Top Tips for Choosing a Camera Strap

A camera strap is an essential accessory for nature photographers. It provides security, comfort, and ease of access to your camera while on a shoot.

Whether you’re a professional or at the beginning of your photography journey, a camera strap is a great addition to your photography equipment.

In this article, we’ll explore why you should have a camera strap, how it can be used for photography, and recommend a few great camera straps currently on the market.

How do you wear a camera strap for photography?

Camera straps are designed to keep your camera safe and within reach. They’re meant to be worn around your neck, across your shoulder, or strapped to your wrist, and are often adjustable so that you can find the correct fit to suit you.

The idea is that your camera hangs within quick reach, and there are different styles of camera straps to choose from, including:

Neck strap – These straps range in length and are often adjustable. Usually, your camera will come with a neck strap that can double as a crossbody strap as part of its basic equipment (often branded), though there are many other ones available on the market with extra features.

A neck strap goes over your neck, and your camera will hang against your chest or stomach, depending on the length.

The crossbody – For comfort and wearability, the crossbody strap is a great option for all types of photography. Worn across one shoulder, and looped around your body, these straps may distribute the weight more comfortably across your shoulders than a neck strap. They attach in two places to your camera.

Sling strap – This strap is also worn crossbody; however, it features a single mounting attachment point to your camera – both ends of the strap meet at one point. Your camera isn’t then fixed to the strap at one point but rather moves along the strap when you lift it to shoot.

Harness – This style often includes dual camera straps and features buckling elements across your body for extra security.

The wrist or hand strap – This option keeps your camera close and attached directly to your hand. It can be useful for high-action situations where you may never want to really ‘drop’ your camera.

Camera strap features

There are many different styles of camera straps on the market, but most good-quality camera straps will have these features:

• Usually made of durable materials such as leather, nylon, and neoprene – some may have ‘non-slip’ features such as silicone
• Adjustable sliders to change the length
• Secure fasteners or clips to attach the strap to your camera
• Extra padding in the center of the strap to provide comfort where the pressure will be at the back of your neck, shoulder, or wrist.

Why should you use a camera strap?

There are many great reasons to use a camera strap:

1. Comfort: Camera straps can make carrying a camera easier and more comfortable. Many nature photographers may find themselves travelling long distances on foot to get to their desired location, so a camera strap can be particularly helpful in preventing strain and fatigue.

2. Camera safety: A camera strap prevents accidental drops, which is particularly helpful when hiking or out in the field. It is a much safer option than carrying your camera by hand.

3. Accessibility: Camera straps can be an ideal choice if you want to avoid locking your camera away in a backpack and losing time by having to get it out each time you want to take a photograph.

4. Support: A strap can also be used for support in steadying your camera if you find yourself without a tripod. By creating tension between where the strap connects to your neck and your arms stretched out in front of you, you may find some extra stability before you take your shot.

5. Safety: While the risk of theft in most nature photography environments is low, if you find yourself photographing urban wildlife in a busy location or surrounded by people on a travel photography adventure, having your camera physically attached to your body can deter thieves.

Top Tip: Camera straps aren’t foolproof, and like all equipment, they can fail. Make sure you check your strap regularly for any wear and tear or damage, and ensure that the attachments on either side of the camera are connected properly before trusting them with the weight of your camera. If you decide to purchase a strap secondhand, check it thoroughly before use for signs of faults.

Body camera strap vs. wrist camera strap

It can be difficult to choose between using a neck/body camera strap or a wrist camera strap, so you may decide to keep both readily available in your equipment for use in different situations!

A wrist strap is suitable if you are traveling short distances and using only one camera. It provides the fastest reaction time, with the camera already in your hand.

However, wrist straps are notably less secure than neck straps, and some simpler designs can slip off your hand if you’re not paying attention.

They can also put a lot of weight on your wrist if you let the camera dangle, which may not be comfortable if you have a heavier camera body or are using a longer lens.

They are a great choice for a session of very active shooting.

Neck or crossbody straps are likely to be a better choice when traveling longer distances or in situations where you may need to use your hands for other things, such as hiking.

This style of camera strap will distribute the weight of your camera and lens more evenly across your body, making it a more comfortable choice, particularly if you are using a heavier setup. They are less restrictive than wrist straps.

Top Tip: You can fashion a makeshift wrist strap out of your crossbody or neck strap by looping the length of the strap around your wrist multiple times.

Ultimately, the choice is down to you, and comfort and usability must be determined by your own experimentation and use.

Dual camera straps

If you ever need to carry or use more than one camera, such as shooting the same scene with both a full-frame camera and a cropped sensor, having two crossbody camera straps is a viable option.

Wearing them on opposite sides of your body will prevent the cameras from banging into each other while walking and keep your hands free to move from one camera body to the other.

However, there are also camera straps specifically designed to attach two cameras to your body, known as ‘dual camera straps.’

These are often created with a chest harness clasp and two straps to hang the cameras on either side of your body. They are designed to be worn like a backpack harness, with a camera at each hip.

