Travel Lens Protection

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I have a two week trip to Lisbon, Portugal and Luanda, Angola coming up and I decided I did not want to take a camera bag, and wanted to take them in a standard backpack. The problem with a standard backpack is they do not offer padding like a photo backpack, but they are thinner and don't look like a photo backpack. I tinkered with the thought of getting a Think Tank Shape Shifter, but with limited pouches, I could not take what I wanted. So this post will be a review of how I am padding my lenses to go in a standard backpack.

I have reviewed the Op/Tech USA Lens Sleeve and LensCoat Hoodie before (Nikon 50mm Lens Protection, Nikon 14-24mm Lens Protection, Nikon 24-70mm Lens Protection), but I decided that this was not enough padding, and Op/Tech USA does not have a Lens Sleeve longer than 6", so a no go for my 70-200mm f/2.8G VRII, so here is what I used.

Op/Tech USA Snoot Boot (Large 3.6"D x 9"L)
Domke Protective Wrap (Large 19")
LensCoat LensPouch (Extra Large Wide 5" x 11")

All My Glass

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Well I received another lens today, the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 VR . . . so this is lens #6 (second from left) in my current collection. I have a trip planned next month, won't go into details where yet, but
it is not the safest country, so I will be "packing light" . . . meaning my big lens will have to stay at home. I will take the new one instead since it only costs 20% of what the big one was, and it is probably 80% lighter too. I haven't taken any pictures with it yet, maybe something this weekend . . .

Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro Lens

I received my new Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro that I ordered from B&H over the weekend and I like it alot.  It will be replacing my current Nikon 60mm f/2.8D Micro lens that has served me well.  It looks a little longer than my old one, but when the old lens is focusing close, the lens extends, not true with the new one, so I guess it is really "shorter".  No photo gallery on this post . . .

B+W and Nikon Clear Filters

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Today I received my B+W XS-PRO 77mm Clear Filter and I thought I would do a little comparison between the B+W and my current Nikon NC Filters.

Packaging - Both filters come in a plastic case, but the B+W case is larger and has foam inserts . . . and it also takes more time to take out.  I have cases for all my filters, and all of them are empty (because they are on my lenses), except the one for my B+W Circular Polarizer.

Build - Well I got to weigh both filters, and keep in mind the Nikon is made from Aluminum and the B+W is Brass, so I knew this would be B+W all the way.  For gram counters, the Nikon is 31g and the B+W is 38g.  Even the Nikon feels a little cheaper when you are cleaning it.  I had a Nikon that had the glass come a bit loose and spin around.

Thinness - B+W @ 3mm wins this one.  I believe the Nikon is 4mm thick.  When it comes to filters, thin is in, unless you prefer vignetting.

Multicoating - I am going to go with B+W on this one with an 8 layer coating on each side and a water/dust repellant.  Nikon doesn't even publish any technical information on their filters, but I think they are made by Hoya anyway.

Cost - Nikon is a little cheaper at $90 (the B+W is $130), but if you are trying to go cheap, why spend the money for Nikon when you can go with a Tiffen or cheap Hoya for under $20 (costs are assuming 77mm filter size).

The Verdict - I decided that I would keep the B+W filter and order more filters for the rest of my lenses.  I have been happy with the Nikon NC Filters, and no complaints, but the B+W filters were clearly better.

B+W XS-PRO Clear Filters

Back when I didn't know any better about lens care, and how important filters are I either didn't buy one for my lens, or I bought the cheapest ones I could find, which were probably Tiffen ($10).
Fast forward to today, where I use Nikon NC (Neutral Clear) filters on all my lenses.  Sure they cost several times what a Tiffen filter costs but they have served me well.  I figure if I am going to spend $1500 on a camera lens, I want something to protect it.

So why protect a lens?  Well my reasons for throwing on a filter is to protect the lens.  Protection from scratches, from dust, particles, and water getting in the internal glass elements, and so that when I clean my lens, I don't wipe that nice multi-coat from the front element.

