Good Idea Or Knot?

on January 14, 2020
Let the readers decide for themselves. My jury is still out on this one, and they went out about 7 years ago. The foreman just keeps asking for coffee and pizza. The judge is getting impatient. Way Back When the first of the Peak Design camera clips were introduced the distributors generously came round and gave each one of the staff a sample to take home. It was a lighter and cruder version of the product they sell now but it worked very much on the same principle - you clamped the receiver onto your belt, screwed the foot onto the underside of the camera, and coupled the two together. A small button controlled a safety catch that kept the camera locked in until you reached for it. Some of the staff members thought it was great, and still use theirs. I tried it for a while but found that having the camera at my waist made it difficult to bend sideways. I was never nervous about it becoming detached, as the engineering of the system was good, but the location didn't serve me. Now I see it is out with attachments that clamp onto backpack straps...and this may very well be the breakthrough that lifts it from novelty to a useful option. I do not use a backpack myself but know several successful photographers who do, and they might well like to have their cameras up and out the front rather than stashed away inside the pack. A hiker or urban tourist may well appreciate the convenience. I do use a Crumpler messenger bag for interstate trips - and it normally carries a small Fujifilm camera inside it. In some cases the Camera has a neck strap and in others just a wrist band. The neck strap frequently looks like a spaghetti junction inside the messenger bag. Hanging the camera out on the front strap might be good as you move around the streets or shows - or it might just get thing bashed into by the crowds. The jury is still out. Note: I used to sew ammo pouches out of leather and often contemplated a leather bucket rather like Leica did for their Type III cameras in the 30's. Perhaps it's time to get out the awl and linen thread again...
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