Photographer Health PSA

nerwin

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I was at an event yesterday (well a car show...where else would I be?) and these bring in a lot of photographers since its a pretty big NSRA show with couple thousands cars on display including ours and as I'm sitting with our car, I'm watching people I saw one photographer was carrying a full frame body with battery grip and a 24-70 2.8 using the cheap strap that come with the camera and the guy is walking and he is leaning so far to the right it looks like he is going to fall over trying to compensate for weight of the camera.

This just cannot be good for your spine.

I saw another one with very similar setup but with a speedlight and hanging the whole thing of his neck with neck pushed forward and it looked painful.

This can't be good for both spine and neck.

I felt so bad seeing them like that, I just wanted to give them my spare black rapid straps but they probably wouldn't take them. They rather suffer in pain and then ask later why their back and neck hurts.

People can say what they want about sling style straps, I really like them because they distribute the weight across my body and allows me to walk straight and keep my spine straight and have no weight hanging off my neck and this is what quite a few doctors recommend for photographers.

I just think we really need to pay more attention to how we carry our gear, it may not bother you now..but about tomorrow?

Just a thought anyways.
 
It really is important. I was at a football game yesterday with my full frame DSLR and my 70-300 and I was thinking to myself that I needed a wider and/or better strap!
 
This is why I highly recommend Peak Design's gear, especially the Capture Pro . Even the most comfortable strap still gets a bit tiresome when you have a heavy DSLR and lens combo. The Capture transfers all the weight of the camera to your hips. I mounted mine using the ProPad, on a padded camera belt, which I can also fit Lowepro lens pouches to. I still have my Slide strap attached to the camera as a backup/safety in the highly unlikely event the plate should come loose, but mainly for when I remove the camera from the Capture Pro clip.

Bags are equally important with heavy gear. I had Lowepro's slingshot bags but as thick as the strap's padding was, when the bag was fully loaded, the pain across my shoulder and neck was substantial. I gave them away and went with backpacks instead. Now I have the Vertex 300 AW from Lowepro which is extremely comfortable and really distributes the weight evenly. I also have a couple of Kata bags, as well as Lowepro Toploader 75AW, which I modified. I'll be ditching the Kata bags, since I just got the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary, I've ordered a Lowepro Flipside 20L AW, in bright orange - making me more visible when riding a bike and I can disguise with a camouflage rain cover when shooting wildlife.

So yes, carrying your gear properly really is essential to avoid joint and muscular strain/pain. My father recently bought the Capture Pro, ProPad and Slide strap and now wears his camera as I do, attached to my waist belt. Like me, he has a D800 and 150-600mm lens and it has made walking around nature reserves significantly more pleasurable, with the weight completely removed from his neck and shoulders.
 
This is why I highly recommend Peak Design's gear, especially the Capture Pro . Even the most comfortable strap still gets a bit tiresome when you have a heavy DSLR and lens combo. The Capture transfers all the weight of the camera to your hips. I mounted mine using the ProPad, on a padded camera belt, which I can also fit Lowepro lens pouches to. I still have my Slide strap attached to the camera as a backup/safety in the highly unlikely event the plate should come loose, but mainly for when I remove the camera from the Capture Pro clip.

Bags are equally important with heavy gear. I had Lowepro's slingshot bags but as thick as the strap's padding was, when the bag was fully loaded, the pain across my shoulder and neck was substantial. I gave them away and went with backpacks instead. Now I have the Vertex 300 AW from Lowepro which is extremely comfortable and really distributes the weight evenly. I also have a couple of Kata bags, as well as Lowepro Toploader 75AW, which I modified. I'll be ditching the Kata bags, since I just got the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary, I've ordered a Lowepro Flipside 20L AW, in bright orange - making me more visible when riding a bike and I can disguise with a camouflage rain cover when shooting wildlife.

So yes, carrying your gear properly really is essential to avoid joint and muscular strain/pain. My father recently bought the Capture Pro, ProPad and Slide strap and now wears his camera as I do, attached to my waist belt. Like me, he has a D800 and 150-600mm lens and it has made walking around nature reserves significantly more pleasurable, with the weight completely removed from his neck and shoulders.

