Tag:peak design
Camera straps are a crucial accessory for your kit, yet they tend to be neglected or forgotten when upgrading your gear. As a photographer, the first thing I do upon unboxing a new camera is remove the cheap and uncomfortable kit neck strap and replace it with my preferred sling strap. Despite spending thousands on the new camera, the neck strap supplied with it is usually the cheapest item in the box, second only to the cardboard packaging.
Pros and cons of the kit strap?
Keeping the strap that comes with your camera can be a good idea for a few reasons. First off, it does a great job of keeping your camera safe and secure. Plus, you might like the branding or model information on the strap. Lastly, it’s more budget-friendly to stick with the original strap instead of buying a new one.
However, while it is functional, it’s also most uncomfortable, especially with the weight hanging around your neck. As for the brand name on the strap, that’s a matter of personal choice – aesthetic-wise, they’re ugly, made from cheap plastic, and I’m not a fan. Yes, the sling straps can be expensive, but some are also reasonably priced, and what price do you put on comfort? If you are like many photographers and me, you probably also suffer from GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). Just think of all the camera bags you bought, looking for the perfect bag. A good strap is just as important.
Which strap?
When choosing a camera strap, photographers have many options: Neck straps, wrist straps, shoulder straps, harness straps, hand grips and camera clips.
Let’s bite the bullet and dispense with the neck strap right now. It’s the most uncomfortable way to carry your camera. Position-wise, a shoulder strap across the body and shoulder is more comfortable than hanging it around your neck. Your shoulders can disperse the weight better, and you won’t have a stiff and sore neck at the end of the day. Trust me, it happened. I carried my Canon 7D Mk II with a 100-400 attached all day at the zoo. That night, I could barely move my neck. So, that same night, I went online and bought a sling strap for my camera. Problem solved.
Another option is the wrist strap – and while this may be okay for lighter point-and-shoot cameras, for a mirrorless or DSLR, it’s too heavy to carry on the hand all day. There are also camera clips on the market now, but my preference, especially for women, is still a sling strap.
Camera Strap Options
Having decided you will get a new sling strap to do your camera justice – the next decision is which one? The market is filled with many companies making camera straps, but if we cull it down to sling straps, the leading companies we are left with are Black Rapid, Peak Design and Joby.
I initially used a Joby side strap before switching to Black Rapid. Both straps attach to the camera’s base, but I found it inconvenient that the Joby strap took up the tripod plate and had to be removed to attach the tripod. Furthermore, the Joby strap became unusable when I used an L bracket on my camera. I also experimented with a generic version from eBay, which I do not recommend, and a hand strap. Ultimately, I opted for the Peak Design strap, which I have been using for more than five years now.
Benefits of a Sling Strap
- Cross-Body Design: Wearing the sling strap diagonally across the torso can evenly distribute the camera’s weight. This reduces strain on the neck and shoulders, unlike traditional neck straps.
- Quick Access: Positioning the camera at the hip or lower back and sliding it along the strap can be quickly brought up to the shooting position..
- Comfort and Ergonomics: Padded sling straps are designed to enhance comfort when carrying heavy gear for extended periods of time..
- Versatility: There are camera sling straps available that can be used with different camera systems. They come with adjustable features, which allow them to fit various body sizes and cater to different shooting styles.
- Tripod Compatibility: Certain sling straps have the option to connect to tripods or come with quick-release mechanisms, allowing for seamless transitions between sling strap and tripod usage.
- Freedom of Movement: A sling strap is preferable to neck straps as it offers a more natural range of motion and is particularly beneficial for photographers who are frequently on the go. Neck straps may cause an obstruction at times, whereas a sling strap provides greater flexibility.
- Durability: Sling straps are often made from high-quality materials to withstand the demands of professional photographers and outdoor shooting conditions.
Peak Design
The Peak Design Slide is my sling strap and a hands-down winner for me. It attaches to the camera via the strap loops with its unique dongle system or to the bottom of the camera with a mounting plate. The strap is made of sturdy, internally padded webbing. The strap loops are the way to go if you use an L bracket. You can lengthen or shorten the strap with the webbing glides. Peak Design also has narrower Lite slide straps for lighter or smaller cameras. The Slide comes in four colours. RRP $130
Black Rapid
The best-selling of the black rapid range are the RS-4 and the Breathe Sport. The difference between them is that the sport is more comfortable, but the tradeoff is extra weight. Another one from Black Rapid is the Sport X QD. With this one – you can attach the strap to an L bracket – but you need a QD-compatible L bracket. All of the Really Right Stuff plates are QD compatible. Black Rapid also makes a dual strap sling strap for those who carry two cameras.
