I just ordered material to make my own. I kept their hoodie, because it probably is the hardest to make piece of the whole setup and also much cheaper than the lens cover itself.
Andrew J wrote:
This product is; cheap, pretty heavy, easy to work with, leaves no residue when removed. $60 worth will do several long lenses, 2 tripods, and a gimbal head. It is an automotive grade 3M product. http://www.metrorestyling.com/Oracal-s/20302.htm
Curious.
would love to post my how to progress, but what Rockywoods calls "Gray Digital Camo" is actually totally green, not a hint of gray in the pattern.
I'm really getting tired of the whole thing. I don't shoot in the woods. I want the lens to stay cool in the sun, not be wrapped in dark green. The image on the site shows gray pattern, the bill states gray, the fabric is not gray. The site shows no other digital camp pattern. so I assume this is what they have to offer. Now I can go ahead order some neoprene from Seattle Fabrics and hope they aren't color blind...
OK. I get that part, but how does the " Skyhook" gimbal attach to the top of the vehicle door?
I see a Arca Swiss type clamp attached to a ring with a Velcro type strap.
Finally got around to cutting up some neoprene for my lens. I ordered the Rockywoods gray digi camo (which isn't gray after all, but exactly the same color as the gray camo sold by lenscoat, so it fits my hoodie perfectly).
I bought 2 feet of the fabric, which is enough to do 3 big lenses and a few small ones, so overkill. Glue is the black Seal Cement which I got at REI locally. Took a few hours to get each piece to be about right, but I had no issues with the glue - it holds so well, there's really no need for any stitching.
Here's the end result, which I will probably tweak some more now that I got a feel for the process:
How difficult was it to cut out the small parts where the tripod collar, VR knobs etc go? I am mainly interested in protecting my longer lenses from scratches and dirt when I sometimes have to lay them down on the ground when shooting sports. I'm glad to have found this thread because I was seriously considering buying three Lenscoats. However, at $80 each, that gets a bit pricey. Also I live in hot, hot, hot Florida and have Nikon (black) lenses. Does getting a lighter colored fabric help that much when it comes to heat protection?
graham_martin wrote:
How difficult was it to cut out the small parts where the tripod collar, VR knobs etc go? I am mainly interested in protecting my longer lenses from scratches and dirt when I sometimes have to lay them down on the ground when shooting sports. I'm glad to have found this thread because I was seriously considering buying three Lenscoats. However, at $80 each, that gets a bit pricey. Also I live in hot, hot, hot Florida and have Nikon (black) lenses. Does getting a lighter colored fabric help that much when it comes to heat protection?
do you mean how hard it is to cut the holes? First I cut the sleeve, which you do by measuring the lens (use a string to get circumference at each end point), then subtract 10-20% for a snug fit. If the pieces don't need a cone shape, it's a rectangle, if it needs to be wider on one and, you cut each side at a slight angle (trapezoid). The glue it and slide it on the lens, over any button or knob. The material is stretchy and you then can just mark the areas where you need to cut with a sharpie, pull off the sleeve, and put a piece of thick cardboard through the sleeve, then use an Exacto knife or just a fresh sharp box cutter blade to cut out the hole. Done unless you want to protect the cut out area with a thin layer of that glue, which more or less seals your cut.
I don't like plastic over buttons anyway, so I just leave those holes the way they are. Any piece that wants to slide off it's position can be secured with a few dots of double sided tape (glue will remove from lens with Goo Gone if you're worried). The piece around the lens collar has to be secured with tape.
If things don't fit or you don't like it, do another one, or cut them and reduce the size for a more snug fit, glue again.
Light fabric will reflect a lot more sun than black, which is why I chose this pattern. It probably averages out to a medium gray. I used to shoot Canon lenses and the white paint makes a huge difference on hot days.
Another option is that vinyl material mentioned on the previous page - there are very light colors available, but the process is very different and you can't quickly remove and re-attach, although I am not sure if that is really a thing to worry about. I prefer the neoprene for additional shock protection.
Nice job on the the lens cover. I hesitate to call it "Lenscoat" because you have proven that you don't have to pay a premium price for a product you can make yourself. Nice work !!!!!!!!
I think you may have inspired a lot of forum members to give this a shot..
kbarrera wrote:
I think you may have inspired a lot of forum members to give this a shot..
At least one member... I ordered some fabric from rockywoods to make a lens cover as well. Thanks for the motivation, and thanks to those who offered tips on making the covers!
I spent a small amount of money yesterday at the fabric store on enough camo fabric to coat the three lenses that need it. I don't understand the retail pricing of ready made lens coats.
looking to do a Canon 300 f/2.8 IS lens. anyone have experience/advice with seattle fabric cement or actual material looking the same as it does on the web...specifically the brown marsh color?
Thanks for all the great tips here. I bought a LC for my 300 a while back...hated it so much I pulled it off and currently have no idea where it even is. And don't care.
When I get some time I will try some of these things.
Cheers
docsmiles17 wrote:
looking to do a Canon 300 f/2.8 IS lens. anyone have experience/advice with seattle fabric cement or actual material looking the same as it does on the web...specifically the brown marsh color?
The color shown in my post on this thread is " Marsh Brown". I found the colors and pattern to be very accurate with respect to the samples shown on their site.
I use Formica brand contact cement when fabricating my covers. Works great.
kbarrera wrote:
The color shown in my post on this thread is " Marsh Brown". I found the colors and pattern to be very accurate with respect to the samples shown on their site.
I use Formica brand contact cement when fabricating my covers. Works great.
Al
Thanks Al...which thickness stays in place better, the 3mm or 4mm
I bought some 2mm digital camo from Seattle Fabrics. It tends to slip due to nylon fabric on both sides. Uncoated back would be preferable but was not available. 3mm would be fine if it has the uncoated back. You can also check with a local scuba shop for info and supplies.
