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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
DIY - R-Strap (and other camera goodies)
Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 7:19 PM on 12.22.08 |
->> I know the R-Strap was covered in another thread, but I wanted to start a new conversation about all kinds of DIY projects for gear.
I really like the idea of the R-strap but didn't like the back order time as it was several weeks when I last checked. So today I decided once and for all to figure a way to make my own. I went to a climbing store and got a Metolius adjustable gear sling http://tinyurl.com/a33682 and a #3 S-biner http://tinyurl.com/5sl4by The sling has an ergonomically shaped padded shoulder and a poly tubing over the sling portion so the s-biner won't hang up when I slide the camera body up to shooting position. I connected one end of the s-biner to the camera using a quick release tripod screw that looks like this http://tinyurl.com/a4w6cx and the other around the poly tubing of the sling. Total cost was $28.55 including tax, and I didn't have to jerry-rig anything so I know my camera will be safe and secure. My homemade R-strap works great and I can't wait to try it out at the game tomorrow night!
What cool things have you all made?
Jody |
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Jim Comeau, Assistant, Photo Editor
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 7:30 PM on 12.22.08 |
| ->> Shelly Castellano has a really cool thingamajig on her monopod. It holds her teleconverter in place during football games. I believe she strapped a rear lens cap to the monopod so the TC just screws right in. |
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Scott Dreslinski, Photographer
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Rochester Hills | MI | US | Posted: 8:34 PM on 12.22.08 |
->> Real nice Jody, and thanks for the perfect links to put it all together in my head.
I have been wanting to buy a R-strap also, but as you stated, always out of stock.
I was thinking about getting one after the holidays, but I am a hardcore DIY'er, and have tried 1 or 2 iterations of the R-strap that I have just not been happy with yet as I have not found the "right" pieces yet.
Your solution looks like a real winner, and I have a climbing store a stones throw from my house.
I know where I'm heading tomorrow! |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 9:45 PM on 12.22.08 |
->> I made my own R Strap as well. I cannibalized a Tamrac boomerang strap, by cutting the straps themselves off of the oval rings. I then went to the local big R and bought a 6 ft. long, 1 in. wide nylon strap. I cut this into two sections. The first, with the buckle attached was about 6 inches long. This was sewn (using 40 lb. spiderwire fishing line) to the front of the strap. The other piece was sewn to the back of the strap. I took the two male quick release components and slid them on the strap. The strap was then put through the buckle and trimmed for length. The two female components were then attached the left side of the camera body (basically they are threaded through each other to make a single point of attachment. You could also put a 1/2 in. split ring on the attachment point and attach the strap ends there.)
The advantage to me was that there were no metal components to bang up the body. Also, I can easily swap bodies as they all have the tamrac quick release straps attached in the same manner. |
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Robert Benson, Photographer
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Steve Ueckert, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 8:01 AM on 12.23.08 |
->> Jody--
There doesn't appear to be a method of locking the quick release tripod screw into the camera bottom. Methinks eventually, unless you really torque that screw into the camera bottom that it will unscrew itself.
Consider heading to a hardware store to obtain a small 1/4 - 20 eye bolt, a 1/4 - 20 nut and a 1/4" diameter fender washer.
Screw the nut onto the bolt, use the washer to distribute the load across a larger area, screw the bolt into the bottom of the camera (or lens collar) orienting the loop of the eye bolt however suits you best. Then screw down the locking nut to hold all in place.
Not all camera tripod attaching points are made equal. Check for any flex and be sure you aren't a candidate for ripping the mount out of the bottom of the camera.
I've used an eye bolt in the tripod collar of 300/2.8's & 400/3.5's for years as a means to quickly, but with confidence it won't come loose, add or remove a shoulder strap. I use a wing nut to lock the eye bolt. Finger tight on the wing nut is sufficient and eliminates the need for a wrench.
--Steve |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 5:55 PM on 12.23.08 |
->> OK, I must be an idiot. What in blazes is an R-Strap? Missed that one, though of course I don't blame Jody for not describing it for fear of the duplication nazis on this board posting multiple links to previous threads.
Back in the film days, I made myself a photo vest by taking a fishing vest and putting photo stuff in it. Shoulda patented that one.
