R-Strap and similar

I've got one of these, if you want one start your offer around £18 and work your way up as they seem to pick at random what offer to except as I paid £22. I use it with a gripped D300, Sigma 100-300 or Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon 17-55 2.8 and it works really well and is very comfortable.
 
Oh, you can try DIY and make one too. I made a quick DIY one out of a Pacsafe Carrysafe 100 and a Manfrotto quick release plate (No cutting, stitching either. Can revert back to original strap in seconds :D ). Obviously not as slidey as the R-Strap, but works very similar!
 
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I always fancied an R-strap but felt reluctant to fork out 50 odd quid for one - its way too expensive. So I just bought an Op tech sling adaptor from here which works really well and does the same kind of job as the R-strap at a fraction of the price. It also leaves the tripod shoe free. Of course, it helps if you have an Op tech strap in the first place. :)
 
Both the Black Rapid R-7 and California Sunbounce Sniper Strap look good. Has anyone tried them both? At £55 the R-7 is £10 more expensive than the Sniper - is it worth the extra?
 
aberal said:
It also leaves the tripod shoe free.
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I whacked a split-ring onto the strap eyelet and then attach the R-Strap to that instead - mainly because I have a 3rd party grip and wouldn't trust it to take the weight :-)
 
Matblack said:
Thank chaps

I'm going to put in an offer on the one on ebay and see what happens if I like the action but want better quality I'll get a proper one :)

MB
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I think i am also going to put an offer in, for a double strap. :D
 
aberal said:
I always fancied an R-strap but felt reluctant to fork out 50 odd quid for one - its way too expensive. So I just bought an Op tech sling adaptor from here which works really well and does the same kind of job as the R-strap at a fraction of the price. It also leaves the tripod shoe free. Of course, it helps if you have an Op tech strap in the first place. :)
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What about this from optech? Optech Dual Harness for £33
http://www.optech-online.co.uk/optech-dual-camera-binocular-harness.htm
 
what way does the quick strap rs4 fit to the camera? In the ebay picture it looks like it has a flat bracket? Anyone actually have one?
 
I have an R-Strap and it is excellent. Better than all of the other similar straps IMHO (Sunsniper is essentially the same product I think) :thumbs:

To make this style of sling-strap work well, it is important for the camera to hang upsidedown, from only one point, and to be attached by a swivelling hook that slides up the strap. R-Strap has some other nice detail touches, like the bump stops, and the sliding/breathable shoulder pad, plus pocket options etc. You need to try one for an hour or two to appreciate it.

Not all sling-straps work like this. The OpTech is particularly poor I think :thumbsdown:
 
foggy4ever said:
Don't forget these are actually Wokingham Photographic not Optech and this should be read first
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just read the thread......That's abit underhanded, I did spot Wokingham Photographic but assumed they were a UK outlet for Optech..... thanks for pointing that out was tempted to get something
 
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I have the double Rapid-strap and it really is the dogs danglies, works perfectly, distributes the weight and is easily manipulated with both cameras. If using a longer lens with a tripod collar, attach the hook to the collar for easy balance.

The only other one I would consider, and indeed did, but didnt buy because at the time coudnt 'feel/touch', was the cameraslinger - oddly I have now seen one as Colin uses one and with hindsight I would probably have gone for that as they are similarly priced but the slinger is a bit less bulky - definately a factor when you are only 5'2".
It doesnt have a chest strap though, which is important to some people and not others. Personally I only generally use the chest strap on the R-strap when the cameras aren't attached to stop it moving around, once the cameras are on, it doesn't actually need it, but some people will prefer the additional security of having one.
The clips on the slinger are also much quicker release, albeit you could say less secure too. On the otherhand the D-ring [bit that fastens to camera] is much bigger and looks very odd indeed, the R-strap version is preferable and just looks so well engineered.

