A Half-Case For The Half Case

I need help here - I need to talk to someone who breaks their camera on a regular basis. Not that I want to do the same thing - indeed I do all in my power to prevent damage to what is a delicate instrument. But I need to find someone who adopts a more adventurous attitude. Because I want to find out whether the half-case for a camera is a good thing. I may also need to talk to someone who travels extensively or who moves in more elegant circles than I. There may be clues to the half-case there. At present I'm stumped. And I'm in the fortunate corcumstance of being a half-case owner. I didn't get a no-name off FleaBay or out of the secondhand market, either. My half-case for the Fujifilm X-T2 came from Camera Electronic. I was fortunate in that there was a case available new long after the X-T2 was superseded - it had hung round on the bargain shelves. A bit of money came my way and I bought it. Now I have to figure out what I am going to do with it. The case itself is a beauty - it latches onto the camera by means of the side lug and plugs into the tripod socket. Once on, it stays put. There is a latched flap that covers the bottom door - you can get in there to change the battery without having to dismantle the case. Oddly, you cannot access the side door for the cards while it is on, nor can you open into the left side door. The digital nature of the camera means the back is entirely open to allow access to the screen and controls. And therein lies the first question - how much actual protection does the case offer? The bottom of the camera is safe - the case is a good 10mm of armour there. The two leather sides are stiff and thick - like a pair of quality shoes - and the hand grip is the same. They'll take severe knocks and not transmit them to the camera body. But the top is missing, the back is missing, and the front is open for the lens. And there appears to be no provision for a removable leather cover over the top and front. If this were part of the design it could echo the classic SLR case that we remember - a bit more cumbersome but only until you drop your camera on the road for the first time. After that it is not cumbersome at all. You may ask me how I know that, but be prepared for tears. The geometry of an over-cover is more problematical than the half-case...but this presented no insurmountable challenge in the twentieth century and maths hasn't changed that much since. A big never-ready case is not as cool as a fitted half case, but cool and bouncing around in the back seat of the car are two different things, particularly with a panic stop. On the occasions when I use the half case I am going to also use another accessory from the CE racks - an Op/Tech neoprene lens cover. Like a rubber jam-jar lid, it entirely surrounds the lens and hood and protects it against knocks. It isn't cocktail party elegant either, but if the party gets fighting rowdy it might save the glassware from harm. Note: I can see one distinct advantage for this sort of case - no matter which camera it encloses. If you are a person with a large hand and the camera you shoot has a small grip, this case can usefully improve the feel as you hold the camera in the right hand. If you are left handed, unfortunately the camera industry hates you.