Can anyone give me a suggestion for what kind of strap to buy to put on a 600mm f/4 lens? Not sure if any old strap will do or if there are some that are better than others. Thanks!
-Bryan
Strap suggestion for 600mm?
Can anyone give me a suggestion for what kind of strap to buy to put on a 600mm f/4 lens? Not sure if any old strap will do or if there are some that are better than others. Thanks!
-Bryan
Hi Bryan,
Tough call here, if your shooting handheld you will need a fairly long strap to allow you to comfortably wear it like a sling pack across the body and still pull the camera up to your eye. But when the strap is that long I find it uncomfortably low and prone to bumping while walking. If you try to carry the lens on a strap around the neck you will only be making the chiropractor rich. I still haven't found a comfortable means of carrying it. Ideally it would be some sort of harness that attached to the shoulder straps of a backpack or had its own wearable harness. I was thinking about stopping by a couple of the hunting shops around here, there may be a rifle strap that would do the job. For now I'm keeping it on the tripod, keep in mind if your are going to handhold this monster better hit the gym. I'm 220lbs and 6'1" and need to hit the gym to be able to use this handheld for any length of time. Although a nice harness would be a great help.
Grant
I wasn't really planning on hand-holding it, rather I just wanted another way to carry it versus holding onto the foot of the lens. I might not even use the strap that much. I was thinking it would be nice if there was a strap that could be detached easily so it could get out of the way.
The Op/Tech classic strap might be a good choice since it is flexible, makes carrying a heavy lens much more comfortable in my experience.
I agree. Until recently when ever I hiked with the 500 I carried it by the foot. I finally got smart and bought the op/tech strap and it has made all the difference in the world.Originally Posted by Axel Hildebrandt
Black Rapid RS-4 with Kirk 1 inch QR clamp
Chas
I second the Black Rapid RS-4 + QR clamp. It's what I use for the 500 F4 and it's quite confortable.
Thanks everyone. The Op/Tech is about 1/2 as much as the RS-4 (all relatively inexpensive considering what it's supporting), so I guess either one would work and they both seem strong enough. Unless someone has a compelling arguement for one over the other?
I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I would get the one that seems to work best for the way you carry your equipment.
Bryan,
A couple of nice things I like about the Black Rapid RS-4:
Small zippered pocket for a couple of media cards.
The strap has long adjustment capability and very easy to adjust.. The camera/lens can be carried low on your hip (flops around if too low) or up higher where it controls nicely and is very comfortable. Only problem with being carried high is it prevents swinging it up for a quick HH shot.
I get the 600mm tomorrow, so I will have to figure out the best way to carry it compared to the 500mm. Probably should pick up a weight belt too. :D Thanks for everyone's input.
Hi Bryan, Am not sure if you are getting a Canon or Nikon. I have a Nikon 600mm f/4 and it comes with a factory provided strap. I had no options of other straps where i got my 600mm so i stayed with the factory provided strap. I have attached the strap to my 600mm, but rarely carry it around on using strap, as i fear bumping the lens around. I carry it mostly with my gitzo on shoulders. I would recommend you to try the factory supplied strap as well...as i found it comfortable, but havent tried for long to give a solid comment.
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