All just in my opinion of course ;)


As for the Optech one, the people I know that have tried them have all said they are pretty much unusable, hence I discounted them immediately when looking at a two-camera strap, despite the attractive price. :shrug:
 
foggy4ever said:
I've got one of these, if you want one start your offer around £18 and work your way up as they seem to pick at random what offer to except as I paid £22. I use it with a gripped D300, Sigma 100-300 or Fuji S5 Pro, Nikon 17-55 2.8 and it works really well and is very comfortable.
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I bought one of these and after a few hours of use the plate's orifice (the plate that attaches to the lens/camera) started widening. The metal seems to be very soft and within just a couple of uses I started noticing the black paint worn out and upon further inspection noticed that the hole was widening due to the stress of the hook. So much so that it became so wide that I was afraid that it would give way dropping my kit while hanging. I know of one other person (Mike-P) who bought it at the same time as me and started having the very same problem.
I understand that some of the users have never used that plate and decided to use the Manfrotto Q plate instead and hook into it. But I have couple of problems with it. First the manfrotto Q-plate has a metal ring on it which could be used to hook the R-Strap into it, and I am not sure if that would be strong enough to sustain weight from a heavy lens/camera and support the balancing of it while walking etc. That metal ring although very strong aparently but it was never designed to sustain such a weight but to be used to give a gripping platform to the fingers in order to screw tightly or unscrew the Q-Plate onto the lens mounting ring.
Secondly and most importantly my confidence is shaken on the R-strap itself, if the plate is so cheaply made that it erodes just after a few hours of usage how can I be sure of the rest of the materials used for other components including the hook itself of not having been made of cheap materials also?
I know this is probably just in my mind, but still it raised big issues for my confidence hanging a couple of grand worth of equipment on that strap and walking for hours while it takes the load.
I stopped using it since I noticed it.

Truth be said though, it really felt comfortable using it. What a difference it makes carrying the kit in that position around the neck/shoulder. So I definitely am in the market for something similar to that. Just can't see myself spending a lot of money for it. Surely there must be a good option at reasonable cost
 
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I tried one of the Chinese ones to see if I liked the idea before spending money on a decent system and I've abandoned it after one wedding. It was comfortable and I thought it showed a lot of promise but there were a couple of reasons I decided against it.

I found it too bulky to have a camera on either side of me and moving about in confined spaces was a nightmare. The cameras kept banging against my hips to the point I was getting bruises! (I do move quite quicky at times and found the cameras just swinging about too much)

But the biggest problem was one that the Gentlemen would not have to worry about so much but the Laydees might have a similar problem to me. No, not the chest strap but going for a wee!

I was shooting in an hotel and between the ceremony and groups nipped into the ladies. Well, I could not get into the cubicle easily without hammering several thousand pounds worth off the walls and when I did get in I could not use the facility with the cameras in position. I had to take the whole lot off and leave it unguarded just so I could have a wee!

I came home and bought a bag that takes all my gear and that can come everywhere with me, including the ladies! :)
 
AliB said:
I tried one of the Chinese ones to see if I liked the idea before spending money on a decent system and I've abandoned it after one wedding. It was comfortable and I thought it showed a lot of promise but there were a couple of reasons I decided against it.

I found it too bulky to have a camera on either side of me and moving about in confined spaces was a nightmare. The cameras kept banging against my hips to the point I was getting bruises! (I do move quite quicky at times and found the cameras just swinging about too much)

But the biggest problem was one that the Gentlemen would not have to worry about so much but the Laydees might have a similar problem to me. No, not the chest strap but going for a wee!

I was shooting in an hotel and between the ceremony and groups nipped into the ladies. Well, I could not get into the cubicle easily without hammering several thousand pounds worth off the walls and when I did get in I could not use the facility with the cameras in position. I had to take the whole lot off and leave it unguarded just so I could have a wee!

I came home and bought a bag that takes all my gear and that can come everywhere with me, including the ladies! :)
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:lol: it is certainly an art, though one I have now mastered, first few times were a bit tricky though! Very small cubicles are a problem, but generally I can do it quite easily now. I also use a waist bag [yes yes, like a bum bag for those old enough to remember, but a square shaped one] for carrying cards, batteries, cash, and other bits and pieces and that can be twisted round to be where its more convenient for whatever I am doing - front, back or side.

