Camera Lens Bands

A couple of weekends ago, I was on the set of my short film Invader, and was able to test out some of my recent gear concoctions, including the pimped out Frugal Cage. One aspect of that rig was using the follow focus I reviewed, and how I was able to interface my vintage lenses using the focus gear from the Frugal Follow Focus.

In that setup I had all my prime lenses that were follow focus candidates, wrapped with a silicone wristband. This allowed the focus gear to attach properly and also improved the grip on the lens itself. It is a great non-permanent addition, whether shooting video or stills.

On the Invader shoot, my first AC (assistant camera) commented how all the lenses looked alike and how they were easily confused in the lens bag. That's when I had the idea that different color wristbands would be a better solution and could easily be chosen when needed.

The wristbands were cheap ($8 for ten) and gave the lenses a nice clean look and still serves the purpose of giving the focus gear somewhere to sit without actually touching the focus ring. There is another option for an even cooler (though more expensive) look that you may also want to consider. Consult the video for a more spendy approach.

Also, remember to measure your focus ring diameter so you know what size band(s) to get. I ended up choosing the "women's 18.5cm x 1.2cm" size and they fit my lenses perfectly. The stretchy silicone also allows them to work on a variety of barrel sizes. If you have to guess, guess smaller. A snug band will still work, where a loose one will not.