Design issue with the 20D

[limbik]

I think the 20D is very solid over all, but recently I have been noticing a bit of an issue with the way it is designed (could just be my big hands). Now that I have a few heavy lenses and a flash, this seems far more noticeable.

The problem is that with the extra weight, the way I naturally hold the camera, I rest the bulk of the weight on the bottom, rear-right corner of the 20D. This applies a good deal of pressure on what seems to be one of the weaker external parts of this camera, the plastic door for the memory slot.

So far I have tried:

Holding the camera different (does not work because it is awkward, and when I'm focusing on taking pictures I revert to my natural grip anyhow).

The Battery Grip (did provide solid surface area and essentially solved this problem BUT in my opinion it is far too large, poorly designed [I would have been happier if they would have left out the AA carriage and inserted the standard batteries the long way, allowing the unit to be the same width as the bottom of the camera, not to mention I turn the camera the other way usually, so the extra button is on the wrong side] but that is another can of worms.

Has/does anyone else experience this? Any ideas for a creative solution? I thought a nice piece of molded rubber would be great, with a tripod and camera socket, but I'm a bit short on industrial rubber molding technology…

[Khaos]

I'm in the same situation as you. I notice also, I'll get a slight creak now in that lower right spot when using just one hand. Hoepfully I won't crack the fc door off.

[limbik]

I'm in the same situation as you. I notice also, I'll get a slight creak now in that lower right spot when using just one hand. Hoepfully I won't crack the fc door off.
Yea, that creak and the little bit of give I feel from that door is what concerns me... :huh

[Andy]

try one of these :deal (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7972&highlight=hakuba+strap)

[limbik]

try one of these :deal (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7972&highlight=hakuba+strap) Must be a great solution, as they seem to be out of stock everywhere!
It is a KGP-02 Camera Grip LH, correct? Does that mean left hand? Your picture shows it on the right, Hakuba shows it on the left. What's up with that?

[Steve Cavigliano]

try one of these :deal (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7972&highlight=hakuba+strap)
Having held Andy's camera(s) on numerous occassions, I have to vouch for the security and comfort the Hakuba strap provides :thumb It's been on my list of items to pick up for awhile too :rolleyes If you find a site with it in stock, please post the info here :D


Steve

[limbik]

Having held Andy's camera(s) on numerous occassions, I have to vouch for the security and comfort the Hakuba strap provides :thumb It's been on my list of items to pick up for awhile too :rolleyes If you find a site with it in stock, please post the info here :D


Steve
OK, I found more pictures here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hakuba-KGP-02-Hand-Strap_W0QQitemZ7541179310QQcategoryZ30050QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Too bad its a UK sale and ships from Hong Kong :wxwax

With the ability to keep the neck strap attached on the left, this is exactly what I'm looking for, now if I could only find one...

[david_h]

Must be a great solution, as they seem to be out of stock everywhere!
It is a KGP-02 Camera Grip LH, correct? Does that mean left hand? Your picture shows it on the right, Hakuba shows it on the left. What's up with that? I used to use that same grip for my D70.

Although the description mentions LH, it is indeed a grip for your right hand.

Works really well, no problems at all.

[lynnesite]

I haven't had that problem, but I have smaller hands. Carrying around the lunker 70-200 f2.8L IS the vast majority of the time.

Ordered one of these (http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultra-Leather-Hand-Strap-for-Canon-1D-1Ds-Mark-II-NEW_W0QQitemZ7532445331QQcategoryZ64343QQcmdZViewItem) earlier this week (and it was $19.95 then, the "Elite" is two bucks less), I *love* hand straps on vidcams. There are two models, one smaller I ordered the bigger one that has wrist support. I'm really looking forward to how it works with a full flash setup for a little more security.


Speaking of gear, won a Tamrac camera strap in a contest recently--it's a little like the OpTech straps with a wide neoprene backing, it has quick disconnects for tripod use, and two CF card pockets as well. It's very comfortable over the course of a long shoot. I need every safeguard to keep from dropping my camera, can be klutzy (it's a Saggitarius thing, couldn't be just my fault).

