Why camera cases

[michaelk@xxxxxxxxxxx (Michael Kersenbrock)]

> What is
> it with these cases?  I got more requests for cases than anything else... 
> What is it with you people and camera cases?  I don't use one... As a matter
> of fact, I SOLD my own camera case... It gets on the way... OK, it prevents
> a light leak in the Realist... and will help if you drop the camera... 
> But, that's about it... Try to get a picture and until you get your camera
> out of the case, the subject has walked away... Can anyone explain to me

You pretty much stated the case.  The case keeps "stuff" off of it when it
isn't being used, as well as protecting both the camera and things around it from
minor banging around.....and they usually don't cost very much.

Most cases are "eveready cases", so even if one has it closed at the moment of
wanting to capture an image, it only takes a couple seconds to flip the cover
down into camera-use position.

In the case of some cameras, like the Realist, protection of the lens and viewer
isn't a big deal, because it has it's own cover.  Not all have such a cover.  Also,
cameras like the Realist which are built like a battleship don't need the physical
bumping protection that some of the others need.  Flipping the case cover for 
a Revere camera is roughly like flipping the lens cover on a Realist in terms of
time required and frontal lens/viewer protection.

So cameras like the Realist *need* the case the least, but it doesn't hurt much.

Considering the length of time it takes to measure the light, set the fstop, 
set the shutter, focus, compose, and shoot a 50's stereo camera, the couple
extra seconds to flip the cover down doesn't seem like too big of a negative.
One can pre-set the settings, etc, but one can pre-flip the cover as well.

I haven't even counted the time to setup the tripod.... :-)

IMHO anyway....

Mike K.

P.S. - I want a Kodak and a Realist case in case anybody was persuaded to get rid
       of his..... 




------------------------------