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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]As the post name suggests, I’ve most certainly got a love/hate relationship with camera straps. Camera straps most certainly have their uses, they stop you dropping your gear in the event of mis-hap, they take the weight off your arms and hands and they free up your hands for other things when your not taking pics. For me the main advantage is to take the weight off my hands during a long wedding day as a metal camera body, battery grip and a metal lens take its toll after a few hours and I start to feel the strain in my thumb a lot.
The main issue however is they just plain get in the way! The camera straps that come with the camera are a big no no, they have your camera brand written all over them and scream “steal me”. I may be using a big noisy camera which in its own means its worth stealing but I still don’t want logos emblazoned around my neck. Secondly, their rubbish! All they do is put strain on your neck and give you a headache.
Sifting through forums and blogs I came across the Black Rapid sling strap. It’s like having a messenger bag strap with a camera stuck on the end. The D ring fits into the camera tripod mount at the bottom of the camera and fixes to a sliding carabiner hook so the strap stays still and your camera glides up and down as you need it. Me being me I bought a knock off version off eBay to try one and it worked for a while. After a while though I got annoyed with the constant pulling on my waistcoat and shirt as it all ruffled up around the strap through constant use and movement. However, it did a fantastic job of holding my camera with a heavy lens, my hands and back were great.
That leaves two more straps to either try or just give in and find a different solution.
- Wrist strap. More of a safety feature than a way to lighten the strain and would make using a battery grip difficult.
- Dual sling harness strap. Cameras hang down at the sides rather than across the body and spread the weight across the back of the strap. There are a few cheap versions on the market or you can go straight for the tried and true Black Rapid strap. If your feeling frivolous, check out the “Holdfast Money Maker”. Its a beauuuuuutiful piece of hand made leather camera strap to carry two bodies, but it costs an arm and a leg.
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I Don’t have too much of an issue with my camera strap, though when I’m not holding it, I have it on my shoulder and not my neck. If I’m using my camera for hours on end my hand starts to get cramped and stiff, so I thought a wrist strap would help with that – it does not.
Yeah Jon isn’t keen on the wrist strap either, camera is too heavy for that! He is working on a DIY double harness at the moment! We will no doubt post it if he manages to make it!