Well I decided to replace all my Nikon NC filters in favor of the new B+W XS-PRO (007) Clear Filters.
Since I started buying pro glass, I have always put filters on the lenses as soon as I open them . . . except for my Nikon 14-24mm lens that don't have a way to screw them in.  Today I have a new lens coming in, a Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro, but the filter I ordered from Adorama won't make it to me until Monday, so I guess I have to leave the lens in the box for the weekend :(

So back to the B+W filters.  I have always loved the build quality of B+W filters . . . I have owned two UV filters and currently have a Circular Polarizer, but I never felt the need to throw a UV filter on a digital camera.  Digital Cameras have a UV blocker in front of the sensor, so it is unnecessary, and it leaves a tint on the pictures . . . well they finally listened and made a Clear Multi-Coated with a brass ring.  Now I don't have them yet, looks like next week sometime (wish I decided to change brands before ordering a new Nikon 62mm NC for my Micro Lens).  I will do a comparison of both the B+W and Nikon filters when they come in.  So here is what I needed to get and the links if you want to try one out.

Nikon 50mm f/1.4G - 58mm Filter
Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro - 62mm Filter
Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR - 67mm Filter
Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G - No Filter
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G - 77mm Filter
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR - 77mm Filter

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II

Photo Gallery

Today I got my new 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II that I ordered back in August. It should have been in last week, but apparently some mix ups at J&R led to a day. A phone call Tuesday corrected the glitch, and they overnighted my lens. I haven't really gotten to try it out yet. Emil Slacker Salameh invited me to shoot some pictures of the boys at their Soccer game on Saturday, but if the weather is cold (it should be snowing), I may have to make up an excuse to not go. Its a good thing he doesn't read this blog.

Discovery Green

Today Dustin and I took a short drive down to Discovery Green in downtown to try out his new Nikon D5000 and 18-105mm VR lens.  The weather was gloomy, but we did meet some fellow photogs while out on our shoot.  Lunch was at Bigs on Montrose, and the sliders left little reason to come back for more.

Nikon 24-70mm With Lens Hoodie and Sleeve

And finally my Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G with the Op/Tech Lens Sleeve (6") and the LensCoat Hoodie (Small). I keep this lens on my camera mostly, so I have did not order the pouch for it. More pictures are in the gallery when you click on the picture.
The combo can be ordered from Adorama at the links below:
$9.95 OpTech Lens Sleeve (6")
$12.99 LensCoat Hoodie (Small)

Update 02.09 - I added a LensCoat LensPouch Large Wide pouch to complete the combo!

Nikon 14-24mm With Lens Hoodie, Sleeve, and Pouch

Here is what my Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G lens looks like with the Op/Tech Lens Sleeve (4") and the LensCoat Hoodie (Medium). Excellent protection for this. I also ordered a LensCoat LensPouch (Medium Wide) for storage. More pictures are in the gallery when you click on the picture.
The whole combo can be ordered from Adorama at the links below:
$8.95 OpTech Lens Sleeve (4")
$13.75 LensCoat Hoodie (Medium)
$17.99 LensCoat LensPouch (Medium Wide)

Nikon 50mm With Lens Hoodie, Sleeve, and Pouch

I am very anal about lens protection for my Nikon and I think I have finally found what I feel is the best combination of protection for my lenses that get put in my camera bag.
I have been using the LensCoat Hoodie Lens Caps on my lenses, and I just got some Op/Tech USA Lens Sleeves to match.

For the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G I purchased a LensCoat Hoodie (Small) and a Op/Tech Lens Sleeve (3").

Op/Tech makes a "Hood Hat" but I prefer the LensCoat variety since they include a hard plastic/foam insert to protect the front element. The same insert is found in the bottom of their pouches as well.  The "leather" tab also appears to be thicker and stronger than the ones on the Op/Tech variety.

When the pair is used in combination, it provides excellent protection for the lens. I typically use keep this lens with the hood on at all times, and I believe that if your are a "hoodless" shooter, it will work as well, but the LensCoat Hoodie XS may be required for the perfect fit.
The padding seems more than adequate and the neoprene will provide excellent moisture restistance due to the rubber inside.  I have no problems putting this lens now in a non-photo backpack if I need to take it on the go.

I also purchased a LensCoat LensPouch (Small Wide) to keep this lens in for storage, although when I shoot, I can leave this at home.  This is ideal since the hard foam/plastic inserts makes the lens "float" in the middle of the pouch with protection on the top and bottom.

The whole combo can be ordered from Adorama at the links below:
$7.95 OpTech Lens Sleeve (3")
$12.99 LensCoat Hoodie (Small)
$16.99 LensCoat LensPouch (Small Wide)

Full pictures are in the slideshow which are linked by clicking on either picture.  I will post pictures for the Nikon 14-24mm and the 24-70mm later today.

