Originally posted by Paul the Sunman I agree with Sandy on this. I don't really see a need to carry the DFA 150-450 mounted. Once I've put it on the camera, I have it on a Peak Design or Black Rapid sling, where it is comfortably carried. Even if I then want to swap to a shorter lens for a few shots, the 150-450 stays on the sling. If I am swapping it out for a longer period it goes back in the bag unmounted.
Yes, I understand the concerns. Here is the scenario that takes/makes up probably 80% of my photo outings, and likely 95% of the times that I will be using the 150-450:
I live three or four blocks (two if I walk a game trail across the dunes) from the Pacific Ocean. I figure out what gear I want to take and I mount the lens on the body
before I walk out the door. I get into my 4x4 with my gear and head to the beach (yes, you can drive most of the beach here, part of the year. The rest of the year, much of it is closed to vehicle traffic and you are walking to get away from people who are still driving
) I go to a suitable location, usually a good place to find eagles, ospreys, etc. I then either roll down my window and shoot from the driver's seat OR, perhaps half the time, park and walk maybe a couple hundred meters to get to a better location.
Once I am on the beach, I can almost guarantee that the wind will be blowing (sand) and often some precipitation will fall (blow sideways) while I am out. Even opening the airlock of my window means the potential for having sand blown into my camera body during a lens change.
This is almost definitely the scenario without a proper bag. Given something comfortable for a short trek, I may wander farther than a couple hundred of meters. As the weather is dynamic enough to go from blazing sunshine to feeling like you just stumbled into an automated car wash, and back again, several times a day, weather resistance is a priority not only for my camera and lenses, but for
everything I purchase for EDC.