In recent years we’ve seen a sudden flux of innovation in the camera accessories market, and the LensPacks is a perfect example.
It goes someway to answering that age-old issue of losing your lens cap, although rear not front, in fact it’s more about organising your lenses than protecting the rear element, but it does that as well.
When it comes to rear lens caps the issue of losing one isn’t as prevalent as with the front, the only time it usually gets removed is when the lens is being swapped on the camera, but even then as with all lens caps the rear one can make a bid for escape and get lost.
The LensPacks eliminates this issues as it is a rear lens cap that can’t get lost, not only that but it helps you to organise your camera bag and makes the whole experience of swapping lenses that much easier. So calling it a rear lens cap is a little unfair as there is bit more to this product than just protecting the rear lens element.
LensPacks: Features
The Lens Pack comes in several fits for Canon EF, Nikon, Sony A, Fuji X, Pentax and MFT. The design is simple, really nothing more than a rear lens cap with a slightly wider circular base.
The reason for this larger base is that it has a velcro pad on the bottom and if your backpack or camera bag has the usual fabric velcro friendly interior the LensPack can simply be stuck directly into your bag. If you have one of the more modern smooth surfaced interiors then you can stick the opposite velcro pad into your bag and then attach the LensPack.
The velcro base enables you to stick the LensPack inside your bag then you can attach your lens directly so it doesn’t move around.
Other than the connector to fit to the rear of your lens and the velcro base there really is very little else to this product, ultimately its function is very simple, hold your lens securely in your bag, keep it organised and oh yes protect the rear element.
LensPacks: Build Quality and Handling
LensPack’s design is incredibly simple, so when it comes to the build quality we are just looking at a piece of molded plastic. That plastic is ABS a solid material with many uses most famously LEGO. It’s hard wearing and with a small amount of flex that makes it incredibly durable and ideal for use as a rear lens cap, especially when it’s a lens cap that needs to bear a load.
Attaching a lens is as easy as any other rear cap with a nice tight fit that holds the lens securely.
Fitting it to most bags with a velcro friendly fabric inner is very easy and as with any velcro divide can just be pushed into place. When attached it holds firm and takes a bit of effort to remove.
The strength of grip offered by the velcro means that it can be attached to either the base of a bag or side wall which makes it suitable for both backpacks and shoulder bags.
We looked at the MTF version of the LensPack and testing that with lens that included the 12-35mm, 60mm macro and 7-14mm all three lenses were held in place by the LensPack nice and firmly.
When it came to releasing each of the lenses from the LensPack it was very simple, just one quick twist and the lense was released another quick twist and the lens could be reattached.
There’s no doubt that the organisation of the interior of the bag was definitely improved with the addition of the LensPack.
I tried out the LensPark with the Olympus OMD-EM1 with the Think Tank Glass Limo and a Domke Journalist Shoulder Bag
Of the two bags the LensPack was a greater advantage and use in the Domke shoulder bag and the addition really made sense making locating and swapping lenses extremely quick and easy.
LensPacks: Verdict
The LensPacks is an interesting product; on the one hand using it in the Glass Limo backpack was handy, but really didn’t make a huge difference other than helping me to organise the bag just a little bit better.
However pop the LensPack into the base of the mediumDomke and with the camera central and the LensPack holding a macro lens in one of the side sections, swapping out lenses just seemed that much easier and added to the experience.
After a short time the LensPack just became a part of the bag, like a handy side pocket, it was only when it was removed that I realised just how much I used it.
The LensPack is a small product and there’s no doubt that some people will get on with it and others won’t. I found little advantage using one in a backpack but then popping it into a shoulder bag it really made a difference and will be something I will continue to use.