A lens I had reapired at KEH camera brokers came back wrapped in two very tough, thin plastic bags. I saved them to use as lens protectors when shooting. I took lenses in and out of them dozens of times without wearing them out. I'm going to try to find out what this material is, and how to order a few bags. They allowed me to work quickly when changing lenses for a shot, with no cosmetic damage from lenses rubbing together in the case.

I'll post more details when I find out what this material is.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 10, 2001

Answers

Hi Bob -- glad you're back in town.

Yes, please do inform us soon when you know what that is. I myself for example would find that important to keep my stuff dry from rain outside and from condensation water inside. Those are things the best bag or blanket can't always do.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 10, 2001.

At your office-supply store, check out Tyvek envelopes. They look like thin paper, but they're hard to tear and are waterproof. Builders wrap houses in the stuff, too. I don't know how you'd fashion lens bags out of the stuff, though, because any seams you make will compromise the integrity of the bag.

-- Keith Nichols (knichols1@mindspring.com), October 11, 2001.

I would caution against long-term storage of any photographic equipment in plastic, or other non-breathable container that will prevent air circulation. Lack of circulation prevents moisture that has accumulated via condensation to escape, thus promoting corrosion on metal and fungus growth on glass.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), October 11, 2001.

Does anyone use those lens wraps that Calumet has? I tend to avoid the Leica lens cases, and just slide a lens or two into my pocket which probably isn't good.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@mail.com), October 11, 2001.

Tony:

I use the Domke lens wraps and love them. They are virtually identical to the ones that Calumet sells. Tey're lightweight, and easy to configure as a wrapper, pouch, case or pad. Optiflex makes some now too, and theirs have optional small pads that can be positioned to provide additional areas of protection or divisions in the wrapper.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), October 11, 2001.

According to Scott Faust of KEH, the bags I described are known as "Low density Poly bags." This doesn't sound too impressive, but I found the bags to be really tough and abrasion-resistant. Scott gave me the manufacturer's 800 number, and I will follow up for more info. I was expecting to hear that they were made out of some space- suit material or something. They're definitely not sandwich baggies, and I'll see what I can find out.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 11, 2001.

could you scan it so we could see it and look under diferent specifications; I think I have something like that in mexico

-- al1231234@hotmail.com (al1231234@hotmail.com), October 12, 2001.

Jack, you're absolutely right as re long-term storage, corrosion and fungus. I was only thinking of the hourly condensation problem we always have when we come back home after a day's shooting out in the cold.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 12, 2001.

Michael:

Understood! I would only like to clarify that the wraps Tony mentioned do not have such problem even if you leave your lens in them, and have the added bennefit of offering a bit of padding as additional protection. Furthermore, I have cut up and re-sewn a few of the larger-sized wraps into small "pouches" for use as bags. When I need two or more lenses to share one compartment in my camera bag or vest pocket, the lens that I feel we see the least amount of use goes into one of these pouches, thus preventing any rub marks on either. They are not clear, so you cannot see through them, but they are available in different colors, so you can color-code the contents. Also, since velcro sticks to this material, I have cut little rectangles of white male velcro, marked them with permanent marker, and use them as removeable labels for the pouches. So far, this system has worked out like a charm for traveling with the M and/or my LF system.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), October 12, 2001.

I phoned Associated Bag Co. The rep there said that the bags I have are not low-density, but rather high-density material, which she described as "very thin but very tough and strong." That exactly describes mine. They will mail me a sample and a catalog, and then we'll have some more info. They even have these with zip closures.

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), October 12, 2001.

Maybe Tony knows a way how you can attach a sample of that material onto the thread here.

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), October 13, 2001.