Houston Texans vs Oakland Raiders

I got to take Chase to his first NFL game to see the Houston Texans romp all over the Oakland Raiders. Chase had a blast the first half, but quickly got tired of the game. I guess there was not much of a game with the Raiders not able to do anything with the ball.
We got to see my buddy Damien and his Orange 11 Tailgaters. I managed to sneak in my Nikon D700 and my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens into the game. Click on the picture for the slideshow

El Salvador - Day 4

This was our last day in El Salvador. Patrick caught an early morning flight, so Dustin and I spent some time in San Salvador (the capital) seeing some awesome churches before heading to the airport by 10:00 AM. We went by Estadio Cuscatlan, Parque Cuscatlan (to see the wall, Catedral Metropolitana De San Salvador, Palacio Nacional, Iglesia El Rosario (with no artificial lights), and the Basilica Sagrado Corazon. A quick stop to the supermarket for some 100% segura and we were done.
Click on the picture to see the slideshow . . .

El Salvador - Day 3

First thing this morning (after coffee of course) we headed to the beach. Only an hour away from San Salvador, we got to see the beautiful black sands on the Pacific. After that we went to La Palma, a colorful village in the mountains to see the artisans make their colorful crafts . . . and then continued up the mountains to have lunch at a Hostal.

El Salvador - Day 2

Today was our first full day in El Salvador. We started the day leaving Holiday Inn in the Zona Rosa in San Salvador, driving past the fortified US Embassy before going to Mr. Donut for breakfast (and not getting donuts). We then headed out to see some Mayan ruins, volcanoes, and running down a mountain on a zip line.

The picture on the left is my buddy Dustin shooting a picture of some old Mayan pyramid (not as big as the Egypt ones).

Full slideshow can be found in El Salvador - Day 2. I never did take that Tamrac backpack I ordered, and just took my gear in my old Think Tank shoulder bag. The search for the perfect photo backpack continues.

El Salvador - Day 1

Dustin, Patrick, and I took a short trip to El Salvador for a "Photo" trip. Basically the only reason we went there was to take pictures. We hired Robert from Nahua Tours to take us around our whole trip, so he picked us up from the Airport when we landed, showed us all the sights of El Salvador our whole trip, and took us back to the Airport when we left.

So instead of the typical cookie cutter tours, we got to pick where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see during our stay.

Since we arrived late on Saturday night, we only got to drive around San Salvador at night, and have some dinner so these pictures don't show much of anything exciting. Take a look at the pictures I have for El Salvador - Day 1

Tamrac Expedition 6x Photo Backpack

Well I ordered a Tamrac Expedition 6x from Amazon to take my gear with me to El Salvador tomorrow. I went running to Camera Co-Op and Houston Camera Exchange to see the different backpacks and this is what I decided on. Everything will be a tight fit, but considering I will be carrying the camera and main lens in my hand, it should work out fine. There was even a space for my laptop. So here is what I am bringing:
-Nikon D700
-Nikon 50mm f/1.4G
-Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G
-Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G
-Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR
-Nikon SB-400 Speedlight
-Nikon SB-900 Speedlight
-Apple MacBook Pro 13"
Everything fit in the bag I tried out just fine, a little tight. What I like about it is that it is water resistant (only Lowepro has waterproof) so I don't need the rain coat that comes with Think Tank or Lowepro AW bags. Padding on the straps seemed very comfortable and seemed lightweight when carrying some photo gear (laptop and some of the stuff will stay at the hotel). It should be delivered tomorrow, just in time for Saturday's trip!

10.09 - Well I decided to return the backpack, a little too big for my liking.  The search for the perfect photo backpack continues.

Review: Gitzo GC1201T Series 1 Travel Tripod Carry Case

Without a doubt, Gitzo makes the most lightweight tripod in the business. When I bought my Gitzo GT1541T Tripod ($575) it came with a soft slip case. That has worked perfectly for me for a while, but I find I keep my tripod in the trunk so I can always have it with me and I always worried about damaging the carbon fiber legs by some box or junk in my trunk.

I decided to get a protective case for the tripod and I turned to the Gitzo GC1201T ($69) Series 1 Travel Tripod Carry Case. I ordered mine from Amazon when they had 1 left in stock (now a 1 - 2 month wait). Since I was unable to find any pictures of how this fit with my tripod, I ordered it blind. I hope my inclusion of the pictures will help others decide if this is right for them.

The case is as small as it can be to fit the tripod and a head. I use a Markins Q3 T ball head, so I can confirm that it fits perfect, but it is a snug fit.

