[UncleVanya]

Be aware that silica quickly absorbs moisture if not in an air tight container. Tossing one in the camera bag is useless. In 15 mins or so the gel has absorbed a lot of moisture already - that's the max exposure for a small packet in an unsealed container that is recommended. Here's a link to some frequently asked questions about the stuff:

Frequently Asked Questions - Does Silica Gel Comes Ready to Use,How Long Can Silica Gel Be Stored

[geomez]

Strap? What strap?


Mine is never attached...

Ditto

[Quartermaster James]

Just a simple loop of webbing as a wrist strap. Stays on the camera all the time.

[jlstrawman]

What you do with strap when storing camera? Storing with strap is clumsy and also have a danger of strap attracting moisture. But removing and attaching normal strap is even more clumsy.

I use a leather wrist strap which can easily be removed, although I don't. My wrist strap never gets in the way. I keep my equipment in a
humidity-controlled environment, so moisture is not a problem

[microlight]

Just a simple Joby webbing wrist strap, plus a b-grip Uno on my backpack strap to hold the camera when it's not in my hand.

[Larrymc]

What you do with strap when storing camera? Storing with strap is clumsy and also have a danger of strap attracting moisture. But removing and attaching normal strap is even more clumsy.

Just wondering.

My strap stays on all the time along with the quick release plate except the release plate comes off when the battery grip is mounted.

[TER-OR]

Yup. Well, the K5 is stored without battery or strap now, as it's my backup.
The K3II has its strap at all times, ready to roll. I use a couple different sling straps for comfort and security.

[BigMackCam]

Be aware that silica quickly absorbs moisture if not in an air tight container. Tossing one in the camera bag is useless. In 15 mins or so the gel has absorbed a lot of moisture already - that's the max exposure for a small packet in an unsealed container that is recommended. Here's a link to some frequently asked questions about the stuff:

Frequently Asked Questions - Does Silica Gel Comes Ready to Use,How Long Can Silica Gel Be Stored

Interesting. Thanks for that I typically have a dozen small-ish silica gel bags in my larger hard case - one or more in each soft compartment.

What I don't understand, based on that article, is why manufacturers bother putting silica gel bags (very small ones) in the new equipment boxes... Surely they stop being effective before they've even left the factory?

[UncleVanya]

Interesting. Thanks for that I typically have a dozen small-ish silica gel bags in my larger hard case - one or more in each soft compartment.

What I don't understand, based on that article, is why manufacturers bother putting silica gel bags (very small ones) in the new equipment boxes... Surely they stop being effective before they've even left the factory?

All of my new equipment with Silica comes wrapped in plastic. The plastic is airtight or close to it.

[geomez]

All of my new equipment with Silica comes wrapped in plastic. The plastic is airtight or close to it.

They put them in new shoes not wrapped in plastic. A lot of other non-electronic, non-plastic wrapped items as well.

[chuck_c]

My cameras are stored with no straps. The original straps are stored in the box that the camera came in, because I don't use them. I will attach the camera to a Rapid Strap when I am going to use it, or I shoot with no strap on the camera.

[UncleVanya]

They put them in new shoes not wrapped in plastic. A lot of other non-electronic, non-plastic wrapped items as well.

The shoes I have gotten with it were always wrapped. Any use outside of sealed is just a complete waste of time and effort from everything I have read,

[AggieDad]

I use the Op/Tech system with my camera. There are plastic clips on the camera and all of their different straps fit up to them. Typically I use the wrist strap, but if we're on some kind of a touristy thing, then I use either the neck strap, a side sling, or a harness depending upon what my wife has planned for us. With the plastic clips, changing from one to the other is no more clunky than zipping a jacket.

Since I am old, I always have some kind of strap on the camera (the wrist strap is my favorite) as much for not losing it as for dropping it.

[victormeldrew]

They may well saturate quickly, but the point of silica sachets is that the saturate preferentially, so any spare moisture floating about goes to the sachet first. Then on a dry day, they lose some back to the air and are ready to sacrifice themselves again later. In a continuously humid environment they will only help for a short while, but in the real world they do the job pretty well as long as it is in an enclosed space and you replace them fairly often - you can get colour-changing sachets that tell you when they're done with if you have bad memory.

[csa]

Strap? If you want to grapple your camera by object around you, and have a chance to drop your camera, keep your strap on your camera. I did it , and after the second stumble, I put the strap somewhere, very far away, in a bag, to be sure that it will never hamper me again.

Using camera straps since the mid 60's; I've yet to drop any camera. I fold the strap up when in my bag(s), and when removing the camera, I hold the camera with one hand, while pulling the strap out of the compartment with the other hand. I've heard of more dropped cameras that never had a strap on them; than those with a strap.