topic Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny. in EF & RF Lenses

Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:00:59 GMT

EF 70-200 L f/2.8 IS II ($1949.00) - inside OEM Canon lens case - rolled off car seat onto driveway. Broke plastic knob on tripod mounting collar. Focus at max distance became noticeably softer.

Packed in original box and shipped to Canon Repair (UPS with $2000 insurance = $56)

Repair Estimate:

1. New Tripod Mounting Ring - $116.73

2. In-warranty labor charge - $359.00

3. 2nd day Shipping & handling - $16.00

4. Tax - $7.30

========================

Total- $499.03

Cost with CarePAK PLUS = $0.

Lessons learned -

1. Buy CarePAK Plus - Now 2 & 3-year plans. Price depends on product.

2. Buy a better lens case - Canon's has ZERO side padding.

3. Take the time to strap your equipment down so it will not roll around.

Great turn-around - I was without the lens for 4 weekdays (plus Sat & Sun)

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

Waddizzle — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 13:13:37 GMT

Thanks, for sharing. It is a good idea.

Having been a field service technician for three decades, I have long learned the lesson of placing relatively small, light, loose objects on car seats. I put them on the floor of the back seat, or inside of something else.

However, I recently had my camera holster go flying off the seat, and bounce of the glove box onto the floor, when I had to slam on the brakes as a driver pulled out in front of me. I had the same 70-200mm mounted to a 6D with a battery grip..

The gear survived without any damage. I use a Lowepro Toloader Pro 75 AW II holster bag. It holds the mounted lens with the hood reversed on a 6D w/grip and room to spare. I highly recommend it in place of a neck strap.

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 16:28:00 GMT

Thanks! I've been looking at the Case Logic DSH-103 Luminosity. How do you think Case Logic compares to Lowepro?

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

Waddizzle — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 19:05:56 GMT

@PajamaGuy wrote:
Thanks! I've been looking at the Case Logic DSH-103 Luminosity. How do you think Case Logic compares to Lowepro?

I do not have hands on experience with that Case Logic product. I do have one of their larger backpacks, DSB-309, for which I will give passing grades, but not flying colors. It claims to be able to hold a 70-200mm, but it will do so without the hood or tripod foot attached. I have squeezed the lens into the bag, though I didn't like the fit with hood and foot.

The DSH-103 is described by Case Logic's web site as, "Fits a Prosumer DSLR or DSLR with extra battery grip, zoom lens and tripod mount attached." The LowePro is made for professional sized bodies like the Canon 1 Series. Like I said, my 6D with battery grip, and the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, fits inside the LowePro with room to spare. I even have QR brackets attached to both the body and the lens.

The Case Logic holster measures 8.3 x 5.9 x 13.4 inches externally, with 7.5 x 5.1 x 11.8 inches of room inside. The LowePro measures 7.5 x 8.7 x 12.6 inches externally, with 6.4 x 7.0 x 11.5 inches of room inside.. I would say the LowePro has a slighly larger interior volume, though the Case Logic claims to be slightly deeper.

The LowePro has a rain cover, which stores in a side pouch, something that the Case Logic seems to lack. The LowePro has two shoulder straps, which can be configured to carry the pouch in a handful of different ways. I use it as a holster, with the secondary strap acting as a stabilizer, around my waist, to stop it from bounding around on my hip. The straps can be reconfigured to carried like a bib, much like a chest pouch style, baby carrier., or even as a sling. If you wish to use just the main [heavily padded] strap, then there is hideaway pouch in which to carry the smaller secondary strap.

The LowePro is very heavily padded, with at least a half inch of dense padding all the way around the main camera compartment. If you squeeze the padding between your fingers, your fingers do not touch one another. It is as stiff as a cardboard box, too. The LowePro weighs in at 1.75 lbs, while the Case Logic weighs in at 1.12 lbs. No doubt the weight difference is mostly in the heavy, dense padding of the LowePro.