I do have to have the camera straps quite short to prevent the bruising, but for me it wasn't hips [I guess mine are probably more well padded than Ali's :lol: ] but the inside of my legs from the hood of the long lens - because it points backwards when not in use, too much swinging and it would actually cause the pointy bits of the hood to catch the inside of opposite leg. Shortening the straps has stopped this and I now find it a very comfortable system. Also good that you can pop an open jacket or similar over the top if the weather gets a bit chilly or damp.

so basically its horses for courses, its finding a system that works for you, and that can be quite an expensive hunt with the amount of options available - but hey, we all like to think we only buy once, but most of us have ended up selling on something we thought was amazing only to find it wasn't everything we hoped for ;)
 
zulupentax said:
I bought one of these and after a few hours of use the plate's orifice (the plate that attaches to the lens/camera) started widening. The metal seems to be very soft and within just a couple of uses I started noticing the black paint worn out and upon further inspection noticed that the hole was widening due to the stress of the hook. So much so that it became so wide that I was afraid that it would give way dropping my kit while hanging. I know of one other person (Mike-P) who bought it at the same time as me and started having the very same problem.
I understand that some of the users have never used that plate and decided to use the Manfrotto Q plate instead and hook into it. But I have couple of problems with it. First the manfrotto Q-plate has a metal ring on it which could be used to hook the R-Strap into it, and I am not sure if that would be strong enough to sustain weight from a heavy lens/camera and support the balancing of it while walking etc. That metal ring although very strong aparently but it was never designed to sustain such a weight but to be used to give a gripping platform to the fingers in order to screw tightly or unscrew the Q-Plate onto the lens mounting ring.
Secondly and most importantly my confidence is shaken on the R-strap itself, if the plate is so cheaply made that it erodes just after a few hours of usage how can I be sure of the rest of the materials used for other components including the hook itself of not having been made of cheap materials also?
I know this is probably just in my mind, but still it raised big issues for my confidence hanging a couple of grand worth of equipment on that strap and walking for hours while it takes the load.
I stopped using it since I noticed it.

Truth be said though, it really felt comfortable using it. What a difference it makes carrying the kit in that position around the neck/shoulder. So I definitely am in the market for something similar to that. Just can't see myself spending a lot of money for it. Surely there must be a good option at reasonable cost
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I think you are referring to the Quick Strap RS4 linked to above, and not the Black Rapid R-Strap?

Just on the attachment point, I'm not sure why we instinctively feel hanging a camera upsidedown from the tripod bush is unsafe, but it is a bit disconcerting! I take comfort from the fact that folks have actually been doing this for ages, often with DIY straps, and I've not heard of one dropping off yet.

But I would say that I rejected using a Manfrotto QR plate, having pulled one apart for another project and noted that the D-ring, which was never intended to have anything hanging from it, is only hooked into the sides of the bolt head by a very short length of metal. Maybe, just maybe, a hard tug on that from the wrong direction would pull it out?

I actually attach my R-Strap to an L-bracket. Most of these those, and many other QR tripod plates, have a lug intended for a strap and I have discarded the R-Strap tripod bush fitting and attach it to the L-bracket via a DIY loop made from a very short piece of ordinary camera strap, sewn in place (with lots of strong thread!). It works really well, with direct tripod access at all times, even with the strap attached.

It might not sound very strong but when I tested my 'prototype' by heaving on it with frankly huge force, it wouldn't give. And when you think of how we normally attach a camera strap with a couple of those little sliding adjusters around our necks, I think maybe we're being a bit paranoid. Which also means the Manfrotto plate is probably fine too! Haha, I know a few people on here use one of those very happily :)

As I said above, you really have to try one of these things to appreciate how they work and how good they are in terms of comfort and convenience, preferably on a decent walk :thumbs:
 
I have been using the R-Strap for about 18months now and would not go back to the old 'round the neck strap'. I had been using Optech straps since the early '90's.

The R-Strap is extremely comfortable and I can carry a 1 Series Canon body around all day without a problem ( I do have a neck problem). I also have a wrist strap attached to the body as well.

The only issue I had with it was having to remove the Fasten R2/3 everytime I wanted to put it on a tripod/monopod. I have finally solved this now by screwing the Fasten R2/3 to an 1.5" Arca Swiss compatible clamp. I have converted all my Manfrotto gear to the Arca Swiss adapters. This will now quickly attach to all my bodies and lenses that have the AS plate attached. It does not detract from the way the strap works at all, in fact by using Loctite on the Fasten R it is in fact more secure than previously.
 
