What gizmos do you use to hang your camera sideways?

M

Mr_Toad

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Y'all,

Okay, so I hate cameras hanging down on my chest or (burgeoning) stomach. It annoys me, and makes me look even more dorky than usual...

:eek: <--- me...camera on chest.


QUESTION: Have you cooked up a contraption to hang your various cameras sideways and on your side (e.g., hip)?


I know a few solutions and found a coupla threads, to wit,


1. Bessa Trigger Winder - Waaaay pricey, but effective...if you're a Bessa.
2. Various One-Point Connection Things - Works okay I guess, if you don't mind the constant dingle-dangle of just one connection on a corner lug, or screwed into the tripod thread so the camera hangs upside down like Dracula.
3. Opteka Professional Wrist Grip Strap (or other brands) - Lose the grip and use only the plastic, screw-on base. Kind of a kludge, but works okay to connect one end of a camera strap to the camera base. Cheap, too.


All suggestions or rude remarks will be appreciated,

Robt.
 
back alley said:
a really long camera strap...let the camera hang on your hip.
Click to expand...

DOH!!!

..well...yeah... but if the camera is also hanging sideways, it makes for less fumbling to bring it up for the shot.

Not that I'm unaccustomed to a lot of fumbling when taking a picture.

R
 
yeah, that's pretty much it...except that i prefer my straps much longer...and gordy will make my straps any length (within reason i assume).
 
I use the leicagoodies strap + hook and when I want 2 cameras round my neck I have a Gordys one as well. Gordys is a lot longer so they don't crash into each other. Hate cameras on neck straps.
 
Mike's (allegedly) tongue in cheek video says it all. The long defunct "SLR Magazine", in the UK, ran an article on candid photography that advocated the diagonal strap, under a loose fitting jacket, as the best camouflage for stalking humans. :D
 
BlackRapid straps make the camera hang by your side, but upside down, though, not sideways. I like it because the strap doesn't get in the way when you hold the camera - it's locked to the tripod mount at the bottom.

If you want a rangefinder with sideway strap lugs, have a look at the Leica M5.
 
Thanks for all the responses guy! ...and I've not seen mathomas' most excellent videos before, but I will definitely start watching.

Your methods are quite effective, but I'm still kinda hoping to find more ways to rig a strap lug near the corner of the camera base, almost like a tripod plate of some type...or something fashioned from PVC pipe that screws to be base, while gently gripping the camera to prevent turning.

Hmmm....i must ponder...
 
You can get strap lugs which screw into the tripod bush. If your tripod bush is on the side, not the middle, this may suit. You could put one end of the strap into the tripod bush, and one into the regular strap lug on that side, the camera would hang sideways, pretty much.

Or just put both ends of the camera strap into one lug, a decent strap/lug combo would have no problem with the weight. Gordy's straps have string ends, so you can tie them to just about any part of the camera that won't fall off. The string is very strong too, remarkably so.
 
thegman said:
You can get strap lugs which screw into the tripod bush. If your tripod bush is on the side, not the middle, this may suit.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yes, I do have four lugs I'd ordered from Gordy...and will work on a connector to those, for certain cameras.

Robtt.
 
thegman said:
You can get strap lugs which screw into the tripod bush. If your tripod bush is on the side, not the middle, this may suit. You could put one end of the strap into the tripod bush, and one into the regular strap lug on that side, the camera would hang sideways, pretty much.
Click to expand...

I tried that with a BlackRapid tripod lug and NatGeo strap once. It does work - although not very elegant, it held the camera steadier than hanging the camera by the tripod lug alone (which makes it twist around, sometimes).

Or just put both ends of the camera strap into one lug, a decent strap/lug combo would have no problem with the weight.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how the BlackRapid strap works. The black nylon doesn't quite go with the M, though, so I substituted it for a canvas strap yanked from a NatGeo pouch. If you then attach the BlackRapid hook assembly to the strap, the camera will slide up and down the strap effortlessly. Nice.
 
goo0h said:
That's funny! So, what straps do you actually use to achieve the correct way?
Click to expand...

Thanks :). Actually, the two demonstrated here are a cheesy little Chinese number (on the Contax) and the original thin leather Hasselblad strap. I never would have believed that strap could be comfortable, but it is the best thing I've tried.

back alley said:
yeah, that's pretty much it...except that i prefer my straps much longer...and gordy will make my straps any length (within reason i assume).
Click to expand...

I would like my straps longer, too. I'm a big/tall guy, so it's one thing that bugs me about 95% of the straps out there -- they're too short, esp. for across-the-chest deployment.

I have a Gordy's wrist strap, and it's well-made, but I don't love his leather treatment. It's as tough as a dog chew and takes a long time to soften. Still, a good product, and good to know he'll customize. I may have to look into one of his neck straps. Of course, there's always the full-custom route, with a local leather worker.
 
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