Lens covers for wildlife watching ~ which make & other questions?

Box Brownie

Box Brownie

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Seeing Mark's @markblake Nuthatch posting and the camo lens cover has reminded me about getting/using such covers.

A Googling found the sites I recalled WW supplies & Outdoor Photography

They both have very similar products including the zoom mesh for use with the likes of the 100-400 MkII, so my questions are of those used by others here at TP:-

Which make did you buy?
How thick is the material (as one of my bags makes for a tight fit with the bare lens, so concerned about transport & storage with the covers on)?
If buying just one pattern, which one for general in field and hide usage?

TIA for the insights and user experiences :)
 
BB have a look at lenscoat. i'm not sure what is on my 2.8 as it came with the lens.it's in one of the real tree patterns I believe but is unmarked. The neoprene is about 3mm thick,clear plastic over switches etc I think it's APG but it might be hardwoods green. For a camo pattern for blighty I'd probably go for hardwoods green as most inconspiuous,but frankly if the outline of the lens is broken up by the camo then personally I feel the job has been done,Any sudden movement of the lens will undo any form of camo for most beasties I feel as they'll spot the movement what ever pattern is being used . I feel the biggest thing we can do to make ourselves less visible is cover the hands and face with something green or greenish in colour. To me the 3 white blobs are what an animal associates with humans,disguise that and one is one the way to fooling them. All the other camo is to me secondary ,movement will always undo camo ,even if it has made the item be it man or lens less conspicuous.

Buddy I pretty much have everything in camo..... boots hat legings jacketglove face covered lens and pretty much ware that on all times out trying for an image,so I am probably a bit on the OCD side.I don't feel the lens cover is the most important bit ,but part of a set of items that do a job and help me get that little bit closer,providing I don't mess up of course. Waving a big white about surely might draw attention to me and the covers do help i'm sure,but almost as important is the protection aspect with the lens.These covers do a damn fine job stopping these, lets face it, valuable items from getting scuffed,for that alone I feel they are a great investment. Oh I've said big white,cause I shoot canon,but frankly I feel black is almost as visible to wild thangs as white,so see a use what ever lens one uses for covers with wildlife.
Sorry I can't be more specific,I'll have a dig and see if I can pin down exactly what i'm using

all the luck mate

stu
 
Pretty sure it's a lens coat. Real tree max 4 seems to be the pattern

seeya

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Pretty sure it's a lens coat. Real tree max 4 seems to be the pattern

seeya

stu
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I have a lenscoat camo cover and previously had a cheaper cover brought from Jacobs many years ago. The lenscoat is much thinner (around 1-2mm) with bare rubber/neonprene on the inside. There is no stitching on it. The cheaper cover which I think is a outdoor 0hotography one is material on both side, one side camo the other black. There is stitching and it's much thicker, probably around double the thickness of the lens coat. I prefer the lenscoat covers, they are nice with no stitiching that could fall apart, and they they have a little hole for the hood screw too, although others can be modified.
 
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I bought a lenscoat for my 500mm and it OK -its several years old. I recently boughta neoprene cover from outdoorphotographygear.co.uk for 100-400mkii - very impressed and better and cheaper! Have bought waterproof covers from WWS and nature-photography.co.uk, I preferred teh latter. Cheaper and more robust.
Good luck
 
nc_killie said:
I bought a lenscoat for my 500mm and it OK -its several years old. I recently boughta neoprene cover from outdoorphotographygear.co.uk for 100-400mkii - very impressed and better and cheaper! Have bought waterproof covers from WWS and nature-photography.co.uk, I preferred teh latter. Cheaper and more robust.
Good luck
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John ,ha ha ya got me buddy:D. I'm easily confused,which is your favourite please,the outdoortog gear or the photography.co.uk.
Sorry mate,always best to ask! One day Ill need another ,well hopefully,so it's worth logging your opinion as you have used most
many thanks

stu
 
Get all mine from outdoor photography gear. Replaced all my lenscoats with them. For me much nicer and better quality.
 
Many thanks guys for the insights and recommendations...............need to digest it all :)

@Stuart Philpott Stu ~ I note your point about camo for the photographer, certainly a good fieldcraft thinking. At this stage I am mainly think of hide usage so your comment about camo gloves and possibly face covering depending of how visible one might be in the hide is relevent?

What gloves and face covering have been using???

:)
 
I don't use them. IME, it's the front element that gets their attention... but my lenses are black. I also seldom wear full camo... but I do use a portable blind sack type thing sometimes.
 
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Another recommendation for : http://www.outdoorphotographygear.co.uk/

I had a Lens Coat for my (previous 600 F4) but these are far better in my opinion. I have the Outdoor Photography gear covers for my 100-400 Mk2, 300 F2.8 and 800 F5.6 so you can guess my opinion!
 
Outdoor Photography Gear use the thinner 'Jack Pyke' neoprene which fits well, is stitched, has clear plastic windows where required and isn't that bulky thick stuff that you so often see, looking like it's been cut with a bread knife!
 
Box Brownie said:
Many thanks guys for the insights and recommendations...............need to digest it all :)

@Stuart Philpott Stu ~ I note your point about camo for the photographer, certainly a good fieldcraft thinking. At this stage I am mainly think of hide usage so your comment about camo gloves and possibly face covering depending of how visible one might be in the hide is relevent?

What gloves and face covering have been using???

