[UncleVanya]

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The nail polish is a great idea to improve the optech caps.

[08amczb]

If I need a very quick lens switch I don't put on the caps while I take that photo. After taking the photo I put on the caps. With hood the front cap not needed and the back cap can wait a little.
On weddings I use two cameras, one with a cont F2.8 zoom in general (16-50, 50-135) and the other with a prime. I would never go to a wedding or other important unpredictable event without a normal F2.8 zoom. (I shoot primes if I can.)

[jacamar]

I use a Tamrac belt with a capture clip which enables me to take the camera off the DA*300mm telephoto lens while the lens stays clipped to the belt. I always attach rear caps but not front caps, Other lenses go in other pouches on the belt, preferably with the hood left on.
The electrical contacts on my DA*300mm lens and my 1.4xTC include a couple of brass tabs. These seem very fragile - they don't seem to be glued down - and they can break off easily. I have had to have tabs replaced a couple of times. So I would advise extra caution when changing lenses and always use a rear cap if your lens has this type of contact. I don't see myself as being careless but I do change lenses a few times on each trip. I think the tabs just get a bit of metal fatigue after a while. Carrying multiple camera bodies with me would be too cumbersome, and I wish Pentax would fix this design flaw..

[audiobomber]

A couple of months ago, I was chatting with a fellow at a house party. He was a photojournalist throughout his career, recently retired. He knew I was interested in photography and was anxious to show me his new Oly MILC with f2.8 zooms. I was kind of horrified that the spare lens in the bag had no front or rear caps. When I mentioned it, he said it was a bad habit left over from photojournalism. He said this is common practice in the profession to enable quick changes.

Regardless of what professional photojournalists may do, I will not be following. I sometimes store a lens with no front cap and hood mounted, but I am very careful about keeping the rear cap in place.

[mattb123]

Two bodies is probably the best answer but I often shoot landscapes with just a single body because that is all I want to carry or because I only have one 645D.
After a shoot, if things were changing quickly or I wanted to get shots with different lenses quickly before the light faded, I wind up with a messy bag of lenses, often without all their caps on. I try to reorganize when I can in this situation, often once I am back home. If I do this I try to make an effort to be sure the front or rear elements do not touch anything with placement and hoods. I don't think I have damaged anything doing this yet.
Another option is using those cheap rear caps that just push on instead of screwing on. Might save enough time to reinforce the habit of capping when swapping.

[Alex645]

I was kind of horrified that the spare lens in the bag had no front or rear caps. When I mentioned it, he said it was a bad habit left over from photojournalism.

This is very true. In some part, it's more important for a photojournalist to get the shot, but often the gear doesn't belong to the photojournalist. In our school yearbook, we have 5 DSLRs and probably 10 lenses, and the student photographers don't treat the gear as well as if it were their own.

[mikeSF]

I swap primes constantly while in the field and generally leave the caps off until I have a break in the action where I can reorganize my bag. There are many ways to do it. These days, I am less concerned about dust on the sensor if a lens swap must occur in windy or dusty conditions. I just blow off my sensor before going out the next time. No big.

[Wingincamera]

Not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable.
With the small limited lens I pick up the lens I want to swap in my left hand and remove the end cap. The camera is in my right hand. While holding the new lens, with the same hand I remove the lens from the camera then immediately turn my hand and attached the new lens. For a moment while removing & attaching the lens both will be in my hand at the same time. After the second lens is mounted then I attached the lens cap to the free lens. This makes for a very fast lens change.

For larger lens I have to hold them separately while changing them.

[BruceBanner]

I'm gracious for all the feedback and opinions, great to see some varied view points on the subject.

I think part of this issue is down to how each and everyone of us approaches general electronic equipment out there. For many years I would put a screen protector on various electronic devices, from camera lcd screens, to semi expensive mp3 player devices and of course phones. Nowadays I don't, I prefer all my screen stuff to be naked as possible, with times even forgoing silicon bumper cases etc. I'm not sure what led to the switch, but I have come to realise that I am one of those very careful and aware kinda people. When I put my phone in my pocket my keys would never go in with it, ever... even when I had phone protection I had a super awareness what was in what pocket. So eventually I think I just felt like I wasn't really experiencing the devices as they were intended (screen protectors made the displays worse and protection cases apply weight and bulk needlessly).
I am however very aware that there is a massive diversity among people, some don't have this level of awareness <*cough Mrs Banner *cough> and of course kids. Eventually I decided I would rather experience things as they should be and if the worst came to the worst either fix the damage or replace with another one (and tech moves so massively fast many of us upgrade certain tech within 12 months, not like in days gone by where you tried to treasure things for years and decade, we truly are living in the times of churning and burning.
I'm wondering now if I am not experiencing 'prime lenses' the way they could be, in that the swaps could be a lot faster than many people think. For sure the need to not swap a zoom (or at least as much) is it's massive selling point, being fixed with a FL with primes is it's major drawback, but what if that negative experience isn't actually as bad as it had to be (and therefore makes the whole 'prime' experience better and worthwhile).

