Anyone use a coiled lanyard for SLR?

[SchralphMacchio]

I don't shoot with neck strap because it gets in the way when holstering/deholstering the camera - but I'll come back to this. I also don't use a hand-strap because I don't always have my L-plate connected, and I sometimes shoot with gloves and sometimes not.

But when I'm shooting from an exposed position, like over the edge of a cliff or a steep face or something, it would be nice to know that I'm not going to lose my camera or kill someone below me. Ideas?

I've been thinking about rigging some kind of coiled lanyard that can girth hitch into the camera (at the strap loop) on one end, and securely clip into my pack or harness gear loop on the other end.

I figure I'd need a coiled lanyard from somewhere, maybe a very small but very strong biner clip, and a small loop of strong cord for the interface between the lanyard and the camera. Anyone ever do this? I figure for it to really work, it has to be strong enough to support a 2.5 kg load taking a "factor 2" fall and not snap!

So far these things have intrigued me:

http://www.amazon.com/BLACKHAWK-Styl.../dp/B0013XXKO6

http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/1422

http://www.amazon.com/Como-Stainless.../dp/B008DS3GY8


Oh yeah, on the neck strap - I've seen Corey Rich use a neck strap, under tension, to provide camera stability while shooting a panned section or handheld video. A shorter neck strap could be of use to me, but it would need to also be easy on/easy off of the camera. Anyone with ideas there?

[DJSapp]

Two sturdy key rings in the camera neckstrap loops + almost anything = success. Maybe a coiled surfboard leash?

Take a good hard look at any camera strap. They isn't much material there, and a 10 lb. shock load can be handled by speaker wire.

[SchralphMacchio]

Neck straps aren't meant to support the load of a drop from more than 2 feet.
It's different when the camera is only supported on one end (2x the tension force @ the stress points) and clipped into a waist harness at the other - that's the equivalent of a 5 foot drop onto the end of the cable. Of course, the tighter the coil resistance, the slower the deceleration and less the shock load.

I ordered that cheapo-looking wire from my 3rd link - I suspect that the cable is bomber but the clips suck ass. Easy to replace those though. I'll report on my findings.

[powdork]

i almost always use the neck strap, but it is of no use for what you're describing. it also covers the viewfinder almost every time i go to portrait orientation.




and







lassen?

[SchralphMacchio]

dude the photos are in RAW waiting to be processed. I don't have kids ... but my life at work ... ehhjhhhhhhhhhhh. soon.

[powdork]

what kind of slave labor do you do that you can't edit photos from vacations on the man's dime??? ;-)

[Tap]

What about something like this
http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Shoulder...s=camera+strap

I've got some other brand like this and you screw in the connector to the tripod screw hole, then a carabiner clips it in

[powdork]

^i don't see how that helps. i personally do not think the normal strap connectors are weak at all. i always ski/hike/walk/run/(just about everything) with my camera around my neck plus the added force of my backpack belly strap riding over it to keep it snug against my body. i have grown comfortable with the sometimes very strong forces the backpack strap can put on the set up when i jump off stuff skiing or hiking. i would not be comfortable with doing the same stuff if the connection was via the screw in the bottom. if it breaks, and it seems more likely with forces concentrated on one spot, it would be a bigger problem than if a strap connector breaks.

coincidentally, my camera went for a little ride today when i rested it on my backpack to get a delayed sequence at horsetail fall. http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...-Wanted-to-Buy