:)
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BB I use a lot of gear for shooting actually my boots were designed for fishing,it's worth looking out side bird watching or photography for countryside gear. Hats got all manner of stuff mate,flloppy camo with netting attached like a bee keeper almost a camo trilby lol great in the summer for lower ground living subjects wide brim shades face, Cheep pull over face veil/hood ,good for prone staliking no brim to hit your shoulders when lifting ones head.

finally my most used and the thing I always go back to a green beanie/bobblehat and a piece of army surplus soft scrim,say about 3 /4 foot long foot wide. Bb I've had that for eons don.t know if still available,but it's a face viel scarf,in winter keeps rain out wind. In summer almost doubles as a throw over face cover helps keep the midges out,a bit anyway,impromtu towell even, That army scrim has to be my best ever buy so useful.
Gloves some real cheep camo from garlands, about £3 (alot of this gear is from garlands),I'll cut the tip of shutter finger and thumb off right hand,or when it's colder a pair of green shooting gloves in wool with mittens that fold over the top,you know the type. Sorry can't give links to all ,as much i've had for ever now,certainly if ya want I'll see what i can find

Buddy I'm not the most familiar with the conventional wooden hide,I have shot from some,but not so often,I ware a hide essentially will crash into a hedge and sit and wait.So there are others here whom are better versed to help To me that need to cover in this senario would rely much on the subject. I like the freedom to move BB,sure I stalk,but being head to toe camo covered means I can easily blend in almost anywhere. I guess the gear allows me freedom .

I would have this gear with me in a more conventional hide mate I am OCD,but it works for me,like everything it's finding what is needed for your way of making images,

Ha you won't regret getting some of that army scrim netting though if it can still be found

take care

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
John ,ha ha ya got me buddy:D. I'm easily confused,which is your favourite please,the outdoortog gear or the photography.co.uk.
Sorry mate,always best to ask! One day Ill need another ,well hopefully,so it's worth logging your opinion as you have used most
many thanks

stu
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Stu,
They are different things. The lenscoat and outdoorphotographygear are neoprene (thin foam rubber) for protection whilst the others are purely waterproof covers. I would post pictures so people coudl judge themselves but I am at heathrow and will be away for two weeks - sorry. If you want ,remind me then.

Cheers

John
 
nc_killie said:
Stu,
They are different things. The lenscoat and outdoorphotographygear are neoprene (thin foam rubber) for protection whilst the others are purely waterproof covers. I would post pictures so people coudl judge themselves but I am at heathrow and will be away for two weeks - sorry. If you want ,remind me then.

Cheers

John
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Gotcha John have a fantastic trip bro. Don't worry I've caught up now mate,I know the one's you speak of,in both cases now.
Mate bring us some cool beasties back( oh better qualify that as images please:D)

safe trip john many thanks

stu
 
I have just brought some neoprene covers from outdoor photography for two lenses and also some waterproof covers from camera accessories outdoors as an extra layer! Very good quality for both products and much cheaper then a lenscoat.
 
Thanks again for the updates and source insights :)

Will be putting Outdoorphotography lens sleeve on the shopping list :D
 
I am using both lenscoat and outdoorphotography covers on different lenses. I have the Sigma 120-300 with the outdoorphoto cover and when i needed obe for my 600f4 i went to lenscoat, that says it all. The outdoor photo cover moves around to much for my liking and i may just replace it soon as it annoys me.
 
Never felt the need to use them. Working from a hide it is movement of any kind which is the biggest problem and a sharp sighted bird will see this regardless of wether the lens is camouflaged or not. Slow moment of the lens in and out on the zoom is usually possible but side to side or up and down where there is more obvious travel,particularly if sudden will often scare the subject. Covering hands and breaking up face/body line is probably more important than the colour of the fabric when working with out a hide as is slow movements and being down wind with some mammals.

Regen
 
I use them because they look good,and it makes me look like a i know what i am doing ,but seriousley i only have them for protection for when i am resting on walls etc when i dont use a bean bag ,no use when your swinging the lens arround as @regen states ...
 
I had cover sets from WW for my Sigma lenses (70-200 f/2.8, 300 f/2.8, 1.4x and 2.0x). Good fit and worked very well, providing good protection when out and about. Don't have these lenses now as they were essentially replaced by a Canon 100-400 mkii which I don't yet have a cover. Want to get something for it though in time for our trip to Zambia later this year. So currently pondering WW or Outdoor Photography sets.
 
den said:
,but seriousley i only have them for protection for when i am resting on walls etc
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Simply this ^^^

My lens would be badly scratched if it wasn't for the protection of the cover.

If only the wife had realised that's what its for. She used mine around a month ago at 600mm and rested the barrel on the wall!!! :banghead:
 
Bought a padded lens and body cover from Wildlife Watching Surplied to cover my Eos7D mkII and Sigma 300-800mm, early days, fit is simple and seems to help reduce the sound of the shutter. I did buy a cheap ripstop nylon old style Soldier95 cam cover from eBay to cover the Canon with a 100-400mm but wasn't impressed, noisy and slippery. I think it came from outdoor photography supplies, but I'm not sure and it's dropped off my eBay history now
 
expensive for what you get

but do protect the lens body, (as said above) and the cushioning and protection is good when you are resting the lens on walls, trees or in a hide

I have them on my 600mm and 300mm lens ........ from Outdoor Photography ....... NOT from Lenscoat or Wex

they are annoying when I put my Nikon 600mm f4 back in its Nikon Case
 
got a neoprene cover over the hood and the switches on mine and for when the weather gets bad a full length camo waterproof cover that goes over the camera as well when needed .
 
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