Sling or harness style strap

essexmirage

essexmirage

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Hi, I'm looking to get a sling/harness style strap to use with my Canon EOS 400d as I have 2 small children and often need to lean forward or to the side etc, whilst using my camera, was thinking of a sling style strap but was not keen on the tripod securing type as I use a battery grip on the camera too, and the tripod fixing seems flimsier in the grip !! so have looked at the Optech sling slide strap, does anyone have any other suggestions at all
Regards
Essexmirage
 
Thanks for the responses so far, still think the Optech sling is my fave like the fixing to the body !!

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in that case you can have 1 point of attachment to the tripod mount on the lens & 1 on the body if that's what you want - you just need to buy a ring of some sort that fits the tripod screw. Or of course you can just have 1 point of attachment if you prefer.
I use a black rapid fastnR on my 70-400 G SSM with the Optech sling strap (I already had an Optech Pro strap so it only cost me £15 to add the sling strap).
 
Do you have a pic of your set up at all, heinfirst, sounds like exactly what I'm trying to achieve ??
 
dentedshed said:
I use the optech and love it. It is so much of a comfort improvement over a neck strap. I have my camera attached at 2 points, one normal strap mount and one at the base of the grip.
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I do the same. I didn't buy the complete utility sling as I already had Optech straps so just bought the sling strap adapter. I'm sure I only paid about a tenner but I see they're £17 on Amazon.
 
I got to optech sling and really wish I had gone for the black rapid. The attachment makes portrait shooting awkward to the point I bought a black rapid mount. The quality is fine but I feel the design is flawed and the price once fixed is close enough to the rapid that I should have got it in the 1st place.

There's a review on my website if interested.
 
I like the thought of the stretch material on the Optech, which would make it more comfortable for long periods. I just get worried looking at the connection point on them. It makes me sway more towards the Q Strap for the plate on the bottom.

Maybe a mixture of them both as in your post Heidfirst would be the best compromise.
 
Does anyone know of any UK stockists of the Luma Loop? Have read up on the optech/blackrapid/Qstrap sling straps and I like the Luma Loop but can't find any UK suppliers.
 
terryt said:
Does anyone know of any UK stockists of the Luma Loop? Have read up on the optech/blackrapid/Qstrap sling straps and I like the Luma Loop but can't find any UK suppliers.
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I spent a while looking for one when I first looked at slings but couldn't find one so ruled them out as the final price was looking huge after import duty etc.
 
maninsuitcase said:
I spent a while looking for one when I first looked at slings but couldn't find one so ruled them out as the final price was looking huge after import duty etc.
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Ah, ok. I don't mind paying a bit more for something I'm happy with but $70 + shipping + duty direct from them is a tad much. Back to square one :(
 
Quick strap off ebay is very well made and far cheaper than a BR strap.

Still find myself using the orininal canon overhead strap though, it's just that little bit simpler to get on and off.
 
The only thing which worries me with the Quickstrap is the connector bit breaking, the early revisions of the BR ConnectR one broke as it was only screwed together.
 
WHich part do you think would break, the screw on mounting point (that screws into the bottom of camera tripod thread) or the carabina that attaches to the strap?

The quickstrap is a rev 3 now and comes with a newer tpe of carabina that seems fine. There is someone on here that has a double quickstrap with some large gripped bodies and has been running around with them liek that for 1 year + with no problems.

As with everything though there will be the odd defect, but that could happen with any strap no matter how well regarded and pimped on the interwebs.
 
Its where the carabina attaches to the loop bit on the strap, the early BR ConnectR-2 came in 2 bits and came loose. I'm not doubting the quality of the Quickstrap compared to the BR, I was ready to order the RS-7 but have doubts on having the camera held by the tripod mount which isn't really design to take the weight imho. I looked into the Optech but didn't like how many clips there are hence looking for a Luma Loop suppplier.



