Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for the DSLR

On 20/04/2015 8:23 a.m., Savageduck wrote:


The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck, and
made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR shooters.

I second that. As well as for ease of carrying, with the position of
the camera on the strap, it's a far more natural movement to bring the
camera up to your eye.
I bought a Black Rapid strap, then was given a "Quick Strap". It looks
superficially very much like the Black Rapid strap even with a moulded
plastic "K" logo with similar colour etc in the same place as the "R"
logo. I believe that they're about 1/2 the price. The webbing is much
thinner (though probably plenty strong enough), and too easy to twist in
the clamps when you adjust them. The clamps also don't seem to lock
down as positively. The tail end of the Black Rapid strap has been
folded and stitched, so the end probably (hopefully) wouldn't pull
through the buckle, but the "Quick Strap" webbing end has only been cut
and melted to prevent fraying. While it might be unlikely to happen, if
it did then it might be an expensive problem.
An added advantage of these straps is that you can easily get rid of
them when using a tripod - conventional neck-straps have given me more
than a few heart-stopping moments when using a tripod.

On 2015-04-19 20:45:20 +0000, Tony Cooper said:

On Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:23:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:
On 2015-04-19 19:34:34 +0000, Tony Cooper said:
On Sat, 18 Apr 2015 23:09:30 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

There have been days I have gone out to shoot for several hours and I
have felt like a worn out pack mule.

I guess I must be in better shape than I should be at my age. I've
never felt that my Nikon D300 is much of a burden after several hours.
With youth baseball - which is currently 99% of what I'm shooting - I
don't carry an extra lens. I stick the 55/300 on it and use that
exclusively. Come youth football season, it'll be the same.

To start with the MB-D10 grip + EN-EL4 battery adds some weight over
the naked D300S. None of that is too bad in casual walk-around mode
with my usual 18-200mm. However, when I find myself at a race track
such as Laguna Seca, or an airshow where I am also carrying a bag with
two, sometimes three additional lenses, spare batteries, and some other
stuff, then I feel my age and that load.

If I'm out street shooting, I'll put on the Tamron 18/270. It's a bit
awkward because the lens extends to the 270 by gravity when I carry it
lens-down on my Black Rapid strap. The lens has "slipped" since the
day I purchased it. It can be locked at 18, but I generally don't.

The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck,
and made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR
shooters.

Not being a landscape shooter, I've never had interest in a wide angle
lens. And, not being a nature shooter I don't usually trek long
distances from my car where I do have other lenses, flash, and tripod.

There was a time I did trek some distance from my car loaded down, not
these days. Most times I will fit the lens I want to use in the car and
then head to my shooting site.

BTW: Consider a fast wide lens for street, or portraits. You might have
to get a tad closer than with your long lens, but the results will be
different. Those wide lenses aren't just for landscape photography.

The advantage of the 18-270 is that I can shoot at either end.

That is why I use either my 18-200mm or my old 18-70mm (which is
sharper than the 18-200) as a walk-around lens for my urnan strolls.

I normally shoot down at about 18-35, and would feel comfortable taking
my regular Nikon 18-55 lens or even my prime 35mm lens. The extra is
just in case.

Yup! Always be prepared.

Street is all about instant reaction to something interesting. The
wider range allows this. People and expressions don't wait for me to
move in.

How did Henri Cartier-Bresson ever manage just shooting a Leica + a
50mm lens for most of his work? ;-)

--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 4/19/2015 5:30 PM, Me wrote:
On 20/04/2015 8:23 a.m., Savageduck wrote:


The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck, and
made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR shooters.

I second that. As well as for ease of carrying, with the position of
the camera on the strap, it's a far more natural movement to bring the
camera up to your eye.
I bought a Black Rapid strap, then was given a "Quick Strap". It looks
superficially very much like the Black Rapid strap even with a moulded
plastic "K" logo with similar colour etc in the same place as the "R"
logo. I believe that they're about 1/2 the price. The webbing is much
thinner (though probably plenty strong enough), and too easy to twist in
the clamps when you adjust them. The clamps also don't seem to lock
down as positively. The tail end of the Black Rapid strap has been
folded and stitched, so the end probably (hopefully) wouldn't pull
through the buckle, but the "Quick Strap" webbing end has only been cut
and melted to prevent fraying. While it might be unlikely to happen, if
it did then it might be an expensive problem.
An added advantage of these straps is that you can easily get rid of
them when using a tripod - conventional neck-straps have given me more
than a few heart-stopping moments when using a tripod.

I agree that Black Rapid is a good strap. I bought a new model. Turned
out that it had a pocket that was held closed with a magnet. The magnet
was positioned so that it interferred with my pacemaker. I complained to
Black Rapid about this issue. They basically told me tough ****, and
they would do nothing. i traded my new model with a friend for one that
did not have a magnet. Their callous indifference to my potential danger
is disgusting. For that reason I will never purchase or recommend a
Black Rapid product.
--
PeterN

On 2015-04-19 23:35:11 +0000, PeterN said:

On 4/19/2015 5:30 PM, Me wrote:
On 20/04/2015 8:23 a.m., Savageduck wrote:


The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck, and
made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR shooters.

