D.I.Y. Camera Sling Strap

Since the very first day I had my DSLR, I've always had problems with carrying my camera around. Most of the time I hang it around my neck. After a while, neck gets tired, neck area get too warm for comfort, and also felt very uncomfortable pressure at the side of the neck. (I feel uncomfortable even from wearing a tie. So the weight on a DSLR is pretty annoying for my neck.)
I ended up always carrying the camera either on 1 shoulder or sling it across my body using the neck strap. That limited length meant that I cannot just bring up the camera and shoot cause the eyepiece gets nowhere near my eye. I'm constantly "putting on" and "taking off". I felt like an idiot. I never knew the existence of sling strap. I've never seen people using it here in sunny Singapore where so many people have a DSLR. Everyone just hangs it on their necks.
I did a bit of research on ways to carry the camera around, either by means of an easy access bag or ways to carry using the neck strap. That's when i came across

Black Rapid
The instant I saw that, all the thoughts of myself looking like an idiot has been reassured.
I checked online for the prices of brand new and 2nd hand sling straps of different brands. Oh my are they all expensive or expensive. Me, being on a budget, looked around for d.i.y. solutions and compared how different models work. TheImaginaryZebra gave step-by-step instructions on how their version of sling strap was made. It was really simple and serves it purpose, and really cheap to make.

I set out to buy the materials to make my own sling strap with a few designs in mind. Then how do I know what to buy, you may ask. Well, most hardware stores here ain't really a 1 stop for everything. I'll have to come up with a final design depending on what materials i can scavenge.

And this is what i got.

I couldn't find a nut short enough, thus I've got to stack both washers for the height. Cut part of it off a washer as there was not enough of the bolt screwed into the camera.

Screw them all the way in

Just the right pressure to keep it snugly

Snap them together

Hook'em up

Ta-da~

Is it secure? Yes it is. Main concern will be if the plastic hooks can hold the weight. The strap is from my small Lowepro camera bag. These are durable and not brittle. Have a bit of a flex. Thus durability does not worry me.
Camera will swing and bounce if I run or move fast. But it has become a habit to have my arm contacting the camera to prevent bounce and swing whenever I'm not holding it in my hand.
With the materials I can only make a sling strap that moves along with the camera, instead of staying in place while I bring the camera up and down. At least its comfortable since I'm using a spongy Lowepro sling.

This is definitely not comparable to sling straps sold in the market which are all priced above $80 bucks. This costs me only $4.30 and it serves its purpose well. I'm very happy with it.

Singapore Gundam Expo 2011

Singapore Gundam Expo 2011 held at Compasspoint, Sengkang, from 15th - 27th November.
I was getting my hopes high to see some nicely done up Gunpla. And sure was I not disappointed with the submissions of the models, especially those of the open category. However, it appeared that there were not enough space in the display cabinets, many work of art were cramped together and some were blocking the line of sight of others.

Some of the submissions were not secured tightly at their bases and joints, parts had fallen off, some gundams faceplant into the glass. And they were so close to each other that some were toppled over by those that were unstable or loose at the base, like dominos. Diffference is that it hurts to see these models where so much effort had been put in but gotten "sabotaged".

Really hope that organizers realize this major issue and do something about it for next year's expo.

Overall it was a decent showcase for something that's free. Somehow it just lacks something. Don't really know how to describe it but a certain element was missing. Visually, I didn't enjoy it very much.

AFA XI (cosplay)

After finishing my work(yes, worked overnight), I headed back to AFA to take some pictures of cosplayers the next afternoon.

Day 2 was as pack as day 1. Didn't bother to go into the hall on day 2. As for Anisong concert, the line up wasn't as attractive to as as compared to the evening before. I stayed out the hall throughout my 3hrs there, going round and round in circles trying to take pictures. Squeezing with hordes and hordes of ppl with their dslr flashing away x_x

There wasn't as much space this year as there were many many events going on that weekend. It wasn't such an enjoyable experience for cosplayers, many had their costumes stepped on, props hit and kicked away by very selfish jerks. Those nonsense behaviour by the public aside, most of them had fun.

These are all that I manage to get.

I am not a professional photographer. If the photos look bad, I sincerely apologise to the cosplayers in them. I did not do them justice.

Setsura + Tsurara

Trollolol

I don't think she was cosplaying any character