Holder for Sony Alpha remote control
How I created a holder for a Sony camera remote control
Sometime around 2009, as a poor student, I bought my first SLR camera using the first money I saved; it was a Nikon 3100. I remained loyal to Nikon for the next 13 years, but in 2021 I decided to buy a mirrorless camera.
When I saw Nikon mirrorless cameras that didn't work on regular SD cards, I was terribly disappointed and decided to abandon Nikon. My friend is a professional photographer and has been telling me about Sony for years. So, in 2021, not as a poor student anymore, but as a richer tech girl, I bought brand-new Sony camera equipment.
Although the equipment was as expensive as a new car, I tried to save money on a few things. For example, I use a regular Sony Alpha wireless remote control, which can be bought in China for a few dollars. The remote control works great; it's just that I always lose it while taking pictures. I've already lost two pieces.
So, after a year of searching all my pockets for the control, I got the idea to make a retractable reel holder, which I would fix to my pants. No, I never take pictures in a dress, because I move a lot when I take pictures, so it might not turn out well :)
I modelled the holder with five hooks. Four would be more logical, yes, but they would also cover the spot from which the signal is fired. Therefore, it would be very silly to make it like that.
I tested many dimensions, but in the end, these turned out to be the best: The overall size is 89.5 millimetres and 41.9 millimetres, with a 5-millimetre-long hook.
The hooks that will hold the remote control are only 1.5 millimetres, but even that is enough to hold the control while allowing it to be easy to pull out.
Printing was fast, just a few tens of minutes. It took me about five attempts to find the right dimensions to make it fit. I printed with supports because each of the five hooks has a 1.5-millimetre overhang.
I put the finished holder on the retractable reel, which stretches about a meter and automatically retracts itself. Therefore, I can be sure that I will always have the remote control with me. The retractable reel cost only a few cents.
This is what it looks like in real life. I hook the retractable reel to my pants or shorts and leave it there. It's worth mentioning that I photograph landscapes and skies, not weddings. This probably wouldn't be a good idea for a wedding :)
