Outdoor Photography Canada

How about the EZEE Camera Strap www.ezeecamerastrap.com ...check it out!

You can actually make your own camera strap, if you have any interest on DIY. This way you can decide on everything...material to use, length, color , appearance, etc. Mentioning you have a box full of useless straps, maybe now is the time for you to try and create something new that you can enjoy using on your hiking.

Black Rapid works great for me.  Very usable, and very comfortable.
A bit expensive side, but well worth it to me. My previous strap (an older LowePro) came undone under load and the result was a trashed $900 lens and $70 filter.  

Camera strap can purchase, but personally I like DIY, according to their own ideas to make condole belt, such the best digital camera with just perfect.

To update, I took the RS-7 R-strap out for a test walk today and it was great. Camera hung nicely at side and came up easily to take images, nothing got in the way and it sat without any issues under my spring jacket (another warm over 0c day). Just had to unzip the coat if I had it done up.

Don't think it would fit over top of my heavy winter coat.

I was poking black rapids forum site rphotographer.com and they have a new product about to come out. It is a replacement screw and attachment ring for Manfrotto and other brands quick release plates. They say the ring on the quick plates like the Manfrotto's is not intended to take the weight of a camera and has a potential it might let go.

derek, I can sympathize with you. :D My wife is also on about the purpose of "not needed" stuff....there is just so much of it!!! :D I just tell her "it's complicated" (LOL), but what's a guy going to do. I appreciate your initiating this discussion on straps and such. Have to go and and talk to J.S. about some of this stuff next time I am in the Camera Store. My 20+ year old Tamrac is getting a little ratty around the edges and maybe it is time for a new one. The quick connect idea intrigues me - it means I could take the strap off very easily when I mount it on a tripod (which isn't often enough).

Cheers,

WesternGuy

derekcox that is exactly what worries me (and I guess others too) about the cotton system, running around at an event it's seems too easy to reach down and accidentally miss the camera connector.

The image of my friend dropping his dslr onto rocks keeps haunting me. ( he took the lens off the camera and let go, forgetting it was on a little used monopod instead of his normal tripod. )

Went to Toronto sooner than I expected to look at a used ts-e 24mm lens. Lens looked like it had spent time tumbling in a cloths dryer with a load of sandpaper, so that was a no go.

But I did drop into Vistek while there and picked up a BlackRapid RS-7 and a bRad R-mod strap for it. Now I can't wait to head out to try it.

Vistek had the full line of BlackRapid straps and add on bits, Henry's only had the RS-4 available.

Was a bit odd walking around Toronto at the end of February in a spring jacket with the temp at +5c :D

PeterP the cotton carrier kinda reminds me of the spider holster http://www.spiderholster.com/ i have really considered a carrying system like these ones,but i fear for my camera and lenses should they somehow unclip without me. .....yet, they both look like they would be really comfortable to use... it's a dilema perhaps a hand strap for the camera?

Thanks guys. I appreciate the thoughts. I was wondering about the rstrap as well when it comes to using the tripod. I'm a tripod user a lot...it's how i learned way back in the days of film :) I think i'll pick up one of the r-straps after all, now that i see how it can clip to my tripod plate. Bluenoser.. Me Too :D i grew up in the valley and halifax area. In fact,that part of the country is the reason i had to get my hands on my first camera! Just too many great pictures to be had in NS thanks westernguy, i'll check out the camera store downtown, i have been there a few times actually but just for clear filters for my lenses and a camera bag... never really spent a long time in the store. for me,more time in the camera store means a greater chance that i will spend money on things i never knew i needed :oops: which in turn causes my wife to inquire about the purpose of said 'not needed' stuff...

Hey, it's your wallet. :D

:lol: ya, but then I don't get to go into the BIG city and see all the other shiny stuff on the store shelves :D

When I bought mine I ordered it online and it was here in a week.

Them's a look good! Now I can't wait to make another trip to Toronto :)

Sorry for the out of focus, hand held Macro Lens, not great light. Still can see and get the idea though.

I stuck a coin in the opening on the second image. You can see the grooved piece that screws down and locks it closed.

I'm taking a couple of close up shots of mine and will post them here. Then you can see what I mean better.

Thanks! Ya, it sounds better all the time!

Yes, my monopod is almost always with me in the woods. The R-Strap is a quick disconnect but not anything that might let go while walking. It's like a Carboner if you know what I mean. Press in on the spring loaded release. There's also a screw down tube that is quick and easy to use with 2 fingers that tightens down over the spring loaded release so it would be impossible for it to let go with that tightened down.

The R-Starp hooks onto the Tripod/Monopod plate on the bottom of your camera, so that's already there.

Bluenoser do you also make use of tripods/monopods?

That is the part I am having trouble with deciding on the R-strap from blackrapid.

Derek, I see you live in Calgary. :D If you haven't already done so, take a drive down to The Camera Store and talk to some of their very knowledgable people there. I have been dealing with the camera manager Jim Slobodian for a number of years now and find he is very friendly and knowledgable and I have always found he is able to point me in the right direction on equipment and just about anything related to cameras. Over the years, I have dealt with about every major camera store in Calgary (some no longer in business) and find they (The Camera Store) are by far the friendliest to deal with and their shop is very easy to find - and No they don't pay me any commission for promoting their facitlities and services - I just know what I like as a consumer and I keep going back. If they don't have what you want, they can usually get it ordered in a fairly quickly, dependent on the quickness of their suppliers. HTH

Cheers,

WesternGuy

I purchased the R-Strap a few months ago and can't say enough good things about it. Absolutely the best strap I've ever owned.

Watch the video on their site if you get a chance, it will give you a good idea how it works, and it does work. Very easy to grab the camera and pull it up into shooting position.

I am considering trying one of the blackrapid straps http://www.blackrapid.com

I keep hearing from wedding shooters that they really like them. I've heard exactly the opposite opinions on the cotton system.

Both put connectors into your tripod plate socket and make using a pod a real annoyance at best. That is a big down side for me as I like using my tropods/monopods. Though it looks like cotton may have a solution for that if you use arca-swiss plates.

I think the issue I am hearing with the cotton system may be because there is no strap on the camera, if you let go wrong camera goes bounce. http://cottoncarrier.com/

I have 2 of the Lowe TLZ bags(1 for shorter lens, and 1 for when I have my 100-400 mounted), and am quite pleased with them. They have a padded strap that is long enough to wear accross your chest. I also have the chest harness strap that I use when I am downhill skiing, no complaints. I realize that you were just asking about a camera strap, but this is what I prefer.