OP/TECH 3501242 Utility Strap Sling - Black

I recently bought a Sony HX200V, my first camera that didn't fit in my pocket! Clearly, I am no hot shot photographer, but having spent what (for me) was a sizeable amount of money on the camera, I wanted to get some accessories that would make it easier and more enjoyable to use. I found out very quickly that the neck strap supplied with the camera was a waste of the planet's resources, in that it failed at the task of allowing you to carry the camera hands-free. It was uncomfortable and caused neck ache very quickly. In the market for something far better I did a lot of research/reading of reviews and watching YouTube users tests and settled on the Op Tech as it seemed to offer the flexibility I was after.Having used it for a couple of weeks I am very happy with it. It appears very well made and is very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The clips seem very secure and I like the way I can quickly and easily slide the camera up from its hanging position to a shooting position while knowing that were my grip to slip the camera wouldn't be at risk. Sure, the camera bounces around a bit as you walk, but nothing too severe, so no risk of damage. If I am walking around a city on holiday I am fairly certain that the strap would withstand any attempt to snatch and grab my camera by an opportunist pickpocket.I also bought a wrist strap from Op Tech and love the way I can disengage the neck strap and switch to the hand strap very quickly if I need to. (OP/TECH SLR Wrist Strap - Black)I recommend this strap - it might not suit everyone, some may prefer the camera to be anchored twice or to have the anchoring done via the tripod mount, but for me this strap is perfect.

Why do some companies insist on branding their products so prominently? This is a great strap, but it loses a star as a penalty for me having to tolerate carrying a large and very obvious Op/Tech USA advertisement on my shoulder. It can give people the impression that I'm from the other side of the pond - which, in places like India, means the price of everything I want to buy immediately doubles! Their name's silkscreen-printed in bright white, but I'll figure out a way to make it a bit more discreet!The strap gets its remaining four stars for being comfortable, stretchy and non-slip - totally fit for purpose. It's so much better to carry a camera at waist height than have it hanging around your neck or over a shoulder. The elasticated padded section takes off so much weight when you're carrying a long lens (or even a short one for a long time).Like many others, I ignored the instruction to fit it to the right-hand side of my camera - which made it almost impossible to use the camera in portrait mode. It works just as well, although the camera does hang slightly more awkwardly, when fitted to the left-hand side. I've fitted another connector to the right-hand side so, if need be, I can use my Op/Tech wrist strap (which doesn't have an obvious advert on it!) instead.Unlike other reviewers, I'm not unduly concerned about the clips or fabric connectors breaking and allowing my hugely expensive kit to crash to the floor. They seem to be made of tough stuff and I'm sure that, given the Americans' love of litigation, Op/Tech will have tested them to destruction. My only concession to added security has been to tailor-fit a Velcro cable tie around the quick-release buckle.I have previously been a fan of the over-priced Blackrapid R-Strap system, but I'm pleased to recover use of the tripod mount on my camera with the Op/Tech system. I also find this strap significantly more comfortable - on my shoulder and on my wallet.

Excellent product and excellent value for money! As others have said, it’s a strong strap and distributes the weight of the camera so that it is much more comfortable to wear compared to the standard manufacturers’ strap. There are several issues that others have raised so I’ll address those. Shooting in portrait mode: no problem and certainly no more of a problem than the manufacturers’ strap, but you MUST only use ONE side of the camera strap fixing! Length of strap: I’m 6’2” and the standard strap (133cms) is not quite long enough but it would have done. However, I also purchased the Op/Tech Uni Loop Connectors – this was for two reasons. Firstly, I could extend the length of the strap to 155cms (ideal for me so that I could walk with the camera held by my side with a straight arm, but it will go extend further if required). Secondly, it gave me a spare (male) loop to permanently connect to my other camera so that I could use the same strap for both cameras (I only take out one camera at a time). Security: as strong as the strap is, I didn’t feel comfortable relying on just one loop to hang my cameras (my heavy Nikon DSLR or 4/3rds Lumix). Neither has an additional fixing on the same side (remember, you only hang the camera from ONE side). Note that in this case, the second quick-release clip on the strap is not used. The solution is to purchase a camera tether (e.g. the Joby tether from Amazon) and a quick-release tripod mount bracket for a camera strap (e.g. FotoTech, but much cheaper ones are available). The tether connects the tripod bracket to the main strap making TWO independent methods of securing the camera to the strap. Now if the Op/Tech loop or plastic quick-release clip failed or came loose you have a failsafe tether to stop your camera falling to the floor. Finally, I used some wide velcro cable ties (e.g. from Fisual) to double-wrap around the plastic quick-release clips (much cheaper than the Op/Tech ones and longer). This whole arrangement makes it virtually impossible to drop your camera in the event of a failure and allows a very quick (15 seconds!) swap of the strap to another camera. It also makes it much more difficult for someone to steal your camera. Perfect, and better than the very expensive top-of-the-range straps. I also bought the Op/Tech Extension XL Connectors, in case the Uni Loop Connectors didn’t work out, but I didn’t need them at all. I will hang on to them to just in case. My next purchase will be the Op/Tech wrist strap which will clip directly on to either camera’s male loop. I hope this helps.