New Gadget For Changing Lenses: A while back I saw an article or advertisement for a new gadget that will seemingly solve a lot of problems for changing lens in the field. It is simply...

Kitchen Guy

A while back I saw an article or advertisement for a new gadget that will seemingly solve a lot of problems for changing lens in the field. It is simply a tube with a shoulder strap. It has camera lens-mount threads on both ends. On one end you put a camera side-lens cap, and on the other end you mount your spare lens. When you are ready to change lenses on your camera, you remove your camera lens (camera facing downward of course), remove the lens cap from the gadget mount the lens to the top of the gadget, mount the removed lens to the gadget where the cap was, pop the new lens off the gadget and onto the camera. Then apply the cap back onto the other end of the gadget, and the whole unit will rotate. If anyone saw this, or knows about it, please post it. I wish I had written down the name and web site.
It really looked like a great idea.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

Kitchen Guy wrote:

A while back I saw an article or advertisement for... (show quote)

Anyone have a link to info on this gismo?

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Kitchen Guy wrote:

... It has camera lens-mount threads on both ends. On one end you put a camera side-lens cap, and on the other end you mount your spare lens. When you are ready to change lenses on your camera, you remove your camera lens (camera facing downward of course), remove the lens cap from the gadget mount the lens to the top of the gadget, mount the removed lens to the gadget where the cap was, ...It really looked like a great idea.

letting your 2 pound lens hang by the filter ring threads should give your insurance policy a good workout.

Kitchen Guy

No No No. It doesn't hang from the filter ring for crying out loud! It hangs from the camera mount end just as if it is hanging from a camera.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

In any case another gadget that make very little practical sense, even if it 'sounds good' the first time you read about it.

Buy it, use it once, find out your old way is not only quicker but also safer and place the gizmo onto the useless trash pile of your photographic equipment. Mine has stopped growing a long time ago!!! :shock: :hunf: :mrgreen: :lol: :lol: :lol:

hahersh Loc: Burlington, ON, Canada

GoWing Lens Flipper - available in Nikon and Canon mounts.
$89.95 at B&H

Peekayoh Loc: UK

Solvent cement two lens caps back to back (sand them flat first) and attach it to the lens in your camera bag or lens pouch.

Providing your camera is on a strap, swapping the lens is now a simple two handed operation and a lot cheaper than that flipper thingie.

Alan1729 Loc: England UK, now New York State.

Uuglypher wrote:

Anyone have a link to info on this gismo?

I remember seeing in the seventies a photographer who had screwed two lens mounts to the base plate of his leica one lens on the camera and one hanging off the base plate. All he had to do was take the lens off fix it to the spare mount on the base plate and then use the other. Sometimes though it becomes too tedious changing lenses so I got another body and start out with the lenses I think I'll need ready to shoot.

Goldyrock

I did the same thing. I have a Sigma 8-16mm mounted on a Sony A77, and a Tamron 18-270mm mounted on the A65.

No problems with dust, since the lenses rarely are removed.

Rick from NY Loc: Sarasota FL

Alan1729 wrote:

I remember seeing in the seventies a photographer who had screwed two lens mounts to the base plate of his leica one lens on the camera and one hanging off the base plate. All he had to do was take the lens off fix it to the spare mount on the base plate and then use the other. Sometimes though it becomes too tedious changing lenses so I got another body and start out with the lenses I think I'll need ready to shoot.

I owned a Spiratone camera bag back in the 70's where inside the bag, on the bottom, was a flat metal plate with 5 Nikon lens mounts built in. The idea was to remove the lens caps from 5 lenses, mount a lens on the camera and click the 4 other lens into the mounts in the bag. Then you just swapped out lenses without having to fiddle with an end cap at all.

It worked well and lens changing was one handed and quick. Only problem was that this was in the days when one did not use heavy zooms. The lenses I had in that bag were 50, 28, 24 and 85. The bag was made of leather and the metal bottom plate with the mounts made it very heavy. I suppose the theory would work with heavy zooms, but no one would carry that weight today.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Rick from NY wrote:

I owned a Spiratone camera bag back in the 70's wh... (show quote)

Ditto, except a "three holer". I still have the plate but now use a back pack. Maybe some day I'll figure out a clever way to again use that plate. It really was handy and I expect that since the gizmo the OP referenced also uses a camera mount it will work as well. (89 bucks sounds high though)

Kitchen Guy

Many many thanks, herhersh. That's exactly what I've been searching for. It is also now available from B&H with Sony "A" and "E" mounts. I ordered one this time since I think it will be the answer for me and to the many posts on UHH regarding changing lenses in the field. I recommend everyone Google it and check it out.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

FWIW, I was looking through my brothers gear the other day (needed to borrow a lens) and saw a gadget from about 30 years ago that must have been the prototype for the Lens Flipper. It was nothing more than two lens end caps mounted back to back with a plate between them and a strap attached to it.
It looked like something anyone who was even halfway handy could assemble in about 15 minutes from parts you most likely have in your closet.