I know I've already written two separate blog posts about the Holdfast Money Maker, but this fabulous dual strap system is too awesome not to write about again.
I received the new version without the D-Rings courtesy of Holdfast, and I've been loving how I can wear my hair down. (I'm wearing it up here so you can see the straps better)
I'm still wearing the same color and same size.No more D-Rings on the front and back. Subtly cleaner design!
New clasps. I personally find these a little bit difficult to work with at times. Every now and then I'll quickly unclasp my camera so I can bring the camera high up above my head to shoot, but these clasps have slowed me down from doing that a lot. They are definitely much more secure, though.
I also lost one of the little leather pieces that's attached to it, so I just put in a keyring. Not as comfortable to pull as a leather tag.
Just a tip when receiving your first Holdfast Money Maker -
If you got the bridle tan or bridle chestnut, the leather will be pretty stiff at first. It took about a year of wearing my first Money Maker regularly before it became really soft and pliable.
So, when I first received the alternate version, I would bend the straps back and forth and rub the unfinished leather against itself to remove most of the sawdust-like particles. I'd do this while watching Netflix or something, and after a while it became soft enough that I didn't notice it much on my first shoot with it. I liken this to breaking in a pair of ballet pointe shoes!
The next thing I'd love to see improved with the Money Maker (or something I can probably DIY) - minimizing the squeaking of the clasps and the locking screw. It does squeak a bit when I'm walking around with it since the metal is just rubbing against each other.
Here's a few more of me working with it. I usually wear the Holdfast with a shootsac at the same time. It's possible, just slide your bag behind you and bring the cameras to the front.
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| photo by Gavin Farrington |
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| shot by Tyler Watkins |
And see my previous blog posts and the original versions here:
Holdfast Money Maker | Initial Thoughts
Holdfast Money Maker | Part 2
Update:
Here's what you can do to quiet the squeaking from the locking screw rubbing against the clasps - wrap a thin layer of gaff tape onto the clasp!
