Cotton Carrier Revisited
Last fall my wife and I added the Cotton Carrier camera vest to our respective gear bags for use on the kayaks. Having logged a few more trips this summer and the resulting experience with the Cotton Carrier camera vest, I can now officially declare it a truly useful gadget - especially for kayak photography.
Almost exclusively I'm shooting with my Nikon D300S with the 70-300mm f4.5/5.6 attached when in the kayak. This combination is still short enough that I can store it inside the middle hatch cover of my Hobie Outback when warranted, but most of the time its in my hand when we're on the water. While the Outback is an awesome kayak for photography and allows for one handed operation most of the time, there are still those rare occasions when I need to pick up the paddle or simply give my hands a rest. That's where this vest pays its dividends. Rather than going through the hassle of drying the hatch door, opening the hatch, squeezing the camera in for what usually only amounts to a few minutes, I can now quickly and securely drop the camera into receiver on the vest chest plate in just a few seconds. When I'm ready again, a quick turn and lift puts the camera back in my hand and ready for action.
While I'm sure there are other scenarios in which one would benefit from the Cotton Carrier, kayaking is still my one and only use. When I'm on land it's back to the Black Rapid strap for me.
2 comments:
Ken,
Wondering how you use your Cotton Carrier with your Outback and a PFD. My wife and I are considering purchasing two Outbacks and I'm an outdoor photographer like you and also have the Cotton Carrier. Absolutely love the CC and from your blog it appears we are going to love the Outbacks.
Bill
Hi Bill. You guys are going to LOVE the Outback! Incredibly stable, maneuverable and, with Mirage Drive, great for photography. I wear the Cotton Carrier right over the top of my PFD. My camera is tethered to the vest and, as the blog points out easily slips in and out of the receiver on those occasions where my hands need a quick rest.
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