Flash, neck strap, stabbing people

[benca1]

Hey, ever try to walk around with a 420ex on your camera, using the supplied neck strap? Like at a party? And you run around, smacking peoples arms, shoulds, and breasts!? Or my nephews head? - he deserves it anyway.

I can't take it anymore, and in these situations, I sure as heck don't want to leave my camera laying around, I want it strapped to me. If I'm going to smack my nephew or touch a breast, it's going to be on my terms!

Please, is there anyway I can prevent this stupid camera from flipping around? Or is this the way it goes when it's so top heavy!?

Someone, here, once mentioned these nifty lil wrist straps, which is probably fine if you're NOT using a flash and/or drinking and holding someone elses drink. But I am using the flash, and I am drinking, and with the pictures, greetings, and so forth, a wrist strap is unacceptable. (Honestly, I hate 'em anyway, nothing like trying t hike or tour a park - DisneyLand - and have you stupid camera banging around where you stick your hand...)

Thanks much for your input!

Ben

[Edgar in ATL]

I have had the same experience with the G3 plus 420EX flipping forward when I am wearing the neck strap. I am unaware of any strap which would solve this problem.
I have found a partial solution which works surprisingly well. I wear my camera bag (Canon 100EG gadget bag) using its waist strap with the bag in front of me. The camera then rests on the top of the bag and stays upright in almost any position I find myself.
There are obviously many situations where you would not want to have the camera bag strapped to you in this way, but at least for those situations where that is not a problem this seems to work.
Keep us abreast of your progress in addressing this issue!

[civis]

Screw something sufficiently heavy or long to the tripod socket. I've seen people with a folded ultrapod attached, which keeps the cam from tilting forward, as well as being handy if you need the pod itself.

[benca1]

Here we are so far:

1) Wear a bag, and lay the camera on top of it - sufficiently solving the issue by sticking something even larger right smack in front of you.

2) Attaching a small child, large mammal, dumbell, or a tripod to the bottom of the camera to keep it weighted down.

I guess there's always putting up with it....

[civis]

If it bothers you that much, take the flash off and do without it.

benca1 wrote:
Here we are so far:

1) Wear a bag, and lay the camera on top of it - sufficiently solving the issue by sticking something even larger right smack in front of you.

2) Attaching a small child, large mammal, dumbell, or a tripod to the bottom of the camera to keep it weighted down.

I guess there's always putting up with it....

[benca1]

civis wrote:
If it bothers you that much, take the flash off and do without it.

Yeah, I tried that too as well (hey, I hope my response didn't sound anything but funny, I appreciated the input, it's hard to be funny, anonymously on forums...)

Generally, at night time evening parties, or something similar, there's simply too little light to use the shutter at an appropriate setting. Or even no light at all! Many pictures come out out-of-focus when I use AF - all because of the litte light.

I like your suggestion with the tripod. I have my eyes on a mini-pod, maybe that'll do the trick?

[civis]

Well the Ultrapod I is probably the smallest and lighest (that I've seen), the Ultrapod I is only 2 ounces. The Ultrapod II is a bit larger, and is rated to hold more weight. Both are pretty cheap, and this is as good of a price as I've seen, if you can't buy one locally:

http://search.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/command/ExecMacro/search.d2w/report?SearchBy=ProductName&ProductName=ultrapod&ManName=NULL&sub=search

The handy thing about the minipod is that you often have to use slower shutter speeds indoors, and having the pod already screwed onto the cam would make it a snap. Sit down, open the pod, set the cam on the table, take the shot, fold it up, and you're done.

[John_T]

OP/TECH USA makes a neck strap for photo jounalists that holds two cameras, one over the other. You could attach the camera to the lower clips and the flash to the upper ones. ...maybe.

I attach my monopod, which is rather short folded, to the tripod mount and that keeps the camera and flash from flipping, and serves as a very handy handle for shooting.

