Well, I bit the bullet and purchased a carry speed dual camera strap system from Amazon.com, and it finally arrived! I was looking forward to using it for my shoot tomorrow, but after playing with it for about 40 minutes at home, adjusting and putting my cameras and lenses on it, I decided it doesn’t fit the shooting style that I’m accustomed to, and it would most likely hinder me rather than help me.

Before I being the review, I’d like to preface it with the fact that I’ve been shooting with dual bodies for a number of years now. Ever since going to prime lenses, I’ve gone with a 1DsMarkII and 1DMarkIII combo, typically with an 35mm and an 85mm lens, with a 70-200 for longer shots in the bag. This coupled with my favorite straps made from a company called Optech. I’ve been using them because they absorb weight pretty well. I usually couple that with a vest, that I strap my straps into so in the event of slippage, they don’t entirely fall to the floor.

Enter the carry speed dual straps that I decided to try. When it arrived, it reminded me of giant rock climbing harnesses or parachute harnesses. It’s well made in terms of construction and materials. The only down side to them is the way they attach to the camera, which is using the 1/4th inch tripod mounting screws. Which means the cameras are generally upside down when they are to the side. This is a bit disorienting as I’d have to reach over and flip them up before shooting. That and when I’m done, I feel like if I just drop them, they’ll fall. The camera on the left hand side is a bit worse, since the orientation is reverse and they are essentially screw mounts, I feel that sometimes as the cameras go up and down, the torque from this motion loosens the connections.

In addition, I typically have a backpack on me, and with a strap that goes around your neck to some extend and some of it is on your back, it feels a bit more cumbersome. For me, the thing that made it unacceptable for my shooting styles, is there isn’t a rapid release system. If I need to put one camera down, or hand it to my assistant or second shooter, it would be impossible. I’d have to flip it right side up, unscrew it, then hand it over. Also for some reason, I’ve tried a few lens changes, and it just doesn’t feel natural to me when doing so.

I think this system may work for some people, but it definitely didn’t fit my shooting style, so I’m going to return this and stick to my old system. I guess the old adage applies, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Though it was definitely worth a try!

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