To strap or not to strap… that is the question.

For the last few years, I have traded in my Canon shoulder straps in exchange for the more stealth wrist strap (Canon’s E1). Even when carrying two bodies, I found the long straps too cumbersome when actually shooting. They only seemed to help when moving between shoots but even then, the strap only served to transport well. When shooting, it ceased having a function.

I’ve been generally happy with the wrist solution but of late given the great ergonomics of Canon’s bodies and my minimalist preferences forced the question, why use anything at all?

Of course, the answer is that I still needed some sort of means to secure the camera when moving from spot to spot. This is exasperated when you have four kids and need to go hands free when shooting things like Halloween and need to grab your daughters hand in a crowd. It’s also handy if you’re in a location where you’d like to hide your camera away but still be able to get to it very quickly. Think photojournalistic, missional or street photography.

Enter BlackRapid’s FastenR Camera Strap: So when I got my hands on a BlackRapid (thanks to Photojojo’s recent post), I was blown away at its simplicity and thoughtful design.

From the minimalistic sheath (I prefer the RS-1) to the camera stop at the waist to the industrial strength bottom-of-camera fastener…

… it all added up to the strap many wish they thought of inventing themselves. It’s really that good.

I think all things being equal, I still prefer shooting sans strap but when I’m on the move and inevitably need my hands for other purposes along the way, this is by far the best solution I’ve ever found to keep my camera close by.

Highly recommended.

Keep it stealth.
- Dane

PS… Here are some cool videos to see the R Strap in action. Please note I don’t get any commission or kickback for this endorsement but if you decide to get one, please say hi to Ron and Melissa for me! Thanks!!