is a camera grip favorable? if it is, which brand would you recommend? i was wondering if it could be of help to me since holding a cam for more or less 8 hours really weakens my hand... and with regards to camera strap, any brand you may suggest? i'm not happy with the bundled canon strap kasi... also, is it possible to have both camera strap and camera grip together in a cam? gwabe, clueless talaga ako. :Grin:

hi, i'm not sure what you meant by camera grip.. but if it's battery/vertical grip, then it is indeed favorable since it would improve the handling & balance of your dslr, especially if you attach a long telephoto lens.. if you happen to own a 350D and you have big hands, then it's already considered as a necessity hehe :Grin:

however if you're pertaining to the handstrap, for me i think it's a personal preference.. some may like using it, and some don't.. although i haven't tried using one.. i read somewhere that you can use both the handstrap & the cam strap together.. just a matter of way of attaching them.. :Grin:

as for camera straps, there are a couple of nice cam straps available in the market and the common ones I know are the tamrac & optech straps.. among them, I liked (& bought one) the tamrac boomerang camera strap the most due to it's wide & contoured neoprene neck cushion.. last time I checked it's available in Avenue for 1,100, as well as in JT for about 1,150. :)

is a camera grip favorable? if it is, which brand would you recommend? i was wondering if it could be of help to me since holding a cam for more or less 8 hours really weakens my hand... and with regards to camera strap, any brand you may suggest? i'm not happy with the bundled canon strap kasi... also, is it possible to have both camera strap and camera grip together in a cam? gwabe, clueless talaga ako. :Grin:


for the strap, change it with a OP/TECH USA strap.
its light and comfortable.

doesn't burn your neck.

camera gip for what model?

for the strap, change it with a OP/TECH USA strap.
its light and comfortable.

doesn't burn your neck.

camera gip for what model?


i would agree. get the OPTECH. i wouldn't get the grip. mine gets in my way most of the time.

Good question! I saw a guy using a handstrap attached to the grip at a workshop once, have been wondering ever since if this could help me hold on to the camera better, specially after a long session when my hands are really tired.

I'm using a Canon 20D...

I got my camera secondhand, its strap was already changed from the original, to an Optec strap. It's quite nice and comfortable. I saw the original strap, mukhang pwedeng pang garrote :D

sandy... yes, was pertaining to the handstrap... though your advise regarding battery grip made me think twice about not buying one... i just don't feel like adding additional weight to my cam kasi... hmmm, isip isip:Thinking:... thanks too regarding the tamrac camera strap... will check it out on my next hidalgo visit very soon...

randy and nino... i have right now the 30d and i guess the op/tech strap you guys mentioned is the most recommendable! i just googled it up and wow, almost everyone who hates the bundled strap suggests this op/tech loop strap! i just hope this is available in any of the hidalgo shops so i could check it out and compare it with the tamrac one... and for the handstrap/grip, if it gets in nino's way most of the time, it sure will get in my way too! geez:(... yet still hoping it could be of help since i hate giving my cam the hours of death grip during wedding shoots...

alvin... sinabi mo pa, pang-garrote talaga! with that blue and red combi pa,arrgh! like sir randy mentioned, it's the strap that does burn one's neck...you're lucky the first owner of the cam didn't put the old strap back before he sold it to you...

i think jt sells optech straps....

as the battery grip, i have one attached to my 300d and it never leaves it since i'm pretty big and the added weight doesn't bother me...i like using if for the vertical shots

randy and nino... i have right now the 30d and i guess the op/tech strap you guys mentioned is the most recommendable! i just googled it up and wow, almost everyone who hates the bundled strap suggests this op/tech loop strap! i just hope this is available in any of the hidalgo shops so i could check it out and compare it with the tamrac one... and for the handstrap/grip, if it gets in nino's way most of the time, it sure will get in my way too! geez:(... yet still hoping it could be of help since i hate giving my cam the hours of death grip during wedding shoots...


