I'm pretty good at divesting of gear I'm not using. So I just store mine in what ever bag I'm currently using and a Ciesta Flexible Camera Insert sitting on the shelf of a hutch.
How do you store your gear?
- Thread starter apicius9
- Start date
I have two cameras and two camera bags, so when I am not using them I just keep the cameras in the bags and the bags in the closet in the bedroom.
But recently I wonder if it is okay to store the E-M1 II + 12-100mm F4 with the front facing downward in the bag all the time. Should I take the camera out of the bag and rest it on its bottom when I'm not using it?
Also I've never used a lens hood before, I've been thinking I need to start using it, but I don't know if it is okay to carry the camera facing downward in the bag when the lens hood is attached. The lens hood is plastic so I'm a little worried.
But recently I wonder if it is okay to store the E-M1 II + 12-100mm F4 with the front facing downward in the bag all the time. Should I take the camera out of the bag and rest it on its bottom when I'm not using it?
Also I've never used a lens hood before, I've been thinking I need to start using it, but I don't know if it is okay to carry the camera facing downward in the bag when the lens hood is attached. The lens hood is plastic so I'm a little worried.
I can't see where the orientation of the camera and lens during storage is an area of concern. If it was a problem with reliability or possible damage, you can be certain everyone would be talking about it. Regarding lens hoods - if you don't have a problem with your image quality without it, don't sweat about using one. The hood for the 12-100 only provides effective shielding at the 12mm focal length. If it was effective at narrower angles of view it would cause vignetting at the wide AoV. Besides which they're sort of flimsy. I miss the old Canon FD polycarbonate bayonet mount lens hoods - they were tough!
Yeah I was just a little worried about putting weight of body and lens on the front part of the lens all the time, especially with hood attached. Camera with interchangeable lens is completely new to me, so forgive my anxiety.
There is not much space for the lens hood with the current bag anyways, so I might have to get a new bag for that. Right now I just keep it the lens pouch.
I'm not used to the bulk of E-M1 II + 12-100mm F4, and the lens hood just adds more. I got lens flare in some recent night photos, so I started to think about using the hood.
Yeah, the newer Olympus hoods are a little bit fragile. I store my camera in the bag with the hoods reversed, which not only takes less room, but keeps the hood from taking the weight of the camera and lens. But, before I can shoot, I have to deploy the hood and take the lens cap off. My friend likes to carry his camera and lens with hood deployed and lens cap off in the interest of fast deployment, but he uses short metal screw-in hoods. So his hood doesn't shade his lens as much as the stock hood might, but as @Carbonman notes, the hoods for the zooms don't provide much shading either at the middle to long end. In my friend's case, the hood is there primarily to protect the front element when it's in the bag. So, that's another approach.
Last edited:
ac12
Mu-43 Hall of Famer
In the past, I had made a bag insert which supported the camera body, leaving the lens to hang from the body. This is OK, as long as there is not a LOT of vertical downward force on the bag, such as in regularly dropping the bag on the ground, rather than placing the bag down.
What I would be concerned about is resting the camera+lens ON the plastic hood.
That is an expensive hood to replace, if it breaks.
But in use, I will keep the hood on the lens, and put the lens "hood down" into a belt lens case. But that is just the weight of the lens on the hood.
Agree about the issue of coverage on the hood. For a WIDE FL lens like the 12-100, the hood is almost useless. Because as @Carbonman said, it is designed for 12mm, and most of the time the lens will be at a longer FL.
But, what the hood provides is physical protection, to keep things like your fingers off the front element/filter.
What I would be concerned about is resting the camera+lens ON the plastic hood.
That is an expensive hood to replace, if it breaks.
But in use, I will keep the hood on the lens, and put the lens "hood down" into a belt lens case. But that is just the weight of the lens on the hood.
Agree about the issue of coverage on the hood. For a WIDE FL lens like the 12-100, the hood is almost useless. Because as @Carbonman said, it is designed for 12mm, and most of the time the lens will be at a longer FL.
But, what the hood provides is physical protection, to keep things like your fingers off the front element/filter.
That is what I keep telling the kids in the yearbook class, and what some of them keep ignoring, and keep getting finger prints on the filter/front element.
Dealing with dirty fingers is one good reason to have a filter on the lens. With a filter that's easy to clean, like a B+W F-Pro, at least you don't worry when you have to clean it often, lens hood or not.
Last edited:
Wow, reversed. I'm such an idiot, I didn't know you could put hood on backwards, And I was just shopping for a new bag too. You saved me a lot of trouble and money. My current bag is the perfect size. Guess I try using lens hood after all. I am mostly a wide angle shooter (although with my new 12-100mm, I've been thinking I need to experiment more with telephoto).
