Shooting with primes is great, and I'm definitely looking to step up my photography by not letting myself miss a shot with not having the right lens at the right moment. So just a few days ago I picked up a Holdfast Money Maker. I haven't had a real chance to use it out in the field yet, since right when it arrived in the mail I had to go up to Santa Barbara for a weekend film shoot, and then immediately went to Las Vegas for NAB (an annual trade show produced by the National Association of Broadcasters. Pictures from those up soon!)
I thought I'd share a few initial thoughts about the Holdfast Money Maker. Packaging is great; it made a good first impression. The leather definitely needs time to be worn in, as when I first put it on, it was stiff and left sawdust-like material on my clothes. Folks with long hair, tie your hair up out of the way! My long hair immediately got caught on the metal hooks and it took off a few strands. Ouch!
I got my Money Maker in bridal chestnut, a great color that matches almost everything stylishly. I initially thought about buying the Black Rapid dual camera system, but decided to go with the Money Maker because it looked a lot less tactical. I always prefer something that doesn't make me look too intimidating. I don't want to look like I'm geared up for battle!
One of the things I immediately tested out was to see how the straps would fit with just ONE camera on it. Surprisingly, it doesn't shift the entire strap system to one whole side, which is great. I also immediately tested to see if using it in portrait mode with a battery grip would be awkward or anything, since sometimes my black rapid strap's clip would get caught in itself in odd ways.
All in all, I'm excited to test this dual camera system out and see how my back feels after a full day of shooting. The Holdfast Money Maker feels like I'm wearing a backpack since it crosses in the back so I'm hoping it'll distribute the weight evenly.
Photos shot by Tyler.
Excellent! Thanks for this review. It definitely is stylish, and oh-so-tempting!
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ReplyDeleteNice one. im really thinking to get it :-)
ReplyDeleteVer nice review Annie. How about using it in portrait mode with a battery grip? Is it awkward or anything?
ReplyDeleteHey Josh!
DeleteI found that using a grip in portrait mode was a little bit awkward, especially since the screw goes into the bottom and the lobster claw hooks right onto it. I can't hold a gripped camera in portrait mode comfortably when there's an attachment right in the middle. I eventually stopped using grips on my cameras, and shooting in portrait mode is a lot better.
Otherwise, grips were meant to be held unobstructed :)
I do believe Holdfast sells portrait sliders ( http://holdfastgear.com/products/portrait-sliders ) but I haven't tried them out.
Hope that helps!
Annie, how do you find the Shootsac to work with Moneymaker together? Is it OK or did you find some better solution? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's a system that works well for me currently. I removed the flap (the one that attaches with velcro) so I can easily reach in for my lenses and push the bag behind me and keep my cameras in front. Whenever I can, I put my shootsac down, using it only when I need to change lenses.
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