Lens Storage Revisited

[Tim Duran]

About a year ago there was a thread on lens storage which, as I recall, ended up with verticle is best. (I'm talking long term storage, not while sitting in your case in a FedEx truck.) But I just received a new lens and the manufacture's case is clearly designed for horizonal storage. Any new thoughts on this?

Similarily, is it best to store the lens in a case against foam or in a plastic bag against foam? All the lenses I've ever bought came with plastic, but you never see the plastic in lens cases. What's best? When you read about used lenses being for sale, fungus is often referred to as not being on the lens. You need moisture for fungus to grow (and lack of air circulation). I can see how the plastic would further help to keep moisture away from the lens, but I know the same plastic would minimize air circulation.

I'm designing a case(s) for prime and zoom lenses and I want to make sure that I'm doing it right.

Ideas anyone?

 

[Andrew J.]

I store primes vertical and zooms horizontal, I don't know which one is better for storage really as both have cons, maybe consulting the manufacturers optical techs would be a good place to start.

Using silica gel packets in cases to help prevent moisture is a must, replace packets each year and don't allow the packets to touch the equipment.

Setting your iris, focus, zoom to starting positions is a good idea.

Cover lens with caps & microfiber cloth or Velcro soft wrap then place into foam case, allowing grey/black foam to touch the lens is not generally a good idea as the foam decays and could contaminate the lens.

 

[Tim Duran]

Just to share what i learned at NAB, the answer is verticle---for both. Has to do with pressure on the bearings. Technically there is no preference as to which end is "up" as long as the lens is pointed up. (I recall an earlier blog that having the lens facing up makes it easier to grasp when removing the lens from a case, but it has no bearing on the bearings, pun intended.)

 

[Ketch Rossi]

About a year ago there was a thread on lens storage which, as I recall, ended up with verticle is best. (I'm talking long term storage, not while sitting in your case in a FedEx truck.) But I just received a new lens and the manufacture's case is clearly designed for horizonal storage. Any new thoughts on this?

Similarily, is it best to store the lens in a case against foam or in a plastic bag against foam? All the lenses I've ever bought came with plastic, but you never see the plastic in lens cases. What's best? When you read about used lenses being for sale, fungus is often referred to as not being on the lens. You need moisture for fungus to grow (and lack of air circulation). I can see how the plastic would further help to keep moisture away from the lens, but I know the same plastic would minimize air circulation.

I'm designing a case(s) for prime and zoom lenses and I want to make sure that I'm doing it right.

Ideas anyone?

Tim, if you are referring to my Thread this is what I said about it:

Is common sense to think that you should ALWAYS carry the lenses in sturdy cases and that you should ALWAYS make sure that the Foam Padding in your case supports the weight of the lens, fully and does not allow for the lens to travel either way, or touch one an other.

Now what some people might not know is the proper way a lens should be stored in this protective customized cases, and for those that don't know I like to share the following:


A) Always have their manufacturers cups on, to protect the lens form dust particles, and other elements.

B) Always Turn the focus ring to infinite, this will protect the internal focus mechanism.

C) Always Open the Aperture to the maximum (wide open), as to protect the Iris Blades.

D) With Zooms, especially the larger ones, but all of them in general, they should be set to minimum or maximum, but never left in the middle, to avoid damage to the zoom mechanism.

So i the case of my RPZ 18-85 I leave it always to its maximum zoom range of 85mm.

Now if in the case of zooms which do not have IF (internal focusing) then in this cases, and only in this cases you need to turn the zoom to its minimum, insuring that no extra stress is added by leaving the internal zooming elements extended.

This are by far the most important steps you can take to protect your investment, and insure that the lenses will work properly in between service calls, making those service call far apart from each other as much as possible, avoiding costly repairs.


An other thing to consider is the way you carry the lenses and zooms, meaning the position in which they seat, in their foam insert cut outs, and on this I have always found argument every time I opened my lens cases were all my lenses had the front element facing up, mind you this were Canon "L" series lens, not Cine lenses which tend to be more delicate then still lenses do to their weight and I prefer them facing down.



to view full thread discussion go here: http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33904

 

[Tim Duran]

Ketch, this is good reinforcement. Conversations/posts in the past as I recall them essentially said to store primes vertically and zooms horizontally. This didn't make sense to me. So both tech and sales staff for Band Pro, Angineiux and ARRI during NAB all seem to agree on the verticle position, though Angineiux had a hard time with the concept of long term storage of their lens, as in "...why would you want to do that?" There is also the practical issue of storing a long, narrow case vertically when the handles are most likely on the side ie: counter intutive.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Well, the vertical to Horizontal issue with extremely large and long lenses, is not only a factor of transport, do to were their handles are, but also a question on how would you then lift such a big and heavy lens by the front and or rear element.

For this Those "HUGE" lenses need be stored in Horizontal position, think simply on how would you lift up a Master Zoom, a 24-290mm Angenioux and so on, definitely Two hands and by their lateral Handle such a lenses can not and should be not absolutely stored in custom cases made it to be in a drop down vertical position, no question about it!

Now for lenses such as the RED PRO ZOOM 18-85mm and the RED PRO PRIME 300mm, there can be a good argument on doing it either way, but for this two I still would go the Horizontal way, and make sure they have a custom handle to them so that you always lift them up by such a Handle.

For the rest of the Primes and or smaller zooms, I now concur that they should all be stored and carried Face down as They are in the new RED cases, so that the weight of the elements is distributed in order of their own weight bottom to top instead of vice versa, even so for some lenses there is the issue of internal lubricants actually dripping, so you also need to take this on a Per lens manufacturer case by case, and also make sure that you know what type and amount your lens manufacturer distributes such lubricants, and or also when you take them to service.

 

[Tim Duran]

Ketch, I the issue is what is the best position for long term storage of a lens. You have a good point regarding access to the lens once you go to pick it up. It's the long term storage point that I was trying to resolve. Seems that storage is verticle, then turn case on its side once you want to access the lens. (So far I have not rented my gear out so some lenses get used a lot more than others ie: my Angenieux Rouge lenses are used often, my Cooke 20-100 has not seen daylight for nearly a year.) All this time I've kept it on its side only to find out I should have been storing it vertically.