DIY: Camera Holster

Anyone who ever uses two DSLR's at the same time knows that figuring out a good way to stow that second camera is a challenge. I've scoured the internet, and found a few good ideas, from actual gun style holsters, hip bags, body sling mounts, and special straps. Some kind of cool, some ridiculously goofy. After a bit of thinking though, I realized that I could probably just as easily buy a few parts and pave my own way, DIY style.

My epiphany came when i realized that there already existed the perfect connecting mechanism for camera bodies... tripod base plates. So after a little research, I was lead to the Manfrotto 323 RC2 Rapid Connect Adapter with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate. This crazy invention has it all, a quick locking mechanism so that you can snap the camera onto the tripod quickly, and a safety latch to keep you from accidentally unhooking your camera.


The main problem to overcome, was how to adapt this to a vertically oriented belt attachment. My particular solution to this was pretty simple. I bought an old leather belt from the Goodwill Store down the street, cut it up and put a screw through the belt and into the base. There's already a screw hole there that you're supposed to use when attaching to a tripod, so the only real issue was finding a short screw that fit the threads. All done, I was left with my new holster with a leather loop for my belt.


Provided that the leather doesn't rip (it's pretty thick), there's very little chance of this thing falling apart. And it's not like the camera's going to rotate around the mount enough times to unscrew itself.

And some more pictures of my new holster in action.


Notice the latch next to my thumb. It's really easy to reach, and perfect for keeping me from dropping/breaking the camera.


In the end, this project was an exercise in compromise. The only way to fully protect a camera is to put in in a case, but cases are bulky. The setup allows a little bit more movement than I'd have liked, but again, anything that would stabilize the camera to my hip would also require a more elaborate rigid framework. All in all, this setup hit enough pros to outweigh the cons.


[UPDATED 09.23.09] So... after a bit of thought, I figured I didn't want to hang (potentially) $5000 worth of gear off this contraption without a bit more reinforcement. I just completed version 2.0 of the Camera Holster. The main addition: a steel plate on the inside. Seeing as it is now physically impossible for the screw head to rip out of the holes in the leather... the only way for everything to fall apart is if both leather straps rip through sideways. I consider the odds of that happening slim, and even if it does, I'll be able to see the rips in progress before things go south... literally. Here's the updated, sleeker, model: