Equipment Camera Straps

Ahh, well that makes me feel slightly better about it Eddie.
I'm going back that way today so I'll take another look. I guess in the big scheme of things £16 isn't much for it in any case just that if I'm dropping cash on something which seems expensive for what it is I always question its survivability.

 

Right, I know as a rule people shouldn't post in reply to their own threads after their last post and should edit but this time I thought I'd do it as its a long (ish) one and keeping it with separate parts would show thought processes etc.
Anyway.. enough of my ramblings;

I ended up going for the Tamrac Boomerang N-5057 from London Camera Exchange which cost £16.99, I could have had it for about £15 from the internets but after you add postage and time into it, it effectively costs more than that and impulse buys are always more fun



So, this is the strap, sorry for the craptacualr shot, I was using the kit lens and didn't have many places to take a shot, anyway, it gives you a feel for the shape of it. Although it looks a little odd it's pretty handy as when its round your neck it's pretty shape hugging unlike the standard straps which twist to shape instead of sitting in the right shape.



The neoprene is stitched (pretty well I might add) directly onto a piece of elasticated material. According to the supplied tag which highlights the straps features it's "Sewn with strong nylon boot thread" which sounds more gimmicky than anything else.



The reverse side of the strap highlighting how its stitched.



My main concern for durability is this un-stitched edging to the neoprene. I fear the material that covers it (which appears to be glued on) will fray badly over time, but I can't really test that in a short space of time



The strap has 2 permanently affixed memory card pouches, CF cards fit better without the plastic cases they are frequently supplied in.



The loops for the camera end of things are pretty sturdy and have 2 things (I don't know the correct name) to thread the strap through, one of which has little teeth on it that stops it slipping which is always a nice feature.
The end of the loop tab can also be passed back through the clip section for tidyness. These particular loops were pretty frayed when I bought them but that can always be remedied with a little heat to melt it back to shape.



You can also detach the strap with these quick release buckles, pretty handy when putting the camera on a tripod.



The loop section is attached to the neoprene/elasticized section with a plastic ring though it feels rather solidly built and doesn't feel like it should be an area of concern.

The best thing though about this strap is the way it feels with a heavy lens, it'd really not as noticeable as the standard Canon strap and doesn't dig into the neck in any way, it's nice and soft.
I'm pretty sure it'd get quite hot and sweaty on a hot day of prolonged use but at least it's more comfortable than the standard strap, which would get sweaty anyway if you tend to sweat a fair bit in that area.

I did look at the regular straight Tamrac's but the shape made this one all the more comfortable.
They also had an op/tech but just the one and it wasn't all that nice, I'm pretty sure it was a Super Classic, but it felt rather thin for the kind of money they were asking for it. However it had nicely stitched edging which I'm sure would increase the durability.

Anyway, hopefully this thread and the pictures contained will be of use to someone else in the future who considers the Tamrac.

Also a large thanks to everyone who helped me make my decision

 

Am I the only person who doesn't carry their camera around their neck? I find it hugely uncomfortable, it's much better just slung over my shoulder.

 

I carry mine diagonally across my body (slingshot?) - only problem I find with this is when I have a heavier lens on, it bruises my (feeble) hips

 

I just carry mine in my hand, with the neck strap wrapped around my wrist/hand a few times to make sure I don't drop it. If I'm standing around for long periods of time then I usually just put the neck strap over one shoulder. That Tamrac strap looks ridiculously comfy though BioSniper, so if I had one of those I'd probably carry the cam around my neck more often.

 

Thanks for that post BioSniper, its good to see the pictures and read your opinions on the strap. It looks very comfortable and i might get one in the future as the standard strap on the 400D is very uncomfortable.

 

I have the same strap, although all they had when i went in was the horrible blue version!

 

no i also put it over my shoulder and find it more comfy. but it is more convenient to wear around the neck when actively shooting. don't half chafe though /mince

yeah the canon straps are really silly, and the depressing thing is they stay the same whatever cam you buy. i can understand them giving some cheapo thing with the budget models but you're getting the same strap on the 1d!

oh well, i guess if you can afford the 1d, you can afford a decent strap!

 

Ditto, i also love to stroll around with my black and danger yellow Nikon one lol
I say when you got the stuff show it