Ok, I have just made a DIY strap which allows the camera to rest at the lowest position for £6. I bought 25mm wide webbing and a few plastic clips similar to what u get on a rucksack and assembled them. I also used a quick release key ring to attach it to the camera body. works well. will post pics when I get a Chance. cheers Adam
 
zulupentax said:
I understand that some of the users have never used that plate and decided to use the Manfrotto Q plate instead and hook into it. But I have couple of problems with it. First the manfrotto Q-plate has a metal ring on it which could be used to hook the R-Strap into it, and I am not sure if that would be strong enough to sustain weight from a heavy lens/camera and support the balancing of it while walking etc.
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Well, whilst I have made a "field" modification to hanging just a lens (my 70-200) from a strap connected to a Manfrotto plate and it did get me by for the day, it isn't good. Those QR plates come loose all the time - and thats just using them for the job they were intended for! Yes, you could fasten them more with a pair of pliers, but you'd probably just strip the thread.

Hoppy goes on to make a good point about the construction too.

I wouldn't trust it.

Sitting on a tripod or monopod is one thing, bashing around off your hips and, it would appear, toilet walls (more on that in a second), I think you are asking for trouble from something not designed to perform in that way.

AliB said:
But the biggest problem was one that the Gentlemen would not have to worry about so much but the Laydees might have a similar problem to me. No, not the chest strap but going for a wee!

I was shooting in an hotel and between the ceremony and groups nipped into the ladies. Well, I could not get into the cubicle easily without hammering several thousand pounds worth off the walls and when I did get in I could not use the facility with the cameras in position.
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Rule #1 :rules: Never visit the toilet wearing equipment.

You should try it with a RPG7 slung over your back :bonk:
 
I'm glad to see that there's some objective discussion about these straps this time.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=225482

They're just not for everyone and I still say that for someone on a walk who lifts their camera now and then, they're probably fine but for someone shooting cars that are tearing past every 20 or 30 seconds, they're not the way to go.

I'm also interested that the build quality of the various straps mentioned is being talked about as we all carry some precious, expensive kit and to have it hanging on a wing and a prayer from some webbing stitched together in a sweatshop over in the far East seems slightly mad.
 
zoom said:
I'm glad to see that there's some objective discussion about these straps this time.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=225482

They're just not for everyone and I still say that for someone on a walk who lifts their camera now and then, they're probably fine but for someone shooting cars that are tearing past every 20 or 30 seconds, they're not the way to go.
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:lol: I can't wait to take mine motor racing, I lift 2 different bodies/lens combos hundreds of times at a wedding each weekend and having shot plenty of motor racing in the past, looking forward to finally having an efficient way of doing it AND a much easier way of lugging stuff round the circuit. You are however very correct, they are not for everyone, and its up to each individual person to find what suits them :thumbs:
 
Yv said:
:lol: I can't wait to take mine motor racing, I lift 2 different bodies/lens combos hundreds of times at a wedding each weekend and having shot plenty of motor racing in the past, looking forward to finally having an efficient way of doing it AND a much easier way of lugging stuff round the circuit. You are however very correct, they are not for everyone, and its up to each individual person to find what suits them :thumbs:
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I think these straps would be great for hauling a camera around but when I'm trackside I have my camera up and ready rather than hanging from my Potech strap - and that's not for comfort reasons. I just want to be ready to pull the trigger.

If they weren't expensive, I'd buy a Black Rapid to try it when I'm out on walkabouts but I've always got something else on my photography want list to spend 50 odd quid on.
 
zoom said:
I'm glad to see that there's some objective discussion about these straps this time.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=225482

They're just not for everyone and I still say that for someone on a walk who lifts their camera now and then, they're probably fine but for someone shooting cars that are tearing past every 20 or 30 seconds, they're not the way to go.

I'm also interested that the build quality of the various straps mentioned is being talked about as we all carry some precious, expensive kit and to have it hanging on a wing and a prayer from some webbing stitched together in a sweatshop over in the far East seems slightly mad.
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I agree. I have two strap systems on my camera, which might sound like overkill but they both suit different purposes and both clip on and off in a second.

The R-Strap as discussed, but also an OpTech which pops off and just leaves those two little dangly clips on the camera which just flop to the side and don't bother me at all when the R-Strap is on :thumbs:
 
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