Best way to ship a Lens

clenny

Hi,

I am selling one of my lenses and I don't have the original box/packaging anymore. What is the best way to pack a lens? Should I tape the lens cap to the body? I'm kind of scared of it falling off and getting the lens scratched up.

Thanks for any advice.

hgernhardtjr

All I've done in the past is put it in an appropriate plastic baggie (just in case!) wrapped tightly, then wrap it once one way from front to back with bubble wrap, then wrap around it once with bubble wrap, and shove it into a box. If the box is a bit too big, you can use more bubble wrap or even crumpled newspaper. I've never had a lens broken or water-damaged in shipment, and never had a lenscap come off to my knowledge. I do not like to get any tape on my lenses, so avoid it.

rainbow

The two times I shipped a lens to Canon Service I rubber-banded two layers of bubble wrap around its length then placed it in a baggie. The lens then went into a box with styrofoam popcorn on all sides surrounding it so that it could not be jarred excessively if the box were tossed around.

Also, be sure to leave your "To/from" info inside in the event the outside label gets destroyed.

BTW, Canon shipped the lens back to me packed very similarly.

Art Scott

rainbow wrote:

The two times I shipped a lens to Canon Service I rubber-banded two layers of bubble wrap around its length then placed it in a baggie. The lens then went into a box with styrofoam popcorn on all sides surrounding it so that it could not be jarred excessively if the box were tossed around.

Also, be sure to leave your "To/from" info inside in the event the outside label gets destroyed.

BTW, Canon shipped the lens back to me packed very similarly.

I agree here....and I am speaking with over 35+ years in the shipping business.............
The more actual proper shipping protection items inside the box with the lens is only protecting YOU from the shippers investigator simply stating that newpaper or a ziplock baggie is not considered proper protection.

My only suggstion is the box needs to be 2.5" longer than the lens (put 1" of styro peanuts in bottom) and a minium of 3" larger in dialmeter (if it is a tube box then stand the lens dead center and stuff styro penuts all around tight and then a little out of the top so you have to force the end closed and it bulges a bit.....if it is a long box with open the length of it still similar...put approx 1.5" of S-P on the bottom center the lens and fill as tightly as possible with the S-P..... and I am presuming you will have it in a least 3 layers of bubble wrap....

Ofcourse the easiest thing to do would be visit your nearest UPS packaging store and let the PRO's do it but that cost a lot more.....and if it gets damaged it hard as hell to argue with your own shipping people.

divamum

What I've done is wrap the item in bubble wrap, then packed that with peanuts or other packing material into a small box (I save the both the boxes and peanuts/airpaks that come with stuff I"ve ordered from stores and just re-use those)

Then pack the box surrounded by peanuts or paper inside a slightly larger box. So far, I've never had anything arrive in less than perfect condition - the "double box" approach has worked just fine (and you'll see that's how most companies ship their merchandise - I assume there's a reason!)

I really love those airpaks - they don't add weight, but seem to be very efficient protection!

HTH.

Moogle Pepper

A good layer of bubble wrap, the big fat kinds, around the lens and in the box packing peanuts with newspaper. Well that works for me.