Which is stronger? Strap hooks or tripod socket?

nerwin · May 28, 2015

So I've always been curious which are the strongest points to hang your camera, obviously the strap hooks were intended to hold the weight of the camera, but tripod sockets?

I've done some research and found out that some people using sling straps like the Black Rapid RS7 which connect via the tripod socket has failed. Now I don't know if this was due to a camera manufacturer issue or just years and years of abuse with heavy lenses and they just simply failed.

This happened on a Nikon D50 - Owner was running up stairs with it on the Black Rapid strap when it broke and hit the concrete stairs. The metal plate you see in the picture was still hooked on the strap's fastenr. Not sure what lens he was using at the time.

This happened on a D700 - Owner said the tripod socket popped and became loose while the D700 was hanging on the Black Rapid strap. thought the D700 was a full mag alloy body? You'd think the tripod socket would've been molded into it. Again, not sure what lens he was using or what he was doing at the time.

All of which were using a sling style strap that connected via the tripod mount. There have been many stories both from Nikon & Canon of similar things happening. Granted, its quite rare and I've been using a BlackRapid RS7 for years and never had this problem. I just recently switched to a Op/Tech Pro Loop strap because the RS7 was giving me a rash on my neck.

I believe tripod mounts are designed, well, for tripods. They are designed to be sitting static on a tripod and can also withstand being at an angle when using a tripod, but not upside down where the weight of the camera is pulling on the socket and flopping around. But I do believe the flagship full frame bodies like the D4s and Canon's 1Dx have the tripod mount molded into the frame of the camera, so thats no problem there but all the weight is still being held by a single tiny 1/4" screw.

Again its highly unlikely this would happen to you but I think its something to be cognitive about (especially on low end plastic bodies). This doesn't deter me from using my RS7 if needed (except the rash part..ugh).

What are your thoughts?

Microbois · May 28, 2015

I think we would need to know the whole story behind those mishaps shown in the pictures. I doubt it happened only by leaving the camera hanging by its own weight by the tripod mount. I know all too well that materials can be affected by "fatigue" when under a load very close to the failure point, and eventually fail, but I doubt the weight of a camera with a normal lens would be enough to break it though. That being said, I believe the neck strap mounting loops on camera bodies to be stronger than the tripod mount.

jaomul · May 28, 2015

I was always sceptical about those hangy type straps

nerwin · May 28, 2015

Microbois said:
I think we would need to know the whole story behind those mishaps shown in the pictures. I doubt it happened only by leaving the camera hanging by its own weight by the tripod mount. I know all too well that materials can be affected by "fatigue" when under a load very close to the failure point, and eventually fail, but I doubt the weight of a camera with a normal lens would be enough to break it though. That being said, I believe the neck strap mounting loops on camera bodies to be stronger than the tripod mount.

The owner of the D700 said the tripod mount "popped" randomly while using a BlackRapid strap, no info on what lens or what he was doing at the time.

The first picture is of an Nikon D50 actually and the owner said he was running up the stairs when it broke and hit the concrete floor, the tripod socket piece you see was still connected to the Black Rapid Fastenr. I'll update my post to reflect these.

Microbois · May 28, 2015

Ok, that helps to understand what happened. Running up the stairs with the camera hanging, and looking at the construction of the bottom of the D50, even though there's a steel plate to reinforce it, tells me that it's really holding by the thin plastic edges. Obviously, in that case with low-end all-plastic camera bodies, you may have to be very careful. The proof is there.

As far as the D700 is concerned, maybe it can be explained by overtightening the Black Rapid mounting screw. People have no idea how much torque they can apply only by thightening a screw by hand, especially when they have the leverage of the included carabiner clip to do so. Seriously, it can be anywhere between 150in-lb to 250in-lb, depending on the strenght of your hands, but this is a lot of torque. I was talking recently to a tool rep who was selling high-end products, and it's a well-known fact that overtightening is a common problem in the public in general when they assemble regular household items (barbecue, bicycle, etc.). We are so scared of those nuts and bolts coming loose, that we just go overboard thinking it won't come off. Well, we are damaging the goods instead.

Lastly, my general comment on this situation applies to many other products we buy and use regularly. I have the Black Rapid Sport, and I wear it only when I need it. Secondly, it's my habit to keep my hand on my camera almost at all time, and the only time I let it hang by the strap is when I need to reach for something, blow my nose, wipe my glasses, stuff like this. I won't let it free fall along along the strap. Nope, I will bring it down at the lowest post, then leave it there. It's all a question of jugement. I tend to care a lot for my stuff, and I hardly broke anything in my life. Some people tend to abuse their stuff, or actually don't have a good knowledge of some basic laws of physic, and this is the kind of problem you run into.

