CAMERA STRAP AND CAMERA SLING QUESTIONS

Reduced Physical Stress - Improves Creative Focus

Q. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A SHOULDER STRAP, CROSS-BODY SLING, NECK STRAP OR HAND WRIST STRAP?

The Shoulder Carry is my personal favorite. I became a shoulder strap fan because it is easy off and easy on. The UPstrap® sure-grip shoulder pad is the best non-slip shoulder strap - period - full stop. Your camera strap will remain on your shoulder without physical contortions keeping your shoulder and neck muscles supple and relaxed.

The Sling or Bandolier Cross-Body Carry is sometimes best for a heavy camera and lens. The main upside to a sling carry is your activity level. A sling is a better solution if you are hiking or jumping from rock to rock across the river to get a photo of a fly fisherman. The sling carry is also better when you have a torn rotator cuff. However, the sling/messenger bag carry style makes a shirt pocket almost useless. Cell phones, pens, wallets, etc. tend to pop out of your front pocket. Your shirt will wrinkle and perhaps come un-buttoned.

The Neck Carry - The only time you should have a camera strap around your neck is when you are shooting. During that time, the camera is mostly in your hands removing the weight off your neck. Having a few pounds around your neck for hours is painful and may damage your neck. A professional photographer or a retired press photographer will tell you the neck carry is very bad. Besides, you look like a "goober" (Ken Rockwell humor)

The Hand and Wrist Strap is great when you’re working out of a bag. You reach in and grab your camera when you need it. While it is nice to keep the camera in the bag there are some downsides. 1) Your camera is not at the “ready” as it is on your shoulder. 2) You will loose the use of that hand for any other purpose - such as holding on to something to steady your position or breaking a fall.

Q WHAT IS THE SAFEST WAY TO CARRY A CAMERA?

The UPstrap® shoulder strap is an amazing experience. try and set and carry your camera higher than you would think. Normally photographers will set their camera down by their belt. Try setting the camera, so it is a few inches below your elbow when your forearm is bent at the elbow facing forward. You should be able to drop your arm and touch the camera finder with your elbow/forearm. The control is rock steady, and you are stealthy.

Saving damage to your physical body is more important than damage to your camera body. Your graceful landing from a trip and fall is more important than the camera's landing.

A working photographer will tell you that hauling a camera around every day will thrash your body. Most working pros and serious hobbyist will agree that your camera strap is your most important camera accessory. A comfortable camera carry will allow your body to relax. No tight muscles and tendons to distract you from your fun.

Q. WILL I CARRY MY CAMERA MORE?

You will bring your camera with you when your camera is not a constant bother. It should not cause bother or fuss. The more you carry your camera, the more photos you will make. The more time you spend with your camera, the more opportunity to "get lucky". Either way, it's like practicing the piano. The more you move your hands on the shutter button or the ivories, the better you will become.

As artists, photographers are lucky. We can carry a smartphone, a 4/3 rds mirrorless camera, or even a pro camera without too much trouble. Piano players can't carry their piano with them. OK, you can plug a keyboard into a Mac, but it's not the same as a grand piano on a wood floor. Carrying a camera can become a walking meditation that improves our mental and spiritual health.

The cross-body sling camera carry is popular with active photographers. The camera stays on your body no matter what. Hiking, biking, working around the stage of a concert, jogging the sidelines of a soccer game or jumping over rocks chasing a fly fisherman require a cross-body sling. The key to the ideal comfort and function is to match the weight of your camera and lens to the size of camera strap pad. Keep in mind that the weight of a full frame DSLR or mirrorless camera body may change. It is usually the lens that determines the total carry weight. You can bring your camera to your eye with the same speed using a shoulder strap or a sling. More often than not it is the anticipation of an event that will have more impact on the composition of your photograph. The quiet mind will see more than the busy mind.

Q. HOW TO QUICKLY FIND THE CAMERA CARRY “COMFORT ZONE”

I am told that the -quick way- to find the slip point is to walk 18 holes of golf with a friend. Work with the golfer as if you were a “golf photographer” Besides the 18 hole walk, kneel next to a soft putting green. What if your camera was hanging by the tripod connection? Where would the finder be? In the grass? Sit on a bench? Where is the finder? Jump over a sand trap. If it rained the night before and the light is golden early in the morning you might bring something special home. They each may want a portrait so you could swap for a model release.

The -best way -to define and know in your brain and body where the slip point(s) of the pad and specific lens is….. put the couch pillows on a carpeted floor. Stand in the middle of carpeted room with pillows under the camera. Wearing what you usually wear when you go shooting. For me it’s always fishing shirt. Hang your camera on your shoulder as if you were carrying it. I will assume for the moment that you put your for-arm so if the pad slips off your shoulder before expected , you will catch it in the crook of your arm before it bounces off the pillows and rolls on the carpet.

