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Archive 2014 · Painting My Lenses

  
 
BrundinPhoto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Painting My Lenses


I have been mistaken one to many times for having a gun while on assignment in stressful situations with authorities or other armed parties. I want to paint all of my lenses white, grey, or tan to avoid confusion. I also work in some hot weather so the heat diffusion would be nice comfort-wise. Is there any shop in the United States that can do something similar to what I'm seeing in the article below? Thanks in advance.

http://nikonrumors.com/2013/06/22/amazing-restoration-of-old-nikon-lenses.aspx/

Edited on Oct 13, 2014 at 10:02 PM · View previous versions



Oct 13, 2014 at 04:58 PM
djp2313
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Painting My Lenses


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/833923-REG/LensSkins_LS_N70200V2FW_Nikon_70_200mm_f_2_8G_AF_S.html

What about something like this? Protects the lens and it's resale value.

Similar-ish but much cheaper
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/834035-REG/LENSBAND_628586557932_Lens_Band_Yellow.html

Probably not what you are looking for but could work much like the neon tips on play guns. It would at least highlight how much bigger than a real barrel it is.



Oct 13, 2014 at 06:07 PM
BrundinPhoto
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Painting My Lenses


I really like the first option you pointed out. Lens protection and a reassuring color for civilians. Thanks!

I also really like this paint scheme for wildlife, but I think the skins are the way to go. Now to figure out who to have put them on. If there is one thing I learned in auto-body repair, it's to always have an experienced person apply decals. :P

http://www.phototips.biz/2013/04/military-grade-nikon.html



Oct 13, 2014 at 09:59 PM
jamesdak
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Painting My Lenses


I'm surprised no one mentioned the obvious, switch to Canon and you have all the white, non-hostile, lenses you want, !! Joking of course...

I'd be worried about the OD green still being mistaken for milspec gear of some sort.



Oct 14, 2014 at 09:39 PM
mmurph
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Painting My Lenses


Wow, the reviews on the Lens Skin, linked to above, were **horrible**

The ones for Lens Coat look a bit better, depending on which color you get, etc:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=To+Fit_Nikon+70-200&ci=12668&N=4077634520+4291370864+4146250753


I have never used either, no opinion myself. I was just surprised by how bad the reviews were at that first link above.

Good luck!



Oct 14, 2014 at 10:29 PM
djp2313
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Painting My Lenses


mmurph wrote:
Wow, the reviews on the Lens Skin, linked to above, were **horrible**

The ones for Lens Coat look a bit better, depending on which color you get, etc:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=To+Fit_Nikon+70-200&ci=12668&N=4077634520+4291370864+4146250753

I have never used either, no opinion myself. I was just surprised by how bad the reviews were at that first link above.

Good luck!


Just to clarify since I did link to them. I have not used any of these products I just knew they existed and linked the first one I came across. I am not endorsing any brand.



Oct 14, 2014 at 11:32 PM
Chestnut
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Painting My Lenses


I have lends coats on my larger lenses just for protection and great dissipation. They are great. Yes, a but pricy for a piece of printed neoprene, but well worth out against bumps and nicks.


Oct 15, 2014 at 12:02 AM
Joseph.
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Painting My Lenses


You should go with the school bus theme



...or the desert storm theme. It looks nice!




Oct 15, 2014 at 12:34 AM
niXer
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Painting My Lenses


A while back I experimented with vinyl wrap like the ones they use on cars.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1228333/

It went OK, granted I had no idea how to properly do it but after a few months I ripped it off and the lens was not damaged at all, so maybe something you could look into.



Oct 15, 2014 at 01:03 AM
BrundinPhoto
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Painting My Lenses


I'm really not too concerned with the protective aspects... mainly with identifying my camera as harmless and not a weapon. Being held at gunpoint is no bueno.

I love the tan look... but I think making a lens white is the universal civilian color for "lens" or "camera-guy."

Lens Coat, I'll look into. Does anyone have experience with them? I wonder how much water they hold in the rain...

DontShoot; that yellow paint job is admittedly pretty awesome! It's just too pretty to shoot with... :P



Oct 15, 2014 at 01:10 AM
workerdrone
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Painting My Lenses


White gaffing tape. Under $10, fits anything, good protection, adds grip, comes right off, nice for writing on with Sharpies.

