Browncoat
Senior Member
One of the most overlooked camera accessories is a better strap. The ones that come with your DSLR are the very least the manufacturer could get away with and still call it a strap, not to mention they are very uncomfortable around your neck and cause your camera to bounce on your chest around with every step you take.
There are a lot of solutions available in just about every price range. Quality straps fall into the "you get what you pay for" category, so expect to pay $50-$100 (US) for a good one. I highly recommend visiting your local camera store and trying them on for size. Bring your camera with you and put several straps through the paces before selecting one. Unbiased peer reviews like those found here on Nikonites are great, but when it comes to comfort, no one can make the final choice but you.
For me, I had narrowed it down to just two choices: Sun Sniper or Black Rapid. Admittedly, I was initially drawn to the Black Rapid straps because of the MODS system of attachable pouches and accessories. However, there are several features of the Sun Sniper that ultimately made up my mind:
1. Security
The Sun Sniper Pro strap has a steel cable woven into the strap itself as an anti-theft device. Any would-be thief who tries to steal your camera by using a knife to cut the strap and snatch it away from you is going to be in for a surprise. By registering your product, you are also insured for $500 through Sun Sniper.
While your gear is probably worth a lot more, to me, this says that Sun Sniper is a company who stands behind their product. Your gear should be insured by an actual policy anyway, so a $500 reimbursement for theft by cutting through the strap is just an added bonus.
2. Attachment
One thing about these kinds of straps that made me leery is how it attaches to the camera. Like all of you, I thought about my camera just hanging there on my hip upside down, suspended by just a single screw in the tripod mount socket.
The Sun Sniper attachment is very beefy when compared to Black Rapid. It's easy to grab a hold of to remove if you're like me and don't leave the strap on all the time. This is all steel construction, even the internal ball bearing that allows for easy swivel action. There is also a rubber gasket in place so that you don't overtighten the screw against your camera body and strip out the threads. The Sun Sniper clip is the same as Black Rapid. It features a screw-on sleeve so that the clip doesn't accidentally open.
After reviewing the Sun Sniper website, it appears as though they have gone to a different design for their attachment than what is pictured below. I've had mine for awhile, so what is now available in stores may be different.
3. Comfort
Most of all, I thought this strap was much more comfortable than Black Rapid. The Sun Sniper shoulder padding is more than twice as thick and features a short bungee cord that acts as an additional shock absorber. It only stretches about 2-3 inches, but when combined with the extra padding, the difference is huge. To me at least, the Black Rapid straps felt kind of stiff and unforgiving.
Both straps are very high quality, made of identical materials. Both companies have different models and price ranges to choose from, and you can't go wrong with either one. Comfort is 100% personal preference, and it's a very large deciding factor when spending this kind of money on a strap. The larger attachment and added security of the Sun Sniper sealed the deal for me.
There are a lot of solutions available in just about every price range. Quality straps fall into the "you get what you pay for" category, so expect to pay $50-$100 (US) for a good one. I highly recommend visiting your local camera store and trying them on for size. Bring your camera with you and put several straps through the paces before selecting one. Unbiased peer reviews like those found here on Nikonites are great, but when it comes to comfort, no one can make the final choice but you.
For me, I had narrowed it down to just two choices: Sun Sniper or Black Rapid. Admittedly, I was initially drawn to the Black Rapid straps because of the MODS system of attachable pouches and accessories. However, there are several features of the Sun Sniper that ultimately made up my mind:
1. Security
The Sun Sniper Pro strap has a steel cable woven into the strap itself as an anti-theft device. Any would-be thief who tries to steal your camera by using a knife to cut the strap and snatch it away from you is going to be in for a surprise. By registering your product, you are also insured for $500 through Sun Sniper.
While your gear is probably worth a lot more, to me, this says that Sun Sniper is a company who stands behind their product. Your gear should be insured by an actual policy anyway, so a $500 reimbursement for theft by cutting through the strap is just an added bonus.
2. Attachment
One thing about these kinds of straps that made me leery is how it attaches to the camera. Like all of you, I thought about my camera just hanging there on my hip upside down, suspended by just a single screw in the tripod mount socket.
The Sun Sniper attachment is very beefy when compared to Black Rapid. It's easy to grab a hold of to remove if you're like me and don't leave the strap on all the time. This is all steel construction, even the internal ball bearing that allows for easy swivel action. There is also a rubber gasket in place so that you don't overtighten the screw against your camera body and strip out the threads. The Sun Sniper clip is the same as Black Rapid. It features a screw-on sleeve so that the clip doesn't accidentally open.
After reviewing the Sun Sniper website, it appears as though they have gone to a different design for their attachment than what is pictured below. I've had mine for awhile, so what is now available in stores may be different.
3. Comfort
Most of all, I thought this strap was much more comfortable than Black Rapid. The Sun Sniper shoulder padding is more than twice as thick and features a short bungee cord that acts as an additional shock absorber. It only stretches about 2-3 inches, but when combined with the extra padding, the difference is huge. To me at least, the Black Rapid straps felt kind of stiff and unforgiving.
Both straps are very high quality, made of identical materials. Both companies have different models and price ranges to choose from, and you can't go wrong with either one. Comfort is 100% personal preference, and it's a very large deciding factor when spending this kind of money on a strap. The larger attachment and added security of the Sun Sniper sealed the deal for me.
After doing some reading, it looks like you wear the camera off to the side....that is where I was a bit confused and wondering how it was that much more comfortable than a conventional strap. Makes sense now.