Carrying a flash gun around?

Hey all,

Just wondering if anyone here brings a flash gun about the place with them, and what they do with it as they're walking about?


Had to use mine at a friend's birthday recently, but I'm very cautious about everything I own, and want all my stuff to remain in perfect condition.

Didn't fancy the thoughts of leaving it on top of the camera the whole night as, well, if it got a belt of a wall or jammed in a door, or if someone spilled a drink in my direction or other such scenarios as I walked around, I'd be pretty upset.

So i have a small bag (that's made for compact cameras I think, but fits the flash gun perfectly), and I used that. I had a chain, which I fed through a belt loop on my pants and the small bag/case swung out of it, about three or four inches down.

It was grand all night, except when someone bumped into me and it snapped and hit the ground (thankfully: survived grand), so i doubled it up, hung it onto me again and it was grand for the rest of the night.


So I was gonna buy this off eBay and use that to connect the bag to my pants.


Before I buy it though, I thought i'd ask here and see what other people do in this kind of situation?

Do ye guys do something similar, or is there a product I missed out on that can sort this out, etc.?

Cheers

pixbyjohn

Do you not have a pouch that came with the flash ? I use Nikon SB600 and if I need to have it with me I can put it on my belt as there is a loop on the pouch for that.

mrmac

The pouches that the Nikon SB-800 & SB-900 come with, are well padded, and include a belt loop. Very handy.

Borderfox

Mine are on the camera all day at a wedding and never any harm to them, 580exII is weather sealed on the newer 1d bodies. I dont think the Canon pouches have a belt loop but I would have to root them out to find out.

The flash gun I have is a Metz 48 AF-1, and all it came with was an instruction manual.

There is a piece on the back of the case to feed yuor belt through, but I don't like it. I think it's very uncomfortable to have it stuck to me like that. Plus i more often than not wear shirts outside of my pants, and with the flash gun so close, you either can't pull your shirt down fully, or have to pull your shirt over it. Neither of which are ideal.

I'll probably never see the inside of a church with a camera. Anytime my flashgun gets use, it'll probably be in a pub kinda setting (birthdays/parties/etc.) and i don't trust drunken people.

I think I'll just go with the chain, so. Cheers guys

smelltheglove

Mine usually stays on the camera, just turned off. I'm careful enough with my camera so I would rather that then taking it off tbh.

VisionaryP

Borderfox wrote: »

Mine are on the camera all day at a wedding and never any harm to them, 580exII is weather sealed on the newer 1d bodies. I dont think the Canon pouches have a belt loop but I would have to root them out to find out.

Same.

KKV, you're an awful worrier. Live a little.

JayEnnis

Is this a serious thread?

VisionaryP

VisionaryP wrote: »

Same.

KKV, you're an awful worrier. Live a little.

I can't afford to live a little. I'm a bum.

If my flashgun gets broke, I know i don't use it enough to justify buying a new one, so that'll be the end iof it.

I'd rather spend 20 seconds unscrewing it and putting it in it's carry case.:)

JayEnnis

Deleted User wrote: »

I can't afford to live a little. I'm a bum.

If my flashgun gets broke, I know i don't use it enough to justify buying a new one, so that'll be the end iof it.

I'd rather spend 20 seconds unscrewing it and putting it in it's carry case.:)

Seriously man it'll be fine.

I spilt a pint on my D80 with an sb-600 on top and it was fine.

challengemaster

Only time I've ever had any problems with my flashguns was Kings of Concrete 2 years ago, I was kneeling down for ages, legs went completely dead. I tried to stand up but my legs were complete jelly...couldn't even put my feet on the ground properly... and I'd got 2 cameras around my shoulders... had to drop the one with the flash on it to try balance myself...so the hotshoe attachment broke on it, but that's sorted now....fixed it myself, ordered a replacement adaptor from ebay.

It's probably the most fragile thing on the camera if it does take a knock, alright, but i'd find it more of a pain in the hole to keep taking it off/putting it on...

Heebie

Try to keep this in mind:

Your camera equipment is a set of tools.. not a collection of artefacts for museum display.

Over time your camera kit should look like it's been used.. if it doesn't.. you're not using it nearly enough!

dazftw

Heebie wrote: »

Try to keep this in mind:

Your camera equipment is a set of tools.. not a collection of artefacts for museum display.

Over time your camera kit should look like it's been used.. if it doesn't.. you're not using it nearly enough!

+1

If your too careful you wont get good results. You'll be stuck worrying about "what if" scenarios.

VisionaryP

Deleted User wrote: »

I can't afford to live a little. I'm a bum.

If my flashgun gets broke, I know i don't use it enough to justify buying a new one, so that'll be the end iof it.

I'd rather spend 20 seconds unscrewing it and putting it in it's carry case.:)

Are you the type of fella who leaves the plastic sheeting over his furniture so it doesn't get stained?

Seriously man. I shoot 70 weddings a year with about €12k of equipment on me at all times. Squeezing through crowds, scraping off walls, drunk people, splashes, rain, muck and even the occasional drop to the ground, and all of my equipment is still in perfect working order.

You don't buy a car and leave it in the garage because you're afraid to scratch it.

Your equipment is functional. Use it.

VisionaryP

VisionaryP wrote: »

Are you the type of fella who leaves the plastic sheeting over his furniture so it doesn't get stained?

No, I'm the type of fella who doesn't make any money from photography, doesn't currently have a job and thus can't afford to make replacements for broken kit.


I don't mind my cameras/lenses taking a bit of a pasting, because I use them enough that I know i'll most likely end up replacing them (plus I've two DSLRs, so if one goes, the other is still there to keep me occupied). As I've said, the flashgun doesn't get enough use to justify having, so if it dies, it's incredibly unlikely I'll own another one for a long, long time.


Better safe, than sorry and all that...

JayEnnis

Deleted User wrote: »

No, I'm the type of fella who doesn't make any money from photography, doesn't currently have a job and thus can't afford to make replacements for broken kit.


I don't mind my cameras/lenses taking a bit of a pasting, because I use them enough that I know i'll most likely end up replacing them (plus I've two DSLRs, so if one goes, the other is still there to keep me occupied). As I've said, the flashgun doesn't get enough use to justify having, so if it dies, it's incredibly unlikely I'll own another one for a long, long time.


Better safe, than sorry and all that...

Compare the price of lenses to that of a flashgun, your looking at this all wrong!