Black Rapid or........?

P

Prodriver

Suspended / Banned
Messages
185
Name
Nigel
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi,

I'm fed up with the standard strap and have been looking at the Black Rapid range. They look great but I'm struggling to justify the cost.

Has anyone out there found a suitable, more cost effective, solution that doesn't compromise safety as I have seen some horror stories about damage caused by failure of the fastener???

Thanks
Nige
 
Q-Strap or similar, used several and found them utterly reliable.
 
I recently purchased a BR DR1, I think it is the best product I've used to save my back and neck. I initially thought it would be viewed as geeky but after using it for the first time and realising its benefits, I would thoroughly recommend it.
 
I'm currently using a carryspeed strap and love it.
 
benc98 said:
I picked up a quick strap, a chap from this forum sells them. I've not really tested it to the extreme yet, but I seems to have plenty of positive comments. Check in the Traders forum
Click to expand...

Had 2 q-straps fall apart on me will never touch a cheap strap again.
 
Tugster said:
I recently purchased a BR DR1, I think it is the best product I've used to save my back and neck. I initially thought it would be viewed as geeky but after using it for the first time and realising its benefits, I would thoroughly recommend it.
Click to expand...

Is that not the double sling version? If it is then it is probably OTT price-wise and I don't think I need any more encouragement to buy another body just to go with the strap :cool:
 
gramps said:
Check number of failures against number of happy customers :shrug:
Click to expand...

Just checked Simon's page on the Trader site and there seems to be a lot of happy customers, both with the product itself and Simon's advice and aftersales service......might have to give one a bash methinks....... ;)
 
I got a BR Sport last week and so far so good. Really good quality and they really do take the weight from around my neck. First really big test will be Saturday but used it for an hour or two last night with the body and 70-200 f2.8 and is definitely helped although I do have a lot of back issues.

Stevie
 
johnnypanic said:
I'm currently using a carryspeed strap and love it.
Click to expand...
Same, using the FS-SLIM.

I also have a Q-Strap, but wasn't confident in it personally. It hasn't broken on me, but with a bigger camera now I feel much more confident in the Carryspeed one - the Q-Strap will stay on the 650D.
 
I'm also using Q-strap, only failed once.

However! my first Q-strap broke on me, I was wearing the camera and adjusting its length, the plastic for length adjustment bit broke. Camera didn't fall because there's still some friction between the straps. I looked at BR, the adjustment bit looks like plastic, so went with Q-strap again, just don't adjust length with full weight of the camera on it.
 
Prodriver said:
Just checked Simon's page on the Trader site and there seems to be a lot of happy customers, both with the product itself and Simon's advice and aftersales service......might have to give one a bash methinks....... ;)
Click to expand...

I can only relay my own experiences but I've used them with D3S with 70-200 VRll attached, which is no light weight and they have never failed.
 
Prodriver said:
Is that not the double sling version? If it is then it is probably OTT price-wise and I don't think I need any more encouragement to buy another body just to go with the strap :cool:
Click to expand...

Yes thats correct, it is the double but I occasionally use two large bodies on a shoot. It does however separate into two straps. which I think is a great idea.

I used it with a gripped 5D3, EF24-70 2.8 AND A 600 EX-RT Speedlite on one side and a 1DX, 70-200IS MKII and another 600 EX-RT Speedlite on the other side. Worked like a dream and when I got home I didnt have the usual neck and back ache...I was tired, but I'd been constantly on my feet from 9am until after 9pm.

Again only speaking from my own experience.
 
I use the OpTech dual harness - mostly with just 1 body attached, but sometimes with 2. Makes wandering about with a heavier camera all day much nicer.
 
I've been thinking about getting the blackrapid strap for two bodies but recently read some nightmare stories about the tripod screw unworking itself and bodies dropping. Seems to be a very small number but still, is the screw mount really that secure? Are there any alternatives that use the cameras original strap mountings?
 
I have a d800e and a Nikon AF-S 28-300 on a standard Nikon strap that came with the camera, the only thing I have changed is MrsRowland has stitched the ends so that they will not come loose, given the weight of the body and lens, should I look at an alternative strap ?
 
Im sure there have been black rapid's fail also.But having been using one and seeing the quality I would rather pay the extra and have a piece of mind when lugging my expensive camera around. The cost is very small compared to what your going to be hanging of it.