I'm not for one minute thinking I am immune to making a tragic mistake, accidents do happen, just with some people those chances are significantly higher than others, I guess only the user can draw on past experiences to determine what kinda person they are, clumsy and accident prone or OCD with their stuff lol.

But the purpose of this thread is actually to do with the speed of the change, the fluidity of the process. If the risk gives only 1 second advantage I don't see the point, if it gives 5-8 seconds then that might be worth risking.

Here's the picture of my dual sided optec rear caps with the missus's nail polish on them. I may keep using them in the field as they assist in letting me know quite quickly roughly where the orange dot on the lenses are and help line up for the camera body attachment. The only thing I can think of is perhaps marking the lens itself with something semi permanent (but removable for sale purposes) that marks where the orange/red dot on the lens is but more on the outside of the lens than on the inner side. Hunting for that red dot is more time consuming currently than anything else, and when picking out the lens from the pouch (when there are no caps on) is a more stressful experience as I am trying not to touch either glass elements, so even spinning the lens around with one hand or whatever to find that dot is kinda slower than just reaching down with more confidence...

Definitely some things to think about and try out this week...

---------- Post added 12-01-17 at 09:34 AM ----------

Not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable.
With the small limited lens I pick up the lens I want to swap in my left hand and remove the end cap. The camera is in my right hand. While holding the new lens, with the same hand I remove the lens from the camera then immediately turn my hand and attached the new lens. For a moment while removing & attaching the lens both will be in my hand at the same time. After the second lens is mounted then I attached the lens cap to the free lens. This makes for a very fast lens change.

For larger lens I have to hold them separately while changing them.

I've seen that technique done before, I use my K-1 with a neck strap and shorten it so that when the K-1 dangles down its touching my upper abdomen (not down near the pouches on my waist), I find this process is made easier as you do a similar thing as you describe but you can let go of the camera body also to assist in the swap. Mine goes; reach down and grab lens, find the white dot markers on the optech cap and orientate them towards me so I can see them easily> take off the lens on the camera body and dock to the other side of the dual optech lens cap>take off the other lens on the optech cap that I want and fit to camera body>dump the other lens in a pouch.

[audiobomber]

This is very true. In some part, it's more important for a photojournalist to get the shot, but often the gear doesn't belong to the photojournalist. In our school yearbook, we have 5 DSLRs and probably 10 lenses, and the student photographers don't treat the gear as well as if it were their own.

I could definitely see that happening. The fellow I know was a freelancer and supplied his own gear. He had quite a successful career, working for major magazines and papers. Not much left of the profession now though.

Not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable.
With the small limited lens I pick up the lens I want to swap in my left hand and remove the end cap. The camera is in my right hand. While holding the new lens, with the same hand I remove the lens from the camera then immediately turn my hand and attached the new lens. For a moment while removing & attaching the lens both will be in my hand at the same time. After the second lens is mounted then I attached the lens cap to the free lens. This makes for a very fast lens change.

For larger lens I have to hold them separately while changing them.

That's a great tip. I had heard this previously and forgotten about it. I used this method for a while and it works brilliantly. Wasn't there a video showing how it's done? I am definitely going to start doing this again.

[Alex645]

Not sure if I can explain this so it is understandable.
With the small limited lens I pick up the lens I want to swap in my left hand and remove the end cap. The camera is in my right hand. While holding the new lens, with the same hand I remove the lens from the camera then immediately turn my hand and attached the new lens. For a moment while removing & attaching the lens both will be in my hand at the same time. After the second lens is mounted then I attached the lens cap to the free lens. This makes for a very fast lens change.

Sounds like with the limited primes, you've got it down to a performance art. Would love to see this in a slow-mo video (and sound effects).

[pakinjapan]

Got a link to these other pouches you talk of?

I can't find exact same Pouch I have, but this one is close. Problem for small pouches is it will swing left&right while running.
Another good Idea I saw from my friend, He uses typical shoulder camera bag but wrap it around his waist instead of shoulder. Then imaging kangaroo search for things on its front Pouch. that's what it like when he change lenses

[C_Jones]

I like the idea of having two camera bodies, with the lenses that I am going to use on them and ready to use. I never store my lenses that are not on a camera without both rear and front caps on.

[Joetitch]

I have not done this but I think it is a viable option.
CaptureLENS Clip For Carrying & Changing Lenses | Peak Design Although not currently in K mount you could easily stick two sick teleconverters back to back and attach to the belt clip which you can buy seperately.
Or add k mount adaptors for one of the existing versions.
Add a body cap on a string for the one that is not being used. Stops dust catching in open mount.
No hunting in pouch, already at hand in attaching mode.
If you can't change in under 10 seconds after some practice, practice more.
Go Bruce!!

[AggieDad]

my major problem is that I routinely walk around with a multiple pocketed vest and often have to search because I may have placed the caps in pockets and forgotten which one hours later when I change out lenses.

Oh yes - how many times has this happened to many of us? Although at my age it can be minutes later - who needs to wait hours to be confused?

I wear the vest because of the pockets and then grumble le that the damn vest has too many pockets to keep track of.