I also made a pad for my Reinholder by gaffer taping some padding to it. The Reinholder itself, probably qualifies as a self-made thing that is an ingenious solution (though of course I did not make it, Reinhold - Matay - did.)
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=26213 |
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Brian Westerholt, Photographer
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Kannapolis | NC | USA | Posted: 6:07 PM on 12.23.08 |
->> Chuck,
I Googled R Strap and it took me here:
http://www.blackrapid.com/
They do look very useful - gonna try one for sure for the 70-200.
-Brian |
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Rob Bye, Photographer
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Winnipeg | MB | Canada | Posted: 6:35 PM on 12.23.08 |
| ->> Jody, I salute your DIY skills. The R-Strap has an adjustable limiter to keep the camera from moving behind the user. Have you found something that does the same job? How did your rig perform when you used it? |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 7:00 PM on 12.23.08 |
->> "->> Jody, I salute your DIY skills. The R-Strap has an adjustable limiter to keep the camera from moving behind the user. Have you found something that does the same job? How did your rig perform when you used it?"
Rob, I will let you know tonight when I get done using it for the first time.
Jody |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 1:09 PM on 12.24.08 |
->> Update - I used my homemade strap last night during the Poinsettia Bowl and it was fantastic! Because I was able to get to my second body so quickly, I was able to capture shots with both cameras with little effort. I screwed the tripod screw to the collar of my 70-200 and it didn't loosen at all. Probably because when the camera wasn't in use, it was hanging against my hip so it didn't twist around at all. However, as an added measure of safety, next time I will loop a leash around the bottom of the collar and clip the other end to the solid bar in the middle of the S-biner clip - just in case.
Let me know if anyone wants to see a photo of my contraption.
Cheers!
Jody |
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Scott Dreslinski, Photographer
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Rochester Hills | MI | US | Posted: 4:22 PM on 12.24.08 |
->> Thanks for the update.
Of course we want to see a photo of the contraption! :-) |
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Debra L Rothenberg, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 4:27 PM on 12.24.08 |
| ->> let's see it Jody |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 7:30 PM on 12.24.08 |
| ->> Stop teasing! Show us! |
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Jason Orth, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Lincoln | NE | USA | Posted: 12:50 PM on 12.27.08 |
| ->> The tripod screw loosening has been a concern, but since you seem to not have a problem, I'd like to see the rig as well. |
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Dennis Wierzbicki, Photographer
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Plainfield | IL | USA | Posted: 1:27 PM on 12.27.08 |
->> Jody,
Add me to the list of folks interested in photos.
Speaking of the Reinholder, what happened to it? The link in the thread above no longer works and a Google search leads to other broken links. Reinhold's personal site makes no mention of the thing.
I've also seen mounts for TC's like mentioned above, and been tempted to try one. Always worried that the thing would vibrate loose while running up and down the sidelines, though. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 1:49 PM on 12.27.08 |
->> Here are three images of the DIY R-strap I put together. Different approach than Jody's. Works for me, because I only use Tamrac QR straps.
http://www.sportsshooter.com/mjpeters/1/ |
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Philip Johnson, Photographer
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Garland | TX | USA | Posted: 2:18 PM on 12.27.08 |
| ->> Mark, I see one problem with you design. You are connecting your strap to the camera and with heavier glass you need to connect it to the lens so you take the pressure off of the mount to the camera. |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 6:05 PM on 12.27.08 |
->> Okay, I talked my youngest son into modeling the strap so I could take some photos for everyone. I noticed that I misspelled the brand name of the strap - the correct spelling is Metolius, not Metrolius.
Here's the gallery - http://www.sportsshooter.com/jodygomez/strap/index.html Let me know what you think!
Jody |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 6:25 PM on 12.27.08 |
->> Phillip -
So far the heaviest glass I've used it with is the 70-200, which I'm very comfortable carrying from the body.
If I were to use it with my 300, I have tamrac QR's on that lens as well and it would attach to the lens rather than the body. |
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Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
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Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 7:52 AM on 12.28.08 |
| ->> Wow, Jody! I'd have settled for one or two pics, but that is fantastic. I'm hoping now you will just volunteer to make one for all of us. ;) |
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Bruce Twitchell, Photographer
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