If you are interested in a holster for a full-size body, or a prosumer body with battery grip, and to hold a 70-200mm with the hood and tripod foot still attached, then I would highly recommend this holster case. If you have a prosumer body without a grip, then I would suggest the model 55, instead of the model 75 Mark II.

While the LowePro holsters have adjustable inserts, like a backpack would, they are more for adjusting the lens' depth, than adjusting to the camera body. The Case Logic makes no mention of adjustable foam inserts that I have seen so far. I think there is no comparison. The LowePro is a MUCH better holster.

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 18:17:52 GMT

Great response - Thanks!

What's the dfference between the 75 AW and the 75 AW II?

Would it be too big for my 7DII (with my 70-200 f/2.8)

Thanks!

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

Waddizzle — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 18:58:42 GMT

@PajamaGuy wrote:
Great response - Thanks!

What's the dfference between the 75 AW and the 75 AW II?

Would it be too big for my 7DII (with my 70-200 f/2.8)

Thanks!

The difference between the 75 AW and the 75 AW II is primarily the addition of the secondary carrying strap on the Mark II version. It is worth the additional dime.

Handling the 70-200mm f/2.8 is not even an issue. Would it be too big for a 7dII without a grip? That camera body will have some extra room all the way around it. If the 70-200 is inserted with a reversed hood, I would guess that the body would not move around too much. It would not be a snug fit.

Like i said, the model 55 is nearly the same as the 75, except for the amount of camera body room. One is made for a DSLR with a grip, and one is made for those without a grip. A dealer like B&H would allow you to return the 75 AW II if you do not like the fit.

Like I said, the inserts are designed to adjust for different lenses, and not so much for camera bodies. Give me a few hours so that I can try my 6D without the grip inside of the 75 AW II. Okay? I'll try it with the 70-200mm f/2.8, too.

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

Waddizzle — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 00:18:09 GMT

You know what? On second thought, even if the 75 AW II is a little too roomy, snag an insert from your backpack to hold the camera body in place. I just know that you have an "extra" insert with your backpack. I know I do. I have 3 backpacks, differing sizes.

[EDIT] Update:

Using an extra insert, or two, takes care of the extra room problem for a camera body without a grip. I'm on record as saying this bag is not for camera bodies without a grip. I'd revise that now. It still isn't for camera bodies without a grip, but you can work around it by absconding an insert from a backpack. Having the second strap and rain cover makes it well worth it.

I tuck the regular camera neckstrap down into the "socket" for the attached high performance lens. I think of the space for the camera lens as a socket because you can adjust the inserts to make most any "L" lens, short of telephoto, fit as snug as a bug. I can fit the 70-200mm f/2.8L II, the 24-104 f/4L, and even the wide front end 16-35 f/2.8L II lens. Not all of them at once, just one of them mounted to the camera at a time. They can all fit, with their lens hoods, with ease attached to a 6D w/grip and QR plate. A 1 Series would fit as snug as bug, as seen in the demo photos by LowePro.

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 08:31:24 GMT

Diz, (or is it Wad )

I kind of thought the 75 II was the way to go - thanks for your detailed and helpful info!

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 19:38:12 GMT

Bought the 75 AW II. (...and just ordered the Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange 200 AW.)

It holds my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II mounted to my 7D MkII very securely! And you're right, it is VERY protective. Thanks!

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

Waddizzle — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 20:17:24 GMT

@PajamaGuy wrote:
Bought the 75 AW II. (...and just ordered the Lowepro S&F Lens Exchange 200 AW.)
It holds my 70-200 f/2.8 IS II mounted to my 7D MkII very securely! And you're right, it is VERY protective. Thanks!

If you took off the shoulder/carrying straps, it would be like a giant rugby football. Wouldn't it?

Re: Why CarePAK Plus is worth every penny.

PajamaGuy — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 20:45:08 GMT

Yep!