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Author Topic: Best accessory I bought this year  (Read 17808 times)

ombra

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Best accessory I bought this year
« on: December 08, 2005, 02:14:24 am »

I prefer to have hand straps on my cameras, and have never had a good solution for my 20D until this:
www.camdapter.com

I have tried the Canon battery grip + Canon E-1 hand strap, and don't like it at all.  It doubles the size of the camera just so I can have a hand strap!

I've also tried a thing made by Hakuba, and it sucked. It was plastic, and too flexible, and blocked the battery door. (And it wasn't a tripod mount)

The guy who makes the Camdapters, Jim Garavuso, is a pleasure to deal with, and the adapter plates are exceptionally well-made.  I would post pictures, but the shots on his website are better.  You can roll over the pictures to see the other side.

I am using the double-ended Arca model, so I get a shoulder strap, a hand strap, and an arca plate all in one!  It also keeps the bottom of my camera from getting dinged up when I set it down.

The hand straps he makes are also top-notch. They are a lot more comfortable than the Canon one.  The E-1 from Canon stacks the nylon strap, so all the force is on a 1/2" strip on the back of your hand.  The Camdapter strap has the nylon strap side-by-side, so the force is on a 1" wide strip.

I highly recommend the Camdapter + strap combo.

So, what was your favorite accessory of the year?

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the company or Jim, I'm just a really happy customer.
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Yakim Peled

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2005, 02:16:58 am »

>> I have tried the Canon battery grip + Canon E-1 hand strap, and don't like it at all.


I tried the E1 on several cameras and like it a lot. Different strokes for different folks.
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Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Curt

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2005, 03:59:37 pm »

I am using a HoodMan monitor cover on a D2X. It is sometimes a pain because I need to open the door to view the monitor. However it sure saves the viewing monitor from fogg/freeze up from my breath during winter
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BernardLanguillier

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2005, 01:26:05 am »

Probably a RRS PCL-1 pano clamp for my tripod ball head.

Cheers,
Bernard

francois

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« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2005, 03:57:47 am »

Really Right Stuff  BH-55.  
The pano clamp will hopefully come in for Christmas...
« Last Edit: December 09, 2005, 03:58:18 am by francois »
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Francois

boku

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2005, 07:13:30 am »

Every RRS L Plate I ever bought was a winner.

The Camdapter you describe looks like a great idea, but then I couldn't use the L Plates.
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Bob Kulon

Oh, one more thing...[b

Paul Sumi

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2005, 12:00:11 pm »

This hot shoe mounted bubble level, which keeps my horizons from tilting (obviously bigger than life size   ).

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Bobtrips

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« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2005, 01:15:45 pm »

I've found that a piece of thin, strong cord works better than a wrist strap for me.  

I use a ~2' piece of 3/32" to 1/8" cord, thread it through the right side strap eye and knot the end.  I usually include a small plastic toggle which allows me to firmly attach the camera to my wrist in perilous conditions.
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BernardLanguillier

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2005, 10:34:28 pm »

Quote
This hot shoe mounted bubble level, which keeps my horizons from tilting (obviously bigger than life size   ).



Regards,
Bernard

Piece

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2005, 12:25:46 am »

Quote
This hot shoe mounted bubble level, which keeps my horizons from tilting (obviously bigger than life size   ).

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DarkPenguin

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2005, 02:07:09 am »

Considering how much they cost they should be that big.
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francois

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« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2005, 04:19:13 am »

Quote
Considering how much they cost they should be that big.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=53209\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Or consider how much they would cost if they were that big.  
At least, if they were that big, we wouldn't lose them so easily.
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Francois

Julian Love

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2005, 01:40:04 pm »

For me its my Markins M-10 ballhead. After piddling around with a manfortto, benbo and even a linhof, I finally shelled out and got a decent ballhead - what a difference! Using a tripod is suddenly not a chore. Wonderful piece of kit highly reccommended.

Oh, and if i'm allowed a second one, it would be the Kirk L-plate that I bought at the same time. Once you use one you won't go back!

Julian
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Jack Flesher

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2005, 11:46:50 pm »

My Arca Cube.  Unfortunately it is probably also the single most expensive accessory that I have ever bought -- excluding cameras and lenses of course
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Jack
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Julian Love

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2005, 05:05:03 am »

Quote
My Arca Cube.  Unfortunately it is probably also the single most expensive accessory that I have ever bought -- excluding cameras and lenses of course
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=53583\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Jack - what exactly is an Arca Cube?
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francois

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2005, 05:21:29 am »

Quote
Jack - what exactly is an Arca Cube?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It's a - tripod - head.
You can get a review of Jack's Cube on his [a href=\"http://www.getdpi.com/cube.html]website[/url].
« Last Edit: December 15, 2005, 05:28:31 am by francois »
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Francois

jd1566

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« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2005, 08:13:07 am »

I though the spirt level was also a great idea, just grossly expensive.. Then I managed to get a grid screen for my Eos5D and I'm in 7th heaven.  Also a piece of plastic, also expensive, but it doesn't come off easily, and besides helping in keeping horizon's straight, helps in composition.

Other useful invention.. the RRS lever clamp.  Forget about he ballhead.  It is good, but not earth-shattering.  What is really excellent is the lever design of the clamp which makes changing lenses much more intuitive, simple and quick and in my opinion safer as you KNOW you've locked it once the lever is in place.  It is sold separately and can be added to most ball-heads out there.. My favourite combination has to be the Markins head with this clamp.

Cable release.. electronic or meccanical, these are great when you're working tripod mounted and want to keep camera shake to a minimum.

Ok, that's it from me.
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B&W photographer - Still lifes, Portrait

Mike Louw

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #17 on: December 19, 2005, 01:56:40 pm »

Quote
My Arca Cube.  Unfortunately it is probably also the single most expensive accessory that I have ever bought -- excluding cameras and lenses of course
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=53583\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Good grief! I have a couple of L lenses that cost less than that head! Must say it does look like a nice piece of engineering, though.
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BryanHansel

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« Reply #18 on: December 26, 2005, 12:18:24 am »

Quote
Or consider how much they would cost if they were that big.  
At least, if they were that big, we wouldn't lose them so easily.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=53211\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

My score is two lost this year.
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Bryan Hansel
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Tim Gray

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Best accessory I bought this year
« Reply #19 on: December 26, 2005, 10:02:29 am »

Quote
My score is two lost this year.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=54298\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I lost 2, too..
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