My Camera Goes “Zing”

Rainy museum day today, and the perfect opportunity to test out my new Zing camera wrap. And since I bought it for use primarily with the AF-S 50mm f/1.4 G, it gives me a chance to give that a workout too. 

Like every lens I’ve purchased since owning the Nikon D90, I’ve considered how the lens will work with full frame. The 50mm f/1.4 G made it into the stable because it makes such a great portrait lens on APS-C cameras, and eventually the day would come when it would become an essential part of my full-frame kit. And that time is now.

At half the price, had the newer 50mm f/1.8 G been available I’d have bought it over the 1.4. Which is exactly why Nikon waited until they did to release the 1.8. But that’s just fine, because it puts the AF 50mm 1.8 D on my radar, a lens which is as close to perfect as you can get for about a C-Note. 

To be honest, I haven’t used the 50 1.4 it that much; but I have a feeling the Zing-Equipped D610 will change all that. 

The Zing is great when you just need something to protect your camera in transit, guarding against dust, moisture and bumps. After all, neoprene is used for wet suits, and this covers the camera so well, it’d take a lot for moisture or dust to get in. 

I ordered mine in dark grey, which is reversible to black. It’s pretty easy to get off, but tricky to get back on. You sort of rotate the camera counter-clockwise, stuff it in lens first, and twist it into place, stretching the right side up. Then you wrap the flap around the front, and over the lens. The longer the lens, the more you have to stretch it, so normal lenses like the 50mm work great, and standard zooms are a little more challenging. For tele-zooms, they make a larger model.

Once on, it turns the camera into a nondescript grey blob, loosely resembling an SLR. Sort of like a sculpture. A second skin, close to the dimensions of the camera iteself. With lenses shorter than about 2", a bulbous pouch forms at the front, void of lens but offering additional protection nonetheless. It even works with the pancake-sized Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2. So, combined with a compact prime lens, this makes for a great street-cam setup.

It’s about as close to the traditional SLR half-case of the 70’s as you can get. With a modern twist.