Christmas Big White Camouflage Challenge

Hello all owners of Big White 'L' lenses.

I know there have been some serious threads about camouflaging our lenses for birding, or for taking pictures in the wild...but what about getting that elusive candid shot without the 'victim' noticing us pulling out ENORMOUS white lenses and either, i) sprinting in the opposite direction, or ii) doing a "pose"?

As it's the season of good cheer, this thread is a more lighthearted concept -

So, if you have any alternative methods/suggestions for camouflaging an enormous 100-400L, 300L f/2.8 or even an 800mm "I've got more money than you can imagine" f/5.6....please post them here.

I'll start the ball rolling with:

Pretending that there's been an accident nearby, and dressing in a Police Forensic's Team clothing, thus hiding the lens against your white all-in-one-with-elasticated-cuffs outfit!

I say leave the big "whites" alone. Let the birds and animals enjoy them in all their glory.

Besides, I seriously think that they have better things to do than to go around thinking, "Oh gee, another "big white lens". I hope that photographer doesn't take ANOTHER picture of me. I look terrible today."

But then again, maybe they DO assess each photographer and think, "Hmmm BLACK Nikon 400mm f2.8 at 3 o'clock...Canon 500mm f4L I.S. at 6:30...oh wait a minute, 9:45, looks like a large branch, but it's moving horizontally, very confusing. Never saw a "branch" do that."

I'm not saying that camouflage doesn't help, but maybe not as much as the manufacturers want us to believe so we'll continue to pay hundreds of dollars for their lens covers for maybe an extra 5% degree of secrecy.

Question for all big white "L" shooters who DON'T use camouflage: Have you ever MISSED a shot because you DIDN'T have your lens camouflaged?

Nothing against lens covers etc. Just wondering.

But in the spirit of the question, how about covering the lens with pages from the local newspaper. That way if a bird or animal looks in your direction, you can PRETEND to be reading the newspaper the way they do on all those detective shows when the person DOESN'T want you to know that you are watching them.

Canonswhitelensesrule wrote in post #6816497
I say leave the big "whites" alone. Let the birds and animals enjoy them in all their glory.

But in the spirit of the question, how about covering the lens with pages from the local newspaper. That way if a bird or animal looks in your direction, you can PRETEND to be reading the newspaper the way they do on all those detective shows when the person DOESN'T want you to know that you are watching them.

At last...someone with time to kill, and a sense of humour!
Thanks for the idea. Reminds me of a Pink Panther movie around 1978!

skygod44 wrote in post #6816517
At last...someone with time to kill, and a sense of humour!
Thanks for the idea. Reminds me of a Pink Panther movie around 1978!

Not a problem. I love those old Pink Panther movies. Peter Sellers was the best! When he posed as a dentist and had to pull his boss's tooth, but pulled the WRONG one...absolutely priceless!

But it's true, watch almost any tv show, or movie, in which someone is "following" someone, and there's at least one scene where you see them on a bus stop bench, or park bench, or even standing, and pretending to "read" the newspaper.

If intelligent human beings can't figure out that they are being "watched", surely lesser intelligent birds and animals won't be able to.

skygod44 wrote in post #6814813
Hello all owners of Big White 'L' lenses.

I know there have been some serious threads about camouflaging our lenses for birding, or for taking pictures in the wild...

But as it's the season of good cheer, this thread is a more lighthearted concept -

It is not only ' the season of good cheer' it is also the season of winter. Big Whites are specifically desinged for winter conditions, that is why they are white. and camuflaged already.

Papa Carlo wrote in post #6816690
It is not only ' the season of good cheer' it is also the season of winter. Big Whites are specifically desinged for winter conditions, that is why they are white. and camuflaged already.

Brilliant! Living in southern Japan, where winter temperatures are around 6~10 degrees celcius, I hadn't thought of that

Lol, maybe you should disguise yourself and lens as a bush, then go and do some street shooting

Papa Carlo wrote in post #6816690
It is not only ' the season of good cheer' it is also the season of winter. Big Whites are specifically desinged for winter conditions, that is why they are white. and camuflaged already.

I believe they are very popular with "Mountain Units" in national military world wide!