Suggestions please on what to use instead of the Canon neck strap.

[jfindley]

I like the idea of it especially for hiking cause you can put it on your backpack shoulder strap. It makes it very close by, and well supported. It also lessens the risk of it swinging around and catching rocks or trees or anything crazy. Be sure to check out the couple of videos on the website. In my opinion it just looks like a good idea.

[Black_Dog]

Get a sling-style strap (BlackRapid isn't the only one out there) was a revelation. I'll never go back to a neck strap. I use a modified OP/TECH sling with BlackRapid connecting hardware.

[bob williams]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...era_Strap.html

Black Rapid it is the way to go.
http://www.blackrapid.com/

They also make versions just for women. Go watch some of the videos on the site, very informative.

For the pain and back problems, I would recommend a doctor.

Yeah Denise, what HD said, I have a black rapid and love it. Easy to carry, comfortable with a 7d and 100-400, Easy to grab and shoot (even faster than a neck strap) The female version is designed to accomodate your female parts comfortably ---or so they say?

[jrw]

I don't recall the brand name unfortunately, but I do recall seeing padded pouches, designed for camera bodies with lenses attached, that mount to a waist belt. For improved comfort, and carrying capacity, there were wide padded shoulder straps to hold up the load. As a bonus, they will also carry water bottles for those hikes. Maybe someone else out there will know who makes it.?

[ddt0725]

The PeakDesign looks really nice but I don't always were a belt and I don't think clipping my 7d & 100-400mm on the front strap of my bag when I'm wearing it would be very comfortable.

I haven't watched the video's yet but the woman's strap looks nice. This may be a dumb question but couldn't I just clip it to the mounting plate that I have attached to my Kirk L-bracket that came with my Manfrotto 234RC Monopod head without having to buy anything else?

[HDNitehawk]

On your 100-400mm you will want to attach it to the Wimberley plate on the lens, that way it will balance for you. You would only attach it to the camera when you have a short lens with no tripod leg. I looked that plate up, I do not see how it would help in that situation. But then I do not own it and maybe there is something I don't see.

Edit: The screw on the BlackRapid will screw directly in to your camera, if you choose to not permanently attach a quick release to it. One of the things I mentioned is that it may be cheaper to buy a second screw from BlackRapid if you choose not to have a plate. The clip that holds the screw on the strap will allow you to take the clamp on and off without unhooking the clamp from the screw. (remember that John recommended using loctite to keep the screw tight on the clamp, so you wouldn't want to be taking that screw on and off)

[jrw]

I finally remembered. ThinkTank offers a line of holsters, belts, and harnesses. Using them would allow transferring a lot of the load to the hips in much the same way that backpacks designed for comfort, and longterm health, of the user have a waistbelt to reduce the load on the shoulders and back. The holster allows easy access to cameras with lenses mounted while providing protection for the gear.

Jeff

[Scott Stephen]

I am about to order the BosStrap shoulder sling strap. Their marketing kind of spoke to me, as did the cheaper price, and if anything it looks more solid than the big name brand, which I did try out at the store.

It does NOT screw into your tripod screw on the bottom of the camera. It attaches to the left strap loop on your camera instead, keeping the tripod socket open for, well, tripods.

Also some reviewers on the bigger name shoulder slings said that that bottom screw can come loose from the tripod hole, because you have a metal to metal screw connection and the camera is hanging and swinging from that connection. You can actually drop the camera, or else (according to one reviewer) you may be constantly worrying and fiddling and checking to see if it needs re-tightening yet.

I see they have developed brackets or adapters you can add to address this, but, hey, that is even more money.

[Dave Throgmartin]

I just picked up the Optech sling strap adapter. It just came in the mail today but so far so good.

Dave

[ham]

My Blackrapid has never worked loose. There's a rubber washer around the screw which once tightened provides much more than enough friction to stop unwanted rotation. Get a BR viable quick release plate and the FastenR-T1 and you're set as far as tripods go.

Also the tripod mount is designed for holding the full weight of the camera upside down on tripods which support that function, I'm not entirely sure the neck strap loop would be.

Also you have to consider the cliplocks on BR stuff allowing you to stop the camera swinging about.

I didn't like the look of the quick release clip on the OpTech, I'd hate for someone to be able to unclip that and my camera to drop.