PhotoGadgetry4Girls (and Others) aka the small things that make me a happy photographer #1
It’s amazing how little things can make such a big difference to a photographer.
Yes, I bought a Nikon D4s this year, and yes it cost a small fortune, and yes it did make me happy when I experienced the quality of shot it helps me produce… but do you know what made me almost as happy? ...
...the £10 wrist grip that means I can actually carry the monstrous thing around all day without being in extreme pain, worrying I’m going to drop it and losing the ability to grip anything afterwards.
So my new blog is born - dedicated to the often small and unsung bits of kit that make my life as a photographer that extra bit happier. Maybe some of the workarounds will be particularly helpful if you’re a woman, but I reckon most are probably just as handy for you blokes out there too.
So what about this wrist grip then?
After looking at reviews I plumped for the Movo Photo HSG-2 DualStrap Padded Wrist & Grip Strap. Movo claims it will prevent me from dropping the camera and that it will help stabilise video footage. The latter claim is crap of course so ignore that, but the former is bang on - it works!
*photo is ©the manufacturer - it's way too much faff trying to photograph my own hand with the camera actually strapped to it!
These are the questions I had:
Does it bear the weight well? Yes, there can’t be many heavier DSLR bodies out there than the D4s, and the strap handles it easily with a 24-70mm lens on board. It feels pretty sturdy, and I’ve double secured all the straps. Weak points may be the plastic quick release clips but they haven’t been a problem so far…touch wood…
Is it comfortable? Mostly. Ideally I’d like more padding across the back of the hand, but hey for £10 it’s fine as it is. It’s adjustable and in theory will fit any hand, including my tiny frozen one. I’ve also been able to wear gloves (the subject of my next blog) underneath it so I’m winter warm as well as secure. Oh but lasses, I do have to remove my larger rings when I wear this grip.
Is it practical? Once I’m strapped in my right hand isn’t nearly as free for fiddling with other kit, but I can still reach all the controls on the camera, so happy days. I won't be using it all the time as obviously it's not practical with a 200-400mm up front, but for street and event shooting it's perfect, and also lends a little more security. The 1/4 inch thread on the base also means you can still mount the camera straight onto a tripod or monopod if necessary.
Happy Points - 8/10 I especially like the solid grip around the wrist as well as the hand. I’m confident that I’m not going to drop my camera, and that I'm not damaging my hand any more. The downside is the slight lack of flexibility to multi-task, but in my book it’s a small price to pay - and you blokes allegedly can't do that anyway! - so it's £10.19 well spent :)
Please note there are a range of different wrist grips on the market and I’m not recommending this one over any other model - just letting you know my experience with this one.
