Going Out To Photograph? Bring A Strap

Post & Photo by Joe Farace – Follow Joe on Twitter

It may seem obvious to most of you but it’s a good idea to carry your camera by its neck strap, or hey, maybe even wear it around your neck or shoulder. In some parts of the world, shoulder carry makes the camera vulnerable to theft, so be aware of what’s going on around you when you find yourself in dodgy surroundings. The neck strap is part of the camera’s basic equipment and fulfills the important role of protecting the camera from being dropped. While you may protest, “this would never happen to me,” I saw it happen twice during a workshop I was teaching in Montana.

Both photographers were experienced and should have known better but I watched one drop an expensive pro digital SLR onto extremely rocky ground while we were traversing it. While the damage was relatively minor, the camera was damaged and required expensive repair. During that same workshop another photographer dropped a mid-level digital SLR cracking its top-mounted LCD panel. We’re all human and make mistakes but taking a few precautions such as simply using a camera strap not only saves money by protecting your camera from harm but also keeps you from looking like a bozo in front of your friends.

Using a strap not only makes carrying your camera easier, it increases your readiness to shoot. No fumbling around, just grab the camera and shoot. Even changing lenses is easier and safer if the camera is securely attached around your neck. Inquiring minds want to know but there is no right and wrong in strap lengths. The length of the strap should match your body (not the camera’s) and attaching the strap manufacturers include is not all that hard. Make it part of your standard unboxing procedure when purchasing any new camera.

I’ll use the camera brand strap if I have to and while they’re generally better than nothing, I hate to advertise for the company, especially for free. I’ve been using Lowepro straps and like their Speedster model. It costs less than twenty bucks and has anti-slip rubber thread woven into soft nylon webbing to protect your clothing and keep the strap from slipping. Two quick-release buckles make switching from one camera body to another fast and easy while double ladder-locks ensure a secure connection between strap and camera. Lowepro offers four different straps, (http://products.lowepro.com/catalog/Camera-Straps,41.htm) each designed to suit the kind of shooting that you do.

I never liked to hang two cameras around my neck during a shoot because something always seems to go awry. The cameras always end up banging into one another and in one infamous incident I set one SLR down on a table while photographing a beautiful model on a movie set and later bumped backwards into that same piece of furniture only to be greeted by the sound of crashing, busted metal and broken glass accompanied by the destruction of my EF 135 f/2.8 SF lens. Who needs this hassle? CameraSlingers has an ergonomic solution for two camera shooters and offers a camera strap that hangs two SLRs around your shoulders and whose clever design protects both you and your gear. In the above photo a heavier version of myself is trying one on at the PMA show. You can use whatever kind of camera strap suits your fashion sense, just remember to use one.

Joe Farace is author of the new book “Studio Lighting Anywhere”

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