[shoplink 35109 ebay]
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It’s a while that this new product is shipping but I never reported about it before. What you see here is the new GoWing Lens Holder for A-mount which also comes for E-mount. On the video below you can see how it works. It helps you to change lenses very fast!
You can have in both A and E-mount versions here:
E-mount Go wing at BHphoto, [shoplink 35109 ebay]eBay Korea[/shoplink] and [shoplink 35110 ebay]eBay Germany[/shoplink].
A-mount Go wing at BHphoto, [shoplink 35107 ebay]eBay Go Wing[/shoplink] and [shoplink 35108 ebay]eBay Germany[/shoplink].
84 Responses
What a great idea! Stupidly expensive though.
I’m sure someone will come up with a much cheaper version which will bring it to the masses and which we will then all buy. Until then I may just make one for myself with a couple of lens caps bolted together with a metal plate inbetween which has lugs on, an old strap and there you go.
For $90 it better be made out of gold…
Gold would probably bend and then you would drop your lens =)
Sure, but you can then sell that hunk of gold and then buy a few lenses with that 🙂
This looks brilliant. The only thing I worry about is dust, the big enemy of mirrorless cameras. The empty bin is essentially a cup facing upwards to gather dirt and dust and then when you switch lenses it will turn upside down and dump the dust and dirt onto the rear element of the lens. When that lens is next mounted to the camera you get dust on the sensor. Perhaps putting a body cap on the open mount would help but it would slow down the lens exchange.
Crazy over priced for two mounts and a strap. A DIY solution could probably be had for $20.
but would you trust hanging your $1000+ lens from that 2 mount DIY project? im sure a decent amount of testing went into this product… or at least i would hope so!
My only $1000+ lens is a Nikon 200mm f/2 AI-S. It’s usually in a case if I have it with me using it and as a rule, I set everything down when I change it on my body.
Still, doing your own testing wouldn’t be hard. The weakest links would be #1 the mount itself where you connect the lens and #2 the connection to the strap. This isn’t rocket science.
This lens is fuc*ing legendary, man.
I’d probably trust a DIY solution more, since i’d know exactly how much it is reinforced. This thing however you can’t really test, since you’d be throwing away $$$ as well as there are no guarantees as with DIY project.
Nothing like some Epoxy resin mixed with steel dust. It would be a strong enough joint to hold your weight.
Add a profit, taxes, retail margins, transportation to your $20 and you will be pretty quick at $90. It’s definitively not cheap, but it is in no way overpriced let alone “crazy overpriced”. Look at Sony’s RX1 accessoires. That’s what I call overpriced.
PS: Just in case you are one of these poor underpaid working slaves who sew our t-shirts in Bangladesh or China, I would understand that you call all this luxury camera stuff “overpriced”. But as you are a AI-S 200/f2 (drool…) owner, I really doubt that.
Huh? Profit? Taxes? Retail margins? Transportation?
If I make something solely for my own benefit, those things don’t concern me. That’s half the point of DIY (the other half being the pleasure of doing it yourself). If you start selling things retail…then they’re no long DIY.
(The 200mm f/2 AIS actually isn’t very high priced, comparatively. Sure, the buy it now price on Ebay tends to be around $1500, but on the occasion they go up for auction, they tend to go for a flat $1000. It’s as close as we get to a poor man’s super fast telelphoto).
Looks nice.
I got a Lowepro Lens Exchange Case to make changing lenses less of a fumble.
https://vimeo.com/28019373
(The video shows the ‘200’ size, I got the ‘100’ size.)
I got this and for me it’s the perfect solution. You can even fit a nex with mounted lens in it.
Looks indeed like a better solution. I also prefer several small bags attached to a hipbelt compared to a big old school camera bag.
Yes it is a bit on the expensive side, but it is nicely finished. At least the double mount is. The strap is just OK. Used it on a trip to las vegas last week to switch between the 28 and the 55. beats reaching into a bag.
You can make one yourself, that’s just as good for around $20.
There is no reason, that two mount adapters, glued on to a metal plate on both sides, which come with a strap, should cost that much.
Where can you find two e-mount female adapter for 20$? I’m interested!
