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Strap and tripod for 503

macmx

Member
Can I get a wider, softer neck strap for the 503 that will fit the cameras hooks? I just took a walk with the standard one and it was horrid.

Can anyone recommend a good traveling tripod for this camera?

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks,

Marcus
 
Marcus,

I think the trick is considering the thing to be a shoulder strap rather than a neck strap.
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Op/Tech makes several different straps that can be fitted with Hasselblad clips (they call the clips "Pro Strap A").
 
BH lists an extra wide strap #59080.

I have not been happy with any neck strap because of weight and more importantly because the camera is not protected. I may just be a klutz but walking around with the Hasselblad with the PME-45, I was always trying to protect the camera.

What I have found the most useful, so far, is to carry the camera in a top loading Lowepro case (#TLZ AW) and have a hand carry strap on the camera. The camera is protected from bumps and the weather and the very wide, padded Lowepro strap is OK for comfort. The case will carry the Hasselblad+PME-45+Winder+180mmlens.

Steve
 
One problem i have with the extra wide strap is that it is extra wide near the camera too. I found it gets in the way a lot when you want to use the camera.

The suggestion to use a small top loading bag instead of a strap is, i think, a very good one.
A bit more expensive than a strap, but it's comfortable, and it holds even a bit more than what would be on your strap.
 
The strap is not for carrying the camera as such. More of a precaution, when I'm walking around with it, so that if I should drop it, it won't hit the ground.

Might get the top loading bag too though.
Gonna check out the Pro Strap.

What does the hand carry strap look like? I can only imagine a shorter neck strap?

Mc
 
That is the most "extreme" configuration that will fit easily. The usual lens on the camera is the 50mm. A while back I read some posts by Marc about using the winder, I had one but rarely used it. I tried it again, and with the "top load" the winder is really nice. Just reach in, with the hand between the strap and the camera and pull it out.

Steve
 
I use a LowePro S&F Specialist 80 as walkabout bag.
It holds an EL(...) (yes, i use an EL(..) for going walkabout) with meter prism and 60 mm attached, plus an extra magazine and lens (mostly the 150 mm).
It's not much bigger than the bag shown. Still small enough to be convenient.
 
A couple years back I was in a discount leather place. I found a woman's cosmetic travel bag. Really nice thick black leather . . . it's not padded like a pro bag (but who cares, I'm not throwing it around). The bottom and top are padded and it is shaped (but not a hard case). . . . . It even has elastic loops that are meant to hold lipstick that hold rolls of film perfectly. Nor does it look like a camera bag (which I like). I can put my 503 w/ winder and a mounted PME45 with an 80mm (mounted) . . . an extra magazine and a 180mm lens, with a rocket blower / extra film etc etc. It has a long shoulder strap and it's small because it is not heavily padded. Has pockets too. I think I paid $35.
 
I'm using a rather non-descript black backpack for my 500C/M based
kit. Below a few quick snapshots. The backpack as shown contains
a 500C/M with 45degr prism, a C50 (mounted on the camera), a C80
(top right), C150 (left bottom) and a CF40 (center bottom). There
are 3 A12 and 1 A16 magazine present, one A12 is on the camera.
The free space is filled with miscellaneous filters and a Gossen
meter.

On my last trip I left the C150 at home and took a spare 500C/M
body along, plus a Kodak DC3400 converted to take IR pictures. That
also fits in the bag. With a complement of film (35 rolls approximately) things
got rather stuffed but it is do-able. The overall
weight is less funny..., but it is compact and taking it as carry-on
luggage onto a plane is no problem at all.

Wilko

33673.jpg



33674.jpg
 
I just started using the LowePro Slingshot 300. It contains the body/lens/finder/winder in the lower part, plus a second lens in a sub-compartment, with a Metz 40 flash and some filters in the top part.

The advantage is that it is a backpack where you can get the camera out quickly without taking the bag off the shoulder. The sequence is:

0. Set up tripod (optional <s>)
1. Undo waist buckle
2. Slide bag diagonally around your left side from your back to your front
(It now sits on your belly, on its side)
3. Open side zips to lower compartment
4. Grab camera by the winder
5. Pull it out and start taking photos

This is great for places that are wet, dirty, crowded. theft-prone, etc.

I was concerned that the single diagonal shoulder strap would not be comfortable when worn over a long time. But, on one outing last week, I walked about 8 to 10 kms and, as long as the waist strap is tight and the back-pack vertical, I found it to comfortable.

I think that I will stick with this bag for a while.

Regards
Peter
 
As far as straps go, the Hasselblad contour neckstrap is reasonably comfortable -- a new one is 'somewhat' pricy, but KEH and B&H seem to have used ones available every so often.

I also use a Billigham Alice (L2) when walking around for an extended period of time -- a 503CW w/ 45PM finder and 60 mm lens/w hood fitted sits in the bag perfectly. One can attach one of their Avea 5 pouches on the side(s) to carry a light meter, filter, etc. when necessary.

I use a Gitzo 1228 tripod w/an Acratech Ultimate ball head w/RRS QR cl& attached as a light weight/travel tripod -- consider replacing the tripod foot on your 'Blad(s) with the QR plate available via Clearsight as they allow the camera to be hand-held comfortably unlike other Arca-Swiss type QR cl&s. This combination can be fitted diagonally in a medium-ish suitcase
 
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