you then have a third on the camera?
 
stevelmx5 said:
The unit holds 2 lenses and you then have a third on the camera?
Click to expand...

If you fill it with two lenses then at some point in changing lenses you have two lenses out. Notice that the video doesn't show two lenses on it because it wouldn't look as easy if there was. Also depends on whether you carry your camera with a strap or, as I do, a hand strap.

I do the same as rob-nikon.
 
Gaz J said:
If you fill it with two lenses then at some point in changing lenses you have two lenses out. Notice that the video doesn't show two lenses on it because it wouldn't look as easy if there was. Also depends on whether you carry your camera with a strap or, as I do, a hand strap.

I do the same as rob-nikon.
Click to expand...

I guess so but the design seems to make more sense to hold two lenses rather than one otherwise it would only have a mount on one end.
 
stevelmx5 said:
I guess so but the design seems to make more sense to hold two lenses rather than one otherwise it would only have a mount on one end.
Click to expand...

I still think it's a neat idea. I'm sure I've seen a similar one with three connections which I think would be more use.
 
Gaz J said:
I still think it's a neat idea. I'm sure I've seen a similar one with three connections which I think would be more use.
Click to expand...

I've seen that one too but thought it would be pretty unwieldy to hold three lenses on a belt loop. I can imagine knocking them on tables/people when shooting weddings!
 
Unscrew lens cap of lens to go on - but resting place.
lens tucked up under arm, or between knees (fleshy side nearest you).
Undo lens on camera, still held agaist the body.
lens off body, goes either under arm, or between knees - see above. ONE of them is free.
lens under arm onto body.
Loose lens capped. You can hold the lens cap in your mouth while you perform the on and twist routine.
 
Thanks all for the input, in general it seems like I need a bit more organisation and possibly a better bag.

Cagey75 said:
I often chuck lenses into the bag without caps on, stick them on later.
Click to expand...
I've done that too, I suppose if I cleaned the bag out and everything was in a separate section it would be OK.

ChrisHeathcote said:
I usually use the following process,
  1. Remove lens, place in bag
  2. Swap rear cap
  3. Attach new lens
Simple.

If you want to travel light i.e. Without bags, what about something like this
http://store.lowepro.com/s-f-lens-exchange-case-100-aw

It expands to give a second lens space, once you've removed the second lens it compacts back into its normal size. They do a longer one which fits 70-200 f2.8 too
Click to expand...
I hadn't come across those options, nice ideas but I can't really see myself using them if I bought them. The process you describe is pretty much what I do but it take two hands to swap the rear cap, at which point the camera is swinging around in the breeze

john.margetts said:
I would not ever change lenses in those conditions. I would be more concerned about the exposed innards of the camera than about the lenses.

When I do (rarely) change lenses I make good use of an empty trouser pocket.
Click to expand...
Well in part the exposed innards are my concern, especially with the MFT camera, I guess a DSLR is a bit less at risk because the sensor is behind a mirror and shutter. Not changing is sometimes not an option though if I have walked for a fair distance and come across a scene that needs a different lens.

HoppyUK said:
Two hands is enough - if you've got a surface or something to put one lens down safely. Like a spare space in your bag, eg where the camera usually sits (method I usually use), or I guess you could take a little cloth or plastic bag etc to just pop on the ground. Or just use a big pocket - jacket, photographer's waistcoat, cargo pants etc.

Chris H has linked to a couple of the better options - Lowepro Lens Exchange, and Peak Design's Capture Lens. I have the Lowepro and it works pretty well (comes in two sizes), though TBH I don't think I've ever used it for real.

Edit: how about a spare rear lens cap and one of those Velcro cable wraps bolted to the back, then attach to the strap, bag, belt.
Click to expand...
As above, I find it take two hands to swap the rear cap during which time the camera is swinging around in the breeze. I'm beginning to think that the solution is to take the lens off and then put the body inside my jumper or jacket. I also should have said that I often don't have a strap on the body, it's either in my hand or in the bag, may be I should always use a strap...

rob-nikon said:
I'm always taking one lens out of the backpack when changing lenses. Each lens has its own section in the bag, it's just a case of:
1/ undoing the rear lens cap on the one in the bag,
2/ take off the lens from the camera and put it down in its own section
3/ transfer the rear lens cap from lens to lens
4/ put the new lens on the camera
5/ tighten the rear lens cap on the lens taken off.

