Strap yourself in

Ok, so you've got your bag(s) all sorted. How do you keep your camera(s) safe and secure while actually shooting? I guess you could just hold it and work lens changes etc. from a shoulder bag...could work...but at some point you are likely to need two free hands. Bring on the strap.

clockwise from top: Carry Speed harness (modified), Peak Design Slide, Black Rapid RS-7 (early model).

Usually when you buy a camera the manufacturer will supply a camera strap. I know lots of professional shooters who are perfectly happy running their cameras with the maker's strap. I personally have had issues with this...just from a functionality perspective. There are lots of times when I don't want a strap on my camera, an example being on a tripod in the wind. The purpose of the tripod is to prevent camera shake...pretty difficult when the attached strap is working like a windsock and flapping all around the place. The procedure of correctly fitting a strap to a camera is quite fiddly...so taking the strap on and off is just not practical.

At one point in my career at the newspaper I made a system where I had metal rings attached to the camera and dog-lead-type clips on the ends of a manufacturer's strap so I could take it on and off easily...not particularly pretty...and not very camera body friendly. I just couldn't find the materials to refine my idea. Fast forward about 10 years and the clever guys at Peak Design have nailed it (I could have been rich).

Another issue I find with a standard strap is that they have a tendency to slide off your shoulder (my Peak Design strap is very prone to this being made of slippery, seat belt-type material. It has rubberised strips on one side to prevent this, but I tend to run it diagonally across my body...it can't fall off and the slipperiness is purposefully there to let the strap slide with the movement of the camera).

My Black Rapid sling strap also runs diagonally, but the connection to the camera is via the tripod socket. The camera slides up and down the strap on a specially designed clip. This design allows for fast access to the camera for on the run shooting. A disadvantage of mounting via the tripod socket is that you need to completely remove the mount to use a tripod.

My usual preference is to run two cameras. The most comfortable and user-friendly way I have found to do this is via a harness. I use a modified Carry Speed system. I replaced the cumbersome mounting system (the mounting system has been upgraded since I purchased mine) with the Black Rapid clip and ring system. There were very few manufacturers producing harnesses when I purchased mine, but now there is quite a range available including very stylish leather models. The design of the harness means there is no way the cameras can slip off and they are readily accessible to capture all the action. The shoulders are padded to make carrying the weight of camera and lenses more bearable...mind you the back knows about it after a few hours covering a wedding. The issue of mounting via the tripod socket still applies (the new Carry Speed system overcomes this issue).

To streamline my ability to "gun and run" I have just added a few pieces from the Think Tank modular system to my armoury...the Pro Speed belt, two Lens Changer 35's and a 75 Pop Down. This should allow me to carry most of the essentials without worrying if someone is about to help themselves to my bag...it is virtually impossible to watch your bag when you are concentrating on capturing the moment (another benefit of having an assistant).

As mentioned in last week's blog, I also use the Peak Design Capture Pro clip. This system uses a plate that is fitted to the camera via the tripod mount, but unlike the Black Rapid system, the plate is interchangeable with the Arca-Swiss style tripod... meaning it does not have to be removed to fit the camera to a tripod. The clip can be mounted on any existing strap or belt. The camera then clicks into the clip and can only be removed by pressing a spring-loaded button (the button can also be locked to prevent accidental release). I run one on my backback strap and have another that I sometimes use on my belt or on my Peak Design Everyday Messenger bag. I think the belt mount works best with my lighter Fuji mirrorless camera.

So, there you have it. I mix and match my strap systems according to the type of work I am doing...just like I do with my bags. There is no one perfect solution.

Until next week...happy shooting.