BlackRapid RS5

tdcist

tdcist

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Dave
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I just bought one of these form the lads at Digital Depot,

must say, first impressions are good! doesnt feel like your carrying a heavy camera around like my Canon strap does!

Once ive done a couple of gigs ill post a proper review!

Dave
 
I love mine :-) I would say that it was one of my best and most used camera purchases.
 
Please dont, you might break it!
 
I bought a RS-4 about 3 months ago and it's the best £40 I've spent on photography equipment!

Also worth getting a FastenR-T1 if you have a Manfrotto tripod head.
 
I have just got a RS7 (today) so have no real experience of it, but around the house it feels fantastic - I had never thought about my strap being a problem, but now I can see why people would pay for something like this - it is a big upgrade - so easy to use, no strap in the way and SO comfy to use.
Anyone who has not tried one really needs to try one out shortly before a birthday comes round................!
 
RS-7 is £45 delivered direct from BR website .. assuming you dont get stung with tax on import?
 
its £51 on amazon but as i say £45 direct from BR ,,, hmmm do i dont i :/
 
i bought the FastenR-1 and it felt a bit loose on the quick release plate, until its on the camera then its great!! so easy to change from strap to tripod now!!

been using it a bit more today, and i wondered how i ever managed without it!! Seriously good bit of kit... I thought at first, that i *** regret spending £70 on the strap and FastenR, but as yet its worth every penny!!
 
where do you get the FastenR-T1 from :thinking: I have ordered up the rapid 7 from amazon but couldnt see the FastenR-T1;)
 
Danny133 said:
its £51 on amazon but as i say £45 direct from BR ,,, hmmm do i dont i :/
Click to expand...

I just received my DR-2 and a couple of T1s direct from BR yesterday. Shipping took 10 days and I saved ~£35 compared to the price with delivery from Hawks.

I'm not quite sure about the T1s though. I mean, great idea, but there are fewer thread turns on them than the normal Manfrotto RC2 screws and when tightened up hard the D ring does not operate freely. In fact it is very stiff, as though the engineering has really not been thought through fully. I know the early releases of these had to be recalled, which is why I bought direct from the US, to make sure I got the latest versions, but I don't think they're quite there yet. They don't inspire confidence and I shall be using some threadlocker (and possibly a short tether) with the T1s for peace of mind. That was some crap I was hoping to avoid, but I daren't with a 70-200/2.8, 1D3 and 580EX II dangling off it.

T1 on left, genuine Manfrotto on right....

20110212_074334_1116_LR.jpg


The Manfrotto screw is longer and has an extra turn on it. I don't know why the T1 is so short. That just seems to increase the risk of stripped threads or even greater catastrophe. I'm no engineer or metallurgist, but that seems a very tiny amount of metal to be securing such a load against the jolting forces that will be applied through the normal course of wandering about, trotting, running or descending stairs. Should I be worried or have Black Rapid got it right?
 
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My strap arrived yesterday,attached the D3 with the 70-200mm onto it and to be honest it's probably the best investment I have made this year...very comfy
 
Tdodd; thanks for the post. I use the dr-1 and was also thinking of getting the t1's they do seem a little half arsed and I won't really trust it being so small...
TBH I love my dr-1 but I'm constantly worried about my gear falling off as they are anyway, I might get something else to fasten the camera to the strap as a 'failsafe'

Out of curiosity how much did the dr-2 and the t1's cost you direct from br? I'd assumed the shipping would be high? And what about duty and tax??
 
Hongsta299 said:
Out of curiosity how much did the dr-2 and the t1's cost you direct from br? I'd assumed the shipping would be high? And what about duty and tax??
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The total price including shipping and all tax charges levied (:naughty:) was £115.10, paid with PayPal. The shipping was by USPS and cost about $12. It was a very compact little parcel that arrived, wrapped in a thin jiffy, which was all it needed.

I've written to Black Rapid regarding my concerns and sent them the picture above. I presume my fears are unfounded or the internet would be awash with tales of stripped threads and gear dropping to the floor. Still, I'd like some reassurance from source, and to put my concerns on record in case they find the need to issue a revised design, as they have already done once so far with the T1.
 
Reading the posts re security of the BR and the T1, from an engineering point of view there is sufficient surface area contact on the threads to hold many times any camera & lens combination. What may be a concern is the can the threads unscrew but the T1 has spring washers which I assume will act as a locking washer stopping movement and vibration unscrewing the bolt.
As a final thought if someone had lost a camera or lens as a function of the BR system I am sure the fora would be awash with it, so I very much doubt there is or will be a problem and it certainly will not stop me useing my RS7.

Beat me to it Tim:D
 
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The spring washer is purely to stop the bolt falling out of the plate when it is removed from the camera. It will do nothing to secure the bolt within the camera. However, the nice thing about the Black Rapid system is that the swivelling ConnectR means that there should be zero torque applied to the FastenR to cause it to undo. This is unlike the Cotton Carrier System which left me with a smashed CPL and two trips to Canon for a lens repair. I've lost confidence in that system, which is one of a couple of reasons why I have now added the DR2 to my collection of photographic niknaks.

That said, I shall continue to use the CCS when the occasion suits (if it does), but either way I shall be using some threadlocker on all my bolts. Once bitten etc..
 
Tdodd; thanks again for the info, that is a really good price considering that's less than how much I paid or the dr-1 alone!
 
Just discovered the downside to an RS7 or similar straps that are worn across the chest - they hold the shirt close to the man boobs, making the gut look larger.
Might need to rethink this strap thing then.....
 
As the bearer of moobs myself it's not the size of my gut that I find to be of greatest concern. If anything it attracts the gaze away from my other attributes. People love to stare at things that stick out. :eek:
 
I am yet to reach the point of unwanted protrusions lol...

Good to see that there are many happy users of this... As yet I havent heard any horror stories... Let's hope it stays that way!!!
 
Can these things be used easily if you're wearing a rucksack or anything like that?
I'm looking at getting the RS-4, but when I go on holiday I tend to carry a shoulder bag or rucksack as well.
 
I often use a shoulder bag but have it on the same side as my camera now hangs, so expect to get a rucksack now - this too will ease the burden so to speak.
Another positive is that the camera hangs at my side, under my jacket, so is less obtrusive when out of use and protected from the rain too !
 
Mandoo said:
Can these things be used easily if you're wearing a rucksack or anything like that?
I'm looking at getting the RS-4, but when I go on holiday I tend to carry a shoulder bag or rucksack as well.
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I use mine with my backpack, just put them on on the right order :-)
 
Bought my DR-1 back in Nov when Amazon were selling them for £87. Love mine and carries my D700's and 24-70/70-200mm just fine.

Much better than the in the box strap you get with a camera.
 
Just out of interest I often carry the 300/2.8 + converter + 7D (8 lbs+) with a BR-7.To save taking the lens plate on/off the 300/2.8 tripod foot every time I use a Arca quick release clamp and it works great. I would certainly recommend a BR strap.
BTW to save unscrewing the fastener from the quick release clamp when I use a smaller lens I have a second R3 fastener.

BR2.jpg
 
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