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Quick Release Camera Straps

So, I just finished working on a web ad for the D700 Nikon digital SLR camera, and I was taking a breather and fiddling over my much loved E-3 Olympus digital camera. using live view to explore under my desk, and I noticed the little quick release connects for my strap and thought to myself “Aha! Story time!”

Quick Release Connectors
So, I rooted through my bag and realized I’d forgotten the strap itself at home. Sooo, I journeyed down to our sales floor and grabbed a new Tamrac Boomerang strap off a shelf. Now, I’m not a fan of camera straps, using them only in a transport capacity more than a carry around one, but I did feel it worth upgrading my stock camera strap to one of these. Why? Quick releases.

Also among the things I hate, as a few of you early readers might remember, are tripods. So, whenI have to use a tripod (like the Bogen Manfrotto tripods I use for some of my blog shots) and have my camera strap dangling in the way, getting caught on crank levers and under the ball head, well, you can just imagine my frustrations. So, quick releases. Right near the camera, this strap has two heavy plastic snap buckles. A good pinch and there we go! No more annoying camera strap. This is far superior to the more traditional approach. You know the one:

Quick Release, Wide Shot“OK, so, I think this threads through here, and then I, wait, yeah, I put it through that bit there, and then up and… wait, down? Aaaaargh!”

No more of that for me. Click. Snap. Happy.



Tuesday Comics

As I drove in this morning in the bumper to bumper brake jam-fest I was trying to come up with a subject for my next blog. The five lanes of traffic curving away ahead in the in-between light of near-day looked to me like a giant undulating snake with ruptures of fire shooting out from under its brake-light scales. Still I was drawing blog blanks while tapping car brakes. Patterns changed, I lost my train of thought as the train of cars ahead pulled out of the stationary. I lost any ideas I had as I had to attend to the traffic ahead.
It’s times like these that I wish I had bought an Olympus voice recorder for that “on the spot inspiration capture.” I know!  I could get a small holster-like Tamrac, Tenba or Lowe-Pro belt case and carry that along with my new 1030SW Olympus digital camera, my extra sandisk cards (flash memory cards), my leatherman tool and utility knife, my cell phone and my store keys.
“I’m Batman!” Come to think of it I should carry my old Canon camcorder, and my Bogen Manfrotto tripod (the Nano video/compact camera tripod one) too. I could get a quiver style over the shoulder case for the camera tripod.
I’m “The Green Arrow!”
It’s a good thing I don’t routinly carry Professional Studio Lighting, after all, I’m not “The Flash!” I think what I need for all my gear, gadgets and digital camera accessories is a thinktank  Modulus belt system (shoot, there’s even room to carry a portable USB card reader).  Now if I were to attempt air travel with this menagerie of materials I’m sure the security systems would think “I am Iron Man!”

See how the mind has wandered today? If I had the Olympus voice recorder, if only recorded those original thoughts… I promise to have a blog worthy blog next time kiddies. Same Bat Blog, Same Bat Channel.

I’m Outta Here!



You Can take it with you

As I promised, (and I always try to keep my promises) this time I am going to discuss  larger camera gear carrying solutions. Tenba, Tamrac, Lowpro and ThinkTank all carry a wide variety of bags that fall into this broad catagory.
One of the newest players, and one that is making a lot of noise among the professional community is ThinkTank. ThinkTank offers a comprehensive line of bags and accessories, that can carry everything from, Nikon, Sony or Canon’s top end SLR systems and flashes to memory cards and readers, to professional studio lighting stand and tripods. They even have belt systems that would make The Batman jealous.  If you need to carry a water bottle, a gitzo tripod or a whole Digital SLR camera system ThinkTank has a solution.
For you shooters who can still afford air travel  ThinkTank offers a multitude of options in their highly rated Airport line. From backpacks to multiple camera systems. From laptops to HD Camcorders there is a fit from ThinkTank.
Airport international photoInternational bag layout
The Airport International rolling case (pictured above) meets all international travel requirements and will hold a ton of stuff (be aware of the carriers maximum weight restrictions before trying to carry a ton of stuff on a plane!), it even comes with a three tumbler padlock that meets TSA requirements. Click here or on the open bag to see more configuration options from ThinkTank.
If you are not leaving the confines of the 48 contiguous states then the Airport Security V2.0 will even carry a bit more gear than its debonair cousin. At any rate there is a ThinkTank solution for you gear hounds.
If you still don’t believe me read a few online reviews about the ThinkTank Photo line. Here are a couple I found helpful. Camera Dojo review. Professional Photogaphers Magazine review.



Getting Carried Away

Well it’s one thing to talk a good camera system, it’s another story all together (“it’s another story” for you fans of the Airplane movies) to carry one. I personally don’t have a whole plethora of lenses to tote so I don’t need an enormous bag to wrestle through airports and such.
Since I’m specifically not talking about carrying professional studio lighting, or large high definition camcorders or every bit your of camera accessories for your digital camera I’ll reserve the big daddy cases for another time.
What I am going to talk about is conveniently sized bags for travel and in field use.
Two of the big players in camera carrying solutions are Tamrac and Lowepro. I own a few pieces from each company, but need to get one of the newer sling style bags soon.
Tamrac offers a line called the Velocity series (not going to fast for you am I?) which “sling over the shoulder” like a single strapped back pack for carrying, or twist it around in front to access your valuable digital SLR. The middle sized bag shown,  the Velocity 7 “5767″ will hold a conventional sized DSLR body like a Nikon or Canon body and lens plus one of the full size Canon or Nikon flashes, and two additional lenses easily. There is a place for Compact flash or SD memory cards as well, so you don’t have to carry them in packets where they just might get away.

Lowepro has a similar product line the Slingshot AW also available in several sizes and capacities. Again for my meager needs I would recommend the Slingshot 200 AW, pictured here as well. Lowepro AW  bags have a Velcro enclosure and inside is a deploy-able rain shield that can cover the entire outfit when needed (AW stands for all weather and has nothing to do with root beer). Lowepro Slingshot bags also have a smaller “day pack” style area that can hold whatever your heart desires (that fits within the confines of that enclosure).

Either option is perfect for the small digital camera system with a flash and extra lenses or even a Mini DV Camcorder and DSLR setup.

I hope you found this post helpful. I kinda’ got carried away.




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