Introduction to EasyCover

People buy cell phones by the millions every year, and one of the first thing that most everyone does when they buy that new cell phone is to find a case or sleeve to protect it with. Perhaps it will be a statement of their own personal style, or perhaps it will be because they have learned the hard way that their gear needs some protection. Stores and kiosks are lined with options of cases and form fitting sleeves for cell phones.

Though cameras take a similar amount of abuse, the market for adding protection (or style) to cameras in the field has been pretty minimal.

EasyCover, a small start-up company out of the Netherlands, has set out to fill that void. Two young guys started in a university program and now exhibit their products around the world. Their website is www.easycover.eu and they can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/easyCover. They make a line of products designed around providing protection value for your valuable camera gear.

They kindly provided me a few of their products to use and to review, including silicone “wraps” for my Canon EOS 6D and also for my EOS M mirrorless body along with their lens protection kits in a couple of sizes. I will deal with these two categories separately.

Camera Protective Sleeves

If you have ever purchased a custom fitted silicone wrap for a cell phone or an MP3 player, you have a pretty good idea of how this works. These “EasyCovers” are made out of silicone and custom fitted to the camera body they are designed for (there is a variety of bodies covered, including the new Nikon D810).  The selection is limited to Canon and Nikon bodies, but most of those are covered. There a number of clever little additions, including texturized areas where you need grip and holes where they need to be.  All of the places that need to open on the camera body continue to be accessible with the cover in place.  One potential drawback is that the addition of a tripod quick release plate to the bottom of the camera (or a strap system that makes use of the tripod socket) can interfere with the cover and cause it to bunch or pull a little in that area. One clever feature I noticed is the flap that covers the hotshoe has a slotted flap beneath it that actually fits under the metal edges of the hotshoe so that the cover over the hotshoe stays securely in place. They are designed in such a way that the buttons can all still be pressed and dials can still be spun, although in application this isn’t perfect (more on that in a moment). The camera EasyCovers also come with two screen protectors to complete the package. Most of you know from experience how tough this silicon material is. It can absorb a significant amount of abuse and remain unfazed. I returned from my day in the woods with the cover on my EOS M and noticed where some twigs still clung to the cover – I knew my camera had been spared a few extra knocks on that day!

Of the two different sleeves I have, I prefer the one for the EOS M. It’s not because it is better made or better fitting but rather because my Canon EOS 6D bodies fit my hands perfectly. I love the ergonomics of the grip and the shape, and the addition of the EasyCover subtly alters that. By contrast, the cover for my EOS M has stayed on since I have received it. The subtle addition of thickness on the M’s grip and body is actually an improvement. I also find that the cover alters the tactile feel of the buttons on the 6D, making them feel a bit more spongy and less precise.  The front dial is also a little more difficult to use. This is a personal perception, however, and I note that the user reviews on B&H are overwhelmingly positive on all of the covers. I have personally only used the EasyCover on the 6D sparingly.

I should note one exception to my view of the cover for the 6D; when winter has hit. Wearing gloves already alters ergonomics on the camera body, and the silicone sleeve provides an insulating barrier between your hands and the metal body. It’s not just the cold outside; the camera body gets REALLY cold, and that cold seems to penetrate right through the thin shooting gloves I frequently use. The EasyCover helps keep my hands a bit warmer and also surely provides a bit of insulation to the camera body that should improve battery life…even if just in a marginal way.

The mission of these covers is protection value, and it is unquestionable that these covers will save your camera bodies from knocks, scratches, and nicks. I’ve seen cameras and lenses from fellow pros with duct tape and the like holding things together; they certainly would have benefited from an EasyCover or two.

I have to add my most outrageous camera damage story. I was in the woods in autumn a few years ago carrying a Canon 5DMKII in a chest holster – lens facing down. I had just gotten it back from Canon for a cleaning/tune-up. Up in the trees squirrels were busily putting away stores for the winter. As I was walking along I suddenly heard a whistling sound of something falling near my face and then…crack! I look down as an acorn bounced off of the LCD window on the back of my camera, which was now starred with a huge crack in the middle. Gulp! It was either back to Canon for an expensive repair or else do one myself. I ordered the LCD window from Canon and replaced the cracked one (using a blow dryer to loosen the double sided tape that holds the window in place and then a suction cup to help break the seal). I learned that day that some extra protection can come in handy! I should have become the poster boy for EasyCover on that day!