Choosing a camera strap

You will want to take into account some considerations when selecting a camera strap. This may include the type of photography you do, your budget, how often you will be using the strap, and the style of strap that is right for you and your gear.

Some things to consider may be:

• What camera equipment do you plan to use? If you have heavier equipment, you’re going to need a thicker, heavier-duty strap. If you shoot with a lighter camera and smaller lenses, you can use a more lightweight strap.
• Photography style: If you’re a wildlife photographer and stealth is vital, you may want to choose a strap with muted colors.
• Portability: If you travel a lot, portability and weight may be important to you.
• Aesthetic: Is look or style important to you? Some straps are designed more for their appearance than their functionality, so it may be worth reading the information that advertises each strap fully to ensure it is capable of meeting your needs.

By considering these factors, you can select a camera strap that best fits your photography style and needs.

Long lenses and camera straps

Wildlife photographers often find themselves needing to use longer and therefore heavier lenses.

While you may be unlikely to carry your heaviest lens around on a camera strap due to its bulkiness and discomfort, there are some mid-range lenses that, while not light, can still be comfortably carried on a camera strap.

Always be sure to check the weight capabilities of the strap in the company specifications and ensure that it is in good working order. Remember that no piece of equipment is fail-safe!

Top Tip: You may find it better when using a heavier lens to attach your camera strap to the tripod mount of the lens. This will take the pressure off your camera’s lens mount.

Camera strap recommendations

Here is a quick look at some of the options currently on the market (in no particular order):

Peak Design Slide Strap

A popular choice on the market right now, this strap features quick-adjust buckles and a base mount to allow you to attach the strap to the bottom of the camera.

It’s stylish but has minimal padding, so it may not be the most comfortable of the available options. However, its streamlined design has made it a favourite among photographers around the world.

Peak Design also has a ‘Lite’ version of this strap, ideal for mirrorless or lighter camera users, and an even smaller ‘Leash’ version – perfect for packing into your bag for travel if you find yourself needing a spare strap.

Op/Tech Pro Camera Strap with Pro Loop

This strap is designed in soft, durable neoprene and allows for both wearability and great comfort.

The comfort stretch binding helps to equally distribute the weight of the camera, making this an ideal strap for heavier cameras.

Op/Tech Classic

A nice step up from the kit strap, this camera strap comes in many colours and features a comfortable neoprene band with a no-slip grip on the underside and quick-adjust buckles.

It is better for lighter cameras than the Pro Loop.

Custom SLR Glide Strap

Featuring a shoulder pad with split strap technology for even weight distribution and a c-loop camera mount to allow you to glide your camera up and down the strap for fast-reaction time shooting, this is a great sling design camera straphttps://customslr.com/products/glide-strap for the outdoor photographer.

Blackline II Double Camera Strap

This is a double harness design (which can be taken apart and used as a single strap if needed) and features highly breathable polyester mesh shoulder pads and a low-profile, modern design to allow you to discreetly carry two camera systems at once.

SpiderPro Hand Strap v2

A hand camera strap made with comfort in mind, this ergonomic piece of equipment features a soft memory foam inner layer and is designed in an ‘s’ shape to take the shape of your hand, and attaches easily with its three snap connection.

Available in a range of colours with an optional additional wrist strap to snap around the wrist for added security.

Specialty camera straps

Some camera straps have been designed with a specialty in mind. These include:

Camera straps for left-handed photographers

Some camera strap companies have specifically tailored their straps to left-handed photographers, with shoulder straps or padding that curves in a streamlined direction.

If you’re a left-handed shooter, it may be worth considering which shoulder you might want to wear your camera on, and exploring these options.

Camera straps for female photographers

Some companies offer a strap shape that has been specifically designed by women, for women, created to fit the curves of the body ergonomically and lay flat for maximum comfort.

While the difference between these straps and the general designs offered on the market is minimal, it may be worth trying one on in person to see what style will suit your body’s shape best.

Camera straps with camouflage

While a general photography camera strap will work for most nature photographers, you can purchase more specialized straps with features that may be relevant, particularly for wildlife work, such as:

• Streamlined design elements for travel and camouflage
• Straps printed in camouflage patterns to allow for maximum effective fieldcraft for wildlife photography
• Extra neck or shoulder padding for comfort on long shoots – as often required in nature photography!

In conclusion

The market is saturated with camera strap options, and with only minor design differences between brands of a similar style or feature, you can’t really go wrong.

Even your ‘kit’ camera strap will serve its purpose, allowing you to carry your camera hands-free while keeping it within close, accessible range, and without having to take it in and out of your camera backpack.

However, some straps are designed with specific features that may be particularly beneficial for nature photographers, so it’s worth considering your needs before making a purchase.

Whenever possible, we recommend trying on your potential new camera strap before committing to it. Comfort and reliability are important decision factors, and your choice of design, shape, and material will ultimately come down to personal preference.

A comfortable camera strap is a vital piece of kit for any nature photographer, so make sure you find one that suits you. Happy shooting!