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Sling for X-T1 + 16-55. Peak Design vs Blackrapid vs others?


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Hi All,

 

I've following this forum for a while, and really enjoying the posts here.

 

I've been an X-T1 user for about 18 months now, started off with a couple of primes and have now also got the 16-55 2.8 (which i love). I typically just hold my camera, and have a DSPTCH wrist strap (here).

 

One of the reasons I got the 16-55 was because its great for taking pictures of my son, where changing lenses would have me miss a shot (or miss him jumping off something!). As such, the wrist strap isn't really doing it for me anymore, and I'd like to get a sling strap as well.

 

I've been looking through the many posts on this sub, and so I think I'd like something like a blackrapid sling which clips in via the tripod mount, as it keeps the strap clear of my hands, and has minimal extra stuff hanging off the camera.

 

I appreciate though, that something like the peak design slide might be cool, as the camera might sit a little better against the body?

 

Does anyone have any comparisons between the 2? I don't particularly want to have little anchors hanging off the camera, and I'm concerned that the plate may block the battery door?

 

Thoughts appreciated!

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

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There are many such comparisons on line 

 

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=17975.0

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1428441

 

I don’t normally respond to threads asking for advise on one particular brand that I don’t own or have tried but I really have some points that I would like you to consider about using a sling tout court ( so not one of any particular brand)

 

I really truly have my doubts on the use of these things!

 

 

That’s when the generation gap reveals itself.

 

I don’t understand side slings. They are trendy, flashy, hip, but they cause more damage to cameras that anything else out there.

 

https://fstoppers.com/originals/why-insurance-could-have-saved-me-when-my-peak-design-strap-failed-59094

http://petapixel.com/2014/09/17/peak-design-strap-failures-causing-dropped-cameras-photographers/

https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/3pl1fm/lets_talk_about_straps_because_mine_just_caused/

 

Are you sure that you want a sling to wear on the side, particularly for the situations that you describe with a kid moving about and you rapidly turning trying to grab the camera and smashing into an object like a street lamp or a fire hydrant to catch the pict and knocking your camera from your side?

 

They look cool, I give you that, but a traditional front neck strap (though not cool) sets the camera in the best and safest position side slings or a holster would, for sure, cause me problems.

 

These things put a lot of strain onto your camera, cameras are rubbed against jeans rivets and are knocked into doors or bump into objects and people while turning fast to react to a kid running into you or a person calling you.

 

Beware!

 

 

Good luck!

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I use both Blackrapid and Peakdesign's slide.

 

There are pro and cons on each side:

 

- I have had failure with Blackrapid a couple of time, the hook point can mis lock and make you think your camera is attached while it is not; visual verification is mandatory if you then to hook and un-hook your system on regular basis during the event.

- That being said, the Blackrapid is really super easy to work with, except when I need to take really low or really high reach or extend the camera past the hanging point.

 

- Peakdesign slide feels more steady, after all if it is around your neck, or shoulder you feel it, the hook points are solid and they can be annoying to remove, which is good for me.

- But it's not as fast as the Blackrapid, you need to fiddle a bit too much to get the camera back into view to snap at something that is unexpected. Or you need to leave your camera hanging at your neck, which I really hate, I rather have it on shoulder and the camera on the side or back than in front of me on my chest.

 

Another point, if you need to use tripods, Peakdesign might be better as it doesn't need to use the bottom screwing slot, which allows easy camera transport between spots.

 

In general, if I travel only with just the camera I will take the Peakdesign Slide and have it on shortest distance and keep the camera on the back, if I have a camera bag with me and need to fiddle a lot with lower/higher shots and swap lenses, I will use the Blackrapid as I would have more mobility with it and still keep the camera hanging against my hip when not needed.

 

Sidenote, I have medium grip on my X-T1 so the plate is not going to block the battery door.

