How have I made my Sony RX10 personal to me? In all the time that I have owned this camera I have only seen one other being used! The press boys loved this camera and gave it great reviews when it arrived. I wonder whether you don’t see too many because Sony overpriced it, which makes it a camera you may not see. This is a great shame as it’s a great camera.
The first thing that I did was to fit a concave soft touch button via the screw thread fitted to the shutter button. Why? Because the shutter is very light to the touch. So for me it was too easy to take images that I had not intended to take. Thankfully the soft touch button has fixed this problem for me.
If I do want to use the cable release then it’s very easy to unscrew the button. So far I am on my first button; they are very small and it would be very easy to lose something that is as small as this is. So care must be taken – you have been warned!
The second thing I did was to change the camera strap. I will admit to having a thing about them. I don’t like walking around as a mobile camera ad. It took me a while to find a replacement which would work for me personally.
So the camera is fitted with an RDS-LT100 BLK which is made by Red Label Artisan&Artist. It’s a leather camera strap. The camera strap is well made and has a good length, but is not too wide. This is good news for a camera that is small compared to a DSLR. The strap has a simple style to it, and it does not say “Look at me, I am an expensive camera”. For me it’s simple and practical.
Thirdly, I had to deal with the problem that I shake. As a photographer this can be a real pain to me at times. So I use “Steady Shot on” via the camera’s menu. For me this seems to help.
Just as you would use the “Vibration Reduction” on your Nikon camera lens if you have it, it helps with hand holding images at slower shutter speeds. I forget that it’s ON and have used the camera on a tripod and forgotten to switch it off. Nikon recommends that you do this when using their “VR” lens.
Being “old school” I match my shutter speeds to the focal length of the lens being used. Ensuring that the shutter speed and focal length are equal helps a lot.
Fourthly, I have and use a pistol grip. This may seem extreme to you, but it works for me. Take a look at the image if you have never seen or used one. It screws into the tripod screw on the base of the camera. I hold the grip on the camera with my left hand, while using my right forefinger to fire the shutter button. It’s a great combo, and very easy to use.
It’s very old school but, hey, it works for me. I am not alone in using a pistol grip either. Steve Mc Curry, who is a world famous travel photographer, uses one with his Nikon cameras. So if it’s good enough for him and me, why not try one?
Fifthly I have a wooden base for my camera. “Not that unusual, Mark”, you say. However mine is a “one of a kind”. It was made by JB Designs in America. It gives the camera body a larger “foot print”. How this helps me is that my right little finger can remain in touch with the camera body instead of being “lost” underneath it.
The larger footprint works when placing the camera down on a flat surface with the lens hood on. It no longer falls forward! It also means that the base of the camera body remains unmarked.
It is not the usual design for JB Designs, as I cannot change the camera battery or SD card without removing the base from the camera. They did tell me this, and it is not a problem to me. Nor does it have the extra grip to the front of the camera body which also is not a problem to me.
I love the retaining screw that JB Designs supply with it. It is very clever because I can still use a tripod with the base fitted, as the screw fitment can itself be screwed into, for a pistol grip or tripod quick release plate. Or it can be screwed straight onto the tripod head if you so wish.
JB Designs even supplies an American Penny to screw and unscrew the base with. I asked for a spare retaining screw at the time of ordering, so they also packed one extra at no cost.
I love the product; they are a very helpful company to do business with!
So these are five things which make my Sony RX10 unique to me.
M