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I had an optech swing harness thingy but found it got in the way when shooting (straps in front of viewfinder/screen etc) and it was such a mess on to put on. I kept putting it on over the wrong shoulder and I would get my arm through the wrong loop..:shrug:

By which time the shot I was going to take was long gone :wave:


It was kinda nice and refreshing to go back to my original strap :lol:

Just need my 'normal' strap to be a bit longer and I could put it under my arm and out the way.... job done :thumbs:
 
I'm small and currently using the standard nikon strap and can get it under my arms, think I will stick with it for now and wait for the TP straps to become available.
 
terryt said:
Ah, ok. I don't mind paying a bit more for something I'm happy with but $70 + shipping + duty direct from them is a tad much. Back to square one :(
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That was my thought's at the time. Also it looked very much like the tripod mount was extra, so another $15!

I went for the optech in the end as it seemed to offer the same stuff as the luma for sensible money. The reality (for me at least) is the use of the standard mount point means the strap is always in your face.

I ended up buying a FastenR-2 and attached the utility loop to that giving me a Black Rapid Op/Tech hybrid, which was only about £5-10 less than an R4 which looks to have a more solid clip. I might look into getting hold of the black rapid clip but I may have to cut and resow to fit one. I also want to try find a locking thingy like the BR as leaning over means a face full of camera right now.

Now it would have been cheaper to go BR but I am too invested to go back it seems!
 
terryt said:
Its where the carabina attaches to the loop bit on the strap, the early BR ConnectR-2 came in 2 bits and came loose. I'm not doubting the quality of the Quickstrap compared to the BR, I was ready to order the RS-7 but have doubts on having the camera held by the tripod mount which isn't really design to take the weight imho. I looked into the Optech but didn't like how many clips there are hence looking for a Luma Loop suppplier.
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Definately not constructed like that on the latest one, the carabina is a single piece.
 
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Problem with the OpTech is it gets in the way. The big advantage of the BlackRapid is both the sliding sling style, and the fact that it is attached to just one swiveling point with the camera hanging upsidedown. That's what makes it work so well.

You just have to get your head around all that camera dangling down attached by one screw. But it won't break! The only danger is that it comes unscrewed, but if it's all put together properly, and you check it from time to time, it won't. Even with a heavy camera.

I use an R-Strap with a 5D2 and 70-200L 4 lens, no problem at all, and so easy to carry. Others have heavier outfits still, even two cameras with the twin-strap version. I also have it rigged so it attaches direct to my tripod QR plate and that goes straight on with the strap too if needs be.

Once you get over the security thing the R-Strap is a brilliant solution :thumbs:
 
Wow this is still confusing I like some parts of the Blackrapid system, but have had Optech before and I'm not using any huge lenses yet !! So still torn between them think the Black rapid looks simpler !
 
terryt said:
Its where the carabina attaches to the loop bit on the strap, the early BR ConnectR-2 came in 2 bits and came loose. I'm not doubting the quality of the Quickstrap compared to the BR, I was ready to order the RS-7 but have doubts on having the camera held by the tripod mount which isn't really design to take the weight imho. I looked into the Optech but didn't like how many clips there are hence looking for a Luma Loop suppplier.



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thats not good, i have used the mark 1 with the claw type hooks for a year with no probs i now have the mk3 i think, and for abit of extra safty i have used some thick keyring loops around the carabiner and top bit.
heres my mk 1
SG204423.jpg


SG204420.jpg
 
I will throw another option at you, the Cotton Carrier. This system has helped me carry two cameras comfortably and I do not have the worry of the cameras banging together or falling. Fantastic system all around.
 
A thumbs up from me on the ebay Q strap. £12 for what feels like a quality piece of kit. I have no issues swinging my kit from it.
 
Karl Taylor has a very good video on his site in relation to sling strap types but you have to register to get his free tutorials
 
scottthehat said:
doesnt look that confy,
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In this photo he has a backpack on as well. I have used this setup for a 6 hour day of photography and was not fatigued. The best part is the cameras stay close to the body even when you trip up and fall.
 
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