How to secure SLR camera's during rides

[bytheblood]

Lol, I saw the other compartments, I missed the side opening.

Not too shabby looking.

And it is great on most rides. You just move it around to the front while you are riding. My husband hates it though. I have a traditional camera backpack as well and he prefers that one. I might be because I put a bunch of Disney iron-ons on my bag to make it more girly. LOL

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

If you put it away how can you get pictures like this?

or this

For myself it just depends. If I plan to take a picture while on the ride I will have the camera strap (I have a Blackrapid sling type) around me and also grip the strap and camera tightly. If I'm not going to take a picture it goes in my padded camera bag and if it's a coaster or something of that type I will put my leg thru the strap and then either hang on to it or else have it rest on the floor between my feet. Many trips and no damage. I have a waist pack I use at times and on some rides that can just stay attached to my waist. I don't have a specific bag to recommend - just one with padding and a good, solid closure and she should be fine.

 

[bryannem]

I took my Sony a57 on the trip for the first time this week. I thought I would be really annoyed carrying it around all the time, but I wasn't. It was really comfy. I did not carry a bag or any other accessories. I went in BTMRR and EE and just put it in the little bag holder they have on the ride. It was fine both times. I don't think I would try that on ToT or RnRC, but it worked for me this week.

 

[Rusteze]

My wife takes most of the photos on our trips but on rides I normally just put the camera bag between my feet and loop the shoulder strap around my leg.

 

[MichelleVW]

I am a professional photographer and I own two Sony DSLRs and 4 lens of various sizes. I have a two week trip to WDW planned in Feb and it will be my first time there. I am really excited about photographing WDW. So which camera am I going to take and which lens? None of the above. I am going to buy a camera especially for the trip.

The reasons are many. With a DSLR you are restricted to using one lens at a time. If you wish you can carry more lenses, but I don't change lenses in the field, to dangerous. I don't want to cart a few lens around along with the camera. When I am on any ride with water the camera will have to be put away and not used. When I am on any ride with a lot of motion I will have to put it away and not use it. Using your camera at an amusement park greatly increases the risk of damage, loss or theft. And it is a pain keeping a DSLR no matter where you put it. They are not exactly small.

My plan is to buy a (relatively) inexpensive point and shoot that is waterproof, shock resistant, and freeze proof. It will be small enough to fit into my pocket and be out of the way. It will allow me to shoot photos on just about any ride in the park. I won't have to worry about it getting wet or dirty. And if it gets lost stolen or broken I won't be out very much money.

The P&S will not have as good of image quality as a DSLR, however if you are not printing billboards and only looking at the images on a computer monitor 99% of the people will not be able to see a quality difference.

And if something does happen to the P&S then my DSLRs are backups. If something happens to your daughters DSLR does she have a backup?

You can get P&S cameras like I am describing starting around $100. I have decided on a Canon D20:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSh...1352682017&sr=8-10&keywords=underwater+camera

No way could I ever leave my DSLR at home! That's a scary thought!!! Most of the time I keep it around my neck, even on rides and just hold on to it! Last trip I even rented a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for the trip and had no problem whatsoever!

 

[Tigerlulu]

I would be miserable without my dslr! The few times I've given in and tried just a p&s (even a big fancy one) I was miserable. It's not worth it.

I will be toting my d700 around my neck, though I often wear it cross body. I will have just a kit lens for versatility and ease but also probably my 50mm for low light. Haven't decided this time on my 70-200--mostly b/c of replacement cost if it gets stolen b/c I don't want to carry it all the time and Ilm fairly paranoid about my equipment. I'll also have an extra flash for evenings. And a tripod stashed somewhere for evenings also.

I ALWAYS keep a UV filter on my lenses! ALWAYS!!!! Luckily I started this b/c I've saved my 70-200 by having one. The filter broke and the lens is unscathed. Whew. My heart still races when I think about what could've happened!

I will stash the flash with the tripod in a locker, the 50 mm will fit in my small cross body bagallini and I will wear my camera as usual. I have 4 kiddos and I am a minimalist so we won't be bringing anything we don't need. I will have a garbage bag to wrap it in for the one water ride (Kali). Splash will be closed this time for us. :-(

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

 

[Mary.Poppins]

I bring my dslr and wouldn't go without it. I actually carry it in my drawstring back pack which I'm sure is making everyone in here cringe right now or really most of the time around my shoulder. Here's a great trick... When the camera is in my drawstring back pack I put a cozy over the lens. You know, one of those insulated things to keep your can of pop/beer cold. Works perfectly and protects the lens!!

 

[SeilerBird]

Wow. Good luck then.
I can't imagine having only d20. You say your professional right?

Yes I am but I am not being paid to go to WDW and photograph, I am taking the photos for my own pleasure. I bet I get better shots on Splash Mountain than you do. Subject matter and composition are far more important that being able to print billboards. I will be breaking out the DSLRs on occasion, such as fireworks shows. If I visit an attraction and feel like I would really have preferred to have shot it with a DSLR I can always return another day with my DSLR. I will be there 14 days this year and the entire month of January 2014.

And just in case you are not aware, not all pros use DSLRs for every shot.

 

[SeilerBird]

No way could I ever leave my DSLR at home! That's a scary thought!!! Most of the time I keep it around my neck, even on rides and just hold on to it! Last trip I even rented a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM for the trip and had no problem whatsoever!

I did not say I was going to leave my DSLRs at home, they just are not going to be my main camera. There is more to photography than image quality. But a lot of people love to carry DSLRs like a status thingy.

