Sorry for the poor iPhone photo, but wanted to show progress on my Modified BushHawk for hand-holding the 500mm. I am pretty sure I will be taking the front handle off but thought I would leave it on for the first trip to the field this weekend.
That's a pretty unique setup and I'd be really curious to hear a trip report about how it is for an extended shooting period. How long can you hold that compared to hand holding?
I basically have Bushhawk set up the same way, with the shoulder rest angled down to brace against my chest. It is much more stable that way. One slight difference is that I have the camera set back about an inch more so I don't have to crane my neck forward to look through the viewfinder.
As further explanation of the functionality of this set up, the hand on the camera steadies the camera more efficiently and firmly than having that hand on the far forward grip. The hand on the inner grip pulls the Bushhawk against the chest and controls the trigger button on the grip. The camera body also rests somewhat against the face and upper hand, making a triangular support for the overall set up. You can also brace your elbows against your torso. This is much more wobble-free than the more linear "shotgun" set up of the original Bushhawk design. Several years ago, a number of people in this forum shared their modifications of the shoulder pad on the Bushhawk. For bracing against the chest, I prefer a broad, flat pad that I took from the shoulder strap of a carrying case. The strap slots on the flat pad easily slip onto the holder for the crutch-type pad on the Bushhawk.
Regarding Harry C's question, for me the set up shown in BN's photo is much more effortless over a long period of time. Both of your arms are much closer to your body, which substantially reduces the holding effort. (To demonstrate this principle, hold a book at arm's length and hold it next to your chest. Which is more tiring?)
---John
I'm just thinking here. Looking at the downward slope of the lens makes me think there will be a struggle maintaining horizontal position, and if adjustments were made it would force weird body posture to allow the lens to drop. Imagine what has to happen if you are tracking a bif heading straight over your head. The rest has to come off your body at some point to track, and you are relying on one hand to control the camera, lens, and bushhawk. Using the stock in the shoulder, like any rifle, allows better control when tracking.
The modification was to allow me to use my 80mm Really Right Stuff clamp. Without ordering the BushHawk clamp I would have only had one connection point the lens would want to spin.
The first field report is it ROCKED! Much higher keeper rate of Eagles in flight than even hand held. Due to the fact you can swing and track more steadily!
I liked it so much I didn't even try my MonoPod mount I also bought
