Up until a few months ago, I hadn’t bought any photo gear in almost 25 years. In all that time I’d have thought the major camera manufacturers (Canon especially) would have come up with a better neck strap! But No. The strap that came with my 40D body looks exactly like the strap still connected to my ’75 F-1 with the exception of the word “EOS”. I gotta tell ya. I really hate those damn neck straps! Wearing one of those makes me look like an overweight tourist heading for Hawaii, rather than the serious(ly) amateur photographer that I am.
Luckily, the folks at BackRapid have come up with a “blinding flash of the obvious” in their R-Strap! I placed my order just as soon as I finished watching Ron Henry’s videos.
How can I say this? It’s the best strap design I’ve ever seen and the workmanship is superb. And that’s coming from a design engineer with six patents of my own. I’m damn jealous that I didn’t think of it myself (LOL).
It’s a little difficult to describe the R-Strap since it’s really not a neck strap at all. You really need to watch Ron’s videos to understand how it works. Even the photos above (copyright and courtesy BlackRapid, Inc.) don’t do it justice. Truthfully, I like everything about the R-Strap and would recommend it to any amateur or pro, especially for photowalking.
Go watch Ron’s videos and look over the BlackRapid site. Buy one and watch how fast Ron’s team gets it to you. Put it over your neck and under your arm. Attach the FastenR to your body, lens or battery grip. Latch it all together (don’t forget the plastic safety sleeve) and adjust it till it feels “natural”. Swing your camera up for a shot and feel how secure and “braced” everything feels.
This is what a camera strap is supposed to be!
Texas Landscape Photography 