I suspect the search for the perfect camera strap is not unlike the search for the perfect anything.  Just as the quest for the perfect pair of casual shoes or the most comfortable jeans may go, so also goes my quest for the perfect camera strap.  Does it exist?

My preference is not the standard strap that comes with the camera or even that style.  I don’t care for the way the camera flops about.  I prefer the over-the-shoulder type sling strap.  It is more comfortable in my opinion and a real neck saver to extended hours of shooting.

I will try to keep this as brief as possible.  You may want to refill your beverage before proceeding.  For an extra long experience you can read the lengthy posts at DP Review about this product.  I have monitored it periodically for updates on CarrySpeed products.

I was certain I had found the perfect camera strap when I discovered CarrySpeed.  Two to three years ago they were the only game in town that allowed for a tripod foot to attached to the camera and still be able to use the strap simultaneously.  This is accomplished by the plate’s ability to accept the mounting screw of the tripod foot and have an offset ball for the strap to attach to.

The very first version of CarrySpeed’s strap I bought was very similar to what BlackRapid offered.  It had a small plate with a ring that the clip fastened to(Image 1).  The one addition I liked was the backup secondary strap (third item pictured below – to the right of the mounting plate).  This secondary strap attached to the side of the camera and then to another point on the strap so if the clip or plate failed there would be a mechanism to prevent disaster (or lessen it).  I don’t know why this feature was not included in later versions.  I suspect that it may have been available at an extra cost.  This was not a perfect strap.  I did not like the mounting plate at all as your camera would not sit flat (unless you removed it) and I also did not like the locking clip design.

CarrySpeed went on to make some improvements.  The all nylon strap was changed to a nylon/neoprene combination.  The neoprene helps hold the strap in place on your shoulder.  I heard some chatter about the build quality; there were some reports of failure where the nylon and neoprene were stitched together.  I’ve yet to experience this issue and our straps have been used a lot.  I see in later versions that the nylon strap is continuous and feeds through loops of a neoprene pad (Image 2).

With any equipment YOU SHOULD INSPECT IT BEFORE EVERY USE.  This is especially true for a $50-70 bit of equipment that is holding potentially a few thousand dollars worth of the gear.  Complacency may very well lend itself to disaster.

The second generation plate was a good idea, but poorly executed with a weak set screw (I swear if you looked at the wrong the screw threads would strip out; they did just that)  Finding a replacement at a hardware store while on the road was not an easy task.  This plate featured a ball (attached to plate) to fasten the strap to.  I very much liked this over the clip design.  It reminded me of a ball and hitch for a vehicle and trailer (Image 3).  This design appeared better than the locking clip setup.  I will say that I do see a difference in the material used for the “hitch”  from earlier to later versions that I own (the earlier versions where heavier duty metal).  I’ve read accounts of the hitch failing as it is softer metal than the stainless steel ball.  It is too bad the quality of metal was lessened; hopefully they will revisit that decision.  Here again, I think this is worth repeating:  YOU SHOULD INSPECT OUR EQUIPMENT BEFORE EVERY USE.

The third generation plate design was better still.  It has more options for mounting the tripod foot (5 vs 2 holes) and a standard screw-head for the mounting bolt (Image 4).  This plate was flat and black – the earlier version had different levels and did not necessarily fit tight against your camera body.  The black blended into the bottom of my camera grip nicely (It wasn’t something that bothered me, but I like it better black).

The right angle attachment of this ball sometimes gets in the way when mounting the camera to the tripod ball head.  I made it work by positioning the plate differently on the camera and the tripod foot on the plate.  This was a minor issue for me.  The other thing to note is that the ball can be a catching point when stowing you camera in your bag.

The fourth generation plate is spot on in my estimation.  I don’t own any of these plates, but I wish I did.  The ball attachment point folds. The fold-able ball is a nice improvement that will fit into your camera bag better and slide into your tripod ball head easier as well (Image 5).  The ability to fold the ball is a good idea provided that doesn’t present a fail point.  You can garner some extra peace of mind by rigging your own secondary strap (more on that in a future post.)

Currently we own and use two CS-1 Pro Mark II’s and have been happy with them.  Each CS-1 Pro came with some extra equipment that I have used extensively.  The other components (in the center of the image below) can be connected to create a wrist strap (this is very comfortable to use).  Or you can connect a different components for added support when carrying a heavy lens.

When touting a large lens the main attachment point is transferred to the lens foot and the secondary support strap connected to the camera body.  The extra straps helps to distribute the weight evenly.

I’ve looked at BlackRapid many times.  I see they have answered the tripod foot issue and evened the advantage that CarrySpeed had over them, but only a bit.  If you do not use Manfrotto tripods, what BlackRapid offers in the form of an alternate FastenR Tripod (FR-T1) isn’t going to help you much.  They do have a FastenR Hitch which is their standard tripod attachment.  This is great if the fastener will fit under your tripod foot.  Manfrotto’s are nice, but pricy – especially for the carbon fiber models.

We use an aluminum alloy Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT.  It is still pretty light and affordable.  The foot  that is used on the Vanguard SBH-250 ball head does not seem to have enough room to fold down the FastenR Tripod (FR-T1).  It may, but it would be tight.  The last thing I want is something protruding from the bottom of the foot when I am trying to secure the camera body to the ball head.

Even if the fastener fit, BlackRapid still uses those clips that I despise.  Recently a friend of ours experienced a failure with that clip design.  Unfortunately she didn’t have a secondary strap either.  There is supposed to be a tip on the clip where they other part meets and locks in place; then the locking sleeve screws down around it (Image 6).  It is supposed to look like image 7.  Her brand new 5D Mark III hit the pavement.  Fortunately the camera and lens suffered only a few scuffs – but that could have been really bad.  I suppose I could live with the clip design with a secondary strap.  For now though, we’ll stick with our CarrySpeed straps.

The last I heard on CarrySpeed is that their website was down due to litigation over a potential patent issue with BlackRapid (DP Review forum).  That is unfortunate.  The mounting plate and ball used is amazingly similar to that of the Spider Pro Holster system.  It is a belt/holster setup vs. a strap and uses the same stainless steel ball to connect to the holster.  Perhaps they are part of the litigation as well.  The carryspeed.com website redirects to mogopod.com – world’s most versatile monopod.  This makes me very unhappy.  You can still buy CarrySpeed products through online retailers like Amazon – all is not lost.  I will anxiously await new developments.

I think the new concept/system to watch going forward is from Peak Designs.  The strap takes on a real minimalist approach, but coupled with all the other components, I think they have a solid offering either with each component or the professionals pack.  I am not sure how comfortable the camera strap is as it is a plain nylon strap with no padding at all.  I get the design – it is easily stowable without bulky padding.  I believe I could make this work.  If I could get back all the money I’ve spent on various types/designs of straps, I believe I would go this route.

Here are some of the major camera strap/holster brands:  CarrySpeed (via Amazon)| BlackRapid | Peak Design| Joby | Spider

I would love to hear any opinions you may have on camera straps, of CarrySpeed, or any other camera strap manufacturers/models you have experience with.

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