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What strap are you using with your A7R ii?

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I just purchased an Upstrap. They are made in USA of Kevlar, so they are strong and will last. They feature quick releases, so you can keep it on the body and just release it from the strap to change bodies or store the camera. I got the Medium Sling. $70, but very nice. They have lesser priced classic straps, but I wanted a sling instead of a shoulder strap.

I also have a knock off black rapid sport strap. Works very well, but I had the same issue as you. It screws into the tripod mount. I also use a knock off Spyder Holster, which is nice for the a7rii (I have an a7s) with a smaller prime, but also screws into the tripod mount.

With the black rapid type straps, I've read that the D Ring fails and people have broken cameras/lenses. With the holster type, the ball screw that goes into the holster can be unscrewed and you can drop the camera like that. Also, anything that screws into a tripod mount has the possibility to come lose. I broke one camera like this. I like that the upstrap goes into the camera loops.

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www.upstrap-pro.com
 
I have tried a few straps and have now settled on Peak Design. Fabulously flexible so you can get just what you want for your particular needs....... and with the ability to change straps very easily from wrist to neck to belt to shoulder to "no strap"....... not cheap but a great system and a quality product......
 
It seems that a majority of you folks are recommending Peak Design while none of you are recommending Fotostraps. Has anybody have their Peak Design fail on them where the coupling part either broke or slipped off somehow and you ended up dropping your camera?

I do like the flexibility of the peak design and it seems simple enough. Maybe I should ask, is there a reason that I'm missing why nobody uses Fotostraps? I'm not concerned with the fact that you can quickly change straps. It's a nice feature of Peak Designs but frankly, once I put the strap on, it'll stay on so that's really a non-issue for me.
 
I have not tried Fotostraps, but I have a Peakdesign Leash strap and it works great - don't think it will fail.... The a7 cameras are not that heavy but I might have reservations to use it with a huge dslr though. But theoretically it should work with smaller dslr as well though.

The possibility to remove the strap easily is great when I'm at home - a strap always seems to get in the way of my shooting and I prefer not to have one at all. I understand that you don't want to remove the strap - but that may just be because you can't with a normal strap...
 
I have never had any issues with anchor links on mine, but there have been some reports about failing Peak Design anchor links on the web. However, the reason for the failure always seemed to be cord wearing out against sharp metal edge of the camera plates. Checking if the cords are OK occasionally would have prevented those failures. Also, Peak Design uses colored layered design for most recent cord in the anchor links, which should allow to notice any wear way before it can cause a catastrophic failure.

I usually remove the strap if I have the camera on the tripod. Strap flapping around in the wind is not what you want for sharp pictures. Also, the strap will increase the chances of something catching on it, especially if you carry the tripod around, with the camera attached, over shoulder or in hand.

To me the Fotostrap straps seem more design than utility - leather, brass metal parts, colored canvas. Peak Design is about utility.
 
Peak Design Slide and Slide Lite do not have any padding, but they are pretty wide, so distribute the weight well. The material they use is very similar to the safety belt in the car. The width of the Slide is also similar to safety belt, the Slide Lite is bit narrower.
 
halfmonkey said:
It seems that a majority of you folks are recommending Peak Design while none of you are recommending Fotostraps. Has anybody have their Peak Design fail on them where the coupling part either broke or slipped off somehow and you ended up dropping your camera?

I do like the flexibility of the peak design and it seems simple enough. Maybe I should ask, is there a reason that I'm missing why nobody uses Fotostraps? I'm not concerned with the fact that you can quickly change straps. It's a nice feature of Peak Designs but frankly, once I put the strap on, it'll stay on so that's really a non-issue for me.
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Peak design clips in there pretty tight. There's an audible click so you're sure it's secure. And the straps (supposedly--I haven't gotten there yet) wear down to a yellow color when they need to be replaced, and a red color when their dangerously thin.
 
