Strap in front of lens/viewfinder

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xxloverxx

Shoot.
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Mar 16, 2009
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Was in Guangzhou yesterday…

Was watching a show with lion & dragon dances.

As expected, there was a whole crowd of photogs…and I was the only one with a rangefinder/shooting film.

Anyway, this guy next to me was snapping away like mad. Everytime he lifted the camera up to his eye, he took a few photos. I say took, because I firmly believe that you cannot make a photo when shooting at 3 fps for about 10 frames each time.
No exaggeration. More on this a bit later.

So I saw him lift his camera up to his eye and start snapping. He must've taken at least 10 photos, and I was looking at him, smiling all the way through.

Why?

His camera strap covered almost a quarter of his lens, and he only noticed when chimping!

Now this is proof that he wasn't making a photo.

So he deleted all of them.

Has this ever happened to any of you? What's your solution? I know I have problems, at times, keeping the strap out of the way of my viewfinder. I just use my other hand to pull it to the side (I need to focus anyway, so why be lazy?)
 
Even more embarrasing is walking around for an hour, snapping away and then, when it comes to changing the roll...

damn.... lens cap was on.

d'oh!
 
kully said:
Even more embarrasing is walking around for an hour, snapping away and then, when it comes to changing the roll...

damn.... lens cap was on.

d'oh!
Click to expand...

When the meter gives me strange readings i'll look for the lens cap. Yep it's on the lens.
 
One problem with my Kiev — it didn't come with a lens cap, nor do I have any intention of using lens caps on any of my lenses :p
 
I've sometimes considered making a book out of my main bulk of work: Intimate close-up portraits of straps and lens caps.
 
sevo said:
I've sometimes considered making a book out of my main bulk of work: Intimate close-up portraits of straps and lens caps.
Click to expand...

If you run out of material, we can collaborate. :D

Actually, I have seldom left a lens cap on, or gotten a strap in the way. But I use SLR more than RF, and I know with RF, I should double check. With the Press 23, there is a double whammy; don't forget to remvoe the dark slide. Bottom line, I only make those mistakes when using an RF. :rolleyes:

So if you need materail sevo, I can help
 
xxloverxx said:
One problem with my Kiev — it didn't come with a lens cap, nor do I have any intention of using lens caps on any of my lenses :p
Click to expand...

That is OK with a Kiev but if your RF has a cloth shutter you might have to worry about burning a hole in your shutter. Yes, I have my share of lens cap photos using a RF.

Bob
 
Now this is proof that he wasn't making a photo.
Click to expand...
Not really. It's more likely proof that he was concentrating so much on the action that he didn't notice the feint shadow of the strap across the lens.

Me, I just tug the strap out of the way with my weak hand when I'm taking the shot on the rare occasion when it looks like it'll foul the shot.
 
Well, if the point of interest is in the middle of the frame then it's easy to miss something further out that should otherwise be obvious - especially with the fairly pokey finders that many dSLRs sport.
 
My negatives attest to my inability to always remember the lens cap on my M2, but a strap in the picture - never. I wind it around my right wrist and pick up the slack from the other side with my little finger. Never had the strap in the way in 30+ years.
 
Nikon Bob said:
That is OK with a Kiev but if your RF has a cloth shutter you might have to worry about burning a hole in your shutter. Yes, I have my share of lens cap photos using a RF.
Click to expand...

Just don't leave it at infinity focus. Lens caps are the devil's.

Can't recall that I've ever had a strap across but then again I'm a slow shooter.
 
Nikon Bob said:
That is OK with a Kiev but if your RF has a cloth shutter you might have to worry about burning a hole in your shutter. Yes, I have my share of lens cap photos using a RF.

Bob
Click to expand...

I very rarely point the lens up, so it wouldn't be a worry for me even if it were a cloth shutter.

We're also lacking enough sun to burn holes in anything…:(
 
lemme guess, the shooter was using a DSLR...? at least with a meterless RF, one can claim he couldn't see the strap intruding in the VF as an excuse.
 
As to the original question:
I wrap my strap around my wrist in a way that 100% secures it from coming into my lens/viewfinder (took i while to find the perfect warp ;)) or I hang my camera on one shoulder - then it's anyway not a problem since the strap hangs down.
 
The back sides of lens caps tend to be dull and lacking in detail. With film they would cause a totally clear negative, due to the lack of light impinging on the film. But they are mighty good at protecting the front lens surface.
 
I feel a bit odd here, I've never had straps or caps in my shots, mostly because I'm too OCD about framing to not notice. I did get the occasional fat finger blocking half the shot though....
 
Well, you don't look through the lens with a Rangefinder, right? And the CV Skopar 21/4 is wide and really small with the standard hood.

Result: a nice collection of pinky shots so far... it's never smack down the middle, but it does protrude enough sometimes to ruin the shot... :bang:
 
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