Lens release button

I'm right handed and it is still a bigger pain in the *** to use than the old FD.

Single lens dismount was easy with the FD but I find very hard with EF mount.

Cool Glenn, great minds think alike

I trust my left enough and have not yet dropped a lens.. I try to be careful. It helped that I started with light lenses before I got my L's, while the fingers build strength.

The lens removal was done that way because the integrated grip supplied with the camera seems dedicated to right handers. We give and take a little.

Just to throw another spanner in the works, for US users, your car's manual transmission stick is controlled by your right hand. For international users, the layout is flipped, so the stick is controlled by my left. No problems here either

Wow, it never occurred to me to experiment! I'd been using the "lens in left hand, left thumb on release button" method. That worked horribly for me.

Now, thanks to this thread, I've switched to putting the strap around my neck, grabbing the lens in my right hand, and using my left index finger to hit the button. Wow, what a difference!

gkuenning wrote in post #2414639
Wow, it never occurred to me to experiment! I'd been using the "lens in left hand, left thumb on release button" method. That worked horribly for me.

Now, thanks to this thread, I've switched to putting the strap around my neck, grabbing the lens in my right hand, and using my left index finger to hit the button. Wow, what a difference!

Yes that works.

But with the FD system I could have the camera around my neck, the new lens ready in my left hand and just wrap my right hand around the old lens, depress the dismount button and twist off in one quick movement and slap the new lens in place with the left hand.

I can't work out a way of doing this with the EF without dropping something.

Any suggestions?

Having started in SLRs with the digital EOS system, I didn't know Canon used to do it another way. I'll have to grab my dad's AE-1 when I'm home for Christmas and check it out. I must say, I naturally gravitated to pressing the button with my left hand and removing the lens with my right. Usually (and always if I'm out and about shooting), I will put the strap around my neck, though in my house, I usually don't have the strap on, and I can hold the camera in my left hand, press the button and remove the lens without a problem.

Lester Wareham wrote in post #2414747
Yes that works.

But with the FD system I could have the camera around my neck, the new lens ready in my left hand and just wrap my right hand around the old lens, depress the dismount button and twist off in one quick movement and slap the new lens in place with the left hand.

I can't work out a way of doing this with the EF without dropping something.

Any suggestions?

NOOB! Real FD lenses don't have a lens release button; you have to twist the aluminum breech-lock ring (only). Grab the lens by the ring; twist off and remove. Holding other lens by ring, press it on; the ring twists about 2-3 degrees (enough for a loose attachment); re-position hand and tighten the rest of the way.

If I had to stop and think about how I change lenses on the EOS line, I wouldn't be able to do it. But then, I don't change lenses; I change cameras most of the time.

bildeb0rg wrote in post #2410796
if meant I could change quicker when I've got a combined weight of 400 lbs bearing down on me, going for a try, and I've still got the 300 f4 on. Ouch!!!

what the hell are you carrying, i didn't even carry that on patrol in iraq and i had some major weapon systems in my hand on a regular occurence!

not sure

sm1rf wrote in post #2416098
what the hell are you carrying, i didn't even carry that on patrol in iraq and i had some major weapon systems in my hand on a regular occurence!

My guess is that he wants to be "prepared" for every occasion by carrying one of every single EF lens in the line-up.

Jon wrote in post #2416048
NOOB! Real FD lenses don't have a lens release button; you have to twist the aluminum breech-lock ring (only). Grab the lens by the ring; twist off and remove. Holding other lens by ring, press it on; the ring twists about 2-3 degrees (enough for a loose attachment); re-position hand and tighten the rest of the way.

If I had to stop and think about how I change lenses on the EOS line, I wouldn't be able to do it. But then, I don't change lenses; I change cameras most of the time.

I can assure you I have a whole case of them upstairs. These are "New FD" but "Old FD" was the same in that respect.

You might be thinking of FL, not sure.

Still a noob after 30 years huh - still a yongster compared to some, I like it.

That is the method I use also. However, my wife says that I look like I'm doing an emergency exam of certain body parts..

mxwphoto wrote in post #2416992
My guess is that he wants to be "prepared" for every occasion by carrying one of every single EF lens in the line-up.

Ok... I got bored and decided to see if it was really true... turns out one of every ef&ef-s only amounted to 270.45lb (including the giant 1200mm). Add in every digital EOS (47.48lb) and the flash units (4.57lb) and that only still totals to 322.5lb. So unless if he's got 77.5lb worth of tripods or something, I'm totally clueless as to what other "Canon" weight can be added.

Those damned decimal points keep dropping off.

Those damned decimal points keep dropping off.
Or he could be carrying his M-I-L on his back, I got rid of mine years ago.

Glenn NK wrote in post #2410267
I'm left handed too, and I found a neat method of taking the lens off:

I hold the camera in my right hand by the grip.

Then I rotate my wrist clockwise which puts the release and DOF buttons facing me.

I grab the lens at it's base with my thumb and middle finger (this finger is longer and stronger).

At the same time I use my left thumb to depress the button and unscrew the lens just enough to unlock it.

I then move my left hand grasp to the solid area between the focus and zoom rings (24 - 105) and remove. It's now in my left (best) hand for handling.

With this method, it seems that the camera was made for we lefties. I can't figure out how righties manage it.

I'm also left handed and I use a method very similar. I don't find any trouble with it. It was like anything else that I have to find a mthod that worked for me.