Most camera bags have a place to fit your tripod. It adds weight to your camera bag, but it keeps the tripod out of the way while being easy to grab if need be. Apparently, MindShiftGear is unaware of this ancient advancement on tripod holding technology, and are now building harnesses for you to awkwardly strap a tripod to your body.
Calling it a Tripod Suspension, MindShiftGear has seemingly gone to Lowes, purchased $3 worth of straps, and then rebranded them as a $47 piece of must-have photography gear. Perhaps what is worse is how it works...
Instead of strapping your tripod to your back, or simply holding in your hands, MindShiftGear has found that the best way to handle a tripod is to hang it from the front of your camera bag. That's right, MindShiftGear suggests that the tripod strapped to the back of your camera bag can result in shoulder problems, and there solution to attach it the front of your shoulder straps. From their website:
| The Tripod Suspension Kit was designed to hold much more weight than you would want hanging from your shoulder straps! With the tripod collar buckle doubled back and securely attached to your tripod, the two adjustable straps will easily hold the weight of a large tripod, and if desired, a pro body and lens up to 70-200mm or more. Of course, you will want to be certain the camera is mounted properly on the tripod and use both straps to stabilize and balance the load. Lighter camera bodies and lenses will naturally be more comfortable to carry in this manner. Other items that you want to carry hands-free can easily be clipped directly to the straps. |
If you’re somehow sold on this product, it’s available on MindShiftGear’s website for $47 dollars.
The only corrrect way is over the shoulder. Or your assistent's shoulder.
exactly
i agree that this seems ridiculous, but with a 90 deg ballhead, maybe you could get some cool video (or live view i guess) shots. An alternative hands free video rig?
for the wobbliest images ever! :D
Haha. Yea, you wouldn't really be able to walk around with it, just to stop and get a shot...? Not practical in any way I guess.
Hmmm, maybe I am missing something and someone can enlighten me. I use an Ajna and like most F-stop users I spend most of my time in the wild where it can tend to rain on the way to your location, so you need to cover the bag with the rain cover. I use walking poles when I hike, so do not have a spare hand to carry my Gitzo GT3453LS tripod. I normally carry the tripod on the back (hmm - front!) of the bag with two legs under the webbing straps. I cannot fit the rain cover over the bag and tripod - I need to remove the tripod to cover the bag. I actually thought this was a useful solution, as the Ajna has a loop at the bottom for one of the legs but nothing for the top of the tripod. Open to ideas if anyone has - on how to strap the tripod to the Ajna whilst at the same time having the bag covered with the rain cover?