you may try my strap so that you can decide if your going to buy one or not. let me know

you may try my strap so that you can decide if your going to buy one or not. let me know

sir nino, you are so kind po and thanks so much for the thought... since my younger sister is coming home from US soon, she insisted she'll give me both the handstrap and camera strap as her pasalubong na lang daw, just to shut me up on my initial request of 2GB CF as pasalubong, hehehe

thanks po again sir nino! will keep you posted of how soon the hand strap will be relieved from my cam!:)

just wanna add something... i don't have handstraps w/ my 350D and 30D, pero what i did was attach the other end of the included neckstraps to the battery grips'. yeah i know it's not 'symmetrical,' pero when you shoot vertically, it won't be leaving your neck na. and even if the other cam is on your shoulder, it stays there na lang (not always though, malaking tao ako eh). the reason i did this is safety on two counts: 1) less worry for dropping the camera, and 2) less worry para ma-snatch ng magnanakaw, especially when you are in a public place! :)

so, have you tried it already?

just wanna add something... i don't have handstraps w/ my 350D and 30D, pero what i did was attach the other end of the included neckstraps to the battery grips'. yeah i know it's not 'symmetrical,' pero when you shoot vertically, it won't be leaving your neck na. and even if the other cam is on your shoulder, it stays there na lang (not always though, malaking tao ako eh). the reason i did this is safety on two counts: 1) less worry for dropping the camera, and 2) less worry para ma-snatch ng magnanakaw, especially when you are in a public place! :)

so, have you tried it already?

Yeah, I also do this as the strap doesn't get in the way of the viewfinder when I shoot vertically.

good choice on the optech pro loop strap. :p i did choose the optech super classic loop since I wanted a smaller strap compared to the pro loop. the weight reduction is pretty much the same.

i tried using the hand strap.. i was not comfortable with it... so I sold it after trying it out. :D

Stay cool!

pipol,

my sis has just arrived with her pasalubong op/tech cam strap and hand strap... ang galing nga ng op/tech cam strap! hindi nga masakit sa batok like sir nino mentioned! and it really reduces the weight of the cam plus the lens!

and with regards to the hand strap, am still frowning at it... i still wouldn't know if it would be useful for me or not until the next wedding shoot... will keep everyone posted.:)

-bry

Hi, how old are your straps? I have a 4 year old Optec strap and I was wondering, is it still reliable? I connected a 70-200 on my camera and knowing how heavy the gear sometimes gets, I looked at the stitches on my straps and I wondered if it will still hold after all that wear and tear? I will get a new strap just to make sure though, but I want to know how long have you been using your straps?

Amiel

Check out http://echostore.echografika.com (http://echostore.echografika.com/) for Neoprene handgrip strap attachments, Neoprene NeckStraps, Neoprene Tripod Straps and many others.

the grip for 30D/20D is essential in my opinion. lenses such as the 24-70 and 70-200 is don't balance well with the body without the grip.

the optech strap works pretty well but as i've tried the tamron and lowepro neck straps reduces your camera's weight more. give them a try.

Anyone know where optech grip straps can be bought locally?

infomaxx has it and also some stores in hidalgo

Since I do mostly outdoor shots, I prefer the neckstrap to the handstrap. It's safer and I have my hands free to carry other things while walking around. My solution to the neck burn is to attach one of those seatbelt suit protectors which can be bought (per pair) at any auto accessories shop.

u can attach both neck strap and camera strap to the camera. what i did is to attach it this way. hand strap on the right side kz dun talaga iyon. then neck strap sa left side, ikabit mo ang strap to the end of the other strap para maging isa na lang ang mounting straps, then attach that single strap to left side of the camera. parang 1-point strap. upload ko pix if you're interested.

