On the topic of straps and dropping cameras... I was speaking with one
of the photographers in the media photographer's tent about the silly
vests they make us wear now (instead of wrist bands...) These are the
vinyl placard like things that make a nice hot raceday even better--not
(already wearing long pants to be allowed in the pits). Anyway, this
spring at Long Beach this guy was wearing one of these ID vests and
proceded to drop his EOS 1N with 300 f2.8 and 2x converter attached. Not
from too high, but high enough. (He said that he normally uses the
epulettes (sp?) on his vest to secure camera straps because he has round
shoulders...but was using them that day to secure Long Beach GP's
photographer ID vest instead because it was too hot to wear it.)
Anyway, this was on a Friday morning. He took the wounded rig (he owned
his own gear unlike many I ran into this past weekend) to Canon's
service center where they proceded to repair the lens and converter
(yes, both of them were screwed up) on the spot for some princely
sum...(as in close to $400.00) but deemed the EOS 1N body destroyed. The
bright side is he was back at the track shooting with the lens that
afternoon, but the body now sits on a closet shelf as a very expensive
paperweight. Apparently, despite not having an external mark or scratch
on it, the body suffered a bent chassis and is not repairable and is
basically worthless. "War stories" of equipment destruction became a hot
topic...along with insurance.
I personally like straps. I have used the Tamrac neoprene comfort straps
for years...they grip pretty well (for me) and I like the shock
absorbing qualities when tromping around circuits for miles.
Mike Veglia
Motor Sport Visions Photography
http://www.motorsportvisions.com
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