I know that many of you out there use this strap. ; Tim was nice enough to let me borrow one last month on the Wild Africa Trek and I now need one! ; Only I am not sure which one to get. ; Which one do those of you that use one use? Also, I think Tim mentioned something about getting a better fastener. ; I also put a plate on my camera when I used the strap. ; Any thoughts?
John, I have the RS-7 strap and really like it. ; It comes with the Fastener R3 which is a solid connector that attaches to the bottom of the camera via the tripod mount. For quick conversion to and from tripod use, the FastenR-T1 replaces screw portion of Manfrotto RC2 quick release plate. You can then attach the RS-7 strap to that.
You can also get Arca-Swiss plates that have a tripod mount on them, so you can screw the Black Rapid onto the mount rather than the camera. ; While it isn't "quick" to switch, I usually won't want to remount the strap at night....
I have both an RS-4 and an RS-7. ; The padding in the RS-4 seems to be a little bit thicker, but to be honest, I haven't used the RS-7 enough to tell if there's really a difference. ; The RS-4 also has a pocket that will hold a couple of CF cards, but on me they sit in a position that's a bit uncomfortable. I highly recommend seeing them for yourself at a local camera store. ; They have those in your part of the country, don't they?
Thanks for the advice! ; I can see why having the quick release plate and the better screw would be important, only I think my tripods quick release plate would not work, so I will hold off on that part.
I got the rs-7 because it has a phone pocket but my iPhone in otterbox is too big for the pocket. ; It also has a flip open section to hold memory cards, etc, but it only stays closed with a magnet and not a snap. ; Not crazy about that decision. ;
I opted for one without any extra holders/cases. ; I haven't had a need for rapid changeout accessories since my film days - and for that I had the belt pouch to drop film rolls into. ; Now with 128GB memory cards heck you may not need to change a card ever during a trip!* *excludes 30+mp cameras using RAW+JPG
I got the RS-4 because I didn't want the extra bulk on the strap and have no plans of ever carrying a phone or memory cards in the pockets. ; I use Really Right Stuff tripod plates, so the standard tripod screw connector won't work for me since i would have to unscrew it every time i want to use a tripod. ; My solution was to replace the stock Rapid Strap connector hardware with a Uncle Mike's model 1093-2 swivel and a "Le Hook" which I clip to the left side camera strap attachment point. http://www.unclemikes.com/products/qd_super_swivel.html http://www.lehook.co.uk/ourstory.html
The RS-7 Curve is the slimmer of the straps, it has no phone compartment or memory card. The RS-5 Cargo is the bulkier strap with a phone holder and memory card holder. The RS-4 Classic has only a memory card holder.
I own the RS-5 Cargo. I don't find that I use the cargo capability and it does add a lot of bulk that gets in the way of a backpack. I also find that the magnetic closure on the cargo section in the back of the strap is always attaching itself to anything metal that I lean against. The 7 and the Sport look like nice low profile options that I may try.
So I went with the RS-7. ; I got a good chance to give it a workout at school last week. ; I was thrilled! ; The only thing I found myself doing was constantly keeping my hand on it and frequently checking that it was still screwed in tight (which is was). ; Thanks for the help and advice.