I have Hoya Fusion Antistatic UV filter on my 12-100mm so I'm not too worried about scratches or dust or anything like that. It is good for peace of mind. I don't need any distractions while I am photographing.
Yes, most hoods that have a bayonet mount on the lens can reverse. I dunno if the lens manual comes with that instruction, so it may not be obvious. Screw-in hoods can't be reversed of course, although some could be stored over the end of the lens. I use lens hoods whenever I have them.
What a useful thread this is. In film days I never considered humidity (the optimism of youth!) but all this advice has spurred me to do something sensible and manageable with my kit that doesnt involve "bung it in the Billingham". Thanks to the OP.
I use Ikea dividers in a drawer.
I never had any problems with humidity, but I've put a few silica gel bags here and there in the drawer (it was 5 years ago, so they're probably useless now).
I never had any problems with humidity, but I've put a few silica gel bags here and there in the drawer (it was 5 years ago, so they're probably useless now).
Attachments
ac12
Mu-43 Hall of Famer
That is something to remember, silica gel requires maintenance.
It can only absorb X amount of moisture, then it stops absorbing moisture.
Most of them are made to be reusable. A bit of drying out in the oven and back into service. I bought some in aluminum tins for that purpose.
One alternative to the electric dry box is the Pelican type sealed case with desiccant. That’s what I used for a couple of years before getting the dry cabinet.
ac12
Mu-43 Hall of Famer
But you gotta dry out the silica gel.
Once it is saturated, it does no good.
Speaking of that, I gotta check the one in my tool cabinet. It is probably due for a drying cycle.
I somewhat recently changed my storage situation, which used to consist of my gear being in multiple backpacks or laying around in several rooms. As I live in the desert and don’t have to worry about humidity, and had the room for a nice curio cabinet, that’s what I went for -
I used a pair of selectable color LED strips to light it up a bit
The backpacks and tripods are really the only things not in here. And I could fit the tripods, I just leave one in my trunk and another in a closet. If I need more then a messenger bag, I grab whatever backpack I plan on using, load up what I want from a central place, and head out. I love this cabinet.
Hardwired some battery chargers in the bottom corner. I’ve got two other chargers hardwired to power in the center console of my car. I used a couple cheap plastic baskets to hold the miscellaneous items.
Built a small shelf for the lenses. Nothing fancy, but does the trick.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
I used a pair of selectable color LED strips to light it up a bit
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
The backpacks and tripods are really the only things not in here. And I could fit the tripods, I just leave one in my trunk and another in a closet. If I need more then a messenger bag, I grab whatever backpack I plan on using, load up what I want from a central place, and head out. I love this cabinet.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Hardwired some battery chargers in the bottom corner. I’ve got two other chargers hardwired to power in the center console of my car. I used a couple cheap plastic baskets to hold the miscellaneous items.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Built a small shelf for the lenses. Nothing fancy, but does the trick.
ashburtononline
Mu-43 Veteran
in my bags and all over my desk
All my stuff fits in my camera bag. Which goes with me everywhere.
Do I need more stuff? Probably not, though I would like to change a lens or two.
Do I need more stuff? Probably not, though I would like to change a lens or two.
Everything m43 in a Nanuk 935. Green bag has accessories and sensor cleaning kit. A 300/4 Pro is on the way. 25/1.8 is in there as well with MCON-2 close up (don’t need a full macro).
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Bushboy
Mu-43 All-Pro
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2018
- Messages
- 1,513
If it doesn’t fit in this, I don’t want it.
M5mkii, 75-300, 30mm 3.5, 25mm 1.7, 14mm 2.5, fl900, fl-lm3, flash reflector, extension tubes, cable release, blower, goby pod, polarising filters, and a rain cover. And I also, usually, carry a big tripod in a sling bag.
Thankfully, it’s not a full frame kit.
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
M5mkii, 75-300, 30mm 3.5, 25mm 1.7, 14mm 2.5, fl900, fl-lm3, flash reflector, extension tubes, cable release, blower, goby pod, polarising filters, and a rain cover. And I also, usually, carry a big tripod in a sling bag.
Thankfully, it’s not a full frame kit.
Links on this page may be to our affiliates. Sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.Mu-43 is a fan site and not associated with Olympus, Panasonic, or other manufacturers mentioned on this site.Forum post reactions by Twemoji: https://github.com/twitter/twemojiCopyright © 2009-2019 Amin Forums, LLC
