Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

When I first got a DSLR I used the strap that came with it. It was fine.
Eventually I noticed that the lens was always bumping into things. On a forum (don't recall which) it was advised to put the camera strap over your head with the lens pointing inward instead of outward. That makes the lens hang down and it doesn't bump into things as much.

I always felt kind of constrained with the strap. It was getting in the way when I wanted a portrait shot. Occasionally I would take the strap off my neck and wrap it around my wrist and just hold the camera. That was a lot more flexible in holding the camera but the strap around my wrist would come loose and flop around. If I just held the camera with the strap not around my wrist it was always catching on things. I tried a couple different wrist straps but they sometimes made it tough to reach all the controls on the back.

Eventually I just took the strap off.

I don't use the strap when I'm not in a public space with lots of unknowns around me (which is rare). I just hold the camera in my right hand and raise it when I want to take a picture. I have done this at 12 hour meetings. I have never dropped the camera. The only time my camera has hit the ground was once it was on a tripod and the wind blew it over (plug here for a weight hanging from the center post of your tripod). My cameras have a good grip and I have no problem using it. Of course there are times when the camera in my right hand is in the way. I want to eat lunch or write something down. It's easy enough to put the camera down for a moment and pick it up again. If I have to move around with lunch in my hand I just bend my left elbow and stick the lens into it and press it into my body. That holds the camera fairly securely.

If I have a long lens on the camera I use the tripod foot on the lens for a handle rather than trying to hold the camera holding the lens. Holding it by the lens puts less strain on the mount. And I orient the foot to the left side so I can use my left hand to hold the lens while shooting. I rarely use a tripod in the field, but all my cameras have an L-plate and the long lens feet also have a swiss-arca plate so the tripod is an option.

My personal opinion is that the hooks on my cameras are quite sufficient to hold the camera with moderate sized lenses without risk. I think if you're using a long lens it's better to hold the lens and let the lens hold the camera. That means that if you want to use a strap, it might be good to have a swiss-arca clamp on the strap so you can attach it either to your L-bracket or the long lens foot. If you do that, I would recommend you use the clamp with the screws rather than the one with the lever.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Have you tried carrying cross-shoulder with the strap?
When I'm hiking and I want the camera out, I do that if I'm not carrying it with the hand strap.
It doesn't bounce around as much cross-shoulder and works well for me for portrait also. (Right-handed and I carry on right shoulder with the camera strap on my left torso. I can adjust the height of the camera in front of me.)

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

Haydon

Not only a reasonable workaround but this also gives you flexibility to detach the strap quickly. I find straps on tripods somewhat precarious at times.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

Peak Design makes very good straps with quick disconnects.
https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/straps/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6PD3BRDPARIsAN8pHuFJjnPGDTt-QdqtooMKqkYGl9JkrMVzfi__puA27cXEASsLi_TABwcaAhI1EALw_wcB

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Some people like that sort of thing. My feeling is that's not the purpose of the tripod mount on the camera. My choice for all my cameras, except my 4x5, is UpStrap.
--Bob

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That's another reason I use a clip-on strap with D-rings. No strap pieces hanging.

brooklyn-camera I Loc: Brooklyn, NY

https://www.optechusa.com/classic-strap.html

Give these a look, should solve your dilemma.

sschonfeld

Peak design system is outstanding. Secure and fast and uses arca swiss base plate so you can go right to tripod without and addition. All interchangeable clips are great.

photoman43

On my Black Rapid strap, I attach a quick release clamp (like the one below) to the screw on the black rapid strap. Then I attach the quick release clamp to a arca swiss camera plate on the camera or to a arca swiss lens foot on a long lens with a tripod collar mount.

My camera plate and lens feet are made by Wimberley.


https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1153080-REG/desmond_dac_38_quick_release_clamp.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAjwi_b3BRAGEiwAemPNU84LDSCW6lhHekgxkZCd3pbSU1CuXyw4UYQvxKaDllZMbgIUkSBS6hoCs_cQAvD_BwE

Op Tech makes good straps too with different connectors that can accomplish the same thing. So does Peak Design.

davesit Loc: Media, PA

tomad Loc: North Carolina

Second Peak Design. I got tired of fooling around with straps and re-strapped all my cameras using the Peak Design system. Works very well for me.

khildy Loc: Brownsburg, IN

Peak Design