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With the advent of middle-age spread (ok it's been a while!) a normal camera strap is uncomfortable and unwieldy to use.
So I took the plunge and bought the BlackRapid RS-4, which is a single camera strap designed to be worn diagonally across the shoulder with the camera hanging at the opposite hip.
There's something about the thought of my D3 dangling upside-down at my hip, rather than in hand and eye reach in front, which was a bit unsettling but I thought that I would give it a go.
First impressions were that the actual strap was narrower than I had imagined, however in use it was comfortable and practical.
The fixing of strap to camera is via a metal screw-in plug that fits to the tripod socket - there is a very thick rubber washer on the plug and that enables a very secure connection to the camera, which gives no indication that it it going to work loose anytime soon.
The strap has a shoulder pad with a pocket, useful for memory cards or anything similar.
From delivery and removal from the mesh carrying bag, the strap is not 'fitted' to any size, so if you just fit the camera and let it go the strap will slide to the maximum open position, which is likely to be uncomfortably low for most togs. At the top of the shoulder pad there is an adjuster which enables the strap length to be adjusted to suit where you want the camera to rest.
Having used the strap for just a short time I found it to be comfortable and easy to use, albeit that it did still sometimes feel strange to have it dangling in the way that it was - once I brushed the lens hood against an object as the camera was not in my immediate field of view and this is an area where perhaps a little care is needed when maneuvering around hard objects.
A metal slider allows the camera to easily be moved from hip to eye without having the strap trying to choke you or getting into a muddle, occasionally the shoulder pad would move forward or back but this was easy and quick to re-position.
The strap would not survive a cutting attack (there is a different manufacturer producing a metal-lined strap) but I guess not everyone is going to find that a problem in day-to-day use.
Overall a useful product, slightly over-priced maybe but IMO worth the outlay for a more comfortable/easy-to-use option.
Options for single, double - details available at BlackRapid Wesite and available at various outlets including eBay.
So I took the plunge and bought the BlackRapid RS-4, which is a single camera strap designed to be worn diagonally across the shoulder with the camera hanging at the opposite hip.
There's something about the thought of my D3 dangling upside-down at my hip, rather than in hand and eye reach in front, which was a bit unsettling but I thought that I would give it a go.
First impressions were that the actual strap was narrower than I had imagined, however in use it was comfortable and practical.
The fixing of strap to camera is via a metal screw-in plug that fits to the tripod socket - there is a very thick rubber washer on the plug and that enables a very secure connection to the camera, which gives no indication that it it going to work loose anytime soon.
The strap has a shoulder pad with a pocket, useful for memory cards or anything similar.
From delivery and removal from the mesh carrying bag, the strap is not 'fitted' to any size, so if you just fit the camera and let it go the strap will slide to the maximum open position, which is likely to be uncomfortably low for most togs. At the top of the shoulder pad there is an adjuster which enables the strap length to be adjusted to suit where you want the camera to rest.
Having used the strap for just a short time I found it to be comfortable and easy to use, albeit that it did still sometimes feel strange to have it dangling in the way that it was - once I brushed the lens hood against an object as the camera was not in my immediate field of view and this is an area where perhaps a little care is needed when maneuvering around hard objects.
A metal slider allows the camera to easily be moved from hip to eye without having the strap trying to choke you or getting into a muddle, occasionally the shoulder pad would move forward or back but this was easy and quick to re-position.
The strap would not survive a cutting attack (there is a different manufacturer producing a metal-lined strap) but I guess not everyone is going to find that a problem in day-to-day use.
Overall a useful product, slightly over-priced maybe but IMO worth the outlay for a more comfortable/easy-to-use option.
Options for single, double - details available at BlackRapid Wesite and available at various outlets including eBay.