As for the attachment point screw, I have had it come undone on me once and the camera came away in my hand when lifting it up. This has only happened once in the year or longer I've had it and I know it was my own fault as I had removed it and had probably not secured it properly when re attaching it. Your meant to wet the rubber part to get more grip when screwing it in fully.
 
I've got a Black Rapid RD-5 and find it brilliant, can comfortably carry a gripped Canon 7d with the 17-55 EF-S lens all day. I like the sling design as it keeps the camera away from the front of your body when you're doing no camera things, but is quick and intuitive to grab when required.

The attachement screw, if correctly tightened won't come loose and I check it every couple of hours.
 
Have the carry speed cs pro strap. It is very good and excellent quality. No problem carrying a d700 and 70-200 2.8. The bracket design is so much better than the black rapid effort. Very secure. I'd almost put my life on it never failing.

I do like the sling straps, but find they are only any good if you are only carrying the camera. Trying to carry a bag as well is a big problem and just doesn't work. Since I have pretty much always got a bag with me, I have gone back to using the standard Nikon strap.
 
I use Op-Tech straps on all my SLRs - still neck straps but the neoprene makes them far more comfortable than the standard straps since it spreads the load. I did have a cheapo one as well but one of the clips failed when I was wondering whether to use it on a smaller body. The neoprene bit's still OK though so might use that but sew the thing up!
 
I have a Black Rapid Sport, I don't think I would want to trust £xxxx's worth of kit to a budget strap.

It is very well made, and I can't recommend it enough. I can carry my 50d and a heavy lens all day without aching the next day.
 
I have a Q-strap and whilst it's been great and rock solid, I only ever have a light setup as you can see from my sig, if I were to have a very heavy setup, then I think I would look into something a bit more expensive than the Q-strap, even though it might be fine with it!
 
I've got 2 Q-Strap slings and a Q-Strap dual harness and have never had any problems. I regularly dangle a gripped 5D3 with a Sigma 150-500 OS on one and a gripped 7D (or more recently a 1D Mk3) and Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS MkII on the other and both on the dual harness. I do a quick visual check of the straps out every time I use them and make sure the carabiners tighten properly and as I said earlier, I've never had any problems.
 
I've just switched to the Blackrapid RS-7 from the standard strap, which in not comfortable with my D7000 and either my 17-55 f2.8 or 70-200 f2.8

I find it great, yes its expensive for what it is, especially as I bought an extra FastenR3 for the tripod foot on the 70-200, however the way I look at it is that I have a lot of expensive gear hanging on the end of it. The reviews out there speak for themselves.

Yes it can be a PITA if you use a tri-pod loads but even that can be resolved if you use Manfrotto. And yes the fastenR3 will come loose if you don't tighten it properly, but then the wheel nuts will fall off your car if you don't tighten them properly.

Buy cheap, buy twice.
 
Check out the OPtech range.....

They do a sling strap, I have one, it's excellent. I also got an identical connector to the "FastenR3" on Ebay for about £3. But i've found I prefer the loop connector attached to the LH side of my camera, as this doesn't get in the way and lets me keep my QR plate on.

Cost about £20

The OPtech stuff is modular, the standard strap becomes the sling strap (with the addon) and you can add/remove connectors as you wish. The loop connectors are made of paracord and would require some 250kg to break, despite being only a few mm thick.

IMHO Blackrapid are going down if they don't watch the competition and price accordingly. They have an edge on quality, but i'd rather buy two straps for much less and replace it when it starts to wear.
 
Last edited:
I have a Black Rapid too and it's superb. When I consider the £'s that hang off it the price is nothing in comparison.
 
I've just bought \ OP/TECH Pro Loop Strap, more comfortable than the standard Nikon strap especially with my gripped d800e and a Nikon 28-300, i like the q-straps too, especially the "neck to sling" fastener ... might get one of those too and swap between camera bodies

(this is such a useful forum!)
 
Last edited:
I used a Black Rapid strap to carry a 300/2.8 (more than 8 lbs with camera and converter) lens for over two years with no problems whatsoever.
To ensure that the screw never loosens its just a matter of wetting the rubber washer prior to screwing-in. I always checked the screw before use (paranoia lol) and can say that it has never loosened one iota in all the time I have had it. I know of several bird togs who carry 500/4 and even 600/4 lenses with Camera attached with Black Rapid straps.
It always amazed me that folks are willing to pay many thousands of pounds for their equipment and yet will moan about paying an extra £20 or so for a top strap.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top