Breathe Sport RRP $124
Joby
The Joby Ultrafit approaches things a little differently and makes one strap for women and one for men. The difference is that the women’s strap has a slight ‘S’ bend, and the pivot ring is smaller. It attaches to the camera via the pivot ring at the bottom of the camera.
Joby Ultrafit RRP from $30
Choosing the right sling straps for your camera is crucial. It needs to be compatible with your camera model and meet your individual requirements. With so many brands and models available, you can select one that matches your photography style and provides maximum comfort and protection for your equipment.
Like every other photographer I know, I have a ‘silent addiction’ to camera bags. All of us in CBA (camera bags anonymous) have several bags, gathering dust accumulated over the years in the cupboard. This is while we continue to research and buy new bags searching for the holy grail. The perfect one size fits all camera bag.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack
To this end, I bought the Peak Design Everyday Backpack, a bag I had long coveted, thinking it would be perfect. And found, as did the crusaders in the search for the holy grail, or Captain Ahab in his pursuit of the white whale – it’s futile. No one bag will ever be suitable for every situation.
I have had no-name camera backpacks, sling bags, and messenger bags. Tried Lowepro backpacks and slings and tote bags with added padded camera inserts. I bought a Lowepro Flipside Trek BP 350 for a trip to Europe. I even purchased the Lowepro rolling suitcase at one time, thinking of all the times I lugged a heavy bag around an airport. Then fully loaded, the bag was too heavy to pass carry-on! All in the hunt for the one bag that would carry my gear and not break my back.
Lowepro Tahoe
When I sold my Canon gear and went mirrorless, I purchased a Lowepro Tahoe. It worked great. That was until I accumulated a few more lenses. Not one bag I have had worked as an ‘every time I leave the house bag. And neither does the Peak Design Everyday Backpack.
That being said, the only two I now own are the Lowepro Tahoe and the Peak Design 30L Everyday Backpack, and I am pleased with both. However, through trial and error and many regretted purchases, I have found that you can’t get away with one bag. You need two. Why? Do you ask?
Why two bags?
It depends on where I am going and how much gear I need/want to take. I have found I need a day bag and a weekend/trip bag. My day bag is when I am just heading out for an afternoon or day trip. For those times, I don’t want to take everything. The weekend bag is when I want to take everything with me. The walking weight of the bag on a long hike doesn’t factor in for me. Due to (a) I don’t do long hikes and (b) my mirrorless system isn’t too heavy.
My Day Bag
The Lowepro Tahoe BP150 is my day bag. The Tahoe is my go-to if I am heading out for the day to chase waterfalls, autumn leaves, or wildlife (at the zoo). It’s light, comfortable on the back and holds my camera, a spare battery, a cleaning kit, and a second l ns. I can even remove one divider and tuck in some lunch.
I can tuck a water bottle in one side pocket and my tripod through the other. It also takes my keys in a secure clip and phone. It does take a tablet, but as a day bag, I don’t take that with me – it’s an excellent sleeve for extra stuff, though – when fungi hunting the other weekend, I popped a small reflector folded into its cover in here. You can also pop some protein bars in there to keep you going.
It’s a great day bag and is perfect for when I only need the camera, two lenses and lunch.
My Weekend/Trip Bag
The Peak Design Everyday Backpack gets packed when heading off for a weekend or week away. At 30L, it is still carry-on approved for flights. I have even placed it under the seat for short flights. It also holds an impressive amount o gear. My Olympus E-M1 Mark II with 12-100 attached, the 40-150 zoom, plus 7-14 wide and 60mm macro, all fit in the inside dividers nicely. One internal side pocket holds four batteries, pens, and cables. The other internal side pocket takes all my filters. The outside pockets fit a water bottle in one, and I can strap the tripod to the other side.
A zip in the top has a designated floating laptop section and an iPad section. Floating as the laptop/iPad isn’t sited at the bottom of the insert when you put the bag on the floor. Thus they have a buffer from hitting the floor. The fabric is also totally waterproof with waterproof zips, so no rain cover is required.
The little details
I love the magnetic latch to access the top quickly, and like that, there are no cumbersome waist straps, but there are lots of little hidden straps to attach things to… like your jacket if you take it off. It has a sternum strap that tucks invisibly away when not in use. It’s a clean ‘classy’ looking bag and doesn’t scream ‘camera bag’. I also love that there are three leather handles. This makes it easy to grab the bag from whatever side is facing forward (excellent in an overhead locker)
While it’s a sturdy, well-made, and very roomy bag, it’s also one of the more expensive bags on the market. However, IMHO is worth every cent, and despite the price tag, it is not one of my regretted purchases.