Hint: It combats light leaks.
Your Canon dSLR has a useful tool on its strap that has likely gone unnoticed. PetaPixel points out that the small rubber thingy, (for lack of a better term) on the strap that came with your Canon camera is an eyepiece cover that prevents light from leaking into the viewfinder.
Whenever you don’t use the viewfinder to shoot a photo — when using the self-timer or remote switch, for example — light can enter the viewfinder and throw off the exposure. To prevent that from happening, just mask the viewfinder with the rubber eyepiece cover.
I use an old Nikon D50 and have no such rubber thingy on the strap. According to my D50 user manual, an eyepiece cover was included in the box. Since it wasn’t cleverly integrated onto the strap, I lost it years ago.
I shoot with a Nikon, so I went to my local Best Buy and asked a patient store associate to open a Canon dSLR box. The included strap had the eyepiece cover that my Nikon lacks. To use the eyepiece cover, I had to remove the rubber eyepiece cup from the back of the camera and then slipped the cover over the viewfinder.
If you need to cover the viewfinder and don’t have a rubber eyepiece cover handy — Lori Grunin, one of CNET’s resident photography experts, suggests you simply drape a black microfiber cloth over the viewfinder.
For more photo tips, learn how to protect your camera from rain and snow for less than $1 and how to use everyday items as DIY phone camera lenses and filters.
Source: cnet.com
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Decades ago, my Canon A-1 had a shutter integrated with the viewfinder for this purpose. Wish they’d bring that back.
Huh? My Minolta X 7000 and Nikon has one.
I have a late model CANON DSLR and it has NO such “DINGY” on the strap on my camera!!
This is on most DSLR camera straps and has been for decades. It is not just Canon.
Also, pro level bodies might have it as an internal mechanism.
The best advice to give ANY DSLR, SLT, or mirrorless camera owner is: READ THAT MANUAL! If the manual is boring (most are) buy one of the third party books on your camera.
I knew what it was at first sight, but mounting it on the strap is a good idea. Eyepiece covers have been a necessary assessory for the past 30+ years. I found out the hard way back in the early 80’s, because you didn’t get to see those severely underexposed results ’til later, of course.
No sure about other Nikon cameras, but mine has an internal viewfinder shutter that you can open and close with a small lever. No need to carry anything on the strap or in the bag.
Thank you for the information. I had tried but never determind what it was for. Now I know to use it while remote shooting.
Decades ago, my Canon A-1 had a shutter integrated with the viewfinder for this purpose. Wish they’d bring that back.
Huh? My Minolta X 7000 and Nikon has one.
I have a late model CANON DSLR and it has NO such “DINGY” on the strap on my camera!!
This is on most DSLR camera straps and has been for decades. It is not just Canon.
Also, pro level bodies might have it as an internal mechanism.
The best advice to give ANY DSLR, SLT, or mirrorless camera owner is: READ THAT MANUAL! If the manual is boring (most are) buy one of the third party books on your camera.
I knew what it was at first sight, but mounting it on the strap is a good idea. Eyepiece covers have been a necessary assessory for the past 30+ years. I found out the hard way back in the early 80’s, because you didn’t get to see those severely underexposed results ’til later, of course.
No sure about other Nikon cameras, but mine has an internal viewfinder shutter that you can open and close with a small lever. No need to carry anything on the strap or in the bag.
Thank you for the information. I had tried but never determind what it was for. Now I know to use it while remote shooting.