Scatterbrained · May 28, 2015

You can use a sling strap and still attach it to the neck strap mount. Just sayin. . . . . . .

Beyond that I'd agree with Microbois. The tripod socket may be perfectly adequate for hanging a camera and lens from it, but put a 70-200 2.8 on the camera and then go running up a flight of stairs and that's a lot of force. Much more than would be seen walking around. There's a reason why mechanics use impact wrenches to break things loose.

Granted I'm not saying he had a 70-200 mounted, but I've seen it enough times that I have no problem envisioning it. If he was holding the camera while running up the stairs the camera wouldn't have broken.

Buckster · May 28, 2015

I actually wrote to Canon quite a while back to find out directly from them what the accepted weight / stress of the strap lugs are, as well as the tripod socket. I was specifically interested because when I bought a Black Rapid, I wasn't feeling too sure about the idea of hanging my gear from the tripod socket, which I'd never done before. They wrote back saying they don't have stress tests to be able to say what the weight / stress limits of either are.

I have several straps and harnesses, including a Black Rapid, as I say. My feeling has always been that the tripod socket wasn't made specifically to hang the camera on, and did indeed consider the extra stress weight from the momentum of it moving during walking, etc. The tripod socket is meant to set the camera on a tripod, which isn't all that stressful to it. With big lenses, you move the tripod to the lens collar's tripod socket to better distribute the weight of the whole thing.

The strap lugs, on the other hand, had to have been made and integrated into the camera body design specifically to deal with higher stresses..

That's just the way I've always thought about it anyway. That said, no matter which strap or harness I use, I attach it to one or both of the strap lugs, not the tripod socket.

Derrel · May 28, 2015

I have read of a fair number of Black Rapid failures over the few years their system has been on the market. Mostly failures on the part of users to tighten the retaining nut tightly enough, but also some mechanical failures of the strap components themselves. I can't say that I have ever heard of a camera body lug failure, except for on the one batch of Leicas that had a systemic failure of the strap lugs...I've heard 'about' that problem with the Leicas, but have not read any first-hand forum reports from a person whom actually had a failure with his or her Leica--in part because today Leicas are about as common as conjoined twins are.

I dunno...in close to 40 years around cameras, I have never heard of a regular camera (meaning, not a Leica!) having strap lug failures...and considering how widespread neck strap/shoulder strap carrying has been, I think it's a good bet that the strap lugs on the camera are capable, dependable places to anchor to.

Braineack · May 28, 2015

you wanna know why nikon designed strap points with the goal of carrying load? so you'd used the tripod mount not designed for load instead...

I should design a carrying strap that screws into the lens filter threads...I'll be rich.

waday · May 28, 2015

Braineack said:
you wanna know why nikon designed strap points with the goal of carrying load? so you'd used the tripod mount not designed for load instead...

I should design a carrying strap that screws into the lens filter threads...I'll be rich.

Can the strap also be a hood? You could call it the.. Strapood.

MOREGONE · May 28, 2015

That bubbling that happened to the D700 happened to my D600 but just slightly. Fortunately it got replaced for the D610, woot

Braineack · May 28, 2015

How about a protective sleeve for your body that's made of hook and loop, then you wear a matching vest--you just stick the camera to your body when not in use?

I just really don't trust the TRIPOD mount over the STRAPS LOOPS to use a STRAP. AFAIK most tripod mounts just screw into the camera frame using little screws and it's not really a point designed to carry loads. The strap loops are secured directly into the frame and were litterally designed with the intention that your camera would hang from them.

Beyond that the tripod mount position prevents you from being able to set your camera on a flat surface, use a tripod, and I personally dont like how the camera hangs from the sling.

nerwin · May 28, 2015

Braineack said:
you wanna know why nikon designed strap points with the goal of carrying load? so you'd used the tripod mount not designed for load instead...

I should design a carrying strap that screws into the lens filter threads...I'll be rich.

waday said:
Braineack said:

you wanna know why nikon designed strap points with the goal of carrying load? so you'd used the tripod mount not designed for load instead...

I should design a carrying strap that screws into the lens filter threads...I'll be rich.

Click to expand...

Can the strap also be a hood? You could call it the.. Strapood.