The TriLens camera lens holder makes changing lenses easy and safe and eliminates the need for carrying av bulky camera bag.
Last week, I finally got my long awaited TriLens. Now I no longer have to fumble with a backpack or bag. Neither will I have to be afraid of losing expensive lenses when changing in the middle of a busy street.
This is the first time I backed something on Kickstarter. Figuring that some ideas are so good that you just had to take a chance and back them. I see that a lot of people are negative about Kickstarter, but my experience has been 100% positive.
Frii Design, the Swedish company behind the lens holder, has kept me constantly updated on the status of financing and production. When the package arrived, it contained a personalized note with a picture of the two founders.
Why the TriLens camera lens holder is so unique
The TriLens camera lens holder has space for three lenses on a rotating mount sitting on a belt holder. The rotating construction works in a way that makes the heaviest lens pointing downward, giving you the lowest possible center of gravity.
To make things as comfortable as possible, the lens holder has built-in stabilization. The friction of the rotation is automatically adjusted based on the total weight you are carrying.
The TriLens camera lens holder is compatible with Canon, Nikon, and Sony-mount lenses.
Even if the TriLens, as indicated by the name, has a capacity of three lenses, I would never carry more than two lenses in this contraption. In my view, this defeats the purpose of the product.
What Frii Designs has done with this product is to solve the problem with having to juggle two lenses when changing optics on your camera.
The best way to use the TriLens camera lens holder is to keep one mount unused at all times. This allows you to first take the lens off your camera before mounting it to the TriLens lens holder. Then, with all three lenses secured, you detach the lens that you want to use and mount this on your camera. This way you can safely change lenses without the chance of dropping it to the ground.
In the box
The TriLens camera lens holder comes with a grey felt bag. This is useful if you are going to be packing the TriLens with other photo gear, given that the TriLens has a lot of knobs and sharp edges.
The TriLens camera lens holder in use
I have not yet been able to test the TriLens extensively in the field, but my first impression is very positive. Even with my long and heavy Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 on, it does not feel bulky. I was afraid that the lens would hit the ground if I went down on one knee. This turned out not to be a problem, not even with the lens hood on.
So far, I have only two minor issues. The first was that the TriLens arrived with no documentation. You might think that there would be no need for this, but here is the thing: In the box was a small plastic bag with what I thought was reflex stickers and some metal pieces for adjusting the fit of the lens mounts.
After some googling, I found that these metal pieces are magnets used to keep the lens cap in place on the TriLens holder. I think that the stickers are for fastening the magnets to the lens caps, but I have yet to figure out how to get this working.
The second issue with the TriLens camera lens holder is that it should come with a warning about the fact that you must make sure to match the red dot on your lens with the red dot on your TriLens holder, just like with your camera.
When I first tried the TriLens camera lens holder on my hip, I did not notice the red dot on the TriLens. As opposed to my camera, the lens did attach to the TriLens even if the red dots did not match. The consequence was that the lens was not secured to the TriLens camera lens holder and would come off just by twisting the lens – something that is almost guaranteed to happen when you walk around.
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You can find more information about the TriLens and future ordering can at friidesigns.com.
Conclusion
The TriLens camera lens holder is a good product. For shorter trips, I think it can eliminate the need for lugging around a bag just because you want to bring an extra lens or two. In most cases, it will also make up for leaving your second camera body at home.
PLUS
- Sturdy design based on a good idea.
- Comfortable to wear.
MINUS
- You have to make sure that you are mounting the lenses with the red dot aligned.
- The magnets for keeping the lens caps on the TriLens while the lens is in use isn’t strong enough.