Lens Jugling

This might be a silly question as I've been into photography for over 40 years, but here goes.
I've never been able to adequately master the technique of changing lenses in the field. Frequently I'm in a muddy or wet area so there's no opportunity to set one on the ground. Having to deal with back caps, a 70-200 in one hand and a 17-40 in the other is quite awkward. What are your recommended steps for changing a lens on a tripod in the field?

When I know I'm going to be changing lenses a lot I use the Think Tank Retrospective Lens Changer 3 bag. It has three "tubes" to store lenses. If you keep one empty, (only carry two lenses plus the one on your camera) when you change lenses there is a safe place to put the one you are taking off, then you can take the one you want out and put it on without the juggling. With the case flap, and if I am changing lenses often, I don't put the front or rear caps on.

Heya,

1. Lens one comes off and goes into a bag, while camera is on a strap.

2. Lens two comes out of a bag, and gets put on the camera, which is on a strap.

3. Carry on...

Very best,

I usually grip the lens I intend to swap to down close to the mount, and use a pinching, twist with my index finger and thumb to remove the lens cap, mount the new lens and then swap both lens caps on to the lens being removed once I've freed up the hands. Holding the second lens either under my arm or cradled in the crook of my elbow, while manipulating the rest of the rig. That's worked pretty well for the last 10 years, for me; never dropped a lens and I can swap 'em pretty quickly.

Not sure I understand the problem because your camera is on a tripod allowing BOTH hands being usable.

1. Take rear cap off new lens
2. Remove old lens and put rear cap on it
3. Install new lens

Kirby wrote in post #18169505
This might be a silly question as I've been into photography for over 40 years, but here goes.
I've never been able to adequately master the technique of changing lenses in the field. Frequently I'm in a muddy or wet area so there's no opportunity to set one on the ground. Having to deal with back caps, a 70-200 in one hand and a 17-40 in the other is quite awkward. What are your recommended steps for changing a lens on a tripod in the field?

The key is to limit the number of items you are holding at one time.

If you only handle two items at a time, no juggling is required.

Using the neck strap to hold the body, I remove one lens, put it into bag, etc, then mount the other. When the 2nd lens goes on, that is when the rear cap from that lens is put on the lens that was just removed.

Put the beer down first?

Kirby wrote in post #18169505
This might be a silly question as I've been into photography for over 40 years, but here goes.
I've never been able to adequately master the technique of changing lenses in the field. Frequently I'm in a muddy or wet area so there's no opportunity to set one on the ground. Having to deal with back caps, a 70-200 in one hand and a 17-40 in the other is quite awkward. What are your recommended steps for changing a lens on a tripod in the field?

Maybe this helps, double (canon) mounts. Looks handy.

https://www.peakdesign​.com/product/clips/cap​turelens/

Success,

Regards,
René.

DutchCorps wrote in post #18169573
Maybe this helps, double (canon) mounts. Looks handy.

https://www.peakdesign​.com/product/clips/cap​turelens/

Success,

Regards,
René.

That's one of the few designs those guys have come up with that I don't think really hits the mark. Lenses are bulky; having them hanging right at your belt line means you're going to be whacking them with your wrist/forearm pretty reliably or having to walk unnaturally to keep your arm clear of those items.

Yes, another solution to a nonexistent problem.

Along the lines of what bpalermini wrote, I use the Think Tank modular belt system, which includes a very nicely constructed lens changer bag, the idea being to always have empty except when changing lenses. When I'm about to change lenses, I take the back cap off the lens I'm about to put on the camera body, (that lens is in a separate pouch on the belt), remove the existing lens from the body and drop it in the lens changing bag, attach the new lens to the camera body, then put the cap on the lens in the changing bag and store the lens in its pouch on the belt. It works very well when working without a tripod or in a tight area without any place to safely put things down.

i was really looking forward to a juggling lenses video...

if it's not a big lens like my 120-300 my procedure is usually:

grab new lens i want, take off rear cap

-hold it in one hand
-with other hand remove the lens on camera(using side of my pointer finger to press the release button)
-put new lens on
-put rear cap on old lens
-pick up beer

Alternatively, you can go with the pattern my old Spanish teacher taught us during a power outage...hold a lens in one hand, two in the other, toss one from the 'double hand', then the single, catch the first lens in the single hand, toss the remaining one in the 'double hand', catch the second lens in the now empty hand, continue cycling tosses and catches

nathancarter wrote in post #18169572
Put the beer down first?

Sacrilege! NEVER, EVER, EVEN IN A GUNFIGHT, DO YOU PUT THE BEER DOWN! One must have priorities!

DutchCorps wrote in post #18169573
Maybe this helps, double (canon) mounts. Looks handy.

https://www.peakdesign​.com/product/clips/cap​turelens/

Success,

Regards,
René.

I use this on my messenger bag and it works great. No way I'd use it on my belt but on bags it works great. Now I just wish they had a Fuji mount!