I use LowePro Street and Field exchange cases (http://www.lowepro.com/sfseries) which provide extra protection. While fast, this is even much faster. I do have a concern, though, hanging a heavy lens all the time via the mount (have you seen how tiny the screws are on the mount!). On the flip side, if you are a pro reporter where speed matters more than repair budgets, then this is a great solution.
I would not trust hanging a $3000+ worth of lenses to a homemade lens cap glued to anything!!
What about collecting dust with the open side?
Looks like a perfect way of collecting dust, rain or sand that ends up in the lens and on the sensor. No thanks.
do you normally change your lenses in a clean room? This way of changing a lens is more then acceptable.
Did you even check the product demo? Look again, at the top photo. The exposed “cup” on top is exposed at all times, collecting all kinds of dirt. This is the place you are expected to mount your lens on when swapping. It then turns upside down, and all debris that has been collected drops right into your lens. Maybe you’re the genius who designed it?
Put a cap on!?!?! Littler problem = little solution
ah good point! I didn’t think about that. i assumed you where referring to the time that camera was hanging without a lens. My apologies!
Apologies accepted!
put the camera/sensor cap on it – easy fix.
That’s my only problem with it, is that constantly open empty cup that collects dust, as you say. The only way to solve that would be to cap it, but then it loses it’s quick-change allure. It really is a nice concept, but unfortunately has unavoidable flaws.
Exactly. The only point I see in this product is the ability to very quickly swap between two lenses, back and forth. Messing with an extra body cap will most likely negate the majority of the speed gain. But yeah, I can see a few amateur geeks buying this, not so very well thought out, solution.
Professional photographers will keep doing it the way they always have. They use an extra body if they need to swap between two focal lengths/lenses frequently. Nothing beats that since you often have different camera settings for WA and tele work.
Fair point.
From a review on B&H “There’s a plastic shield in the middle that keeps dirt out of the back ends of the lenses while they’re mounted on the carrier.”
edit: I read your follow up comment below, I see your point.
How different is that from anybody leaving the lens cap off the rear of a lens (sitting in a bag/pouch) in order to change lenses more quickly?
How’s that different from leaving the front lens cap off the front element of a lens… …
You get the point – real shooters don’t crap about dust. Only measurebators & folks like u. Put a cap on (or/& shrink wrap) yr lenses if you are so anal about it.
When you think you should patent stuff, and then get discouraged by all the competition, remember: it doesnt have to be usefull, original, or inovative, there will always be someone who will buy.
why cant you just glue 2 lense caps together? BAM! same thing
do you think glue will seriously hold 2 lens caps together? Good luck when your 24-70/2.8 Zeiss and 135/1.8 Zeiss fall on the ground and get damaged because you had to resort to using glue to protect them.
Where you can get the hard strap clip we can see at the end of the video?
Huh….
lol
I’ll just use my camera bag, thanks. Call me crazy.
You are crazy. LOL.
when the cheapo mount breaks and smashes your lenses all over the floor, do they guarantee to replace or fix it?
cheapo mount? Looks solid to me.
Why not just glue two rear lens caps together? You’ll lose the “hanger feature”, but gain the easy lens change. I’m often a hand short when changing lenses and this would help.
Good job Go Wing. Thanks for including Sony mounts in your portfolio. I hope you do well with this innovative product.
$90? No thanks. I’ll wait for Chinese copies that can be bought for $5 incl. shipping…
Clever gadget. But it makes me laugh, because I try to look as little like a photographer as possible – and now this comes along and makes you look like an astronaut doing a moon walk with photo gear.
This will definitely be the best way to get as much dust into your body as possible 😉
I don’t get the need for this? A $1 rear lens cap works. I keep a couple spsres I get off ebay.
Really? Are you serious? You don’t get it? My deep condolences.
At least try to understand stuff b4 you spew!
for 1/4 of the price I would MAYBE consider buying two :-). then I would only use one side getting off the dust problem. And since my backpack – as most backpacks – have to straps I would still be able to switch between tow lenses comfortably.
But when I go out to seriously taking pictures, I usually have more than 4 lenses with me… and usually 3 bodies… how to switch between these….?
