QUIKDRAW PHOTOGRAPHY LENS HOLSTER
PROJECT SUMMARY
Pipeline Design & Engineering created a quick release lens holster for the photography market. The device allows photographers to carry and easily access multiple lenses during a shoot.
TEAM:
Mechanical Engineer
Rapid Prototyping vendors
DESIGN TOOLS USED:
SolidWorks 3D CAD
Stress Analysis Simulation
MARKET:
Consumer Product
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
- Quickly and easily allow photographer to store and remove lenses
- Accomodate all Canon lenses used by portrait photographers, from the 70-200 f/2.0 zoom to the 50 f/1.2 prime.
- Have safety mechanisms built in which prevent lens from becoming accidentally removed
- Incorporate tactile feedback to inform user when lens has been properly stored
- Able to be worn on and accessed from a standard belt
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES
One of the challenges facing modern portrait photographers is the need to carry and frequently switch between multiple (often heavy and unwieldy) lenses. Typically a photographer will carry a large bag with himself that contains these lenses. However, bags are bulky and cumbersome, and a more convenient method was desired. Pipeline’s background in professional photography combined with our mechanical engineering capabilities allowed us to create a unique lens holster system. Conceived by a local photographer-inventor, the product allows photographers to quickly and easily store and remove lenses from these belt-mounted devices.
With a simple turn of the wrist, the photographer can quickly unlock the lens, rotate the mounting plate up, and remove the lens. Once the lens is removed, an internal mechanism automatically prevents the mounting plate from folding back down so that it is ready to accept another lens without further manipulation by the photographer. When a lens is inserted back into the mounting plate, it must be rotated fully into the “stored” position before the plate will fold down to its stowed position, preventing accidental dropping of the lens.
