We’ve seen all kinds of ideas for keeping track of your camera’s lens cap when it’s not being used, including velcro, special mounts, fashionable pouches, and even a retractable cap, but Nikon has come up with the best idea yet: a lens cap that attaches to camera straps! A patent filed by the company in 2009 and published yesterday shows a lens cap that can easily clip onto a strap when not in use — a simple solution to a small problem that apparently many entrepreneurs have been interested in solving. Sorry, but Nikon wins this one.
Editor’s note: The guest author of this DIY tutorial, Vadim Gordin, is also selling DIY kits and ready-made Lens Loop slings for $15 and $25, respectively. You can find the project over on Kickstarter.
Here’s a DIY camera strap I came up with 2 years ago and have been steadily revising as I use it while traveling and shooting all over the country. The design is simpler, more comfortable, and more attractive than any of the other commercially available slings. I hope that by sharing my design here, I can generate interest in my project and help DIYers make a great camera sling on their first try. Read the rest of this entry »
Have an unloved camera strap lying around? You can repurpose it as a strap for a shoulder bag! This could be a good upgrade for a bag that doesn’t fit very nicely over your shoulder, or could be a fun gift idea for your photography-lovin’ girlfriend or wife. You can find a tutorial on how to do this over on Photojojo.
The LoopIt is a new camera sling by Luma designed to be smaller, lighter, and more affordable than the Luma Loop. Both slings use a lanyard and connector that slide along the camera strap and connect to cameras via any available strap mount point. The push-to-release swivels are manufactured at the same factory that invented the swivel used by the US military, with tolerances that supposedly exceed the ones used in combat. Read the rest of this entry »
Now here’s a clever idea: Olympus has filed a patent in Japan that allows you to use your camera strap as a makeshift LCD glare shield, shielding your screen from direct sunlight.
I have a small obsession with cameras, also, a slightly smaller obsession with film cameras. My favourite camera is Lubitel 166B. It is a medium format camera, this basically means it has a large image area to capture photos, using the larger 120mm film. The Lubitel’s were twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras. They have a little pop up cover on top, you then look down through the viewfinder. The nature of holding the camera like this will getting the settings set up for the shot can sometimes be a pain, so having a nice strap to hold it at the correct height, and nice and steady is a great idea. Read the rest of this entry »
Finally, a photo accessory for ladies that isn’t just frills. The new BlackRapid Camera RS-W1, is designed specifically to fit women. Sure, it has some embellishments on the strap padding, but it retains all the function of the traditional R-Strap, plus some strategic curves for comfort and fit. The strap will begin shipping later this month for $59 from BlackRapid. Read the rest of this entry »
What if you could keep your camera charged all day while shooting outdoors using the power of the sun? That’s the idea behind this conceptual camera strap designed by Weng Jie. The solar panels built into the strap harvest energy from the sun beating down on your neck as you’re shooting away.
Many cameras would need to specifically allow for this strap, but do you think this idea is feasible?
Apparently, there are plenty of people who find a traditional camera strap to be a (pardon the pun) pain in the neck.
Italian company CPtech recently announced a camera holster design, the B-grip. It’s a strap-free contraption screws in to the camera body like a tripod head, and then is clipped into a holster for a belt — a utility belt, perhaps?
The whole idea is that the camera can be quickly released or carried securely against the photographer’s body. The B-grip will run you about $50.
The B-grip will probably create some competition for Shai Gear’s similar belt holster, the Spider Holster, which looks and sounds more like a Bruce Wayne-Peter Parker collaboration. Unlike the B-grip, the Spider Holster doesn’t actually clip in; it slides in and out for easy access.
The Spider Holster has been out for about a year now and costs about $110 — if they’re in stock.
Personally, I don’t trust my butterfingers with a strapless camera; I usually wrap the strap around my hand several times if it’s not around my neck or shoulder.
What are your thoughts? Are you a strap-free daredevil or are you a seasoned strap-manager?