 

[SeilerBird]

Several people have expressed shock that a professional who owns DSLRs would bring a P&S to the park. It is not the camera it is the photographer. If you know photography and are good then it doesn't matter what kind of camera you use. A pro can get great shots with any camera. Yes a DSLR will do better in very low light, but I avoid very low light situations anyway. Most very low light photos suck. If you have to have a DSLR to get great photos then you need to work on your photography skills.

Here is an album of photos I took with a P&S 6 years ago. And it is an 8 megapixel camera.

https://picasaweb.google.com/SeilerBird/2006?authuser=0&feat=directlink

 

[mom2rtk]

When I am on any ride with water the camera will have to be put away and not used. When I am on any ride with a lot of motion I will have to put it away and not use it.

Says who?


IMG_8400 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[MichelleVW]

I bring my dslr and wouldn't go without it. I actually carry it in my drawstring back pack which I'm sure is making everyone in here cringe right now or really most of the time around my shoulder. Here's a great trick... When the camera is in my drawstring back pack I put a cozy over the lens. You know, one of those insulated things to keep your can of pop/beer cold. Works perfectly and protects the lens!!

Not cringing here....I do the same thing with my DSLR.

 

[ejrj]

Says who?


IMG_8400 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

I think you should be my official trip photographer. You have enough of your family already. You should just follow mine around instead.

 

[MichelleVW]

Several people have expressed shock that a professional who owns DSLRs would bring a P&S to the park. It is not the camera it is the photographer. If you know photography and are good then it doesn't matter what kind of camera you use. A pro can get great shots with any camera. Yes a DSLR will do better in very low light, but I avoid very low light situations anyway. Most very low light photos suck. If you have to have a DSLR to get great photos then you need to work on your photography skills.

Here is an album of photos I took with a P&S 6 years ago. And it is an 8 megapixel camera.

https://picasaweb.google.com/SeilerBird/2006?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I've taken amazing pics with my iphone camera too...but I freaking hate point and shoot cameras and I love my DSLR, I don't think it's a big deal to carry it around the park. It's been to WDW many many times and if something were to happen to it, I would be sad, but it's replaceable. Going to the parks without it isn't an option for me, but more power to you if it works for you.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think you should be my official trip photographer. You have enough of your family already. You should just follow mine around instead.

LOL and thanks!

When you book the package though, keep in mind I don't do Disney in the heat.

 

[atp]

I just wear the camera around my neck or around my neck and through one arm (if that makes sense) and then if the ride is really rough I also hold it close to my body with one hand.

Never had any issues doing that.

 

[stindall]

Says who?


IMG_8400 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

this is sort of OT but how do you get a photo like that? With one focal point and the rest blurred like you often see on the tea cups? I asked for a compact system camera for Christmas and I'd like to be able to do something like that, maybe? hopefully?

 

[lelei]

I've taken amazing pics with my iphone camera too...but I freaking hate point and shoot cameras and I love my DSLR, I don't think it's a big deal to carry it around the park. It's been to WDW many many times and if something were to happen to it, I would be sad, but it's replaceable. Going to the parks without it isn't an option for me, but more power to you if it works for you.

We have also taken some awesome iPhone pics and some good ones with our Olympus Tough, but I would never leave my DSLR behind either. The P&S might be convenient but I get very frustrated with how slow the shutter speeds are. In a place with as much action and movement as Disney, the slower shutter speeds can result in a lot of frustration and a lot of missed shots. When I'm taking pics of my kids on rides and such, I want to be able to capture the moment, and P&S cameras just aren't fast enough or good enough with movement to do that. Landscapes and places you can get up close with minimal movement can be ok with a P&S but there's just too much action at Disney for that to be the case. You'd be missing out on more fantastic photo ops than its worth. I prefer to be able to move with the action and not slow down to snap photos. I want to be in the moment, and no matter how "good" a photographer you are, the P&S cameras are just too slow to capture quality pictures without slowing down to do so.

I'd be sad if something happened to my camera, but the moments I have already captured with it are priceless. I can replace the camera, but I can't recreate the amazing photos of my family that I have taken with it.

Also, while we have one of the shockproof/waterproof/freezeproof cameras, aside from the waterparks at Disney you just don't need the waterproof component that much. On Splash Mt we just throw a baggy over it right before the drop and put it under a poncho. We are able to get beautiful shots of the dark parts of the ride and I have some photos of my kids on the ride that are priceless now.

I really wouldn't recommend that anyone should leave their DSLR at home and buy a waterproof camera for the two rides at the park that have water on them.

We have one of the over the shoulder sling bags shown earlier in the thread. We also bring some giant ziplock baggies. If it starts to rain, we throw the camera in a dry ziplock right away. The sling bag also has a rain cover. We don't see any reason to fear the weather hurting our cameras.

The sling bags are awesome, easy to get gear out of and surprisingly comfortable.

On rides, we typically hold our cameras. If the pouch on the ride is too snug for the bag, we set it on the floor between our feet and loop the strap over our leg for extra security. Just don't forget to untangle yourself before you get off


There's no reason to worry about carrying a DSLR around the park, and the photos make the weight of the camera worth it

 

[PrincessKida]

Deleted

 

[mom2rtk]

this is sort of OT but how do you get a photo like that? With one focal point and the rest blurred like you often see on the tea cups? I asked for a compact system camera for Christmas and I'd like to be able to do something like that, maybe? hopefully?

Just like on the teacups, the camera stays a fixed distance from the subjects in the log (or teacup). The entire ride vehicle then moves past the background, so it gets blurred. As long as you use a longish shutter speed. I think my speed was 1/30 on this one. No reason you can't do that as long as you can manage to hold the camera fairy still. I did also have a rainsleeve over the camera in case of mishaps at the bottom of the drop. I also had the strap wrapped firmly around my wrist. I will take risks, but I do like for them to be calculated risks.