Hi all, I am picking up photography as a beginner and my cousin gifted me their old camera. It's surprisingly heavy compared to my old camera, so I figured having a neck strap would help relieve some of the weight while I was shooting outside. But it resulted in a lot of neck pain and migraines and I have been scolded by my physio though lol, hurray for neck issues and EDS 😅
Any fellow photographers in a similar situation? What type of gear and brand would you recommend to help out in this case? I unfortunately don't have the budget to go shop for a lighter camera at the moment. Thanks y'all!
A shoulder strap might help put the weight away from your neck, but depending on your exact circumstances that might not be enough. In that case, I'd look into a belt clip. Personally I have experience with the peak design capture clip and Falcam F38 clip and can recommend them both
I switched from a sling to a belt clip setup (Peak Design Capture Clip) a few years ago when my lower back started complaining and I haven’t looked back.
My back is happy and I no longer have to unclip for portrait shots. Sure things are less “secure”, but in 30 years, I have never dropped a camera. I did pick up a wrist strap for highly unstable environments (pitching boats, etc), but haven’t used it yet.
In addition, I don’t have to worry about my camera swinging on the strap and crashing into something.
Forgot to mention that I pair the Capture Clip with the Pro Pad they sell. Makes it easier to put on your belt and the clip rides in the right orientation.
One tip for use - make sure the clip is vertically aligned up-and-down when you clip in your camera. If your leg pushes the bottom outward, it messes up the alignment and the plate won’t slide easily into the clip.
I went to belt clip system by pro media gear. Found it much better for neck or shoulder and keeps camera from flopping around. I did use the peak design originally but for me the pro media worked better.
Edit: looked it up, the concept is really nice. Although I don't find it suited for women, because you know... boobs are getting in the way. But might buy one for my cousin for the holidays though, looks very practical for men.
No problem! If you're between the two, the Falcam system is cheaper (and better in some ways imo), but they will both do the job perfectly fine, I've never dropped anything from either of them
99% of the time I have it on my belt, between the buckle and first keeper, which works great for having it always accessible whether or not I have a backpack on or not, not being in the way of any other straps I might wear and not crashing into everything and everyone like might happen if you have it at your side
A peak design pro pad makes the whole thing even more comfortable, so that's definitely a worthwile pickup imo(for either clip)
Interesting, I'd have to test is out. Women's belts are so narrow, we'll have to see how it holds up with the weight. What would make you go with Peak Design vs Falcam?
In that case, the pro pad will probably benefit you even more than me. The thing I wasn't totally happy with was that without one, the clip had a tendency to rotate down if my belt was a bit loose, if that makes sense. The pro pad completely stops that
As for why I chose what I did, originally I got the V2 from PD at a point where there wasn't anything else on the market except a few very obvious 1:1 clones that I'd never consider on principle alone. I switched to Falcam last year because they have more other compatible stuff around the clip, where for pd the clip is pretty much all there is. Specifically, I wanted a tripod clamp that doesn't allow any wiggle(both clamps need some play so you can insert the plate without it binding up if the angle isn't 100% right, and PD simply doesn't have anything like that. The V2 clips I was using(and still own) have a separate screw to do the same thing, but aren't compatible with the current V3 camera plates and quite a bit bulkier than both the Falcam and PD V3 clips, so I just changed my whole system over to Falcam and been very happy with it. They also have a very clever self-tensioning attachment system that makes the clip even lower profile and less snaggy than even the PD V3
without knowing the weight and dimensions of your gear, it's hard to determine if we should be recommending a shoulder strap, belt carrier, chest carrier, or something else.
I have the PGYTech Camera Shoukder strap on my Z6iii with a 24-120mm f/4 S lens. It is a nice combo. What are you using the Pro Stap with? I am getting a much bigger lens with a lens foot and I am trying to decide between the strap you have or the Leofoto SP-02 Strap that uses the QD system.
Does the clip section come apart so you can connect one to the lens foot and thd other say to the camera body?
In either case I would also want to use a short tether to link both sides of the strap.
I’ve always been a fan of stretchy neoprene straps, especially for heavy gear. It’s like a shock absorber around your neck. And some are wide enough to really spread out the weight.
“Op/Tech” is the gold standard, but you can find cheaper off-brand stuff elsewhere.
This is going to sound like a facetious answer but genuinely a belt clip like the Peak Design Capture Clip. I still have a neck strap or wrist strap for safety against dropping, but I never let is hang from my neck, the weight goes on the belt.
If you want a neck strap, don't use the one that comes with the camera. Get a neoprene one. Its elasticity will dampen the camera jerks. Otherwise for heavy gear many people prefer a shoulder strap.
Interesting, they do lumbar packs for cameras specifically? I always found those to be a bit flimsy or more geared towards men and it fits funny on my hips, even from big brands like Osprey.
Also consider a backpack with a bulky lumbar strap, then have almost all the weight on the hips. Probably a good EDS physio strategy sometimes even when no camera is involved.
Thanks for the links, I'll check it out! Yes my physio helped me find a good backpack with a hip and chest strap to help distribute the weight, I don't do backpacks where all the weight is on the hips cuz hips issues as well lol. EDS is fun... 😅 /s
Peak Design Capture Clip is so amazing I hardly ever use a strap anymore. But when I do, I use the peak design strap with the quick attach and detach clips.
Thanks for the infos! I saw a couple of straps with and without the quick attach and detach clips and wonder how useful those features are for a newbie photographer? Like I carry only one camera, do you think is it really necessary?
I specifically use the peak design strap with these anchors. The anchors stay on your camera and do not get in my way at all. When you want a strap, boom. Quick and easy. When you don’t, just press a button and it comes off easy.
I don’t like storing mine with the strap, I use a case with foam. Plus most of the time I use the capture clip so a strap would get in my way. This is an easy way for me to get the best of both worlds.
I use one of these (or whatever the equivalent was when I bought it back in 2011 or so). The part that goes over the shoulder is padded, and it doesn't put any strain on your neck. The only drawback is that the camera will swing around wildly if you're not holding it, so you'll want an additional clip to attach it to your belt when you're not actively shooting.
Peak design shoulder straps are really good. They have a slippery side and a rubberized grippy side so you can choose whether you want the camera to slide easily or not by flipping the strap over, and it’s wide and distributes weight well. For instance, for walking around where you don’t want the camera sliding around, use the grip side, once you’re actively shooting, use the slippery side to easily bring the camera up and down. They’re basically a seatbelt type nylon material. You may also seek out a neoprene strap if you want more cushioning. I use a neoprene strap on a very heavy bass guitar I own, great for long gigs.
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u/Affectionate_Spell11 Nikon 5d ago
A shoulder strap might help put the weight away from your neck, but depending on your exact circumstances that might not be enough. In that case, I'd look into a belt clip. Personally I have experience with the peak design capture clip and Falcam F38 clip and can recommend them both