Hanging Camera From Tripod Socket Insert: Background: I use Nikon but I think the following applies equally to other brands. I like my Black Rapid RE-7 strap and won't give that up.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Background: I use Nikon but I think the following applies equally to other brands.
I like my Black Rapid RE-7 strap and won't give that up.

Techie stuff: Plastic camera bodies are not just plastic. They are polycarbonate, a thermoplastic polymer formed by condensation polymerization. It's up to 300 times stronger than ordinary plastic and is impact resistant but is subject to stress cracking. Here I'll just call it plastic.

Discussion. There has been much debate over whether using camera straps that hang the camera upside down from the tripod insert are safe. With my lightweight D3100, I wasn't concerned about it, but with a heavier D7100 I thought I should give more attention to this subject.

I was somewhat comforted that the D7100 has a magnesium alloy body until I learned that the bottom plate where the tripod insert mounts is still plastic. The top models, D200, D300, D800, etc. have a full magnesium body including the bottom plate. Same with Canon, Sony, Oly and Pentax.

I was looking for a solution when I found a strap designed to use a Black Rapid or similar, eliminating the BR tripod mount screw and hooking the caribiner to one of the camera strap lugs. Good idea since the strap lugs on the D7100 mount directly into the magnesium body (see red arrows in photo below), but I didn't want an extra few inches of strap dangling from the caribiner. (Picture 2).

A short tether can tie the second strap lug to the strap as backup safety, but that gets in my way. If the strap lug fails, then I'll depend on the all perils 5-year extended warranty.

There's an interesting discussion of this subject at http://www.bosstrap.com/wheretoattach.pdf
Both Nikon and Canon recommend that the strap to tripod mount is a bad idea.

Although I decided to not go for it Bosstrap has a Bos Tail for this purpose, $13 including shipping. http://www.bosstrap.com/bostail-2.aspx

Saleavitt10 Loc: Maine

So from the 2nd picture it looks like you are just hooking the caribiner from the black rapid sling directly to the camera body lug? I love my black rapid sling but wouldn't trust a heavier camera like my D7100 to the tripod screw socket. I think its okay for my V1 as that is so much lighter.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Exactly. I've had the BR strap for over a year and never thought about changing where it connects.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Since my first day here I have promoted only straps that attach to the cameras strap lugs, and I have posted pictures of cameras damaged by the tripod socket mounting method. It just seems idiotic to me to mount that way for anyone who actually USES their gear in the field.

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

My BR Sport will not fit on my D610 camera body lug and it has a full magnesium body. I guess my Sport has a larger clip.

wolfman

MT Shooter wrote:

Since my first day here I have promoted only straps that attach to the cameras strap lugs, and I have posted pictures of cameras damaged by the tripod socket mounting method. It just seems idiotic to me to mount that way for anyone who actually USES their gear in the field.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

traveler90712 wrote:

My BR Sport will not fit on my D610 camera body lug and it has a full magnesium body. I guess my Sport has a larger clip.

Possible solution: Sturdy key ring thingy between the clip and the lug.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

MT Shooter wrote:

Since my first day here I have promoted only straps that attach to the cameras strap lugs, ....

I guess I'm finally a convert.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Nikon doesn't seem to have a problem with their dSLRs hanging from a tripod attached strap since they are now marketing one made for them by Black Rapid. I know some Nikon shooters have seen this newsletter but continue to spread the myth that the tripod mount isn't strong enough. Perhaps this will finally put an end to this controversy. To quote Nikon:

The Quick-Draw Strap and Quick-Draw Strap S were developed based on quick-draw straps invented by photographer and BlackRapid founder, Ron Henry, and popular throughout the market for their incredible convenience. ...

Along with the great mobility offered by BlackRapid products through specifications that enable on-the-go shooting with a mechanism that allows the camera to slide diagonally up and down the shoulder strap, a system that utilizes the camera's tripod socket so that the camera hangs upside down for a smooth grip, a shoulder pad that effectively distributes weight for less burden ...

The Quick-Draw Strap, with a wider shoulder pad, is suited to use with digital SLR cameras. ...

http://www.nikon.com/news/2014/0225_strap_03.htm

What more is there to say? Naysayers to this type of strap have long argued that Nikon doesn't recommend attaching straps to the tripod socket. Apparently Nikon does now!

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

I'm no expert in this area, but my instinct tells me that two mounting points are better than one. My E-PL5 had round lugs with triangles, and I moved the triangles to the strap and used "keyhole" shaped key tag clips to go through the lugs. I also check it for metal fatigue etc. after each use, just as a tower climber checks his harness. It works for me.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

MT Shooter wrote:

Since my first day here I have promoted only straps that attach to the cameras strap lugs, and I have posted pictures of cameras damaged by the tripod socket mounting method. It just seems idiotic to me to mount that way for anyone who actually USES their gear in the field.

MT what about attaching the BlackRapid to a lens collar? I have a copy of the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 that has a collar. I connect the BR lug to the collar receptacle and use the sling. Is there a problem with this connection, in your opinion?

traveler90712 Loc: Lake Worth, Fl.

mwsilvers wrote:

Nikon doesn't seem to have a problem with their dS... (show quote)

When is it going to be released?

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

mwsilvers wrote:

Perhaps this will finally put an end to this controversy...............

Naysayers to this type of strap have long argued that Nikon doesn't recommend attaching straps to the tripod socket. Apparently Nikon does now!

I'm not convinced. The smaller Quick Draw S, designed for the Nikon 1's (weighing less than 1 pound) and Coolpix compact cameras, I'm okay with. Just as I didn't worry so much about my D3100.

The larger strap, I see no purpose for and expect to be very close to the BR RS-7 with Brad underarm strap at a premium price other than catering to the "gotta have name brand" crowd. But I'm getting off subject here.

The larger strap, yes, is intended for full size DSLR's, and as I mentioned in my first post, the top line models do have magnesium bottom plates and I'm ok with that too.

But as the camera weight increases, I'm out of my comfort zone hanging the camera from a polymer bottom plate that is "not designed to absorb the associated impacts." That's one more distraction I don't need to deal with.

At this point neither of us will probably be dissuaded, but it's all about your (and my) comfort zone.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

n3eg wrote:

...my instinct tells me that two mounting points are better than one.

Yes, and there are short tether straps that can connect to the second lug, but as I said they get in my way. I used a heavy Nikon F with FtN viewfinder for many years hanging from a wrist strap and never worried about it.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

traveler90712 wrote:

When is it going to be released?

I have no idea, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was available now.