Finally, a word on color. The fellows at EasyCover provided me a black case for my EOS M and bright red one for my 6D. The former blends right in; most people wouldn’t even notice it is there. The bright red one…not so much! This is about one’s personal sense of style. My daughter’s reaction when she saw it was, “Cool!“

My wife’s reaction? “Wow, that’s loud!“

There are a variety of colors available, including a camo option for some of the sport oriented cameras for those of you shooting wildlife and wanting to blend in.

Photography buffs are accustomed to “paying through the nose” for photography gear, so it is a welcome change to find a line of products that are reasonably priced. The cover for the Canon 6D and other similarly sized bodies is only $29.95; the smaller mirrorless sized covers run only $19.95. That is a great value, and would make a really great stocking stuffer for the photography lover in your life. Finally, a photography gift the average person can actually afford!

Lens Protection Kits

These kits come in a variety of sizes (from 52mm to 77mm) and the correct size is determined by the filter thread dimensions on your lens. If you front filter thread is, say, 77mm, then you order the 77mm kit. The kits comes with two distinct parts: the first is a bumper that threads onto the front filter of your lens. It has a metal threaded filter that is covered by a rubberized silicone bumper surface. The surface protrudes just enough that it will be the first thing that anything comes in contact with. It is designed to absorb shocks that could otherwise either damage the filter threads or the front element. It is designed so that the silicone also extends back (roughly 1cm/1/2″) an over the sides of the front element and helps seal it off. The front bumper also includes threads towards the front to allow you to screw in a filter without removing the bumper.

There is one MAJOR drawback here that is the chief complaint from users; affixing this bumper means that you cannot use a lens hood. The bayonet mount for the hood is covered, and the extra width, though slight, precludes using one as well. The only exception would be the very rare lens hood that threads on via the filter threads rather than using the typical lens hood mount. Some people are not fans of using a lens hood, and if that is you, then this is a great alternative. It offers some protection to that front element without adding much additional bulk at all. If you like using a lens hood, however, then this kit is not for you.  That being said, the front element protector screws off and on just like a filter and takes about as much time to mount or remove, so just removing it when you want to use a lens hood certainly isn’t a big deal.

I have enjoyed using the front bumper on my Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS. It didn’t come with a hood, and it is extremely flare resistant without a hood. The bumper provides some nice protection value and has found a home on that lens.

There is potentially a secondary concern. Wide angle lenses might show some vignetting (perimeter shading) with the bumper installed. Some of them will vignette even with a normal sized filter. There is a solution, however. Use a step-up ring (available for just a few dollars) to a larger size filter thread and buy the lens protection kit in the larger size. I received a 72mm bumper but used this system on my 35mm f/2 lens (with a 67mm filter thread) mentioned before. The lens cap still fits in there securely, so it actually works quite well.

The second piece of the kit is a rubberized silicone ring that stretches over the lens itself and should be placed on the either focus or zoom ring. The intention is to provide protection to the sides of the lens by ensuring that this ring would the first thing hit by something. It takes some elbow grease to get it on, but once there it stays firmly in place. I’m of mixed opinions about this. It looks and feels a little clunky, although the surface of the ring has plenty of grip. This isn’t about beauty, however; its purpose is protection. It does provide that. This may not be something you will use all the time, but it would be nice to have if you are going into a potentially rough shooting situation where there is a risk of your gear getting banged around.

These kits are also priced very reasonably, with the prices ranging from $14.95 to $16.95 at B&H.

So if you are the kind of person that could use a little extra “protection”, EasyCovers’ products may be just what you have been looking for. These are nicely designed products that offer some real protection value at a very good price value. They aren’t perfect, but neither are you…which is why you just might need them!

Buy EasyCover Products at B&H Photo here: 

Check out the EasyCover Website:  www.easycover.eu

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