Summary: get a standard shoulder back or something like that (for me something similar to a Tamrac 709 works perfect) and you are fine… takes even more lenses 😉
cool
$100?
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This is one of those products that is ‘almost’. As in, almost a good idea, almost useful, and almost ideal for some people but, unfortunately, almost isn’t good enough!
Certainly, carrying the right lenses to have the right focal length on your camera at just the right time has always been a problem. However, how much of a problem depends upon needs: professionals get around it by simply carrying more than one body (which also ensures against a camera failure), those in less of a hurry use a bag, which can carry all other gear too. So that leaves you wondering who exactly would find this useful. I suspect very few!
As to the ‘dust catcher’, it is certainly something that has to be considered with digital cameras. Back in the day of film I knew many pros who didn’t bother with lens caps at all. Their lenses were loose in a bag, ready for fast swaps. Of course, this would be disastrous for digital with all that loose debris flying around to get on the sensor! Sadly, the design of this would likely recreate such a scenario.
I don’t necessarily think the price is too high, if it is wll made and safe for your expensive lenses, but I suspect that there will be few, if any, who can find a good way of working with it. Most likely it will be tried by those who like the idea and then discarded as being impractical within a very short time.
A nice idea, but no cigar!
Doesn’t he looking Chinese enough for you? 🙂
LOL. Good one.
Cheap macro extension tubes on fleabay. $10 gets a set 2
Decent aluminum set cost around $20. 2 caps and screw them together with short threaded screws.
?
The press and sports photographers I know personally, wouldn’t care about this solution either. They have an extra body and swap cameras instead. It’s a lot faster, and that’s what matters for them. This product is definitively not for the professionals.
Sorry, I made the comment to the wrong post. It was only about the dust. I dunno if any press/sports pro would use this product, but they dont care much about dust. So, maybe you are right and the product is a brilliant idea with no customers.
Yeah, I know. I’ve never seen cameras and lenses so banged up, cracked and dirty as when I look in the bags of my professional photographer friends. It’s a miracle most of the stuff still works. If you are to buy used photo gear, buy from leicaphiles, measurebators and general gadget geeks. They have the best looked after stuff (and least used).
LOL. Exactly, I buy used gear only from hobbyists and collectors.
I exclude collectors because they are way too aware of the value of the stuff. Impossible to find bargains there. 🙂
If the price is fixed, you are right. However, if you want the lowest possible price, you will probably buy your gear in eBay auctions. Then the price expectations of the seller has no influence on the final bid. Thats why I always prefer auctions. You pay the real market price, no more, no less.
And if it is a bargain, it’s usually too good to be true (have you tried getting Minolta lenses serviced in the UK?).
Too good to be true or not, I made a couple of bargains (IMHO). Two black Olympus PEN FT, one with the standard 38 f1.8, and one with the super rare pancake 38 f2.8, all for £170. A unused Dynax 7000i with two unused lenses, one AF 35-70 and the highly rated AF 28-135, all for £95. None came from collectors. Bargains are out there, you just have to be patient, fast to react and a little bit lucky.
It definitely looks like it’s aimed at people who don’t (can’t?) carry a second body for whatever reason (which rules out the pro sport crowd and a good chunk of the wedding crowd). As a hobbyist, I wouldn’t buy this in a month of Sundays (it would attract way too much attention). Maybe it’s aimed at the people who turn up to under 10s 5-a-side with L zooms?
The press and sports photographers I know personally, don’t care much about dust. Of course they clean their sensors and lenses on a regular basis, but they don’t care about dust in the field or cosmetic damages (scratches, dents) on their equipment. This product is definitively not for the camera-fondling hobbyists.
LMFAO. Then you would need a third hand or this product wouldn’t make lens changing any quicker.
*FACEPALM*
I guess you have only cheap chinese plastic lenses then. Because if you would have any expensive glass, you wouldn’t be that stupid to hang it on a $5 chinese copy (incl. shipping of course). Or are you?
If you’ve spent lots on a lens, it doesn’t mean you should throw money away
My conclusion after reading all the comments:
No camera loving hobbyist will use it due to the dust issue.
No pro will need it.
Brilliant idea. No market?
I still think it’s a good idea but following the discussions, especially regarding dust and dirt in the open side of the holder, maybe the best answer is to cover it with a cap as has been mentioned by others.
