How do you wear your camera?

[paulc1]

I wear my camera around my neck, about on my breast bone, that way it doesn't move around when I walk, and as a bit of a birdwatcher, Thats how I wear my bins,.... it is said amongst birders that people who have their bins swinging around thier waist are newbies or at least not read in the birder ways.

right or wrong?....how do you wear your camera?..is there a right or wrong way?

[mr jones]

i never hang mine round my neck, it lives in a bag which is off my shoulder like a messanger bag, if iits out of the case then the strap is wound round my hand and the camera in my hand, i never hang it rond my neck dangling down, i find it restrctive when im shooting!

[condyk]

Originally Posted by paulc1

.... it is said amongst birders that people who have their bins swinging around thier waist are newbies or at least not read in the birder ways. right or wrong?....how do you wear your camera?..is there a right or wrong way?

The wrong way is surely just following what others do unthinkingly, rather than finding what is best for you as an individual. I agree with mrjones, as that works well for me too. Camera is always in bag unless I'm using it, or about to use it, and then it's in my hand.

I don't get the 'bins around waist' thing ... how do you do that? DO you mean hanging on shoulder at waist height? With bins I usually carry them in hand with the strap wrapped around them so as not to swing around and attract birds/animals attention too much.

[paulc1]

this is wrong I know, but when you turn out to see a bird, you will see that most of the birders wear thier binos high around the neck,...and anyone with binos draped around thier neck but down to thier waist are generally termed "dudes or twitchers" ....psuedo elitism,...since any birder turning out for a bird, without Lieca or swarovski bins is also deemed not serious about thier hobby...total crap but true.
As for cameras, some of this is also true,..take for example remarks made in magazines etc that black coloured cameras are more proffessional and silver ones for tourists( again total crap, we know), and I read in one review that if you turned up for a wedding shoot with a silver camera, then the bride would ask "where is the photographer?"..anyway sorry for going off on a tangent, but when I was out at the weekend, I was noticing that people were all wielding their cameras in different ways,..and I wondered, was there a certain way that it should be done?...whether for practical or any other reasons.

to answer your question,..it isn't practical to wear binos around your neck , but dangling down to your waist, because they move alot, and may get damaged,tangled etc.

[seany]

I have it in the bag most of the time if on the move.

[mr jones]

think about how many mobile phones are returned/junked every year with smashed screens because people have had them in their pockets and walked into the edge of a table? hence why keeping your camera in anything other than a bag when not in use is in my eyes stupid

my bag sits at waist height behind my back when not in use

[seany]

It does often depend on where i am though. If i'm at an event with say people like the mardi gras in manchester then there is a lot you'll miss by having it in the bag and people from the Evening news to punters like me walked with their camera round there necks. I never had an slr at the time

Landscapes well you have more time to plan of course.

It depnds on where you are, if you're just walking about not having any idea of what you want out fo the day then use the bag. But an an event/gig ect i'd have it out.

[jenic]

I agree that it depends on where you are. If i am in a wierd area then i put it away in fear of being mugged, but if i am in a place where other people have cameras around their neck which are better than mine then i also where it around my neck!

[tomson]

usually carry mine with the strap wrapped round my wrist - or in a top loading bag when i'm in less salubrious surroundings.

[Pink Fairy]

Originally Posted by paulc1

this is wrong I know, but when you turn out to see a bird, you will see that most of the birders wear thier binos high around the neck,...and anyone with binos draped around thier neck but down to thier waist are generally termed "dudes or twitchers" ....psuedo elitism,...since any birder turning out for a bird, without Lieca or swarovski bins is also deemed not serious about thier hobby...total crap but true.


to answer your question,..it isn't practical to wear binos around your neck , but dangling down to your waist, because they move alot, and may get damaged,tangled etc.

Generally it's regarded as a speed issue with having your binos on a shorter neckstrap, you can get the binos to eye quicker... besides, having a heavy lump of glass and metal swinging around your groin is just asking for trouble

Most modern neckstraps for binos are reasonably short anyway, certainly from the big 3 (Zeiss, Leica, Swaro'), and with a nice broad shock-absorbing neoprene neck area.

BTW: Not sure about lumping 'twitchers' in with 'dudes'... dudes usually have Swarovski EL's and Country Innovation jackets (Bill Oddie style), 'twitchers' are usually more style conscious and prepared to pay bugger all on their gear.

...As for cameras, I received the Nikon D2x today, and I just cannot imagine this hanging around my neck with a lens on... I'd end up in hospital. My main lens is a 500mm f4.5 and the whole lot (camera + tc) is carried over my shoulder on a tripod.... longer walks and it all goes in a Lowepro lenstrecker 600AW.

cheers,
Andy

[mr jones]

god bless the 50mm f1.8 :D

[Johndm]

To support the ever increasing weight of my 300D with battery grip....and now with nearly permanently attached 100-400L, I find the supplied Canon strap slowly cutting through my neck, so have ordered a Op Tech PRO LOOP STRAP. See attached image.

Looks good, nice and wide for support, and the quick release straps will mean I won't need to lift it up over my head anymore, avoiding possible spinal fracture or messing up my hair.....

When not in use, I put it in a 'medium/large' Jessops PACIFIC BAG NAURU.