Your method for replacing lenses

[Matan]

Hi all,

 

My Fuji X-T1 which I recently bought is my first interchangeable lens camera, so I'm really not that skilled at replacing my lenses in a rapid and safe manner. Unfortunately, this issue troubles me the most when I'm outdoors, making me worried about getting contaminants into the lens/sensor.

 

I would love to learn from you what is your method of doing this with your Fuji camera!

 

I guess this is a noob question, but then again, that's what I am

 

Thanks!

[Dis]

Outdoors I always have a bag with a place for every lens i carry with me including the one on the camera. I don't use front caps. Only hoods and protectors.

1. Open the bag

2. Remove the lens and place into the bag

3. Switch rear cap from the lens you want to put on the camera to the lens you've just removed.

4. Put the new lens on the camera.

5. ???????

6. PROFIT111!!!

[RogerGW187]

> ...worried about getting contaminants into the lens/sensor.

 

Possible ploys:

 

1. Ask yourself how much swapping you need to do. I never change lenses in the field but use just one lens for each session. Embrace the discipline this imposes.

 

2. Use zoom lenses.

 

3. Take a good second camera with you that works on a different focal length range. Whenever I'm using a longer lens on the XT (60mm, say, or a longer zoom), I put my Ricoh GR (28mm equiv.) in a bag or a pocket. I use it for medium-wide shots.

 

Wherever and whenever you swap, hold the body with the lens throat downwards.

 

Roger

[gordonrussell76]

What dis said, 

 

Only thing I would add is hold camera with sensor pointing sideways or downwards while lens is off the camera, less likely for dust to float in or settle on the sensor if you have gravity working for you.

Oh and always have camera switched off as when the sensor has current it will attract dust more.

 

G

[Virtuoso]

I take two cameras.  Main lens mounted on XT1 and the second "less used" lens on the XE2    No risk of dust entering sensor.  

 

This is the main reason i switched from DSLR to Fuji.  Less weight so I can bring 2 bodies. 

[jlmphotos]

One Body.  Multiple lenses here. Prepare the lens you wish to put on by removing rear cap.  Shut camera off to prevent any static from attracting dust to the sensor.  Point camera DOWN and remove the lens.  Put lens anywhere - bag, ground, pocket.  Put the new lens on the body.  Now put lens cap on the just removed lens and put it back in the bag.

May not be the best, but it has worked for me for thirty plus years.

 

Hope that helps.  

[Matan]

Thanks everyone for your input, and sorry it took me a while to respond!

 

At least for now, I am tempted to try a few lenses every time I'm out and shooting, since I'm new to the interchangeable lens camera field.

 

For now, I have decided to use the following method, which is probably not the most efficient way to do it but I think it is rather safe:

 

1) Take and hold the camera's body cap and the lens's rear cap in one hand.

 

2) Press the release button and turn the lens. Bring the camera's cap close, and when you remove the lens, cover the sensor with the camera's cap simultaneously. 

 

3) Hold the removed lens's back towards the ground while removing it, and cover it with its rear cap. Place it inside your bag, etc.

 

4) Take the new lens  with its rear part facing downwards, remove its rear cap and bring it close to the camera body. Then remove the camera's cap and immediately place the lens onto the camera.

 

5) Store your caps properly.

 

[frod]

In the field I carry a spare rear cap so I can cap the lens I'm taking off and put it away before I get the new one out.

[Vidalgo]

My key points for lens swapping:

- do not change lenses while camera is ON.

- do not expose either of sensor or lens rear for long time. Long means tens of seconds or more.

- do not expose either of sensor or lens rear to the coming wind, or raindrops, smoke, whatever coming.

- avoid to put something on an uncontrolled surface, like ground, lawn, floor, etc. 

 

That's all. Actual movements they are depends mainly of the bag and situation.

[Lumens]

I find I want to keep the camera sensor protected more so than I worry about the Lens.  The lens is much easier to clean than the camera sensor so I make the camera sensor a priority and keep the camera a closed system as much as possible.

[Dis]

For now, I have decided to use the following method, which is probably not the most efficient way to do it but I think it is rather safe:

 

1) Take and hold the camera's body cap and the lens's rear cap in one hand.

 

2) Press the release button and turn the lens. Bring the camera's cap close, and when you remove the lens, cover the sensor with the camera's cap simultaneously. 

 

3) Hold the removed lens's back towards the ground while removing it, and cover it with its rear cap. Place it inside your bag, etc.

 

4) Take the new lens  with its rear part facing downwards, remove its rear cap and bring it close to the camera body. Then remove the camera's cap and immediately place the lens onto the camera.

