Is it OK told Hold your camera by the External flash in the hot shoe?

I leave my external flash attached all the time and I find myself picking up the camera right where the flash attaches to the hot shoe (especially when the 55-300mm is attached). Is this ok to do or can I eventually do damage to the flash and/or hot shoe pins?

My thinking is the hotshoe is designed to support the weight of a speedlight. Large flash units are mounted off the tripod socket, so me thinks not a good idea.

i agree. best leave it well alone. chances are nothing may happen but it is simply not good practice. at the moment you have a fairly light camera/lens combo, however I certainly would not want to load up the hotshoe supporting the weight of a magnesium bodied camera with a 1kg lens attached!

NOT a good idea !

That's your expensive strobe, not a handle. Same goes for your lens: Also not a handle.

....

Why take chances? I would handle the camera carefully by the two handed approach. I would also always hav ethe strap around my neck. I am very safe because I don't want to buy a 1k camera again anytime soon.

I use a piece of leather attached to one side of the cam which I can use as a wrist strap. I just let the cam dangle while having my fingers below the grip. Or when I have a lens with a pod-plate attached, I use that to carry it.

Every other part of the cam can turn out to be a costly method of carrying.

Like the others have said, not a good idea, just think if that flash breaks off when up pick it up, camera+lens drops on the floor

When it would break... Consider it a rookie mistake. Maybe rethink your idea and try and first get into working with a photography studio first.

JMHO

Horoscope Fish said:

That's your expensive strobe, not a handle. Same goes for your lens: Also not a handle.

Click to expand...

When my 70-200mm f/2.8 is mounted on a camera, I pick up the combo most times by the lens (and sometimes support the camera as well). Since the lens is designed to be put on a tripod using a tripod foot attached to the lens, the lens *should* be able to support the camera body...at least my D610 and my D7100. It is specifically suggested not to hold this lens by holding solely the camera body because the lens mount might not be able to support the weight of the lens. Although when using smaller lenses, I agree they shouldn't be picked up by the lens.