I second that. As well as for ease of carrying, with the position of
the camera on the strap, it's a far more natural movement to bring the
camera up to your eye.
I bought a Black Rapid strap, then was given a "Quick Strap". It looks
superficially very much like the Black Rapid strap even with a moulded
plastic "K" logo with similar colour etc in the same place as the "R"
logo. I believe that they're about 1/2 the price. The webbing is much
thinner (though probably plenty strong enough), and too easy to twist in
the clamps when you adjust them. The clamps also don't seem to lock
down as positively. The tail end of the Black Rapid strap has been
folded and stitched, so the end probably (hopefully) wouldn't pull
through the buckle, but the "Quick Strap" webbing end has only been cut
and melted to prevent fraying. While it might be unlikely to happen, if
it did then it might be an expensive problem.
An added advantage of these straps is that you can easily get rid of
them when using a tripod - conventional neck-straps have given me more
than a few heart-stopping moments when using a tripod.

I agree that Black Rapid is a good strap. I bought a new model. Turned
out that it had a pocket that was held closed with a magnet. The magnet
was positioned so that it interferred with my pacemaker. I complained
to Black Rapid about this issue. They basically told me tough ****, and
they would do nothing. i traded my new model with a friend for one that
did not have a magnet. Their callous indifference to my potential
danger is disgusting. For that reason I will never purchase or
recommend a Black Rapid product.

Strange. My BRS has a zippered pocket on the shoulder pad. I didn't
know about any pockets with magnetic closures, or fasteners.
--
Regards,

Savageduck

On 20/04/2015 11:35 a.m., PeterN wrote:
On 4/19/2015 5:30 PM, Me wrote:
On 20/04/2015 8:23 a.m., Savageduck wrote:


The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck, and
made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR shooters.

I second that. As well as for ease of carrying, with the position of
the camera on the strap, it's a far more natural movement to bring the
camera up to your eye.
I bought a Black Rapid strap, then was given a "Quick Strap". It looks
superficially very much like the Black Rapid strap even with a moulded
plastic "K" logo with similar colour etc in the same place as the "R"
logo. I believe that they're about 1/2 the price. The webbing is much
thinner (though probably plenty strong enough), and too easy to twist in
the clamps when you adjust them. The clamps also don't seem to lock
down as positively. The tail end of the Black Rapid strap has been
folded and stitched, so the end probably (hopefully) wouldn't pull
through the buckle, but the "Quick Strap" webbing end has only been cut
and melted to prevent fraying. While it might be unlikely to happen, if
it did then it might be an expensive problem.
An added advantage of these straps is that you can easily get rid of
them when using a tripod - conventional neck-straps have given me more
than a few heart-stopping moments when using a tripod.

I agree that Black Rapid is a good strap. I bought a new model. Turned
out that it had a pocket that was held closed with a magnet. The magnet
was positioned so that it interferred with my pacemaker. I complained to
Black Rapid about this issue. They basically told me tough ****, and
they would do nothing. i traded my new model with a friend for one that
did not have a magnet. Their callous indifference to my potential danger
is disgusting. For that reason I will never purchase or recommend a
Black Rapid product.

Hmmm - my "heart-stopping moments" (almost tipping camera/tripods over
by getting tangled in neck straps still attached to the camera body)
pale in to insignificance. It's only "stuff" (and insured).
I was surprised by what you say, but then read that care needs to be
taken with MP3 player headphones etc for the same reason.

On 20/04/2015 8:37 a.m., RichA wrote:
the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro.

Which is just as big and just as expensive (more) than a Nikkor or Canon
70-200 IS/VR f4, which blows the theory that there's a size advantage to
u4/3.

On a current 24mp APS-c body, the 70-200 would offer more "reach", as
you could use a 4/3 size "crop" with similar pixel density / image
quality as offered by the full 4/3 frame.
There's also an upgrade path, as both lenses work superbly on 35mm
format cameras.

On Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:23:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

--- snip ---

The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck,
and made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR
shooters.

I have the problem that my camera permanently has a Manfrotto shoe
mounted on the bottom so that I can clip it onto a tripod. I never
worked out how connect a Black Rapid at the same time.
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

On 20/04/2015 2:51 p.m., Eric Stevens wrote:
On Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:23:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

--- snip ---

The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck,
and made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR
shooters.

I have the problem that my camera permanently has a Manfrotto shoe
mounted on the bottom so that I can clip it onto a tripod. I never
worked out how connect a Black Rapid at the same time.

http://www.blackrapid.com/products/fastenr-t1

On 2015-04-20 02:51:57 +0000, Eric Stevens said:

On Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:23:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

--- snip ---

The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck,
and made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR
shooters.

I have the problem that my camera permanently has a Manfrotto shoe
mounted on the bottom so that I can clip it onto a tripod. I never
worked out how connect a Black Rapid at the same time.

Sell the tripod.


--
Regards,

Savageduck

On Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:51:57 +1200, Eric Stevens
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:23:48 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

--- snip ---

The Black Rapid Strap was for me, probably the one thing which took the
pain out of carrying the Nikon by the standard strap around my neck,
and made those days tolerable. I highly recommed it to all DSLR
shooters.

I have the problem that my camera permanently has a Manfrotto shoe
mounted on the bottom so that I can clip it onto a tripod. I never
worked out how connect a Black Rapid at the same time.

http://joby.com/camera-straps/ultrap...-release-plate

Here's mine:

http://i.imgur.com/QOS1NC5.jpg