I'm not home so I'm not sure if this link is the roll I own, but I have one white and a few rolls of black. Won't be without it now, great companion for duct tape and silicone 'miracle' tape. I add strips of gaffer for disguise and grip on cameras and iDevices, tripods, etc. Cover your computer camera lens so nobody can snoop. Makes an excellent quick repair to charging cables that have started to fall apart.

A million uses I'm sure.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1074144-REG/devek_gt6_wht1_10_gaffer_tape_1_x.html



Oct 15, 2014 at 11:25 AM
pburke
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Painting My Lenses


I ordered a LensCoat set for my 600mm f//4.0 AIS, but it didn't fit at all (manufacturer unaware of differences in production years), so I just bought some neoprene and proper neoprene glue and made my own. About $40 total and enough material to do several big lenses. Choose the color and thickness you want. I picked a desert camo, which probably won't help much in convincing authorities that you're not carrying a rocket launcher.

Gaffer tape: even the most expensive stuff I have tried, will probably leave some residue, especially on rubberized parts like when I tape up my SD card door to avoid breaking it and to keep dust out. When removing, I find gunk sticks to the rubbery back of the camera body. I would not want to use a bottle of GooGone on a lens to get that stuff off.






Oct 15, 2014 at 03:31 PM
jamesdak
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Painting My Lenses


I've used a lens coat on my old 800/5.6 since I got it. It's held up really well. Can't speak to how water repellent it is though as I don't let this puppy get wet.




Oct 15, 2014 at 09:21 PM
Mark Peters
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Painting My Lenses


+1 on the gaffer's tape. Get any color you want pretty much, including high vis yellow, pink green. Need's to be changed once in a while. If you go with one of the high vis colors you could put a single strip around the hood.


Oct 15, 2014 at 09:58 PM
BrundinPhoto
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Painting My Lenses


I'll give the gaffer tape a go... I have black, but I'll get some white or some neon green.


Oct 15, 2014 at 10:35 PM
DGC1
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Painting My Lenses


What kind of minimum wage moron thinks an SLR looks anything like a gun??


Oct 16, 2014 at 12:26 PM
M635_Guy
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Painting My Lenses


DGC1 wrote:
What kind of minimum wage moron thinks an SLR looks anything like a gun??


If you're in a high-stress situation with weapons, your aperture for "threat" vs. "non-threat" opens up a little wider. Only the very good and well-trained do a good job of discerning something "camera" from a weapon of some sort. And the number of good/well-trained is a small percentage of people who have guns. I think the OP is being extremely smart if he's in the middle of this kind of thing.



Oct 16, 2014 at 01:06 PM
24-70
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Painting My Lenses


I will not judge the military in combat, but mistakes can be made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_12,_2007_Baghdad_airstrike. I have seen a higher resolution color version that shows, to my Canon owning "trained" eye, that the photographer is clearly carrying a Canon lens. In any case, it was obviously mistaken for an RPG launcher. It pays to be cautions, and under some conditions Whites are no guarantee!


Oct 16, 2014 at 01:08 PM
Andre Labonte
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Painting My Lenses


Combat zones or just law enforcement?

Combat zones I can see as it would look a lot like a rocket launcher at short distances ... and even from the side, at a distance, it could look like someone aiming a sub machine gun or a carbine with a grenade launcher.

law enforcement here in the states ... we'll that seems like a total lack of training to make such a mistake.



Oct 16, 2014 at 01:14 PM
BrundinPhoto
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Painting My Lenses


Usually it occurs when embedded with Law Enforcement. One recent incident involved a story I was working on about rural sheriffs departments. The deputy received a 911 hang-up call on a remote ranch. We approached the house and a donkey started baying. The deputy told me to hang tight at that spot while he made initial contact with the residents. About 30 seconds later I being held by the landowner with a shotgun telling me to drop my weapon, a Pentax with a 70-300mm lens. Once he comes over and discovers it was a camera he became sheepish and apologized.

I have had the police called on me for having a camera near a school, (for sports reporting.)

I also have had other responding law enforcement officers see me on scene with an camera order me to put my gun down at gunpoint. I just think making the long lens a bright color will remedy this.



Oct 16, 2014 at 07:37 PM
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