I've set up the sections in the camera bag so that each I'm carrying has it own storage section. The camera is stored down the middle and can be stored with any lens attached. This way there is always a free section in the back pack to aid lens changes. My backpack is also rear entry so it is possible to use it as a 'table' with only the waist band attached.

If in extreme conditions like on a beach with sand blowing I'm never going to change lenses. I try plan ahead making sure I have the most appropriate lens on the camera for what I'm trying to capture.

I was in the lakes last year and a friends camera misted up on the inside because of the moisture in the air getting in during lens changes. I now have a bothy bag that could potentially be used to do lens changes in at a push in extreme conditions.
Click to expand...
As above, I'm not quite that organised and probably need a bigger/better bag. But then would you put your backpack down on a wet beach and open it right up in those conditions? If going to a location that I have not been to before then I might think I have the right lens on but then need something else.

Lensflare said:
Unscrew lens cap of lens to go on - but resting place.
lens tucked up under arm, or between knees (fleshy side nearest you).
Undo lens on camera, still held agaist the body.
lens off body, goes either under arm, or between knees - see above. ONE of them is free.
lens under arm onto body.
Loose lens capped. You can hold the lens cap in your mouth while you perform the on and twist routine.
Click to expand...
Now that sounds workable, I think I was too focused on keeping things in the bag, getting the replacement out and under an arm/between knees sounds good, as does using my gob for the rear cap (y)
 
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sirch said:
How do you do it? Assume fairly extreme conditions, i.e. on a beach with a gale blowing and sand and spray in the air. I guess if there is a sequence that works in that situation it will probably work anywhere.
Click to expand...

In those conditions, I'd decide which lens I wanted to use and take the body fitted with that lens out of the bag. I wouldn't change a lens in the field in them!

My normal routine is fresh lens out of bag, front down on surface (sometimes in the bag to stop it falling over) with rear cap loose but still on. Remove old lens and place on surface/in bag. Swap rear cap between new and old, leaving it loose while fresh lens fitted. Secure rear cap on old lens and replace in bag. (During the procedure, the body is held in the left hand with the throat pointing vaguely down while the lens handling is done with the right hand.) Rarely used these days - a Fuji X system means I have 3 bodies with 10-24, 18-135 and 100-400 fitted. The only swaps tend to be fitting and removing a teleconverter.
 
Interesting to read the different techniques, and I'd agree to not change lenses when you know that abrasive material is likely to enter the camera body.

My usual approach is to wear the camera around my neck, then press the lens catch button and turn the lens just far enough to not be locked, but for the bayonet to still be snugly engaged. I then pick up the new lens from the bag round my shoulder and remove the cap, placing it either on a surface on in the bag, holding the lens with the mount facing downwards. Finally I will grasp the lens on the camera body with my free hand & complete the turn to unlock, quickly moving the new one into place & seating it before capping the unmounted lens.

As a matter of observation, having used both Nikon and Sony/Minolta, the Sony A mount is much easier to align and gives a lot more confidence when changing, while the Nikon is awkward to align and feels like the lens might fall off unpredictably, though I have yet to drop a lens in 20 months.
 
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sirch said:
I also should have said that I often don't have a strap on the body, it's either in my hand or in the bag, may be I should always use a strap...
Click to expand...

Up until recently I didn't use a strap as I tend to use the Peak Design Capture Clip, so I clip the camera in, which leaves both hands free, very much the same way as letting the body hang from the strap. Now I have both a strap and clip (use the clip when I don't want the camera swinging around)
 
The one with three sockets is called the tri lens and it's a kickstarter project. Once again the video shows how inept anyone who tries to change a lens without having a tri lens is, with dropped lenses. Also, although it's a three socket, the video only shows two lenses in situ again, I think, because to show three on the holder would leave you with a lens in each hand.
 
