Naked cameras

[dmr]

Straps (wrist for the RFs, shoulder for the SLRs), lens hoods, filters to protect lenses, soft releases. I also prefer the springy-thingy lens caps that clips on the threads rather than those fall-off-and-lose ones that come with the cameras.

 

[JoeLopez]

How many of you use the camera bare - no accessories - and how many customize them? I have a couple that are used the way they came from the manufacturer - mostly Canon EOS film and digital. The rangefinders seem to beg for soft shutter releases, winders, grips, and external viewfinders. Even my Nikon F2s have soft shutter releases and grips.
If you've personalized your cameras, what did you add and why?
Thanks

My mods are very minor.

GSN - Only a "Spiderman" 2" strap and a viewfinder sometimes for looks
black X100T - A black strap, lensmate thumbsup and red soft shutter release
F3 - Nikon AR9 black soft shutter release and black strap
D7100 - Nikon grip and Black Rapid wrist strap

 

[Dogman]

My main cameras are all Fujis. They get used a lot. All of them have thumb grips, soft releases (except the X-T1) and after market leather straps. Some have screen protectors, all lenses have UV or clear filters and lens hoods. All with diopter adjustments have gaffer tape covering those dials.

My Ricoh GRII gets used without accessories 95% of the time (5% of the time I use it with the 21mm equivalent conversion lens).

The Olympus OMD E-M1 has an after market leather strap. Nothing else on the camera but all lenses have filters and hoods.

I still have a couple of Canon bodies. They're naked and neglected.

 

[zuiko85]

Had an OM-2sp addicted to eating button cells so I made an 'L' grip that held 2 AAA batteries, but that was desperation. My little Pen F (the real, film model) has a home made wood and aluminum grip that also has a slot that allows vertical hanging strap.
Other than that I like slim, small cameras so don't generally festoon them with accessories.

Soft releases, love them or hate them, I'm in the hate camp. Most all of my cameras, I can place the ball of my finger on the release, take up the free movement, and you when I release you would not be able to tell by watching my finger move, it's just so small a movement.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

Naked? Hardly. Who goes out naked.
I bought all my cameras body only, so I added a lens, a strap, a SBOOI for the Leica Standard.
When I go shooting, they go in a pack with extra film, yellow filters, a cloth.

 

[zuiko85]

I shoot a lot with a Canon 5DmkII, and I have never liked autofocus. Every AF camera I have ever owned had had accuracy issues, especially as the camera ages. Manual focus is hard on digital SLR cameras because the focusing screens in them suck.

There's a guy in Taiwan who modifies the screens from Canon's EOS 1V film camera to fit the 5DmkII, and I got one from him with a microprism focusing aid. It is wonderful!

That's the only accessory I use on that camera most of the time. I also have a remote release cord for it that I use when I use a tripod.

For my film cameras, I use soft releases and or tripod use a cable release.

Precisely! This has been one of the main reasons I lost all interest in SLR's after about 1985-1989, when most went autofocus. Also why I've preferred user interchangeable screens in my cameras. I like all matte types, with grid lines, no microprism or split wedge messing up the view.

 

[Dwig]

...
Soft releases, love them or hate them, I'm in the hate camp. Most all of my cameras, I can place the ball of my finger on the release, take up the free movement, and you when I release you would not be able to tell by watching my finger move, it's just so small a movement.

Same here.

I properly designed camera in proper condition (e.g. Leica M, Nikon just about any, my Pany G-1, ...) will, when used properly, perform better with less vibration makes than with any so-called soft release.

When you place your finger on the release, most of the finger tip should be supported by the collar around the release. From this point it should be more of a matter of squeezing the pad of your finger down into the collar to release the shutter. There should be almost no movement. With a properly adjusted Leica M, you should be able to place a straight edge across the collar and the shutter will release only when you press the shutter button down an additional 1mm. Nikons are generally very very close to the same spec.

 

[Big Ursus]

Lens hood, UV filter, strap that came with the camera AND bits of gaffer tape
1) to hold the exposure compemsation dial still on my Fuji X-T2,
2) to hold the veiwfinder on my Sony RX1r

 

[d_c]

A Leica M strap, UV filter, and black taped logos are the only changes to my M6.