MrT-Man said:
I can't say enough good things about the Peak Design Slide Lite. I can walk around with large primes like the 50/1.4 or 35/1.4 and barely feel the weight at all, with the strap arranged so that it's over my shoulder and the camera is by my hip.
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+1.

Not sure why the OP wants to avoid using a tripod mount attachment, but the Slide Lite can attach however you wish (though the sling setup you describe is my preference as well).
 
halfmonkey said:
I love the camera but I don't like the strap that the camera came with. I don't want to get a black rapid strap that connects to the camera using the tripod mount so I'm looking for a comfortable and quality strap that uses the normal camera straps mounts (don't know what they're called on each side of the camera.)

Do you have a recommendation? I've seen FOTOstrap. They seem like quality products. Anybody have any experience with them? I'm looking for something that is a little longer than what came with the camera and I would like the strap to be padded.
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I hate neck strap and never put it on any of my camera, it belongs to those "throw away pile", never use it on any camera, whether is the tiny A7R II or a full size 1DX. I like Black rapid style strap, not necessary made by this particular manufacture but any thing similar design works for me, I have so many of those , single strap, double strap, sme with thick padding, some with thin and narrower shoulder strap....... but like you said i also hate the fact the BR style connector takes up the tripod socket and it's so annoying I have to keep on installing and removing it on the go as I use tripod a lot.

Therefore, I decided to make my own little strap, see picture below, this tiny short strap attached to the left eyelet of my camera, I alwasy have handstrap installed on all my camera too, and this way it free up the camera/L bracket's tripod socket. make it very easy to do handheld shooting and easy to use tripod, Also I feel much more secure this way than using the BR connector, there is no connector to back out to worry about, and if you still concern of the the security, you can also add a Black Rapid LockStar Carabiner Protector which will lock everything down and there is no way the camera will slip off from there.

As you can see here even with lens like the Zeiss 135 APO, I can comfortably carry it with this set up walking all day all night without feeling much at the end of the day.

31147289314_7a23142c22_k.jpg


original.jpg


By the way, there is another precaution about the Black Rapid or any similar strap that using this same method, take a closer look to my first picture above, notice i have a small tie-wrap installed on the connector? learned it the hard way, one my my BR connector broke while I was shooting in the event, my 1DS3+ 70-200 F2.8 IS II landed on the concrete sidewalk, LOL, well, no issue being that was a 1Ds camera and it's been bumped into rock and and dropped so many times, never really worry about it, just pick it up and start shooting again, LOL, but just a warning for you guys.
 
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When I look at the Fotostaps, they look like leather, however they say "Geniune Leather". To me this says bonded leather, which is not really leather and is extremely weak and will look like crap quickly. If the strap is Full Grain leather, the strap should be fine (full grain leather is very strong and durable, but expensive). The part that attaches to the camera however will wear out. Even if this is full grain, it is pretty thin, so I would not trust it on a camera unless you are examining it before you go out with it (to make sure it is not wearing out).

When looking at the design of the peak straps, they are kind of cool. I like that it can attach to either a tripod mount (good for large lenses) or the camera loops. I like this one more than the Fotostrap just based on looks. One bad thing I notice is that there is not any padding on the straps. Also, it says seat belt like material. This would not feel good if it rubs against your skin (or even through a thin shirt). I would suggest you look at the classic straps by Upstrap. Looks like the Peak strap, however has a rubber pad. Also, it is non slip, so it will not rub against you.

I may be thinking a little differently than you are however. I just care that I use a strong strap that has a good pad. This is why I went with Upstrap. They are made of Kevlar, which is VERY strong! Also, the design is simple, which means less can go wrong and it has a pad. I don't know if it is the best strap, but I like it a lot.