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I use Peak Design and have a Black Rapid as well.  Although I use the Leash, instead of the Slide due to the versatility of this strap, and how well it works with the capture clip; which I also use.

 

In all fairness to the articles above, Peak Design have redesigned many of these things that were causing the issues.  In the article about the anchor failing in the comments the user admitted that he rarely if ever checked his anchors.  As with any strap, you should always check for wear when you get ready to take your camera out.  The anchors have also been redesigned with layers of dyneema in yellow and then red under the black outer sheath.  It's very easy to spot wear now where as before you had to inspect more closely.  The issues I find with most of these things are user error and not so much manufacturing defects.

 

The Arca compatible plate does block the battery port, as any plate would.  I don't use the plate unless I'm using the clip or my tripod.  For this reason, Peak Design designed the Drive Screw, which works the same as the Black Rapid screw.  The anchors do not bother me at all.  Having Black Rapids Screw attached all the time bothered me more, but that was just a personal thing.  Black Rapid does have a fold flat screw, as is Peak Designs.

 

I prefer the Peak Design over the Black Rapid for how secure it feels to me and how well the system works, although I typically carry it in the front position and not as a sling.  The versatility of the Peak Design, in that it can be worn as a sling, as a neck strap, as a leash, etc. is why I ultimately prefer it.

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Thanks for the replies.

 

I agree that the sling style strap can be risky business, but the issue I have is that I can't think of a better solution for my particular situation.

 

A regular neck strap with the camera hanging at the front is fine, but massively gets in the way when I have to pick up the little monster, so for that reason its out. If I use a strap sling-style on the normal lugs, then it won't slide easily into shooting position, which defeats the purpose.

 

Maybe I'll try both? that seems to me the only way to find out!

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Maybe I'll try both? that seems to me the only way to find out!

 

That is the reason I have both myself, and I'm betting it's why darknj does too.  There is a place for both systems.  Both are high quality, and you'll be pleased with which ever you decide to purchase.

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I have a 3yo and a 1yo and I too use the XT1 + 16-55 as my go to lens. I have the peak design slide and wear it as a sling with the camera positioned in my back.

 

It's a great strap, secure and fast to access, you can get it nice and tight, it does however tend to loosen itself over time ( say an hour or two of waking ever so slightly).

 

I'm not worried about damaging the camera as I'm careful and hold the kids on the opposite hip to the camera.

 

If I do need something more secure I go for the capture clip which is awesome but does take longer to get to the camera vs sliding the strap around.

 

The slide is a thick and bulky strap but it's great to wear all day. The bottom mount blocks the battery slot which is not a deal breaker for me but I am considering getting a grip do I don't have to keep removing the mount.

 

Highly recommended, much prefer having two mounting points vs the single black rapid one.

 

One other thing to note is that you may need to remove the bushes from the eyelets if you want to mount the anchors directly to the eyelets.

 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

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yesterday I was shopping in a shopping mall, and it was, as it is to be expected with the shopping these days, rather crowded,  a young hipster with one of these slings and his camera casually hanging on the side, walked into a pair of “ legs” on a pillar, displaying tights.

 

He bumped into them with his shoulder, the tights' display moved and he turned rapidly to catch it, smashing, with force, the rather long lens on the base of the pillar.

 

 

I had to think of this thread.

 

In case you ask yourself which camera was it, it was a Nikon.

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Had to smirk a bit about it, that's one of the reason I always have a hand on my camera when moving around crowded parts of areas with lots of bumping places.

 

My X-T1 hangs at my side only when I really need both hands to do something more important than protecting my gear. The rest of time, I have my sling around my shoulder and camera shoved into my bag to minimize chances.

 

That's one slight advantages that Peakdesign has over Blackrapid, I can put the Slide on the tightest position and feel it right on my back nested between my shoulder blades, even with the 18-135 lens I can walk around with enough confidence that it will be juggling at my side and would need a hand to hold it steady while I am quickly moving from one point to another.

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