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The BushHawk Shoulder Camera Mount -- A Review |
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Gun stock type camera mounts aren't a new idea -- they've been around for years. However, most were home-made, and being constructed usually of wood, were heavy and required the creator to figure out some kind of trigger assembly that would actuate the shutter. I had toyed with the idea of making one myself, and while researching it online, came across the BushHawk website. I was immediately intrigued by the BushHawk product because of its light weight (it is all space-age composite material); the fact that the two-stage trigger assembly mimics the shutter button of your camera (for instance, holding the trigger half way down initiates focusing; all the way down actuates the shutter); that the manufacturer offered shutter release cables; and indeed, the whole assembly (I obtained model 320D with the optional front handle) is very reasonably priced ($139.90 plus $39.95 for the release cable). The unit arrived at the peak of waterfowl migration through my area. If you've looked around my website, you've no doubt noticed that birds on the wing are a favorite subject of mine. While I've gotten quite good at hand-holding a camera and long lens while taking on-the-wing shots, there have been times when I've wished for something that would add stability, especially on lenses over 400mm. I was optimistic the BushHawk would do the job. I mounted a body and 500mm lens and Canon 30D body on the BushHawk and went to the marsh. I won't keep you waiting -- I immediately fell in love with this device. Although bringing it up and getting your eye behind the viewfinder takes some getting used to, and some adjustment to fit your body (it seems infinitely adjustable) is necessary, after a while I found that this was by far the most natural way of swinging a camera and lens on a moving subject. I qualify that by saying I've used shotguns all my life, so swinging on a bird with a gun-like device comes easily to me. However, I also believe that anyone, with a little practice, will find it to be natural as well. After I was certain I was going to keep the device, I made two modifications. First, I camouflaged it with spray paint. I also added a quick release mount. The BushHawk comes with a standard threaded screw for mounting a lens or camera body. While I found this to be adequate for smaller lenses, when using a lens of 400mm or larger, you'll really want to use a quick release mount because I simply could not tighten down the thumbscrew enough where there wasn't some play in the unit. I replaced the thumbscrew with a hex-headed screw when adding my release plate. The BushHawk company also offers their own quick release plate. If it is compatible with your current quick release system (or you don't own one at all), I'd suggest you look into it. The BushHawk is at its best when photographing moving subjects. With one hand on the forward handle, the other on the pistol grip, you can pull tightly to your shoulder and truly increase your steadiness. While this works on stationary subjects as well, it could never replace a tripod (and it isn't intended to) for real rock-steady work. However, I do believe this to be a better choice than a Wimberly-type mount for photographing fast moving critters and birds. Even with the excellent Wimberly, you're hard press to grab overhead shots, or pivot completely around the tripod. And such a set up is heavy and awkward to move. With the addition of some nylon straps (I fashioned a suitable sling by scavenging the shoulder strap from an old briefcase), the BushHawk can be slung over your shoulder, making the trudge into the blind or sneaking around in the woods or marsh very easy. The end result is that I am convinced that the BushHawk has increased my number of "keeper" wildlife photographs. This is true whether I was using image stabilized lenses or not -- although the biggest improvement came when using non-stabilized lenses. There are a lot of gadgets out there that don't perform nearly as well as what the manufacturer claims. The BushHawk isn't one of those -- it does what it is supposed to do, does it well, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. There are times you'll still want to use a tripod, times when a monopod will be better, and times when hand-holding is just fine. That said, I think that the BushHawk is one more valuable tool to add to your arsenal if you're serious about wildlife photography.
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