Peak Design has just launched new camera backpacks and slings for outdoor photographers. The Outdoor LineKickstarter project has already been funded, and the bags will ship in January. If you back the Outdoor Line Kickstarter now, you'll save 25% on the eventual retail prices.
I’d almost given up on finding a good camera strap solution for the way that I work but luckily Peak Designs asked me if I wanted to test out their Leash system. The problem for me is that I often don’t want to have a strap on the camera at all. I don’t need it when the camera is on a tripod and I don’t need it when I have a large supertelephoto lens attached to it either as the weight of the lens would snap the mount clean off the camera if you carried it by the body. Most strap solutions gravitate towards using big bulky padding of some sort and that makes them both expensive and cumbersome to carry around for the small number of times I find myself needing one. As a result, I often travel without any kind of strap at all, particularly as recently I’ve been using Rotation 180 packs from MindShift Gear which allow me to quickly retrieve my camera without even taking the pack off. I’ve got several straps in my gear closet but all of them gather dust. They are just too big and overly complex with these slider mechanisms that people seem so fixated with. I guess if you walk around 12 hours a day with a camera on your shoulder then it might seem more useful but for the way I work it’s just not necessary. Thing is though, there’s always some point where I wish I had a shoulder strap with me. Up until this point though I hadn’t seen a solution that gave me what I wanted, in a package that was small enough and light enough that I wouldn’t mind carrying it on a big photo trip just for those few times when I did need it.
Video Review
Design & Features
4 Anchors are included with the strap
The Micro Anchor system is the key to making the Leash easy to use and versatile. Each Anchor is rated to hold 200lbs so you can easily carry your camera kit or even a super telephoto lens. The Leash and the Cuff both come with 4 Anchors but you can buy 4 more for $9.95. Once you slide them into clip on the Leash and give it a tug you’ll hear it click into place. To detach the Leash you have to push down on the Anchor and slide it back out of the clip. It’s a secure system that I instantly trusted. As I already mentioned, I very often don’t use a strap as well so it’s important for me that the part of a strap that’s left attached to the camera doesn’t get in the way. As you can see in the photos, the Anchors are pretty unobtrusive so it doesn’t bother me that I’ve got three of them on the camera all the time. I’ve ordered some additional anchors and I’ll be placing them on all my cameras, as well as the strap lugs on my Canon 200-400. I’ll also rig up a pair of them on a Really Right Stuff quick release plate so that I can shoulder any lens with a tripod foot, like a 70-200. This will also allow me to use the system with small cameras that don’t have traditional strap mounting points to attach the Anchors to. Another option is to buy the Peak Design Pro Drive Screw shown here on the right which gives you an easy mounting point on the bottom of a camera. Perfect for a little point and shoot camera.
Carrying Options
To see what I’m talking about it’s best that you watch the video as I demonstrate this very quickly. With a normal shoulder strap the lens points out away from your body but by using an attachment point on the base of the camera the lens hand pointing downwards. It’s a far better option as it stops the lens bumping into things while you walk around. You could even mount both Anchors on the bottom of the camera and then it would carry with the lens pointing in towards your body which is also preferable to the traditional carrying position.
Importantly for me, they are very easy to attach to any existing camera bracket or L-plate
There’s also an anchor point on the adjustment buckle for the Leash. This means that you can create a loop for tethering your camera to either yourself or a static object like a railing if you are shooting from a building. If you are carrying a backpack you could also tether the camera to your bag to save it if you ever dropped it. Speaking as someone who has often found myself peering over the tops of buildings, lookouts, bridges and cliffs, this is an awesome little feature that I’ll be using a lot.
It’s very rare that I’m sent a product to test that has me running to the store to buy more and instantly adding it to my personal gear list. As you probably gathered from this review and my video, I’m not typically a fan of shoulder straps at all, or rather I should say was not. I just hadn’t fount the right straps for the way that I personally work, but now I have. Lightweight, low bulk, flexible usage and quick releasing; they tick all the right boxes. Oh and they aren’t expensive either! Time to clear my closet out of the bigger bulkier slings and padded straps that are just sat there gathering dust.
Where to Buy
As always, using our links for your purchases is appreciated. The Leash and other Peak Design camera straps are available at the links below:
Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.
I’ve been using the leash camera strap for a year with mirrorless Sony cameras. All-day comfort in sling mode!
Definitely agree!