Get a grip

Do camera straps give you the shits?

Yes, they are a necessary evil, but 90% of the time they are just in the way of having a comfortable grip on your camera.

Every camera body I can think of has the strap attachment points on either side of the top of the body. The one on the right invariably gets in the way of your ‘trigger’ hand…strap under or over…it’s always a pain.

Top right strap mounting point

The Peak Design strap attachment clip is the most minimalist I have found and lets you ‘lose’ the strap quickly. (still gets in the way)

Sometimes adding a battery grip or vertical release will give you the option of an additional strap mounting point on the lower right…and for me that is the better option. But, not everyone wants the additional weight of a battery grip. Especially if you have purposely downsized to a mirrorless body for street or travel etc.

My Fujifilm X-T3 is a case in point. I just couldn’t get a comfortable grip with my trigger finger poised and (when choosing to shoot in continuous AF) my thumb on the AF on button (my preference for back button AF).

I didn’t want to add extra weight (travelling later in the year) but needed to find a solution. I wanted a better grip. I also liked the idea of being able to mount to a tripod (in either horizontal or vertical) and being able to get the strap out of the way…hello Small Rig.

I love this bracket. Yes, it adds extra weight, but nowhere near as much as a battery grip. The extra bulk of the wooden grip lets my fingers fully wrap and as a consequence my thumb rests more comfortably on the rear of the camera (obviously this will vary with hand sizes). The base and side plates are totally compatible with Arca Swiss tripod mounts (and has 1/4 treaded holes for additional plates if needed) and there is a strap attachment point on the lower right…winner! And if that’s not enough…there is dedicated tool (that magnetically attaches to the bracket base) for attaching or removing the bracket from the camera…no searching for an allen key or coin!

Magnetically attached screwdriver…super clever idea.

The Peak Design connection lays almost flat when in the bottom right mounting position…winner!

I love finding solutions to problems…and I love it more if it’s simple, a great product and doesn’t cost the Earth.

And it looks pretty sexy :)

Until next time…