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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Amazing shoulder strap for second camera
John Middlebrook, Photographer
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Basel | Switzerland | Switzerland | Posted: 5:19 PM on 05.29.10 |
| ->> First of all, please don't shoot me if this is old news. I have not been keeping up lately and just had to share this. I have been shooting in Europe for almost two years now and I came across something that I just had to have. It is worn by all the pros here and I just figured they were behind us Americans but that was not the case. It is a simple concept, a long strap with a padded shoulder and on the end, a screw to fit in the bottom mount hole of any camera. When worn, the camera falls way down low, upside down and near the ground but almost behind your butt and out of the way. Again, sounds simple but it is truly amazing. I wore it today with my D3 and 70-200 hangin' low and my 400 on a monopod as my primary, a typical setup for most. Rather than struggling with the short strap, that always gets tangled or stuck when in a hurry or the camera sliding off my shoulder, this was so easy to use. Everytime I needed the shorter lens I grabbed the camera and it never get caught up. The strap is strong and comfortable and even has a patented "spring" that takes some of the camera weight off, or at least it felt like it did. I so with I had thought of this and created it myself since I paid almost $100 for a screw, a pad and a strap. Check out more at http://www.sun-sniper.de/?L=1&id=sun_sniper_strap0 |
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Dominic Hanna, Photographer, Student/Intern
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Bear | DE | United States | Posted: 6:14 PM on 05.29.10 |
->> Perhaps it's old news now, but it was one one of the hot items at photoplus expo here last fall. Midwest photo exchange was selling them on Sunsnipers' behalf while they were there and sold out(they only had a handful of them).
I was impressed with it, but I'm still waiting for a US distributor to step up so I don't have to pay customs and exchange rate. I'm a little surprised mpex didn't pick it up after the expo. |
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Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 6:18 PM on 05.29.10 |
| ->> It looks just like the Black Rapid R Strap which is the best strap I have owned |
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Nina Zhito, Photographer
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bay area | CA | | Posted: 6:26 PM on 05.29.10 |
| ->> An issue I experienced with the sniper was that the torque on the camera caused the screw that connects the body to the sniper strap to unwind, with potentially disastrous results. After having a body spontaneously detach a few times, I rigged a safety cable to a back-up strap, which sort of defeats the purpose, then I gave up. Has anyone else had that problem? |
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Ron Hawkes, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Rockland | ME | USA | Posted: 7:10 PM on 05.29.10 |
->> I have to agree with Tom. The Black Rapid is the same design and I do not shoot without mine. I use the R-5
http://www.blackrapid.com/product/camera-strap/rs-5/
If you search there are a few threads on here about the R Strap. Well worth the money. Have not had any problems with the attachment screw coming loose in over a years worth of almost daily use. |
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Tom Suarez, Photographer
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Austin | texas | USA | Posted: 7:31 PM on 05.29.10 |
| ->> I have never had mine come loose. I have Domke quick release straps on all my cameras and when I am using the R Strap I remove the shoulder strap and connect both quick connect straps to the D ring on the Black Rapid which will keep it from lossening anyway. The main reason I remove the shoulder strap is to keep it from hanging and catching on something but as a bonus it also provides a safety in case the screw starts to loosen. |
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Jason Joseph, Photographer
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Dublin | OH | USA | Posted: 8:46 PM on 05.29.10 |
| ->> I made my own out of a rock climbing sling, a Nite Ize "S" Biner, and Bogen quick release plates to attach to the cameras, lenses. I use this all winter when I am shooting skiing and snowboarding and have yet to have anything but fantastic results. I don't hesitate at all to literally drop the camera that I am holding to reach for the other. The camera that I drop slides safely to my side and the other is, by that time, already up and ready to fire. Each strap cost around $20 to make. |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 11:02 PM on 05.30.10 |
->> Hey Jason, I thought I was the only one who made my own! I haven't had any problems with my homemade strap and use it quite often.