[Matthew Saville]

Screws into the tripod socket, eh? And what about those of us who have L-brackets? There's still a threadded hole in the bottom of the L-bracket, but screwing into it kinda nullifies the use of the whole Arca-Swiss clamp. Drat.

BTW, you're supposed to support most of the weight of the camera with your LEFT hand, it's soooo much better as far as vibration control goes. Take it from the 1/4 sec handholder!

-Matt-

[Bystander]

Having held Andy's camera(s) on numerous occassions, I have to vouch for the security and comfort the Hakuba strap provides :thumb It's been on my list of items to pick up for awhile too :rolleyes If you find a site with it in stock, please post the info here :D


Steve

Just saw one on Amazon available throught a third party vendor. $5.95 plus S&H.
:):

[Seymore]

Just saw one on Amazon available throught a third party vendor. $5.95 plus S&H.
:):
Got a link? Also, @ $5.95, I doubt if it's a hakuba.

[Bystander]

Got a link? Also, @ $5.95, I doubt if it's a hakuba.

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004ZCO2/ref=pd_bbs_null_1/102-2509139-4376123?v=glance

It is a Hakuba. Looks like Andy's -- wonder if it's the same......

[limbik]

BTW, you're supposed to support most of the weight of the camera with your LEFT hand, it's soooo much better as far as vibration control goes. Take it from the 1/4 sec handholder!

Since the shutter button is on the right, that leaves only my left hand for focus and zoom. I can balance some of the weight of the lens with my left hand and still operate it, yet have no choice but to take the rest of the weight with the palm of my right while I keep my finger on the trigger as it were. :rambo

[Seymore]

try one of these :deal (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7972&highlight=hakuba+strap)
Hey Andy... is the base section, on the Hakuba, made of plastic of metal?

TIA...

[limbik]

Hey Andy... is the base section, on the Hakuba, made of plactic of metal?

TIA...
Bystander, I don't think thats the same. Seymore, I was going to ask lynnesite the same thing about the one she got from ebay. The elite actually looks very similar to the Hakuba:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Elite-Leather-Hand-Strap-for-Canon-20D-10D-60D-30D_W0QQitemZ7532447211QQcategoryZ64343QQcmdZViewItem

[Bystander]

Bystander, I don't think thats the same. Seymore, I was going to ask lynnesite the same thing about the one she got from ebay. The elite actually looks very similar to the Hakuba:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Elite-Leather-Hand-Strap-for-Canon-20D-10D-60D-30D_W0QQitemZ7532447211QQcategoryZ64343QQcmdZViewItem

It is a Hakuba -- probably a cheaper model tho.

[Seymore]

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004ZCO2/ref=pd_bbs_null_1/102-2509139-4376123?v=glance

It is a Hakuba. Looks like Andy's -- wonder if it's the same......
I'd call that more of a wrist strap. The hand strap I'm thinking of holds the hand firmly against the body of the cam.

BTW, the PICs you see that look like left handed are actually mirror shots that have not been flipped. Obviously a photog didn't deal with these before they got posted on the WEB.


Bystander, I don't think thats the same. Seymore, I was going to ask lynnesite the same thing about the one she got from ebay. The elite actually looks very similar to the Hakuba:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Elite-Leather-Hand-Strap-for-Canon-20D-10D-60D-30D_W0QQitemZ7532447211QQcategoryZ64343QQcmdZViewItemYea limbik... I looked at the one marketed by Sunpac, and sold thru Ritz, today. But didn't like the padding. Cut into the top of the hand. I've heard nothing but good things about the Hakuba KGP-02... so I'm ready to give it a try. With something that will be attached to my cam, and next to my hand all the time, I'll spend a bit more to assure it will be comfortable long-term.

[Seymore]

Now, this is interesting!!!

