OP/TECH USA Utility Strap Review
| Categories | Camera and Photo |
| Product Code | B003T0EYVE |
| Product Rating |  |
| Price | $19.88 |
| Where To Buy | See More Details |
| Customer Review | See More Reviews |
Product Details
- Color: Black
- Brand: OP/TECH USA
- Model: 3501242
- Dimensions: .31 pounds
Features
- Great for small bags, battery packs, professional cameras and much more
- Easy to attach, quick disconnects make the strap System Connector compatible
- Lightweight wide curved neoprene with internal controlled stretch system and lycra binding is very strong & durable
- Full non skid surface on the back is the answer to keep the strap on your shoulder
- The perfect strap for use over the shoulder, not intended for extensive use around the neck
- Great for small bags, battery packs, professional cameras and much more
- Easy to attach, quick disconnects make the strap System Connector compatible
- Lightweight wide curved neoprene with internal controlled stretch system and lycra binding is very strong & durable
- Full non skid surface on the back is the answer to keep the strap on your shoulder
- The perfect strap for use over the shoulder, not intended for extensive use around the neck
Product Description
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
127 of 128 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent sling strap
By T. Tozawa
A little background : I've never liked neck straps since the camera just gets in the way and with large DSLR's and lenses it puts a lot of weight onto your neck. One thing I don't like about the Black Rapid or similar sling style straps is the connection point - the tripod mount. Personally, it would get in the way when shooting in a portrait orientation and hinder tripod usage. It also worries me a bit that there's so much weight put onto the tripod mount on the camera/grip when it wasn't really designed to hold weight in that fashion. I created my own sling style utilizing the OEM strap mounts on the body and it has served me well so I never bothered looking for another sling style strap. I happened to come across this Optech strap and it seemed like a perfect strap (which I explain below.) Since my custom sling strap doesn't have padding and the connection points are a bit bulky I decided to give this strap a try.The Optech strap is very well built. The padding is great, helping to cushion and distributes the weight wonderfully across the shoulder. The quick-release connectors are a sturdy plastic and the engage/disengage clips require quite a bit of force which eases the worry of accidentally releasing them. (I don't use the quick-release too much though and was thinking of chopping off the quick-release connectors and replacing them with metal carabiners with locks.) The length of the strap is perfect as well. Personally, at 5' 9" and a big build it rests comfortably near waist level.The main part of this strap which made me buy it were the "system-connectors". These connectors, which have a nylon loop on one end and a quick-release clip on the other, utilizes the OEM mounting points on the camera. This makes me feel a lot more comfortable than using only one point at the tripod mount like other sling straps. These system-connectors connect to one (or two) matching free-floating connectors on the main strap. Movement of the camera from waist-level to your eye is very smooth with the connectors. As mentioned, the actual connection to the camera is nylon, through the OEM mounting points. Like with OEM neck straps, it'll eventually eat through the nylon after extended amount of use. The beauty of the Optech strap is that you can buy just the system-connectors for under $10 if you ever need to replace them.My heaviest setup (and one I use very frequently) is the Canon 7D with grip and the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. The strap feels very solid and I don't have to worry about the integrity of the strap. The padding on the strap definitely does help in distributing the weight. It really does feel lighter when using this strap (at least compared to my custom one.)If you're looking at this product and wondering if this is a good sling strap I would definitely say yes. It is well designed and solidly built. The mobility that a sling strap gives you is a wonderful feeling and with most lenses you won't even feel it over your shoulder.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful.Great upgrade from the kit strap!
By D. Chung
When I first got my dSLR I really wanted to be able to carry it comfortably with me for use at a moment's notice. The strap that came with it was OK but was a bit on the short side, and did not allow me to carry the camera in sling-fashion very comfortable. On top of that the camera would be in an awkward position with the lens sticking out just asking for some broken glass.As I was searching for a new strap, I came across a few expensive options that looked like they would work, but used the tripod mount as a connecting point for the camera. I wanted something that would allow me to connect to the factory strap point and still fit comfortably across my body.That's when I came across the OP/TECH strap-sling connector. There wasn't a lot of reviews, but it looked like what I was envisioning so I took the chance and ordered it.Since receiving it I have not been disappointed. The sling is exactly as advertised, with a padded neoprene strap connected to a couple quick release connectors on each side. The camera itself can be attached via one or two OP/TECH uniloop system connectors which have quick release connectors that connect to the sling. I have the camera attached to one connector and it sits comfortable at my side, hip-level, and the lens doesn't protrude out to my side. When I pull the camera up to take a shot, the connector freely slides along the sling so the shoulder pad never moves and if I want to have someone else take a pic, I can just release the connector without having to take off the strap.While I am wary about how many times I can connect/disconnect the plastic connectors these pieces feel pretty sturdy and are replaceable. I am not a pro so I don't know how a pro would feel about this product, but for me, the accessibility it provides to my camera and the comfort are exactly what I was looking for. It's definitely something I would recommend to someone looking for something that allows a bit more flexibility than a kit camera strap.
35 of 45 people found the following review helpful.
A little dissapointed - but probably my own fault
By Clyde R. Lowry Jr.
I don't find over-the-neck straps all that comfortable, and I'm constantly annoyed by the strap getting in the way when I'm trying to take a photo (especially potrait orientation). Now that I'm frequently carrying two bodies, I decided to give a Sling style a shot. Since the Op/Tech was quite a bit less than the Black Rapid I orderd one.As far as the padded part goes, it is amazingly comfortable and super light weight. The stitching is solid and the op/tech logo is nice and subdued.The connectors have a super cheap feel to them. I have a sense these will get brittle and snap over time ... and the thought of $3,500 of camera gear hitting the ground is unnerving. I hate the fact that they have 2 quick connectors on the strap with no way of removing them ... not sure what I was thinking here ... it should have dawned on me when reading the item description. Since I use only 1 connector attached to a swivel in the tripod mount, I now have this extra piece of plastic poking me in the side ... I may just cut it off with a pair of bolt cutters. On the plus side, the cord and leather part attached to the quick connector is very nicely constructed.The strap itself is adjsutable and extremely long. My guess is that it will fit on anybody up to Sumo Wrester sized. A trick I learned while being in the US Army when I was younger ... disconnect the rear connector, give it a full twist and then put it back on. This will make the strap fold over at the 'bottom', and lay flat against your body in the area under your arm.The connector attached to my camera moves very smooth and completely eliminates that 'dangling in my way' nusance I get with a normal style strap.Overall however, I don't find the configuration all that comfortable and that extra connector MUST go. Maybe over time I'll get used to it.
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