Well........for me this past week or so has sure been interesting in terms of camera accessories and such! So while I was thinking about camera straps and such and waiting for the arrival of the Op/Tech I'd ordered, I decided, what the heck, let's just TRY one of those Peak Design straps and see why so many photographers are so enthused about them! I ordered a "Leash" and when it arrived, I removed the Op/Tech sling (which I really hadn't liked all that much anyway) from the RX10 IV and that took longer than it did to install the PD anchor "links" and snap the discs into the new PD strap! Nice..... I walked around with the "Leash" on the RX10 IV for a while and decided that it was a terrific strap but not such a good idea for that bridge camera, which is the size and weight of a small DSLR and medium-length lens. I then attached the "Leash" to the RX100 VII -- perfect! Exactly right for that camera.....
So then I ordered the PD Slide, the one which would be the sturdiest and most appropriate for heavy DSLRs and long lenses...... It arrived, I installed it quickly on the RX10 IV and oh, yes, it was much better, more comfortable than the "Leash" had been on my neck with the weight of that camera. Almost too sturdy -- overkill, actually, for that particular camera -- but at least I was getting a feel for this system..... In the meantime I also placed an order for the wrist strap, since there are times when I need just a wrist strap with the RX100 camera (especially at concerts if we are allowed to shoot photos). That would replace the original little strap that had come with the camera. I'd be all set with two options for the RX100....
Looking at the RX10 which was sitting on the table, I decided to try something: putting the wrist strap on it. Ooh, now that works beautifully, as that is the camera I usually have sitting out ready to grab and use in a hurry if something is going on out in the lake. There have been times when a full camera strap has gotten in the way. This wrist strap? No problem -- grab the camera with one hand, slide my other hand through the wrist strap as I'm running out to the deck....ready to shoot almost immediately, no strap getting in my way..... Oh, yeah, this is a winning combo! It also means that the money I spent for that wrist strap won't be wasted as the strap would otherwise sit in the cabinet for months on end between opportunities to use it at concerts.... Yet, when I'm ready to take off somewhere for a concert, a quick swapping of the strap between the two cameras and we're done!
I appreciate flexibility and synchronicity between/among products and like Apple does, the Peak Design folks seem to pay attention to this as well...... OK, really cool system here, I finally was understanding why so many photographers are enthusiastic about Peak Design and their offerings!
So at some point last night the A7R IV, which had been sitting in the cabinet still wearing the Op/Tech neck strap that I'd taken off my Nikon DSLR at the time of the Big Switch in November 2019, began whining and making her displeasure known. Why did the other two cameras get to play with these new straps and she didn't? I looked at the Slide strap which I had removed from the RX10 IV in order to conduct the experiment with the wrist strap. OK, I was already pretty much leaning in the direction of this PD system being pretty cool and also pretty safe for my other cameras: it was time for the Big Test. I removed the Op/Tech strap from the A7R IV and quickly slipped on a pair of PD anchor links and then attached the Slide strap.....
Ahhhhh..... THIS was the right strap for this camera and the various lenses I put on her! I tried out a few last night but today was the big test, when I went out for a walk along the boardwalk with the 100-400mm attached to the camera. I always hang on to that lens, I don't ever let it dangle, so that wasn't much of a concern but I wanted to see how the new strap worked in terms of comfort (weight, pressure on my neck) and functionality (in actual use as I was shooting). I had already tried this with smaller, lighter lenses in the house but it was important to see how this worked with the 100-400mm in a real-time real-life scenario. The Slide strap passed the test with flying colors and the A7R IV, the 100-400mm and my other lenses all agree -- this is a dandy strap that feels good, feels secure and of course has the advantage of easily being swapped out with something else or simply removed from the camera for storage in the camera bag or cabinet without fuss, as it takes very little time to snap a strap into place when needed.
My concerns about scratching of the camera body or the LCD screen were allayed, as in actual use that isn't something which is likely to happen and when storing and carrying from place to place in the camera bag it's so quick and easy to simply just take the strap off altogether and then replace it as needed that this is not an issue after all. I used to just leave camera straps on the camera when sticking them in the bag or cabinet because they were such a hassle to remove and replace.....that isn't going to be a factor now.
I noticed that PD provides a little card that alerts the photographer to be mindful of the connectors and to keep an eye on them for signs of fraying or wear, and there is a color warning system in place if a particular connector's threads are wearing too thin. That's reassuring, especially if one has additional connectors to promptly use as replacements for an aging one.
So it looks as though I've joined the Peak Design Fan Club!
The system and individual items are expensive but IMHO so far anyway, PD also offers real value for the money; at least for me a major factor is in the flexibility and ease of swapping straps around among camera bodies as needed.
