[aslyfox]

I recently purchased a gently used (practically brand new) "big guy" - Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens

and I have been seeing ads for a lens cover

LensCoat Cover for Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens

does anyone have any experience with this item, can you tell me about it

does anyone have any thought about how good an idea such an item is?

thanks for any and all responses

if the knowledge you give me is useful, BONUS POINTS, will be awarded

Bonus points +$ will buy you coffee at the diner.

[csa]

I think it would be useful for wildlife photography; but mainly it would be good protection against scratches, etc., to the body of the lens.

[boriscleto]

I have a LensCoat for my 150-500. It does help keep the lens from getting dinged up, and Realtree™ just looks cool...

[aslyfox]

I have a LensCoat for my 150-500. It does help keep the lens from getting dinged up, and Realtree™ just looks cool...

Bonus points to all

I know that Realtree™ looks cool but how do you find the lens and camera if you set it down in the brush???

[pearsaab]

i have them for my sigma 500mm 4.5 and 300mm 2.8 and realy like them...it is very easy to scratch these big lens and i just feel better having...i also have the neoprene hood hats and really like these as well


https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-8001112-Hood/dp/B00009R9BH/ref=sr_1_15?ta...e%2Bcover&th=1

[biz-engineer]

Lens Covers what are they truly worth? I recently purchased a gently used (practically brand new) "big guy" - Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens and I have been seeing ads for a lens cover LensCoat Cover for Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens does anyone have any experience with this item, can you tell me about it does anyone have any thought about how good an idea such an item is? thanks for any and all responses if the knowledge you give me is useful, BONUS POINTS, will be awarded Bonus points +$ will buy you coffee at the diner.

No need to buy those lens coats. I use detachable bottom of camo hiking trousers fixed with 2 elastic bands at both ends of the lens. It's free, easy to put on/off, works great. Some people use large socks as well. Birds and wildlife don't care, they are much more sensitive to motion, even fully camouflaged, you are seen at the slight movement (head, hands , even fingers when setting the camera.

[pete-tarmigan]

I recently purchased a gently used (practically brand new) "big guy" - Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens
and I have been seeing ads for a lens cover
LensCoat Cover for Pentax D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 DC AW Lens
does anyone have any experience with this item, can you tell me about it
does anyone have any thought about how good an idea such an item is?
thanks for any and all responses
if the knowledge you give me is useful, BONUS POINTS, will be awarded
Bonus points +$ will buy you coffee at the diner.

I put a LensCoat set on my FA* 400mm f/5.6 solely to cover the shiny silver paint, which I thought would be too conspicuous to the birds I photograph. I didn't cover the super telephotos I owned before the FA* because they were black. Before LensCoat began manufacturing a set for the FA* 400mm, I wrapped Camo Form around the lens (made by McNett). The latter is a fabric bandage "tape" that doesn't use an adhesive but clings to itself. In retrospect, the LensCoat, although custom cut for the particular lens model, was no more effective than Camo Form in covering the silver finish, and cost about 5 times as much as Camo Form. Both protect the lens finish from nicks. Wildlife Watching Supplies in the UK also makes neoprene lens cover sets, but for a substantially lower price (£31.98 for the set that fits the Pentax 150-450mm).

Wildlife Watching Supplies C61 Neoprene lens and hood cover sets for Other Makes

I bought Wildlife Watching Supplies' "Lens Zoom Range Cover" ("zoom sleeve") on my A* 600mm f/5.6 to cover the white lens barrel that is exposed when the built-in hood is extended. It works well for that purpose. I wrapped Camo Form around the rest of the lens barrel.

[Kerrowdown]

how do you find the lens and camera if you set it down in the brush???

A trail of biscuit crumbs usually works.

[Kerrowdown]

Lens Covers what are they truly worth?

I have used a combination of self cling camo taper and some camo fabric sleeves for HM Queen (total cost under £30), as LensCoat didn't make a set as standard for her yet, although to be fair, they did say that they would be prepared make a custom special, but in my case it meant sending the lens to them from Scotland.

The first two things I've noticed are... the lens is not so cold to actually hold in the hand and that the surface reflections of the black finish are now eliminated.

[35mmfilmfan]

My equipment prefers caviar and smoked salmon, not biscuit crumbs !
On my Leica spotting scope, I have had from day 1 a padded carry case, which has protected it on many occasions from serious damage. I do not, however, have a UV filter on it.
Tony

[aslyfox]

A trail of biscuit crumbs usually works.

are we heading back to the savage "biscuit" vs. "wafer" vs. "cookie" (and now "bread" ) dispute carried on in another thread ???

if we spread peanut butter on the lens, I bet Otis and/or his army would help us find such hidden equipment

[35mmfilmfan]

Hopefully not - my smoked salmon rolls for daily sustenance are in ciabatta rolls, washed down with a half bottle of not too expensive wine. Multiple pocket vests have multiple uses. Allergic to peanuts, so won't try the other suggestion.

[aslyfox]

ok, BONUS POINTS for all responses except none for the one talking about biscuit crumbs

it seems we have two different types of responses

ok three is you want to consider those comedic ones (none of us should quit our jobs to appear at the stand up comedy stages of the world)

one goes to storage - individual case/sock/pant legs which seems to help with protection when storing the lense but you remove the "covering" when using the lens

the other goes to protecting/hiding lens in the field, those are not meant to be removed while using the lens in the field



with regard to hiding the lenses I tend to agree that movement is the key there not concealment. movement attracts attention, whether it is movement of the hand, ,fingers, head, ears or vocal cords.

nice quick response to my question.

we can let this go on for a while to see if we get any additional ideas

feel free to attach photos of your set up please

[monochrome]

I bought an SMC 1000/8 on the Forum last winter that came with a fitted NATO Camo Lens Coat. The seller used the lens in a blind for many years.

Aside from the benefit of the camo covering, the lens is in near pristine collector condition. For that reason I keep the lenscoat on the lens even in the fitted case, and certainly when I am using it.

[kayakfari]

In my case the black finish on the 1000/8 lens gets real hot in the Florida sun.
"Hubble Jr" is thus covered with stretchable 1/16" custom sewn neoprene/lycra sections in lime green.
Cost was less than $20 from an eBay supplier.
Here shown in the wild on a beach in the Everglades:

(click pic for story)