You will tilt to the side knowing that at some point the shoulder pad will slip. Even though you know the pillows are there to catch the fall you really still don’t have any trust for danger positions from other straps. Starting slowly do some side bends with the camera on your shoulder. I have found it is more fun to have a spotter, especially one that is easy on the eyes.

As you start the sideway tilt the Pavlov dogs will start barking in your head and you will lift your shoulder to stop the camera from falling. Now comes the trust part. Relax your shoulder. Let your trapezoid drop. Put your palm on your thigh just above the knee. Take the opposite palm and crossover parking your camera shoulder/ hand down on your thigh. As you begin to tilt slowly to the camera side do not let your shoulder rise to keep it from slipping. You would need to lift your shoulder to that degree to spot for you. Do not tighten your trapezoid muscle. You want the trapezoid to remain relaxed and supple. Gently and slowly start to rock until you find where the trouble starts to happen on you. Each of you is a rare flower, with different sloped shoulder. Also every climate is different. Hot and soft go together and cold and hard is the reaction and cold and impact on synthetic rubber. A T-shirt different fro 100 degrees F. A photographers vest or fabric with a waxed finish. Last resort if you feel it begin the slip brig your forearm up and the strap pad will fall into the crook of your arm. the arm below the shoulder that if

Photographer priorities. Pick up your camera. Look around Sometimes it’s the conscious decision of holding a camera to shift or trigger your brain, eyes, and thinking to the visual. It is a form of meditation. You get out of your head and into the world around you. Unless you’re into selfies.

Q. WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND THE KEVLAR WEB FOR CAMERA AND LENSES OVER 5 POUNDS?

A 5 pound camera is a $5,000 camera - probably more. Example: A Sony a7S III is $3500 and weights 1.5 pounds - 320 grams. The 24-70mm 2.8 lens is $2200 and weighs 2 pounds - 900 grams. You are carrying a $6,000 3 ½ pound camera and lens. Many photographers will add a 70-200 2.8 that cost $2,600 and weights 3.26 pounds - 1500 grams? The total weight $2,500 at 4.75 pounds or 2200 grams. A 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 is 3+ pounds - 1400 grams.

In theory the Vectran Cord Loops should handle this without a problem. As I say, we have never had a failure. But when I talk to photographers there is talk of running down stairs and the sidelines.

I KNOW NO MATTER WHAT THE KEVLAR® WEB CAMERA ATTACHMENT WILL NOT FAIL - PERIOD!

Caveat- Camera manufactures use a camera strap attachment that uses a designed body lug with a rotating split ring. Canon camera uses a camera strap attachment “bracket”. The bracket is a slot that is part of the camera frame. Most Canon strap slots have a nice rounded inside edge. Many times when a lens is attached, the camera will tilt with the front lens element facing down. With the bracket system the camera strap -web- gets jammed into the inside corner of the slot/bracket. As you walk the camera and lens will swing. IF the inside of the slot/bracket does not have a smooth edge the web or cord will begin to fray.

If you are a Canon shooter it is easy to tell if the inside of the bracket has a nice round radius that not to abrade the web or cord. Just take your pinkie finger and feel the inside of the bracket. Many times on the more expensive Canon Flagship cameras you can easily tell as the bracket obviously nicely rounded. Lastly, The situation is aggravated when a telephoto lens is used. If you carry a small prime lens the camera will remain flat and the overall weight will be less. There are more super fast prime lenses being released. The weight of these lenses is heavy. Glass is glass.

IF GARY CAN’T BREAK HIS UPSTRAP CAMERA STRAP - NOBODY CAN.

Q. YEA BUT- HOW STRONG ARE THE EASY ON - EASY OFF VECTRAN CORD LOOPS?

The Vectran cord (a highly abrasion resistant yarn) is made in the USA and rated at a 1000 pound tensile strength. More important is the abrasion, crush resistance and loop/bend fatigue. Unlike other manufactures, we have never had a failure of the Vectran™ cord. That said, the attachment of the cord to the release system, while strong, will never match the strength of the Kevlar® web quick release camera attachment.

Q. WHAT ABOUT CAMERA THEFT?

Your camera can be replaced. You can’t. Be ready to hand your camera over if trouble starts. More on camera theft and photographer safety.

Q. IS THIS THE BEST NECK STRAP?

A neck strap is OK for a very lightweight camera that weighs under a pound. Even then, while it is not stressing your neck it can be very uncomfortable and you look like a tourist. Your shoulder is stronger. Carry your camera hanging straight down with an UPstrap shoulder strap or cross body with a Journey camera sling.

Q. Where are the camera straps made?

Journey Camera Slings and UPstrap® Shoulder Straps are manufactured in the USA. Period.

The FAQ page is not finished. Any questions you may have please address to alf@journeycamer.com