If anyone is interested in making your own (and saving a ton of money) I gave detailed instructions here http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=31689
Jody |
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Jason Joseph, Photographer
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Dublin | OH | USA | Posted: 11:17 PM on 05.30.10 |
| ->> Honestly, Jody, I think you were the one who gave me the idea:) |
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Jody Gomez, Photographer
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Murrieta | CA | USA | Posted: 11:53 PM on 05.30.10 |
| ->> Oh - Ha Ha! Glad I was good for something! |
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Peter Buehner, Photographer
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Orono | ME | USA | Posted: 9:12 AM on 05.31.10 |
->> Jody, Jason
I have done almost the same thing but as a climber of more than 15 years, I can tell you a bit about load factors. Dropping something onto a relatively static anchor (like dropping a camera onto the strap) can create much more force than you would think. If it happens to fall and crossload the gate of the carabiner, It could easily break. I personally wouldn't be comfortable with a 25lb. rating at any point in the chain. I also get a bit nervous about the screw coming loose from the mounting point as there have been a few postings of this on various sites.
My solution was very cheap but gets the weakest link of the strap up to 200lbs.
I took thin webbing and tied a small loop in one of the eyelets on the camera that is used for the factory camera strap.(a water knot is a strong and clean option). This eliminates the need to use the tripod mount. Nothing to come unscrewed. I also find that it sits nicely against my side (even with a 300 2.8 mounted)
then I went to home depot and bought a small carabiner rated to 200 pounds. Climbing biners are rated to a couple thousand pounds but they are big. The final thing I did was also buy a 1" steel ring at Home Depot and I threaded that onto the climbing sling. the carabiner attaches to that. What that does is make for a very smooth, bind free, sliding action along the sling.
The ring cost $2.00 for three of them
The 200lb clip cost $2.00
the webbing was an old piece I had laying around but you could use a piece of an old camera strap even.
The climbing sling was $15.00
With this, nothing can come loose and it is rated stronger than any force I could create from dropping my camera even with the 300 28 on it. I think one just needs to decide if the way the camera lies on your side is acceptable to you. I like it. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 2:00 PM on 05.31.10 |
| ->> Peter, tell me I didn't just read that you let a camera body with a 300 2.8 hang without using the strap on the 300? That is a recipe for epic fail. You should NEVER use the camera strap to support the weight of the body and 300 2.8 ever. sorry if this was a little off topic but I cringe whenever I see someone carrying around a rig like that. |
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Peter Buehner, Photographer
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Orono | ME | USA | Posted: 2:27 PM on 05.31.10 |
->> Well Chuck I cannot lie. I have done it many times. I will have to reassess this practice I guess... but doesn't every single owner of a camera with a long lens (handheld) hold the camera by its grip when it isn't up to his or her face?
Are you saying that the lens mount isn't strong enough to hold the lens in the camera body when hanging straight down?
maybe you have saved me from a catastrophic accident. I have to admit I have never considered the strain on the lens mount. The system I use would work just as easily on the lenses strap eyelet when using longer lenses.
Ok I just put another loop on my 300 strap eyelet. That solves that. Thanks Chuck. |
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Peter Buehner, Photographer
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Orono | ME | USA | Posted: 2:32 PM on 05.31.10 |
->> and to think some people question the value of a $25 membership to SS. Thanks again Chuck. The added benefit of putting the strap there is that is sits higher up too which makes it more comfortable.
I love how when I try to post something helpful and informative, I end up learning something instead. Gotta love it.
cheers,
Peter |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 2:54 PM on 05.31.10 |
| ->> I'm using an approach similar to Peter's. I use Tamrac quick release straps. I mount two of the female ends on one corner of the body, threading the straps of one through the buckles of the other. On my 300, I simply attach one female end on each lug. I took a tamrac boomerang strap and cut off the long straps, and replaced it with 1 inch webbing and a buckle. I put the two male end quick release connectors on the webbing. Since all of my bodies have the tamrac QR tabs on them, I can switch bodies on this strap quite quickly. By having the strap attached at the body corner, it is very easy to grab and bring up. |
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