My way around things it to take the cap off and place between teeth/lips/gums, change lenses and replace cap. Quick and efficient and it seems to solve all problems.
I received one of these for Christmas and have used it quite a few times when I knew I was only taking 2 lenses with me and didn’t want to carry a bag. I usually carry between 2 and 3 primes with me when I shoot – if it’s 3, I bring my bag. Simple as that. Most recently I brought it to a friends house this past weekend who was having a couple dozen kids over for an Easter egg hunt. I swapped between my 135/2 and Sigma 50mm Art.
I’ve had zero issues with dust/dirt/debris. If you’re really that worried about it, just pick it up and blow it out before unmounting your lens off of your camera and mounting it to the open end of the lens flipper but honestly, it’s a non-issue. If I go to the beach however, I do bring my camera bag regardless of how many lenses I’m carrying.
Seriously, this has been a nice accessory to have and works exactly as advertised.
If you’re as worried as some seem to be here about dust ending up inside your camera/lens, you should probably never remove your equipment from the box it comes in and just think about photography rather than enjoying it.
Very helpful comment. Thanks!
Word of advice: Don’t bring your Zeiss 135/f2 to the beach! 1. The sand will reach your lens, even if you use a bag. 2. You always look kinda creepy when you carry a telephoto lens on the beach. LOL
It’s a Canon 135L. I’m a Canon shooter, at the moment, who keeps an eye on the other companies to stay current and keep my options open.
I read some of the comments and saw that some had mentioned it might be a good idea to put a body cap on the open end. Sure, it’ll add a step and just a tad bit of complexity to a process that is supposed to be simple but, it’s a good idea. And I can confirm that a Canon body cap does indeed fit the lens flipper designed for Canon lenses – so my assumption is that the other brands do as well (not sure why they wouldn’t). I like the idea and will be implementing it going forward. Body cap off and held between my teeth, or in my pocket, or whatever, lens off camera and onto lens flipper, other lens off lens flipper and onto camera, and body cap back on to the lens flipper.
seems like a gimmick, i shoot a lot at burning man and this product would fail instantly because dust would collect and fall on the lens, than when ya change lens its putting that dust right on the sensor and I shoot with sony A7R. however shooting in the city or where dust is not an issue i can see this being practical. My solution, I use is simple, I let camera hang from my neck (on strap) than i reach into my think tank lens pouch, which rests on my belt, which is big enough to hold my nikkor 135 f2. the pouch cost me $15. i admit it wont be as fast cuz i need to remove lens cover but it protects lens from bumps, scratches, dust and can hold a lens cloth too in sleeve. I prefer to have 1 or 2 lens and this is my method, all it requires is a belt and lens pouch. As for the Go wing…would it not have been easy to simply insert a divider right in the middle?? so when ya snap on your lens…its actually sealed and whatever dust falls in cant reach the glass…to clean simply blow on it, cuz as it now dust just falls right on it, imagine if ya shooting in the rain? or what about pollen? A neat idea but too expensive and lacks obvious features like a divider.
Take a closer look. It’s not a hollow tube. There is a divider in the middle.
1. There’s a divider.
2. Of course there’s a dust penetration issue whenever you change lenses. Else buy a fixed lens cam.
3. Finally, real shooters dun bother about dust.
bad idea, lens caps do NOT snap into place…the lens could easily wiggle and bam lens on the ground. lens caps screw into position by hand, theres no lock mechanism.
Dont know, dont care… I’ve got A-Mount gear, But @SamT below already gave you the answer anyways.
I have a problem with folks spewing without any basic understanding of things.
Which lens cap has a locking mechanism?
You trust the glue to hold? You trust the plastic edges of lens caps to bear the weight of your lenses?
This product has the same metal mounts as your body… at least I bothered to find out that much before I comment!
So despite the reservations I had initially posted, I decided to give one of these a try; used it at a wedding this past weekend. It’s actually very handy, and I’ll use it again for such gigs. Yeah, you’re not going to use something like this at Burning Man, as someone else had posted, but for weddings, conventions, etc. – it’s a great solution. I do think it’s a bit overpriced, but definitely useful.