hand strap gets in the way of vertical shot when you'r changing grips. from horizontal to virtical grip :) kz your hand is nicely snug inside the handstrap tapos kelangan mo ialis from the strap to change to vertical thats the inconvenience lang pero most of the time, comfortable ang mga handstrap esp when a heavy lens is attached (70-200 2.8 IS) and your handholding. i find the wegiht of the camera is focused on the handstrap most of the time. :)

u can attach both neck strap and camera strap to the camera. what i did is to attach it this way. hand strap on the right side kz dun talaga iyon. then neck strap sa left side, ikabit mo ang strap to the end of the other strap para maging isa na lang ang mounting straps, then attach that single strap to left side of the camera. parang 1-point strap. upload ko pix if you're interested.

hand strap gets in the way of vertical shot when you'r changing grips. from horizontal to virtical grip :) kz your hand is nicely snug inside the handstrap tapos kelangan mo ialis from the strap to change to vertical thats the inconvenience lang pero most of the time, comfortable ang mga handstrap esp when a heavy lens is attached (70-200 2.8 IS) and your handholding. i find the wegiht of the camera is focused on the handstrap most of the time. :)

Hi Anson..can U post some pictures of UR gears with the straps on...thanks is advance:)

hi im a nikon user, and i use a handstrap.....it is very helpful nd useful at the same time, the camera feels so secure with it....

i actually use this one....


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200100984969&ih=010&category=30035&ssPageName=STORE:PROMOBOX:NEWLIST


also you might want to check it out....its from camera armour, it has a handstrap and neck strap.....i might purchase this one, the neck strap looks great...:)

http://www.camerarmor.com/tough-strap.html

Bryan, I would recommend Lowepro neck strap or Tamrac neck strap. Boomerang shape of the Tamrac makes feel comfortable to your neck especially if you have heavy lens. For the Lowepro, I guess, it's the comfortability and durability.

pipol,

my sis has just arrived with her pasalubong op/tech cam strap and hand strap... ang galing nga ng op/tech cam strap! hindi nga masakit sa batok like sir nino mentioned! and it really reduces the weight of the cam plus the lens!

and with regards to the hand strap, am still frowning at it... i still wouldn't know if it would be useful for me or not until the next wedding shoot... will keep everyone posted.

-bry
Nyikes! Haven't updated this thread for so long ah!

Have been enjoying my optech neck/shoulder strap for 8 months already. So far, I'm soooo very happy with it. "Ang gaan gaan ng feeling" ng cam, ika nga.:Grin:

With regards to the optech hand strap, I find it very helpful in terms of keeping my hand stable during shoots. It's a bit of a hassle now since I started using a battery grip, yet I decided to keep it on my cam and get used to switching shutter buttons in a slightly annoying manner than have "nyarp" shots during shoots. :)

@Cezar - Thanks for the tip! But I posted this thread Aug 2006 po. I'm sure those who are interested to own a better cam/neck strap would find our posts here helpful.

@franz victoria,

I use the camera armor system, tough strap and grip. They are good. Just need to figure out a good way to tie down the grip though.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5864/tools1tr7.jpg

am posting how i attached the hand and neck strap

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/468105962_de7da780b7.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/468104432_46cf579731.jpghttp://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/468102390_794ea5e72d.jpg

@franz victoria,

I use the camera armor system, tough strap and grip. They are good. Just need to figure out a good way to tie down the grip though.

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5864/tools1tr7.jpg



tnx florencio....:)

looks like the grip can not be attached to the bottom of the camera? does the strap make your gear lighter? where did you bought it and how much?

Well it could be attached. Just doesn't have a strap yet to put it there. The hand grip really is good to use, especially if I have the battery grip on, and I usually free handle my cam with it. Got it in Vegas, as a freebie. Infomaxx sells them already, the combo for 2.3k I think, both strap and grip.

anson,
where did you get your hand strap?

infomax ko nakuha

Avenue photo sells camera hand strap which you can attach at the bottom of the camera. made of leather and foam padded. cost P1300.

tnx florencio....:)

looks like the grip can not be attached to the bottom of the camera? does the strap make your gear lighter? where did you bought it and how much?

@florencio

tnx a lot bro!!!

@ sandro

i already have a nikon ah-4 hand strap and im happy with it...... :) that handstrap from avenue is cheap though.....my ah-4 costs 3.7k...