 

5) Store your caps properly.

Using body cap takes too much time. I've never seen anybody do that. Just point the camera towards the ground.

[gordonrussell76]

Lumens +1

 

Protect the sensor as a priority over the lens. Lens you can give the back element a nice clean with a cloth or lens pen and in fact I do this regularly because the dust in the back of the lens will get into the sensor next time you put lens on camera.

 

But yup in the filed I would rather get dust in a lens that I can clean either at home or in the field (cafe) as opposed to the sensor which is a much harder proposition. Yes there are at home sensor cleaning kits, but personally it scares the whatsits out of me to have to touch the thing so I try and avoid the necessity. 

 

G

[Matan]

gordonrussell76,

 

I totally agree, and that's why in my method I immediately cover the sensor with the camera's body cap when taking the lens off.

[milandro]

it’s all very nice, but in my experience (which might be different from anyone else’s) the road to hell is paved of good intentions ( and resolutions).

 

You may want to do the right thing but chances are that you won't:

 

Take of the lens, replace it immediately on the body with a body cap  while holding the body face down to prevent dust reaching the sensor.

 

Place a lens cap on the lens ( while you think: “ Oh! it would be so nice if I had four hands!” )

 

Relax.

 

Then take the cap off the new lens, briefly look at it to check that there is no dust or hairs , take the body cap off and hold the camera face down( while you think, again,: “ Oh! it would be so nice if I had four hands!” ), place the lens on the body, now place both body cap and lens cap somewhere where it is not likely to collect dust or hairs or water.

 

Relax

 

Repeat.

 

Somewhere in the process you will not perform the correct sequence and problems will arise.

 

Shite happens.

 

Best to find a way to deal with it.

[Siz]

gordonrussell76,

 

I totally agree, and that's why in my method I immediately cover the sensor with the camera's body cap when taking the lens off.

 

I think that you are going a step too far with the body cap thing.  Just don't hang about (and don't try it in the rain, on a boat or drunk).  What I have found to be pretty quick is this: 

• Have somewhere to rest your lenses
• unscrew the cap from New lens, but do not remove it completely (just rest it on the top of the lens)
• Pick up camera and remove Old lens and put it down somewhere, camera body pointing down
• transfer the lens cap from New lens to Old lens - don't bother screwing it on
• attach New lens to camera
• put down camera and screw on cap to Old lens.

What I would like to get better at is doing it one-handed.  This will enable me to keep one hand on the bike's handlebars if I am going round a really tight corner*

 

Siz

 

*not really.

[frod]

Unless you're storing the body cap in a ziploc bag you're probably introducing just as much pocket lint into the sensor box as us non body cappers are (in dust equivalent).

[milandro]

exactly.

 

one can only hope to do this in the least damaging way but whatever you do this is a potential problem.

 

Covering both lens or camera with a plastic protection cap while doing this might give one an illusory feeling of safety but it provides no guarantee to not introduce yet more possibility to cause problems.

 

So all you are certainly doing, is slowing yourself down and, as I in a jocular manner wrote above, feel the need you had four hands because at some point you are trying to juggle 4 objects ( body, lens, body cap, lens cap) all of it contained in a bag ( which is the ideal receptacle for dust and lint, I vacuum clean it every now and again) or exposed to the elements.

 

The only way to get away with this is to change lens while “ in the filed” as little as possible.

 

This is obviously the zoom battlefield.

 

Ideally one determines which is the focal range that one uses the most and use another body for the odd shorter or longer lens or cover the range with two bodies and two wide range zooms. One in the short to medium range and one in the medium to long range.

 

At the moment Fuji doesn’t provide two perfectly connecting zooms allowing this to be done seamlessly.

 

Often changing primes with one body alone is asking for trouble. It is not if but when all the changing of lens will cause problems.

 

Life is compromising and deal with the consequences of shite that will, sooner or later, happen.

 

Murphy’s law applies.

[Dis]

Unless you're storing the body cap in a ziploc bag you're probably introducing just as much pocket lint into the sensor box as us non body cappers are (in dust equivalent).

In fact even more). Any caps slow down a lot. You have to remember where you put it. I never use front caps. Modern antistatic filters don't collect dust.

[toomanypix]

1. let your body hang on its strap, you now have 2 free hands!

2. take your new lens, remove caps, and look for the orange dot. You are ready to switch

3. hand one removes the lens

4. hand two puts the new lens into place.

 

this shouldn't last more than one ore two seconds with a little practice.