Transporting Lenses Do and Don't!!

[Ketch Rossi]

Okay, after been witness to an AC prepping a set of Primes and two Zooms, for transport, after all lenses were collectively cleaned after an a long day of tests, I fill the need to share my opinion about the right way to do it.

Also because this days I see more then one way of how people carry their Expensive gear, especially lenses in the most wrong of ways.


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.



Share your toughs, and lets take better care of our lenses.

ciao

 

[Zac C]

This is really good to know Ketch, though I've handled a few lenses in my short time, I've always acted as though I was holding the holy grail transporting lenses from one place to another...

I just treat all my old Nikons like keys in my pocket, so to the unsuspecting it'd look as if I don't care, but anything not mine is a egg on a spoon.


thanks for putting this up,
Zac

 

[Ketch Rossi]

This is really good to know Ketch, though I've handled a few lenses in my short time, I've always acted as though I was holding the holy grail transporting lenses from one place to another...

I just treat all my old Nikons like keys in my pocket, so to the unsuspecting it'd look as if I don't care, but anything not mine is a egg on a spoon.


thanks for putting this up,
Zac

My pleasure Zac, usually they tell me that its just gear, and it will get used marks, and some scratches and so on, but even my C-stands look great

The more technology advances and the more the gear becomes liable to fail you, if you don't take care of it will fail you.


ciao

 

[Ryan S]

My experience with cine lenses to date has only been a shoot with an abused old set of Mark I Super Speeds, and I still treated them like precious jewels. Although I didn't know about B or C, I'll be sure to keep these tips in mind for future rentals, and my own kit down the road...

With regards to cases, I recall a discussion on this forum where it was suggested that Pelican pick'n'pluck foam should be avoided, but I can't seem to locate it.

Ketch, I always seem to learn something new by reading your posts, keep it coming!

 

[ericyoung]

Pick 'n' pluck foam is fine to start with or if you really look after it. Problem is that it tends to break apart in use (because it's cubed!) and leave little bits of foam everywhere. So medium to long term it's probably better to get custom cut foam.

Good advice Ketch on the four points.

As to orientation, I suspect there won't be any consensus as cases can be dropped in any orientation, and a hard enough drop to do damage through a flightcase will just cause different damage depending on that direction?

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Yes the pick N' pluck foam will definitely not do, at list not with out been sprayed after fitting with a special solution which bounds the foam together, avoiding its braking up, and limiting the flying around of foam particles, which do get in and around your lenses and other gear, so at the end I stay away from pick N' pluck all together and only get customized Cut Outs from professional manufacturers such Innerspace, and Louis there is a great guy.


On the orientation of the lenses when carried has been an argument with no strait or single answer, but I remain of the idea that large lenses, Primes or Zooms should be stored and carried side ways, as the rest of the Primes I usually have carried them with the Front element facing up, but with Cine lenses now I see that carrying the lenses facing down makes it more convenient to put down and pick up.

ciao

 

[Mitch Gross]

Cases get placed this way and that all the time. Many briefcase-shaped cases sit lying down but are immediately picked up for transport or storage, turning the lens on it's side or on end.

Lenses are designed to handle such forces and it is not really a big deal. The more important issue is the orientation of the lens when one tries to remove it from the case. Don't want to drop it! If a long, heavy lens is pointing straight up or down, then someone may accidentally try to lift it by the rear cap or a small ring like the iris. That really wears down the lens as these bits are not designed to torsionally support the entire lens, especially as the orientation is shifted in one's hands. Not a big deal on a small, lightweight lens.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

This were my toughs on large lenses as well Mitch and this is why I prefer and suggest the Lay down on the side way of transporting, but what about the standard Prime sets of lenses, would you say that is better to put them facing down or facing up? Such as for the design of the RPP's which way would you think this lenses are better stored, especially for what you just mentioned, when putting them down and or picking them up?

ciao

 

[Harry Clark]

Yes; zooms and heavy telephotos sideways.
I would say primes with the rear element down always.
I also like my cutouts to be soft (medium density) foam on the bottom and hard (high density) foam glued to the top 1" so the cutouts retain their shape and there is less shed.
I also like "convoluted" foam in the lid the protrudes a bit so that the lid squishes the lenses into the soft foam below (ever so slightly) and then if the case gets upended as Mitch has suggested, there is some give towards the lid to cushion the impact.
I'm always amazed how airline baggage handlers dump the cases upside down on the belt when all of my cases have a convenient handle in the lid! And most PAs, while smart and dedicated, will stack the cases any which way that most effectively jams them into the cube truck (at least here in NY)
A&J has been very good at foaming out cases to my specs. Never had a problem.
Cheers,
Harry

 

[Steve Gibby]

I'm always amazed how airline baggage handlers dump the cases upside down on the belt when all of my cases have a convenient handle in the lid! And most PAs, while smart and dedicated, will stack the cases any which way that most effectively jams them into the cube truck (at least here in NY)

Very good advice Ketch, Harry, and others here...

Ahh... airline baggage handlers...

Me and my crews used to check cameras and lenses, and constantly had problems with equipment when we got on location. One day when I was sitting by the window on a flight while it was loading, I happened to watch some baggage handlers pull up with a loaded cart and proceed to put the bags on a conveyer belt which carried them up to the aircraft baggage compartment. To my utter horror I watched them drop on the concrete three of our camera and lens cases, one from as high as 5 feet! I was freaking out - nose against the window - waving and gesturing - to no avail!

You guessed it - on location we had a lot of equipment problems - but I'd finally figured out the source of them. Ever since then we carry-on camera bodies, and key lenses, and ship the other equipment to the location via FEDEX or UPS. The frequent equipment problems simply stopped.

