Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
When I bought my 100-500 in April 2021, I don't think there were any lens coats available off the shelf - the lens was just too new. Since then, there are several manufacturers making them, but I still rely on the solution I found three years ago.Apologies for deviating from the thread’s topic but can anybody recommend a good lens cover for the 100-500mm. I’ve had a neoprene cover on a Sony lens in the past and it never fitted particularly well, particularly around the switches. The Rolanpro seems to get reasonable reviews but I was hoping someone on this forum might advise.
Thanks
David
On YouTube, there's a bloke called Ron Bulefeld (my guess at the spelling), with a channel called Whistling Wings, and he had just issued a video about a stick-on vinyl coating made by Mossy Oak that he used on his new lens. It seemed to fit the bill, so I sent away for a roll. He does a video specifically on how to cut it for this particular lens.
A problem with the 100-500 when it comes to camo is the way the zoom works, with the barrel sliding into the closely-fitting body. As far as I can tell, all the Lens Coat type covers get round this by either having a baggy sock around the barrel, or it just stays white and uncovered.
The advantage with the Mossy Oak is that it's thin enough to slide into the lens barrel without fouling the body at all. This is because, unlike the other solutions, it's not neoprene (which is 2-3mm thick and way too thick to fit the gap). The Mossy Oak coating is vinyl, with a peel-off backing. A drawback is that it's not made to measure. It comes in a roll 7 feet long by 6 inches wide and you need to go a bit 'Blue Peter' with it and measure the various cylindrical sections of the lens barrel and cut the neoprene to size with a craft knife. It sounds harder than it is. All you need is a cloth tape measure (or even a strip of paper) to determine each circumference, then measure the length of each section. I covered my 100-500 with it as in the photo, and there was just enough left over to cover my new, bigger, 200-800. You can cut the vinyl to suit around the various control switches, so they aren't masked behind a see-through plastic window the way the controls were on my Sigma 150-600.
It's easy to use, because when you peel off the backing to place each section, the vinyl is sticky enough to stick, but not too sticky. If you get it a bit wrong at first, you can just peel it off and put it back on properly. Once it's where you want it, a gentle warming with a hair dryer on a low setting fixes the glue, and it stays fixed. Three years later, mine is still as good as new. Unlike camo tape, it's also removable, simply by warming it again with the hair dryer, and when it's peeled off it leaves absolutely no sticky residue, so the lens is clean if you want to sell it.
You might want to get one of the made to measure neoprene covers, but this was my solution.