Hi everyone,

Oh how I love pottering about finding solutions for my photographic gear problems 🙂 . I wanted to find a way of both protecting my 20mm lens plus lens hood when fitted to the camera and also something to protect it when it’s loose in my small bag whilst I’m using my 12-32mm or 14mm lenses.

Solution using what I had to hand, some time back I bought a couple of neoprene lens “hats” and more recently several silicone lens caps. So I wondered if I could use both together and they fit perfectly inside each other and over the lens. When the lens isn’t mounted, I can separate them and reverse the silicone one and put the neoprene one back over it. It also adds an extra layer of protection, not that it’s absolutely needed, to the lens when mounted on the camera with the added bonuses that it’s quicker and less fiddly to fit and remove and less likely to be lost or damaged when compared to a traditional lens cap and it cushions and protects the whole lens from knocks. No more fumbling around with, dropping or misplacing the lens cap. 🙂

As they used to say in the A Team: “I love it when a plan comes together!”. 🙂

Kind regards

Leigh

Hi,

Shown below my main camera and lens cleaning solutions, past and present, missing from the shot my large microfibre cloth.

My very first cleaning accessory, the small puffer brush, advantages, very small, light and compact, disadvantages, a pretty feeble “puff” but as they say, “any port in a storm” 🙂 and better than nothing. Then there’s my “rocket” type blower, advantage, a more forceful “puff” but, for me, takes up too much room in a small camera bag. My Hama lens pen, I choose not to use the more abrasive end but the brush end is pretty effective at removing dust and it is quite soft. I prefer my, smaller, lipstick style Matin M-6328 Small Size Goat Hair Dust Brush, advantage verses the lens pen, very compact, lighter and easy to accommodate in my small bag, has a cap over the brush end to keep it clean when not in use and very soft bristles. I always have some Zeiss wet wipe sachets in my camera bag, my wallet and mobile phone case for the times when I require a wet cleaning solution and I’ve used these for years, I reckon that Zeiss know a thing or two about lenses 🙂 .

If neither of my puffers would, as the saying goes, “knock the skin off of a rice pudding” then my next cleaning tool on its maximum setting certainly would!, although I’ve not so far been inclined to test this theory. 🙂 So, lastly, my latest addition, my Nitecore BB2 USB rechargeable electronic air blower which I don’t habitually take out with me as it’s the heaviest of all but I use it back at base for thorough all round cleaning. “Puff” or more appropriately “blower” rating awesome and three-strength variable, really does work. It has a built in air filter and a detachable brush and I use it for cleaning camera bodies and lenses but I prefer to use either my lens pen or smaller lens brush for cleaning the lens glass/filters as I feel that they’re softer. Not an exhaustive cleaning accessory list but what I have and do use.

Totally unrelated but I heard on the radio that scientists are claiming that drinking two cups of tea a day helps one’s memory. I can’t remember how many cups I’ve had today but sounds good to me ,now where the blazes did I leave my cup?

Kind regards

Leigh

Hi,

My beloved, faithful Olympus PEN-F shown here with M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 lens. With its iconic retro rangefinder styling and homage to the original PEN-F film camera. Looks are one thing but it has everything that I require in a camera and it’s always an absolute delight to use. It’s also the only PEN series camera that they made with a built in electronic viewfinder which I regard as essential. If they ever did a mk 2 version I’d get one in a heartbeat, mind you with its 20 MP sensor, electronic shutter and other great features it’s only really weather-sealing that would tempt me. You’d think that it’s attracts attention which I certainly don’t want but, if anything, it has the opposite effect as it just appears to be some old geezer with a film camera, little do they know!, about the camera that is. 🙂

Kind regards

Leigh

Hi,

I thought I’d get one of these, this time for my BLS-5/BLS-50 batteries as used in my Olympus E-PL5 and E-PL8 cameras and some later models of OM-D series cameras. I tested it quickly and it charged two pretty flat batteries in approximately 2.5 hours. I like the built in hard-wired USB cable terminating in a USB A male connector which stores in the base of the charger when not in use although be aware that it is very short, they do supply a short (40cm) USB extension cable with it but it’s a tight fit and doesn’t really add much to the overall cable length so I used one of my longer USB extension cables with it for this test. Not an issue if the charger is sitting on a desk next to or close by the USB power source eg. my Anker 5-port USB charger or one of my USB power banks, laptop etc. but something perhaps to consider if using another power source such as a USB port in a vehicle or a USB charger plugged into a raised wall socket. I like the red charging indicator LEDs, one for each battery slot, which blink once for charge up to 25%, twice for up to 50%, three times for up to 75% and light solidly when fully charged. They do them for all sorts of camera battery types so, I’m guessing that they all behave roughly the same. Here it is next to one of my older USB single battery chargers for comparison, As you can see it’s very slightly taller but overall pretty much the same size as the single battery charger.

Best wishes,

Leigh

Hi,

As an alternative gear choice for the increasing number of days when my osteoarthritis in my legs and lower back is particularly bad and I know that I won’t be able to carry very much weight for very far. My Olympus E-PL8, my “other” Lumix 12-32mm lens and my Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 lens. I think this type of setup would also make for a very compact lightweight day out travel setup.

Best wishes,

Leigh

Hi,

In keeping with making my kit as light and compact as possible I hit on the idea of using some of those small, soft, velvet? pouches that one can get cheaply online that they sell for jewellery etc. for my filters. Shown below on the left, my 62mm CPL filter and on the right my 62 mm UV filter both with XUME filter adapters fitted. I chose two colours of pouches to easily and quickly distinguish between the filters. Additionally, I fitted a 62mm-67mm step up ring to the CPL filter which makes it easier to grip and adjust and it shades it a little. These afford all the protection needed as they fit snugly and securely in two of the inside elasticated mesh pockets in my Wandrd tech bag that I’m using as my camera bag.

Kind regards

Leigh