Gear We Love: Op-Tech Camera Strap

I spend a lot of time carrying around heavy camera gear.  It’s just an unavoidable part of getting high quality shots.  Sure, one way to avoid this is to switch to one of the lighter-weight mirrorless platforms, but still, carrying around any weight on your shoulder for hours at a time can take its toll.

I discovered this awesome product several years ago and I’m kicking myself that I EVER went without it. While I personally like this Op-Tech strap here, I’ll equally advocate the general idea of upgrading your camera strap to anything but the basic strap your camera likely came with.

Why?

It feels like you’re carrying 1/2 the weight

This is a big statement, but it’s used in marketing some of the camera straps I’ve seen over the years, and I’ll vouch for it as absolutely true. It has to do with the neoprene padding vs. the plain leather (or pleather) strap cameras come with.

The padding makes a significant difference when carrying your “walking around lens” through city streets in Quito, your macro setup when in the tropical jungle lodges of Costa Rica, but especially when toting your bigger telephoto lenses on any occasion.

They can be very affordable

Like most things in life, there are premium camera straps, and they will likely have some really great features. However, I’ll be honest, when I first purchased this Op-Tech strap I was in grad school and ramen noodles were a delicacy.  Thus, the $18 for this strap was just about right. I took a chance, hearing similar praises from another photographer, and I’ve never looked back.

The point is, there are many options out there, and you may see a feature on another strap that is preferable, but I always appreciate simplicity, and this strap is a simple fix.  But check out the previous link and you’ll see lots of options to help you decide if you’re on the fence.

Why settle?

At the end of the day, one of the biggest reasons I advocate for a strap upgrade is because why would you settle when it comes to camera gear?  Most of us upgrade lenses multiple times in our camera’s life, and will buy dry bags to protect your camera, and even fancy padded camera bags.  Some treat their cameras better than themselves!

Do yourself a favor (and your neck a favor) and pick one of these up before your next photo adventure.  I promise you’re going to be as relieved as I was that an $18 investment could make your camera setup feel so much lighter and more comfortable.

As a quick parting note, please do check some of the specifications listed on the strap you choose, in order to make sure the strap fits your camera.  Many are one-size-fits-all, but nowadays with so many camera bodies, just do a quick check on the measurements to be sure.

Hope this helps, and if you already have a strap you love, leave a note and let us know which one you like best!

Court