Always have your back to the wind. Have a spare body and rear lens cap in pocket.
Grap spare caps, remove lens cover body front and lens rear.
swap lenses in the bag while all caps are on.
remove and pocket caps and attach new lens.
A strap just for use when changing lenses may be a good idea as you can have the body against your chest while facing away from the wind and freeing your hands to make the switch as quick and smooth as possible.
 
john.margetts said:
I would not ever change lenses in those conditions. I would be more concerned about the exposed innards of the camera than about the lenses.

When I do (rarely) change lenses I make good use of an empty trouser pocket.
Click to expand...

I would and I do :D I've changed lenses in weather I could hardly stand up in :D

Open my bag.
Take the rear cap off the lens that's going on the camera.
Turn away from the wind and point the camera down.
Release the lens and put it in my bag.
Retrieve the new lens and mount it onto my camera.
Fit the rear cap to the lens and close the bag.

On a nice day if there was a wall or other free surface then I may use that.
 
sirch said:
How do you do it? Assume fairly extreme conditions, i.e. on a beach with a gale blowing and sand and spray in the air. I guess if there is a sequence that works in that situation it will probably work anywhere.
Click to expand...

IMO in extreme weather conditions you either need two bodies "ready to use" or if serious about trying to reduce (stop?) ingress of sand, salt spray et al then something like one of the old film changing bags but with a clear window in it. Yes no doubt some debris might enter the bag but will that outweigh not taking any physical precautions at all???
 
woof woof said:
I would and I do :D I've changed lenses in weather I could hardly stand up in :D

Open my bag.
Take the rear cap off the lens that's going on the camera.
Turn away from the wind and point the camera down.
Release the lens and put it in my bag.
Retrieve the new lens and mount it onto my camera.
Fit the rear cap to the lens and close the bag.

On a nice day if there was a wall or other free surface then I may use that.
Click to expand...

Pretty much this.
 
I make sure the new lens is on the body before worrying about lens cap on old lens - a lens is easier to clean than a body / sensor.
 
woof woof said:
I would and I do :D I've changed lenses in weather I could hardly stand up in :D

Open my bag.
Take the rear cap off the lens that's going on the camera.
Turn away from the wind and point the camera down.
Release the lens and put it in my bag.
Retrieve the new lens and mount it onto my camera.
Fit the rear cap to the lens and close the bag.

On a nice day if there was a wall or other free surface then I may use that.
Click to expand...
Yup. Got to agree. Just what I do.
 
You need to practise the one-handed lens change (I think I'll give it a go but I'm a bit worried about dropping one - best to practise over the bed perhaps):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2g-oPPavgE


I had to get my camera out to work out how I do it! Usual scenario when I'm "on the hoof" is to have a toploading camera bag with a lens pouch attached to the side - small lenses - a 17-50mm and a 10-20mm (or a 28-135mm). With the camera slung around my neck and in front of me and my bag to my right side (I'm left handed btw), I take the lens out of the pouch, remove the back cap and put in the bag or a pocket (bag or clothes pocket), put the lens into the bag, then I hold the camera in my right hand whilst I push the bayonet-release button with my left- hand and 'twist' the lens off (still left hand). I then pick the lens from the bag with my right hand, lock it onto the body, then with two hands spare, I put the back-cap onto the removed lens and place it in the pouch. Lens caps are on during this. When I'm not on the hoof, I usually have a camera rucksack and possibly a bigger lens (150-500mm) and I tend to do things more carefully and relaxed with stuff laid out on the floor or a bench etc.
 
ChrisHeathcote said:
I usually use the following process,
  1. Remove lens, place in bag
  2. Swap rear cap
  3. Attach new lens
Simple.

If you want to travel light i.e. Without bags, what about something like this
http://store.lowepro.com/s-f-lens-exchange-case-100-aw

It expands to give a second lens space, once you've removed the second lens it compacts back into its normal size. They do a longer one which fits 70-200 f2.8 too
Click to expand...

I have the longer one, and find it very useful.
 
Buy a zoom lens, then you won't need to change
 
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I dropped a lens in a rush to change lenses, so care and attention should be on the list. Fortunately the lens survived intact without any optical problems. I'm much more careful now.
 
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