Check out this wacky-looking custom lens cap designed by Japanese corp UN for the Olympus XZ-1. Many compact cameras don’t offer too much protection for the lens glass when the camera is off and the lens retracted (usually it’s a small plastic cover/curtain), so there are quite a few camera users that might benefit from a cap like this one. It’s secured to the front of the XZ-1 using an Allen key, and is pushed open when the lens extends from the body. When the camera is turned off, the cap automatically folds back into place to protect the glass. It’s supposedly available for about $90 if you email the company directly.
Lens Cap for Olympus XZ-1 (via OhGizmo!)
Camera toss photography involves having your camera shoot photographs while it’s being tossed wildly into the air. The problem is, you’ll usually want to play around with this kind of photography at night, when long exposure times will create pretty abstract images. If catching your camera on its way down in the dark isn’t something that sits well with you, you might want do try what Flickr user Robert Couse did — protect your camera using an inflatable swim tube, a piece of cardboard, and some gaffers tape.
(via DIYPhotography.net)
Image credits: Photographs by Robert Couse-Baker
The soft cases that are often bundled with higher-end lenses are good for preventing minor scrapes and bruises, but offer little when it comes to protecting your glass against harsher dangers. The BETA Shell line of SLR lens cases are designed to guard your lens against most things extreme environments can throw at them, offering protection from water, impacts, and extreme temperatures.
The cases range in price from $45 to $84 depending on the size of your lens, and are available through the official website.
BETA Shell (via PDN)
I don’t know about you, but if it weren’t for the protective case on my smartphone, it would have probably needed to be replaced a long time ago. If cell phones have protective skins and cases, why shouldn’t cameras? Camera Armor is a protective case that’s custom designed for each separate DSLR model, and is available for both Canon and Nikon bodies — and a few others as well.
In addition to the silicon body skin, the system also includes protection for your lens, LCD screen, and other individual components of your kit. The cost of this protection is $40, which is pretty cheap compared to some of the novelty items we’ve featured here.
Camera Armor (via Doobybrain)
How far can you go in protecting your gear before people start thinking you have serious issues? We’re not exactly sure, but the guy in the photo above probably crossed that line quite a few filters ago. Thankfully (or sadly, depending on how you see it) the guy isn’t actually an uber-paranoid photographer, but just someone from the BorrowLenses team having a little fun.
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Lens caps, filters, and hoods are great from protecting lenses from scratches and bumps, but they aren’t the best for reducing the impact in the case that you accidentally drop your gear. The Lens Guard by DeluxGear is designed to absorb this kind of shock, protecting your lens from the impact of bumps and drops, and slips over lenses snugly with or without the filters or lens cap attached.
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