ToCAD AMERICA ACQUIRES HAKUBA USA (http://www.hakubausa.com/csite/c_company.asp)

Looks like they may now be so "BLOATED" that they can't move (aka ship product). I've shipped a communication to corp... we'll see how long it takes them to get back to me.

OH... the phone number there is 973.627.9600. Call and bug um. Tell them that they need to get off their proverbial @##'s and get some product to market!

UPDATE: That URL was 2003!!! Ok, so I guess there is a prob if they can't get product to market.

[gsgary]

Can you get them for the 10Dtry one of these :deal (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=7972&highlight=hakuba+strap)

[Matthew Saville]

Since the shutter button is on the right, that leaves only my left hand for focus and zoom. I can balance some of the weight of the lens with my left hand and still operate it, yet have no choice but to take the rest of the weight with the palm of my right while I keep my finger on the trigger as it were. :rambo
The way I do it, I just rest the center of the body in the palm of my left hand, such that my thumb is on the left side of the lens and my index and forefinger are on the right. If you've got a normal sized lens, you can zoom and focus with these fingers quite easily. Even if your lens is a bit bigger, always "retreat" back to this position for the final trigger pull... If however you have an especially long lens, such as the 70-200 or 80-400, I find that it's obviously impossible to hold the camera by the body, at all. But still, I do much the same thing by leaving the tripod collar on and resting that in my palm, and reaching the zoom / focus with my fingers from that position. One last trick is, if you have one of those huge circle lens hoods, I find that supporting the very end tip of it actually can have a huge impact on stabiliztion. Strange physics!

-Matt-

[photobug]

I'm in the same situation as you. I notice also, I'll get a slight creak now in that lower right spot when using just one hand. Hoepfully I won't crack the CF door off. I have a 20D with battery grip and Canon hand strap (E-1?). Anyway, I didn't have a problem with it until I installed the hand strap. Granted, I really like using the hand strap; it's quicker to take a shot when then camera is at my side in the hand grip than if it's dangling in front of me on a neck strap (or worse, at my side in a shoulder strap).

The problem I have is that when I have camera in position to shoot, my right hand exerts pressure on the body near the front of the CF card door, sometimes popping open the CF door in the middle of a shoot (and consequently, powering down the camera :-( ). Has anyone else experienced this? Found a remedy? (maybe I don't have the hand strap adjusted quite right?)

[pathfinder]

BTW, you're supposed to support most of the weight of the camera with your LEFT hand, it's soooo much better as far as vibration control goes. Take it from the 1/4 sec handholder!

-Matt-


:agree :agree


I always try to support a camera from below with my left hand if it is not supported by a tripod....

[pathfinder]

The way I do it, I just rest the center of the body in the palm of my left hand, such that my thumb is on the left side of the lens and my index and forefinger are on the right. If you've got a normal sized lens, you can zoom and focus with these fingers quite easily. Even if your lens is a bit bigger, always "retreat" back to this position for the final trigger pull... If however you have an especially long lens, such as the 70-200 or 80-400, I find that it's obviously impossible to hold the camera by the body, at all. But still, I do much the same thing by leaving the tripod collar on and resting that in my palm, and reaching the zoom / focus with my fingers from that position. One last trick is, if you have one of those huge circle lens hoods, I find that supporting the very end tip of it actually can have a huge impact on stabiliztion. Strange physics!

-Matt-

Matt, it sounds like you're describing my icon. I did not even think about how I held the camera when I shot it - it is just how I hold a camera to my eye :D :D With my left hand, just like you described.

[limbik]

Matt, it sounds like you're describing my icon. I did not even think about how I held the camera when I shot it - it is just how I hold a camera to my eye :D :D With my left hand, just like you described.
I would if I could; it just feels so unnatural to me.
But hey, the hakuba straps are in stock at B&H now! :clap

[limbik]

I would if I could; it just feels so unnatural to me.
But hey, the hakuba straps are in stock at B&H now! :clap
Just got the handstrap. :thumb
Now this feels natural! I love it, it also puts the neck strap in a much more managable position. Thanks!! :clap