[PacAce]

benca1 wrote:
Hey, ever try to walk around with a 420ex on your camera, using the supplied neck strap? Like at a party? And you run around, smacking peoples arms, shoulds, and breasts!? Or my nephews head? - he deserves it anyway.

I can't take it anymore, and in these situations, I sure as heck don't want to leave my camera laying around, I want it strapped to me. If I'm going to smack my nephew or touch a breast, it's going to be on my terms!

Please, is there anyway I can prevent this stupid camera from flipping around? Or is this the way it goes when it's so top heavy!?

Someone, here, once mentioned these nifty lil wrist straps, which is probably fine if you're NOT using a flash and/or drinking and holding someone elses drink. But I am using the flash, and I am drinking, and with the pictures, greetings, and so forth, a wrist strap is unacceptable. (Honestly, I hate 'em anyway, nothing like trying t hike or tour a park - DisneyLand - and have you stupid camera banging around where you stick your hand...)

Thanks much for your input!

Ben

Hey, I have an idea. How about donning one of those helmets used by those sky diver photographers and attach your camera to the helmet. Of course you'll need a remote release to take any pictures but at least you're hands will be free for holding a drink or two. :D

[flashclip]

You could try using a Flashclip. It is light, attaches to the camera, and diffuses/bounces the built-in flash. It does not replace the 420ex, but it will allow you to take some nice shots without the extra bulk.

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=flashclip&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50

[pradeep1]

You can wear a long strap and wear your camera upside down with the flash down. That way, you can flip up your entire setup, twist it, and take a photo and then let it drop back down. It unobtrusively flops around with the weight of the flash keeping it down.

If you've got a lensmate attachment, then wear it facing out and use it that way. I used to do this on my Minolta X-700 manual camera with a Sunpak 388D flash, which is quite huge in comparison to the camera. It looks like a total doofus, but works.

Hope this helps.

Pradeep

[benca1]

Hey Wow! All kinds of good stuff.

PacAce, your idea is brilliant and could be entirely appropriate depending on the party.

The flashclip is a neat idea, and what the hay, it's 12 bucks. How about you send me one for free, and I'll report on it here! Kidding, always happy to support the creative types.

I think the flashclip and monopod sound like winners, and yeah, it dawned on me as well, that I could really shoot some nice outdoor shots with the monopod, without the flash. It might solve the problem and allow extra flexibility.

I think the flashclip should be in my camera bag regardless - carrying around the 420ex just so I can have some fill-in for casual hiking trips is annoying.

Thanks again.

[John_T]

I often carry my camera around by the monopod which gives a very handy solid grip, but more than that, it looks like I'm carrying an axe, and with the 420EX on top it really looks like a deadly weapon. People get out of the way.

[sdommin]

benca1 wrote:
Like at a party? And you run around, smacking peoples arms, shoulds, and breasts!? Or my nephews head? - he deserves it anyway.


Will you invite me to your next party? Sounds like fun!

[pradeep1]

Slapping people and grabbing breasts? Interesting? Maybe you wouldn't want to try my method if you are looking for these goals.

:O)

[iesrick]

I have this product and use it on both my G3 and my 300d.

http://porterscamerastore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=08-0335&Category_Code=C1C

With the G3 and 420 flash, I will put the horizontal strap just above the camera and on the base of the flash. There is no bouncing of the equipment and you can bend over or walk without the equipment knocking around. I also use it with the 300D and the 75-300 zoom. With this rig I position the camera with lens pointed downwards and place the horizontal strap across the lens. This works great while hiking and secures the camera securely to my chest. With both cameras it is simple to simply lift the horizontal strap away from you and grab the camera for a picture. Hope this info is of help.

[alan-G3]

Hi

Just use an elastic band. Pass the camera through the band and then place the band arounf the flash gun.
Alternatively use an "off camera" cord and attach the flash to a "Hard Hat". Then you can angle the flash in any dirrection and it make an interesting conversation piece when you are trying to get close to these "breasts". :))

Regards

Alan