Obviously in today's airline business carry-on baggage is limited in weight. I've found that airlines give me some slack when I tell them what I do, my hesitation to check delicate camera equipment into baggage, how much I fly with them, etc. If I do have to pay for excess weight of a carry-on item, I do so gladly. The cost of that is worth the peace of mind on location, and the savings in repair bills from my equipment being abused by airline baggage handlers.

 

[Harry Clark]

Yes, good advice on the carry on, Steve.
I should point out that I try to carry on what I can. Superspeeds in a photo backpack or a Tenba stills bag. Red or broadcast camera in the Port-Brace in the overhead. Larger lenses; S4's (ugh), zooms, and accessories unfortunately in the plane's belly.
I, too, have seen the tarmac bounce. VERY disturbing.
Cheers,
Harry

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Yes Steve, def carrying the Camera and Lenses with you on flights is great, when ever you can do so, as you mentioned, because of weight, and size more then weight, the carry-on limits you a lot on what you can carry.

Few times I have found possible letting other passengers carry one or two extra bags for me, abusing my Handicap card , but this is got more difficult given current times.

Either way, I will not ever ship out the camera body, no matter what, Camera body, Lap Top and Drives full of captured media, always come with me, if I have the possibility for lenses to come to then count on it, even if we each carry two or three lenses well bubble rapped in our back packs.

When soon to travel will require the use of the 18-85, you can count on that coming on board with us , then back in its case when we land.

ciao

 

[Charles Angus]

I've always seen primes front-side up when put in the case, with the lens size written on the lens cap for easy identification.

 

[David Wyatt]

I remember a few years ago filming "backstage" at an airport in France (through which incidentally our camera gear came in and went out!) and was stunned to see an inexplicable five foot drop from where the conveyor belts ended and the outside tarmac began (that was a hard landing!). At the time I thought "how hard could it be to design some kind of gradual slope or whatever", but something told me this wasn't high on their agenda :nonod:

 

[Mitch Gross]

Such as for the design of the RPP's which way would you think this lenses are better stored, especially for what you just mentioned, when putting them down and or picking them up?

RPPs would be front element facing up, although I might go for a case layout that had the two big ones on their side (so darn big). If an RPP was face down, then the first real grasp point would be the iris ring, and it would be used to lift about seven pounds of glass and metal. This on a ring that is being pulled laterally to its normal direction of turn, and one with fine thin mechanical blades attached within as well. Not a great idea.

 

[John Fairstein]

This is great info, thank you. Ketch mentioned cleaning lenses. In my photography teaching days, I noticed students wiping their lenses with shirt sleeves, etc. I realized they thought the lens glass was hard like window glass or pint glass. But optical glass is softer. Nowadays hard coatings help protect lenses, but care should be exercised when cleaning, especially with older lenses. My own habits are:
- Never clean a lens unless it is necessary.
- When necessary, gently clean the lens: blow the lens off with lung air, use quality lens tissue, and lens cleaning fluid.
- And as you have stated, keep the lens capped.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

RPPs would be front element facing up, although I might go for a case layout that had the two big ones on their side (so darn big). If an RPP was face down, then the first real grasp point would be the iris ring, and it would be used to lift about seven pounds of glass and metal. This on a ring that is being pulled laterally to its normal direction of turn, and one with fine thin mechanical blades attached within as well. Not a great idea.

At last the answer I was looking for Mitch

For those that have worked with me, and seen the several cases of lenses I brought to the jobs, I have always put the lens front element "FACING UP" and not just because of the convenience of been able to mark the Focal on the cap, easy to fetch for my Assistants, but because I always tough that it would just be better for the lens not to be lifted up by its rear end

Unfortunately, there is also to say that this way is easy to lift the lens up by the front cup, and drop it mid hair if grip is lost, so for any lens above a certain weight and size I'll definitely continue to go with the Side way method of storing,m carrying g and shipping.

In fact I think that for the RPP's my customized case will see the lenses all side ways.



*Welcome John, and also great point on cleaning.

ciao

 

[malc84]

Cleaning and transporting lenses

Cleaning and transporting lenses

I would like to say to the question of handling lenses. The truth is that they are jewels. Every high end rental house uses A & J cases for all of their equipment. So should you as owner operator. It is the industry standard from Panavision to Clairmount to CSC. If your in a run and gun situation lenses should always be packed with caps. The same is true for you mount. Always use a turret plug. Personally I don't like to clean lenses because the coating does wear with contact. It's chemical. So I always watch carefully where I place my hands when handling a lens. Go and spend the money and buy pancro to clean your glass. Having worked at a rental house myself I can tell you the tech in most houses use acetone and pancro to clean lenses. The dry fast and dont remove coatings. If you have to remove dust go to a drugstore and buy a blower bulb from the baby section. They are big and dont use propellant.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Good tips thanks to chip in.

ciao

 

[Emanuel A.]

Okay, after been witness to an AC prepping a set of Primes and two Zooms, for transport, after all lenses were collectively cleaned after an a long day of tests, I fill the need to share my opinion about the right way to do it.

Also because this days I see more then one way of how people carry their Expensive gear, especially lenses in the most wrong of ways.


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, 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.

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.

Then other times I have been told, great I see that you carry your lenses the right way.

So on this I welcome experts of the fields to jump in and suggest the most proper use of carrying Pro lenses to and from the set, and most particularly for long travels.

(...)

Share your toughs, and lets take better care of our lenses.

ciao

You are a (our) star, my friend. Thanks for sharing! Hope to see you around soon (sorry LV fellows!).

My Best Wishes from your own country
and another glass addicted,

Emanuel