In summary, I believe the Fotostrap, visually looks the nicest (this would be nice for women or guys that are more 'metro'), but may be a weak strap prone to breaking. The peak design looks cool and has nice features, but lacks padding and appears to be slippery (meaning it can slide back and forth easily). The Upstrap uses the strongest materials and has basic features. It is plain black and more of a tool than an accessory. It appears to be the strongest (may not be), but visually is very plain, so probably the worst looking depending on your tastes.
halfmonkey said:
It seems that a majority of you folks are recommending Peak Design while none of you are recommending Fotostraps. Has anybody have their Peak Design fail on them where the coupling part either broke or slipped off somehow and you ended up dropping your camera?

I do like the flexibility of the peak design and it seems simple enough. Maybe I should ask, is there a reason that I'm missing why nobody uses Fotostraps? I'm not concerned with the fact that you can quickly change straps. It's a nice feature of Peak Designs but frankly, once I put the strap on, it'll stay on so that's really a non-issue for me.
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Your strap looks good, but uses a D Ring. This is similar to the black rapid style straps. I've read reviews that this design can fail and the clasp can come free of the D ring. It makes sense to me because the mushroom shaped connector of the clasp can wear over time and it would be hard to notice. I looked at my black rapid style straps closely and there is a bit of wear. If this were to fail, the camera would fall. For cameras with IBIS, this could permanently damage the system even if the fall is not that bad! I would keep an eye on this part of the strap or think of a different way to connect it.
 
I don't get it I have a Peak Design strap and while it is a nice strap indeed it is still not as nice of a sling which allows the camera to ride on my hip like my Luma Loop 3 or my Black Rapids Double. Am I missing something here I like the camera to pretty much stay put on my back/side/hip and out of my way until I need it and then quick access.
 
DJohnny said:
Your strap looks good, but uses a D Ring. This is similar to the black rapid style straps. I've read reviews that this design can fail and the clasp can come free of the D ring. It makes sense to me because the mushroom shaped connector of the clasp can wear over time and it would be hard to notice. I looked at my black rapid style straps closely and there is a bit of wear. If this were to fail, the camera would fall. For cameras with IBIS, this could permanently damage the system even if the fall is not that bad! I would keep an eye on this part of the strap or think of a different way to connect it.
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Humm, with this set up, I really can't see how that can fail, all it takes is a LockStar Carabiner Protector and a small Tie-Wrap. I have a few of those but never feel the need to install it to all my strap, but the device is available for those who needs it.



31891133341_0151754495_o.jpg
 
mfenske said:
rainrunner said:
I use the OP/TECH USA Super Classic Strap-Uni Loop

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._Classic_Strap_Uni_Loop.html/pageID/accessory

You can also order wrist straps that will work with the quick release connector.
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+1 for the Op/Tech I bought both of these and use them a lot. The wrist strap stays on the camera and the sling I use when I need it. Love how adjustable it is and how quickly I can connect/disconnect.

https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-...8898&sr=1-5&keywords=optech+camera+strap&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-...483078898&sr=1-3&keywords=optech+camera+strap
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+1 for the UpStrap.

Very well made, comfortable and will not slide off your shoulder the way that so many other "non-slip" straps do.

Rob

DJohnny said:
I just purchased an Upstrap. They are made in USA of Kevlar, so they are strong and will last. They feature quick releases, so you can keep it on the body and just release it from the strap to change bodies or store the camera. I got the Medium Sling. $70, but very nice. They have lesser priced classic straps, but I wanted a sling instead of a shoulder strap.

I also have a knock off black rapid sport strap. Works very well, but I had the same issue as you. It screws into the tripod mount. I also use a knock off Spyder Holster, which is nice for the a7rii (I have an a7s) with a smaller prime, but also screws into the tripod mount.

With the black rapid type straps, I've read that the D Ring fails and people have broken cameras/lenses. With the holster type, the ball screw that goes into the holster can be unscrewed and you can drop the camera like that. Also, anything that screws into a tripod mount has the possibility to come lose. I broke one camera like this. I like that the upstrap goes into the camera loops.

http://www.upstrap-pro.com/category/camera-straps-full-list.html
Click to expand...
 
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