Want to use a monopod - but also need a decent strap that doesn't take the tripod fitting

Tulipone

Tulipone

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Evening all,

Decided I will need to use a monopod rather than bulky and heavy tripod on an upcoming trip and realised that I am going to need a decent strap that doesn't require the bottom of camera thread. I prefer to use the strap around neck and under one arm in Peak Design fashion. My tripod uses Swiss Arca so until now hasn't been a problem.

It is a full frame camera so fairly weighty. Any thoughts on a different non Peak Design strap gratefully received rather than resort to just around the neck anchors.

Very many thanks.
 
Tulipone said:
Evening all,

Decided I will need to use a monopod rather than bulky and heavy tripod on an upcoming trip and realised that I am going to need a decent strap that doesn't require the bottom of camera thread. I prefer to use the strap around neck and under one arm in Peak Design fashion. My tripod uses Swiss Arca so until now hasn't been a problem.

It is a full frame camera so fairly weighty. Any thoughts on a different non Peak Design strap gratefully received rather than resort to just around the neck anchors.

Very many thanks.
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I read about and have bought one a little before Xmas, the Kirk Secure Strap ~ SS-1

I have yet to use it but it's intended to allow the sling carrying method of the camera but as it has an AS grooved base it can be easily mounted on, in my case a Siuri L-10 tilt head, on my monopod.
 
I'm not sure what you mean about "in Peak Design fashion"... there is nothing about a PD strap that makes it different from any "just around the neck" type strap. I think you must use the PD standard arca plate for one end which uses the tripod socket? I just mount an inexpensive arca swiss clamp (or head like Sirui L-10) to the monopod.
 
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sk66 said:
I'm not sure what you mean about "in Peak Design fashion"... there is nothing about a PD strap that makes it different from any "just around the neck" type strap. I think you must use the PD standard arca plate for one end which uses the tripod socket? I just mount an arca swiss clamp (or head like Sirui L-10) to the monopod.
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I guess this is likely the solution especially as the clamp could be loaned from the tripod. I’m pretty sure my monopod has never been used with this camera so never arose before - but the blinding obvious solution is a little embarrassing.

I still may look into an alternate body harness though.
 
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After seeing how the tripod mounting is secured to most cameras, I would not use a strap that attached to the tripod mount.
They are often held in place by 2 or 3 small screws, and are often not attached to the main frame of the camera, which is all reasonable as they are designed to hold the camera in position on the tripod, and the body of the camera supports the weight. They are not designed to take the weight of the camera pulling the mount away from the camera, especially on a strap which could result in jerking or snatching which would put the force several times the weight of the camera lens combination on the mount and its tiny screws.

I will stick to the strap attachment points that are designed to do the job, just in case :)
 
Tulipone said:
I guess this is likely the solution especially as the clamp could be loaned from the tripod. I’m pretty sure my monopod has never been used with this camera so never arose before - but the blinding obvious solution is a little embarrassing.

I still may look into an alternate body harness though.
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Particularly as the whole point of the arca Swiss plate is supposed to be a universal attachment for a range of different supports. (New monopod being just a different support)
 
Sangoma said:
After seeing how the tripod mounting is secured to most cameras, I would not use a strap that attached to the tripod mount.
They are often held in place by 2 or 3 small screws, and are often not attached to the main frame of the camera, which is all reasonable as they are designed to hold the camera in position on the tripod, and the body of the camera supports the weight. They are not designed to take the weight of the camera pulling the mount away from the camera, especially on a strap which could result in jerking or snatching which would put the force several times the weight of the camera lens combination on the mount and its tiny screws.

I will stick to the strap attachment points that are designed to do the job, just in case :)
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Agreed!

FWIW I attach my BR strap (with its attached Whimberley C-12 AS clamp) to the lens tripod foot.
In the case of the Olympus 300mm its foot has an AS grooved pattern. However, the 40-150mm has a standard tripod mount point that I have attached an AS plate to but in regard to the strain on the attachment point.....the plate spreads the load and sheering & twisting forces so AFAIK lowers the risk of the tripod screw point failing.
Likewise on the body I use an AS plate and only use that attachment with smaller lens on the body.
 
Sangoma said:
They are not designed to take the weight of the camera pulling the mount away from the camera,
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So I should expect mount failure when I boom my camera out to take an overhead pic, or when using an L-bracket? Nah... I've never read anything from any manufacturer warning about how to/not to use the tripod socket.

Black Rapid would have gone out of business by now, but they haven't; or at least have a lot of disqualifiers/disclaimers for use, and they don't. Even Olympus marketed their own strap that mounts to the tripod socket. Which is kind of funny because they also made the 5 series with particularly weak tripod sockets. And there are a ton more options that make use of the tripod socket (Spyder, Cotton Carrier, Carry Speed, C-Loop, etc, etc, etc)... that just wouldn't be the case if it was problematic.

I'm not saying damage can't/won't happen, particularly if allowed to swing around and be shock loaded, but it is not a common failure point. On most cameras, even plastic bodied ones, the tripod socket is part of a larger metal plate that takes the stresses and spreads the load out... that's where Olympus went wrong with the 5 series, they used an internal plastic plate.
 
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Box Brownie said:
FWIW I attach my BR strap (with its attached Whimberley C-12 AS clamp) to the lens tripod foot.
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My rule is if the lens has a foot use that; if not, don't.
But that is more about protecting the lens mount; particularly with plastic bodied cameras (I've never seen it reinforced with metal).
 
sk66 said:
My rule is if the lens has a foot use that; if not, don't.
But that is more about protecting the lens mount; particularly with plastic bodied cameras (I've never seen it reinforced with metal).
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For sure and I am none too sure why folk would remove such a lens tripod ring/foot......even on light systems such as the mFT Olympus/OM System.

Why, well for me even if not needed everytime the foot also make a good grab handle. But as in all such things "horses for courses".

I cannot recall the last time I used the 'normal' strap to carry a camera in use.

PS does anyone else recall the epithet about the "Ever ready case" as in 'never ready case '
 
Tulipone said:
The thread screw on my S5 seems firm enough to the camera to use as a strap anchor, but thanks for the warning.
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Full magnesium body; should be no issue. IMO the main concern is the single failure point; just make sure to check the mounting every so often... the screw backing out is the most common failure.
 
The plate the Peak Design attaches to has untightened itself once or twice leading to a spare Allen key in my bag and regular checks.
 
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