I’m a methodical photographer by nature. Sure, I may run wildly from place to place in order to get a shot, but for the most part I prefer to take it slow, use a tripod, and spend awhile with my subject in order to get the perfect shot. For me, the BlackRapid Sport camera strap required a complete overhaul of this slow and steady strategy. I literally had to learn to “shoot from the hip”!
The Sport attaches to your camera via the screw mount, and is designed to hang down by your side. The mount attaches to the strap via a system that allows it to slide smoothly up and down it between two adjustable clips that regulate just how far it can slide. This allows you to bring the camera up to your eye without hauling the entire length of the strap along with it.
One of the big problems with traditional camera straps is the strain they put on your neck, digging in and making them difficult to carry for long periods of time. The Sport solves this problem with a contoured pad that fits over your shoulder, and a strap that goes under your arm, thus spreading the weight of the camera out over a less sensitive area than the neck. The build quality of the Sport is undeniably excellent, and is sure to be more durable and longer lasting than the average, camera-brand strap.
Unfortunately, many photographers may find the innovative system that makes it great to be its biggest flaw. First of all, it’s so bulky that it takes up far too much room in a camera bag, so when you have it attached to your camera you are likely going to have to keep on wearing it whether you like it or not. This leads us to the second problem, the fact that I didn’t feel safe having the camera swinging around near my hip while walking around. I always felt that it was going to bump into something, and found the constant bouncing of my DSLR against my hip to be irritating. You can adjust the position of the camera on the strap, but I found that hanging it in any other way than at the hip made the entire system difficult to use. Another problem is that it doesn’t play well with a backpack. The shoulder pad sits right where the backpack strap goes over your shoulder on one side, and on the other the camera sits at your hip and bumps into the bottom of the backpack. This means that the Sport is really only useful for short trips where a pack isn’t needed.
I frequently use a tripod, and like to have the quick release plate permanently attached to my camera. The Blackrapid Sport, however, attaches to the camera via the same screw mount as the quick release plate. You can detach the Sport pretty easily, but detaching it, and attaching a quick release plate is time consuming, and often speedy tripod setup is necessary in order to get a particular shot.
Finally, the sport may be “cooler” looking than a traditional camera strap, but that sometimes is a disadvantage. Quite frankly, it looks like you are wearing a gun holster, and I may have imagined it, but I felt like I received more sidelong glances than usual. Even if people don’t think you’re packing, the fact is that the sport makes you more noticeable, which isn’t a good thing for any photographer who wants to be unobtrusive.
For photographers who regularly carry their cameras outside of a bag, don’t need a tripod, and aren’t too paranoid about the safety of their camera, the Sport is a wonderfully constructed, brilliant piece of engineering. It has its niche (though I’m not exactly sure which photographer occupy that niche), and though it may not be for me, those who are considering a camera carrying system of this type will not be disappointed with the Blackrapid Sport. Unfortunately, I most certainly don’t fit into the Sport’s target niche. After a long stretch of using the sport, my neck may have been free of strain, but I was still glad to go back to using my old, worn out Canon camera strap.
Specifications:
- Length: 167cm
- Width: 9.5cm
- Topside material: Polyester with Ballistic Nylon
- Underside Material: 1cm thick foam pad with knitted mesh
- Price: 73.95$
Blackrapid Sport
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Innovative design
- Extremely comfortable
- Makes carrying a camera more stylish
Cons
- Camera position on strap seems risk
- Difficult to use when shooting with a tripod
- Bulky design makes it difficult to stow with camera in a bag.
- Doesn’t work well with a backpack.
- Is obtrusive and resembles a gun holster
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