I just started using the Peak Design Slide and I've been REALLY happy with it so far, my most comfortable strap. It works very similar to my black rapid straps, but the camera isn't flopping around at my sides. I was skeptical at first when I got it, but I've grown to love it.
 
Yup, they are great straps and the fact you can adjust the length with the pull of the mechanism is great. I had the Black Rapid strap but I got fed up with the shoulder pad disappearing over my shoulder every time I raised the camera to my eye. I bought the Brad to go with it but I still wasn't overwhelmed. The Peak Design Slide is awesome. I got the Talac Blue. My dad just bought the Lassen red. Do you have a Capture Pro?
 
Yup, they are great straps and the fact you can adjust the length with the pull of the mechanism is great. I had the Black Rapid strap but I got fed up with the shoulder pad disappearing over my shoulder every time I raised the camera to my eye. I bought the Brad to go with it but I still wasn't overwhelmed. The Peak Design Slide is awesome. I got the Talac Blue. My dad just bought the Lassen red. Do you have a Capture Pro?

I just have the plain black one, didn't want to stick out too much. Nah, I don't have the capture pro. Something I might look into it later, but I hate wearing belts. They make me uncomfortable for some reason. lol.
 
A big +1 to the peak design stuff here. I have two of their straps and two Capture pros. Im also thinking about getting their lens mount too. When I'm hiking I keep one on my belt and the other on the shoulder strap of my pack so I can carry two cameras with ease and comfort. It secures the camera really well and takes all the weight of my neck until I'm ready for the shot. The only reason I even keep the strap on in this case is just in case I lose my grip on the camera and drop it. But like it was mention the quick adjustment on these straps is great as is the ability to quickly and easily switch the trap to another camera. I have the black and the red which isnt really red its more of a rust color but it matches my Manfrotto pack and hopefully might help me from getting shot by a hunter. :playful:
 
I bought the B-Grip system for my cameras B-grip line | Makers of the Best Quality Camera Accessories
I've had a few conventional sling straps and they always scared me. After almost dropping my camera a couple times because the lug works its way loose, I found myself constantly tightening the lug. It finally got so bad that I decided to go back to the Canon EOS strap. I was in Hawaii when I came across the B-Grip and so when I returned home, it was my first order of business to obtain. This system works great and is extremely comfortable to wear.
As for my gear bag, I have a Manfrotto MP-BP-50BB, I carry it every day. The bag is heavy but, thanks to the padding, straps and lumbar padding/belt, it's really not bad at all.
 
I've not used Peak Design (first I've heard of it actually); but Black Rapid is something that I've started using.

I think for most people the creep of heavier gear is both something they do and don't notice at first. That is they do notice it but their methods and approach remain the same as if they were using lighter gear because that's what they have experience of. Heck most photographers are seen with a camera round their neck or in their hands so things like side straps or shoulder straps are just not in peoples thoughts when they think of how to carry their gear.

So many end up like it by accident and as they don't know any better and might not be connected to clubs/groups that know better they remain in the dark (googling is all well and good when you know the question and part of the answer; but when you don't even know to ask it won't help anyone).


Heck myself I've used and been a fan of the OPTech neckstraps with their wider and softer padding; even when using a 70-200mm f2.8. However for me I found the neck setup more annoying than anything else and I found myself using the wrist-strap and handholding more and more. It put pressure on my right hand fingers (holding the lens and camera weight) but took it off the arm when in a resting position.
It wasn't till I saw a Black Rapid in use in the real world that I appreciated what it could offer in comfort and convenience (till then I'd discounted them). Now that I own and use one I'm a big fan of them (bar a few niggles here and there that are being ironed out with more regular use) and love how it takes a lot of strain off my right arm and my fingers feel far better after a day shooting than before.
 
I don't think I'll try it around my neck !!

800mm.jpg


Danny. (61 years old and still no strap. :048: )
 

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