Take a look at the slideshow below to see all the pictures.

For Sale: Markins Q3 Traveler Ball Head

The Markins Q3 Traveler ($289) is is the current tripod ball head I have on my Gitzo GT1541T Tripod ($575). I have posted it up on fredmiranda.com in the Buy & Sell forums for $220 with all original accessories.

If you are looking for a great tripod head, give me a call. Keep in mind you will need to buy camera/lens specific plates to mate your camera to the clamp. I highly recommend Really Right Stuff as the place to go get your goodies. They sell for $55 per plate, and are camera body specific.
So if I love this head so much, why sell it? The reason for the sale is to buy a new one that does not have the clamp installed. When they are ordered new, they have loctite on the threads to keep them from getting loose and reduce vibrations, but if you use the red loctite, it becomes nearly impossible to remove. You need to apply heat (maybe a blowtorch) or hit it with a hammer. Since this is a precision ball head, I decided rather than ruin the head, I would order a new one and use the blue loctite that can be removed. When the new one arrives, I will be putting on a Really Right Stuff B2 LLR II Quick Release Clamp ($120). Say that three times fast!

Buy my Markins Q3 Traveler

Nikon Lens Thursday . . . f/2.8 Zoom Trifecta

This morning I decided it was time to do some lens upgrades. I had been pondering doing this for a little while, and decided to take the plunge. So let's see what I picked up today.

The first lens I bought was a Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 ($1799.88) from J&R. This is a super wide angle that should pair very well with my Nikon D700. I wish I would have had this on my vacation at Pensacola Beach 2 weeks ago . . . but oh well.

This lens is geared for landscapes or indoors where you need the wide perspective. I must say I am rather excited to get this lens (probably next week sometime) and see what it can do. The front element is curved, so no filters can go on this baby, but it is supposed to be as sharp as some of Nikon's prime lenses in this range (and cheaper than buying a 14mm, 20mm, and 24mm) separate.

The second lens I purchased is a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 ($1849.88). Now I already own this lens, I picked it up from Zane Reed . . . fellow photographer from Nikonians (brand new), but I decided if I was going to pay this much for a lens that I was going to use as my "everyday" lens, I was going to get one with a receipt in my name to take advantage of the 5 year warranty.
This lens was out of stock when I ordered it, but it will show up within a month or so. Not a big deal as I still have my 24-70mm which I will sell when the new one arrives. I called Oscar (ext 1016) after making my order and he was cool enough to drop the price to $1799 for me.

The last lens I ordered is the newly announced (but not released) Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II (2,399.95). Now this lens won't ship until November, but this will be a hard to find lens when it is released. I already have a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR that I bought from Tom Stovall (another Nikonian), but this new lens is supposed to be more optimized for Full Frame (FX) over the old one. Hopefully this will arrive before the holidays . . . and yes Oscar @ J&R took $50 off too. Thanks man!

Tripod Tuesday

Well today was all about the tripod. I currently have a Gitzo GT-1541T (Traveler Series) Carbon Fiber tripod paired with a Markins Q3 Traveler. The problem is that I have started using the tripod more and more, and the screw on the clamp is somewhat annoying. While I don't miss the weight of my old Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head, I did miss the quick release. So I decided it was time to replace the clamp, but unfortunately I can't remove the one on my ball head because they put some red loctite on the head. So a trip to markinsamerica.com and $300 later got me a new Q3 Traveler with special instructions to "not use loctite". I can probably pawn off my old head with the stuck clamp for $225 ish, so let's just say I am out $75 right now on this. This is how I justify it I guess.

Now time to get a Quick Release clamp. A trip online to Really Right Stuff, and I was grabbing a B2 LR II Quick Release Clamp. Since I got a new camera for my birthday, it is time to get a new plate. I have been using the plate for my D90, but I wanted a fitted plate for my MB-D10 grip on my D700. So I ordered a BMBD10 plate for the grip. I decided to add a FA-CS3 coldshoe plate for my SB-900 flash as well while I was at it. So add another $200 to my total today for Tripod Tuesday.

Finally a nice case for my tripod to complete my Tripod upgrades today. I settled on the GC-1201T case from Amazon as I have some gift certificates from my birthday. I got to use up a Gift Cert from Aaron, Kim, Zach, and part of one from Courtney. Thanks! That saved me $68 bucks!

Hopefully everything will get in by the weekend for some fun shots.