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I have been a street photographer for more years than I care to recall and as the years have passed the cameras have gotten heavier. My usual carrying method is the strap wrapped around my wrist and the camera in my hand. The modern digital SLR (Nikon D300, D200, D2X, etc weighs about the same as a house brick and after a few hours this becomes an uncomfortable burden. I don't like the camera strap around my neck so a method of carrying the camera that makes it easier is welcome. Now I have found it. Most Lowepro backpacks have a loop on the front shoulder strap. I placed a karabiner through this loop as in image NO 1...


I then snap the camera strap through the spring loaded gate. It takes but half a second....


The camera now has almost no weight as it is supported by the back pack harness. It hangs down where it can be controlled by my fingertips against swinging......

It is at the ready at all times and as a bonus it takes the stress and weight off the rubber coating as is evident when supporting all the weight by hand. Other bonuses are the camera can't be dropped or snatched by a thief. Also both hands are free if required for some other reason.

My fingers and wrist are no longer doing the work and I hate myself for not thinking about this method sooner.

Fantastic idea, Matt. Thanks for sharing.

I'll have to put the strap back on my camera (it gets removed when the camera goes in the housing and I frequently don't bother putting it back on).

Very clever.

Remind me to double your pay.

Great idea Matt. Nice to see a real karabiner too

What a great idea! This would work with most backpacks I think... *runs to check his own*

Great idea will try that one !

I must try this Matt. I hate neck straps, so use a wrist strap, but after lugging a D3 around the US for six weeks, my right arm is twice as long as the left. Thanks for the information.

Bob

I do something quite similar, except with both straps.

My backpacks and photo vest all have D-rings in the shoulders. I use Op/Tech pro loop straps that can detach (they are made of a padded strap section and 2 short sections that connect to the camera, that can be joined together to form a short carry handle). I get extra short sections that I attach to my bags and whatnot, which can clip onto the short sections attached to the camera, so the weight of the camera hangs nicely off both shoulders and not your neck.

Was looking for a photo of me with this setup, but the closest I could find is this one from when we were in Tassie last year - the straps are hanging off D-rings on the shoulders of my photo vest:

Good idea MAtt. BTW, what type of camera strap is that?

losfp
That's also a good system and another option to consider.

ozimax
It's an Op-Tech. No other strap would do.

Good idea Matt.

You are a clever bugger Mr Matt. May I also take the opportunity to compliment the photographer on not showing your face

An excellent idea Matt and one which I think I will copy. Thank you

Chris
My agents insisted....no pay, no face.