Seeing red

I got my squashy neoprene case for my Leica last year. It's to roomier than I need but it has the advantage that I can keep my EVF attached, any number of screw on filters and the quick release plate for my tripod, or if more appropriate, a mini tripod. There's one thing that bugs me about it though, the loud strip of velcro that I have to rip open to release my camera. Most of thr time I'm photographing inanimate objects and it still grates. But particularly last year when a robin hopped into my path I knew that the extracting of my camera from its home would elicit a loud noise and, undoubtedly, a spooked robin, so I had to use my iPhone instead.

Maybe I've been spoilt, my Billingham camera bag is pleasantly quiet to open, the only velcro is attached to the internal dividers which once sited you generally don't have to wrestle with. My very pink Pompidoo camera bag has a zip, again the velcro confined to the dividers, but the crescent shape means you can happily keep it open quite safely and quietly. My previous vintage leather case for my camera just had two poppers but when upgraded my D-Lux it wasn't quite capacious enough so I resorted to the neoprene one and cursed its noisiness.

The infuriating velcro almost proved to be its downfall to. I'd been out and spotting an interesting subject, unsheathed the camera, stowing the case in my bag. I kept the camera slung round my neck and not until the next day realised the case was no longer in my bag.

I contacted the last couple of places I'd visited in the hope it had been discovered. Sadly, it hadnt!

But it hadn't gone forever, I was selecting one of my favourite scarfs to wear, and one seemed a little heavier than I recalled, and amidst its folds I discovered my naughty neoprene case clinging on like a limpet courtesy of its velcro. So that confirmed it, velcro be gone! I carefully unpicked said loud attachment, but as the case is actually too big, I needed a replacement. Rifling through my sewing box I found a big red fabric button left over from a long forgotten jacket and along with an elastic hair tie, I fashioned a new closure and, as I could, I made it a snugger fit than the original. So I'm much happier with my case, not only does it fit better but I can get my camera out without that grating 'ripping' sound.

Whilst on my macro workshop in Worksop, Doug had just bought a couple of new MeFOTO travelling tripods and I was taken by how it folds neatly back on itself to make a very compact unit. I have a great light-ish carbon fibre tripod already, but it's still bulky and when travelling, especially courtesy of the dreaded budget airlines, every bit of saved space and weight is a bonus. I checked on Wex.com, but the all black one were out of stock but the red and black certainly matched my camera... and revamped case, of course, so it seemed the decision was made. I'm very happy with both so more photography adventures await I think!

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