I’d been hearing a lot about the R-Strap through some of the PodCasts that I’ve been following. In fact, one of the other delegates on the Wedding Seminar brought one along with him, the Double R-Strap which he used to great effect.
I had been very skeptical at first. After all, how could someone rave about something as simple as a camera strap? What was it that made the R-Strap so absolutely fantastic that people were discarding their brand new, manufacturer supplied neck straps in favour of this little thing? As it screws into the tripod socket, would it actually be OK to use, particularly with heavier glass such as a 70-200f2.8 lens?
No idea, but I wanted to get a new strap. In particular I wanted something that was more discreet than the one Canon supplied. Bad idea to announce the fact that I was using a 5DmkI, so back in November, I decided to plunge in and buy one. Eleven days later, a small parcel arrived from Seattle (wherever that may be :-)). Lo and behold it was my new R-Strap.
Never heard of the R-Strap? Check out these videos to see what all the hype is about…
I must confess, I was very impressed right off the bat. It was very well made of strong, durable materials. The metal parts looked and felt very robust and certainly more than up to the task of bearing the weight of the body and lens. Adjusting the strap was indeed as straightforward as in the video. The camera hangs just off the hip at just the right height to be able to lift it up to the eye and into action. It literally took me only a few minutes from opening the envelope to being able to use it.
I can’t see myself throwing the camera over my shoulder as the inventor does in the video but I can certainly see myself using it at photoshoots from now on. Wearing it does seem akin to preparing for a gunfight in a western but I can live with that.
The next step is to try it in anger: I’d like to see how it really performs and how easy it is to use when I’m under pressure to deliver.
Tips…
For a short lens I’d recommend wearing it over the left shoulder so the camera hangs on the right hip. This will make it easier to swing the camera up the glide strap in a single motion with the fingers of the right hand naturally finding the correct position for the shutter release and (in my case anyway) the star/AF button for focussing.
For a longer lens I’ve found it better to wear the strap over the right shoulder so the camera hangs on the left hip. To spring into action, reach for the lens barrel with the left hand and slide the camera up the glide strap, the right hand coming up to grasp the body ready for the shot. If the camera is hanging off the right hip it means the photographer will need to use the right hand and I’ve found this to feel unnatural because…
- if you hold the lens barrel in the right hand you then need to reposition your hand to find the controls
- if the right hand holds the body to slide the camera up to the eye the camera feels unbalanced owing to the weight of the lens. I’m also concerned about placing unnecessary stress on the lens mount.
Summary
So there you have it. The R-Strap is great and I’m hoping Father Christmas will being my a Double R-Strap this year so the single one I have doesn’t get too lonely 😉 Of course, then I’ll need another 5DmkII to go with it and the EF24-70 f2.8L lens to complete the outfit.
If you want to see more, check out the Black Rapid website: http://blackrapid.com
