We previously reviewed the Tap and Dye Legacy Wrist Strap, and though we had some complaints about it the strap overall is still quite an excellent and well designed piece of functional swag. But despite how good the strap was, we still had an affinity for a full length strap for mirrorless cameras. We purchased the company’s Legacy Shoulder/Neck camera strap in the 44″ size, and after some wrestling with the strap, we were able to mount it onto the Olympus OMD EM5. Justin, the strap’s creator and the company’s owner, crafts them in NYC and delivers each strap in their own special cloth case.
But everything from there on is reminiscent of a love story.
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The Mini Ruck and a Yashica. A perfect match.
With its older brother, the RuckStrap, geared towards all cameras, the Mini Ruck walks onto the stage for a smaller audience. That is to say, it was designed with the Leica-toting, Micro 4/3rds-loving, NEX-shooting, and rangefinder-focusing crowds. Where the RuckStrap has pockets, the Mini Ruck has a clip-on wallet, and it’s even got a hoop for your glasses. I’ve had the Mini Ruck affixed to my Yashica Electro 35 GSN for a number of weeks now, and I am thoroughly taken with its design and functionality.
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Figosa is an extremely new company in the camera strap world. Based in Italy, and manufacturing their products from genuine Italian Leather, they are initially targeting users of film cameras and mirrorless digital cameras. Italian leather has always been known for its excellent quality and it is often always worked with by hand. This leather lends its qualities to their first strap designed for vintage cameras and mirrorless interchangeable lens cams as well. It can come in different colors, but we went for the conservative black look. The overall quality and look earned the strap a special mention in our recent camera strap roundup.
But should it be the next strap on your camera?
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To say that the RhinoCam was designed for photographers out there that are hellbent on becoming the next Ansel Adams is an understatement. The great photographer travelled all around the world to capture some amazing landscapes but was also quite the chemist. In the digital world, the equivalent is post-processing–and you’ll be doing lots of it when you use The RhinoCam. The apparatus uses a Sony NEX camera and pairs it with either a Hasselblad, Mamiya or Pentax 645 lens to later on help the user capture an extremely large image in the post-production phase. On top of this, it promises to be able to do this for $500.
But does Fotodiox’s latest accessory really make sense? Many people use the Gigapan, but this is clearly different.
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I was introduced to 3 Legged Thing at Photo Plus Expo 2012 and was in the market for a new tripod. Upgrading to a full frame camera meant heavier lenses, and the tripods I owned were not measuring up. They were either too heavy to carry everywhere, or not strong enough to handle my new gear. The people from 3 Legged Thing introduced me to X1.1 Brian Evolution 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod System, and I was very impressed. It seems a lot of thought went into the production of it–so I was thrilled to finally use it.
I’ve only owned two tripods my entire life and even though I use one for almost every shoot, each has somehow surpassed its life expectancy. These two weren’t raised in a bad neighborhood but after I’m done with them they wish they had. Needless to say I treat my tools as such and they get worn. Enter my third tripod, the Vanguard Abeo Pro 283CGH kit.
I’ve been interested in a pistol grip styled tripod head for a while because of its perceived convenience. In theory, the grip would also solve my biggest problem with tripods: difficulty using them in the cold. Unfortunately,d I didn’t make it to the snow for this trip but I did put it through some work. Read on to see how the new tripod from Vanguard fairs in our review.
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