BebuLamar

As I understood he is going to do that next week. Obviously Ed didn't take the drone approach.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

While I do use a strap, sometimes putting it around my neck to help support the camera, many wildlife photographers are sitting in a vehicle with two cameras on the seat and the straps would get tangled and make it difficult to jump out quickly.

Once my camera with long lens was on a small side table on an outdoor patio while I opened the door to go inside and when I shook my raincoat that was lying outside while I was gone a lizard jumped out and ran inside, causing me stop back and hit the table, and down rolled the camera/lens onto the ground. I carry camera insurance with zero deductible so did not have to pay the $1000 to fix them.

I recently sold a camera to a young man just starting out in photography and he put the camera on a shaky tripod in high wind and apparently did not use a strap. Lucky for him I had a second camera to sell! Sold both at a very low price.

I know someone who was crossing a stream and stumbled and the camera plopped into the water! I think it did have a strap on it...

Things happen and will continue to happen, with and without a camera strap, it's just how life goes. Additional insurance with zero deductible is very helpful.

Aldente

Having always babied my large pro-body camera (1D series with handstrap), I was getting out of my car in New York City, rushing to pay for parking. Seconds before, I took my wallet out of my camera bag to get some change.
That day, inside my usually (camera+lens) tight-fitting bag, I had my camera with a newly bought pancake lens on, with some extra space in the bag remaining because of it.

Rushing out of the car, I only closed the bag with one plastic fastening/buckle out of the two, expecting to close it fully momentarily. Even with one fastener closed, the bag cover was still tightly sitting on top of the bottom half.
Somehow earlier the bag’s shoulder strap got twisted multiple times and to fix it, once outside, I strongly pulled it in opposite directions on both sides to undo the twisted shoulder strap, causing the bag to rotate and assume its normal position to be hung over my shoulder.
(To fix the strap I could either untwist the strap or simply rotate the bag a few times.
I went for the strap.)
Shockingly and totally unexpectedly at that very instance, the camera somehow found its way out and shot straight out of the bag into the air, about 5 fit high through what I considered impossibly small bag opening to go through.
Still spinning and with multiple bounces it landed on city asphalt sidewalk, scraping its finish, damaging a lens, hot shoe and its body.
To this day, years later and replaying it in my head, I still can’t figure out how it could physically happen with such a large camera and such a small, virtually non-existent opening and relatively not too hard of a pull on the strap!
Truly, one chance out of a thousand.
So, even when you baby your camera, accidents do happen even with neck or hand straps attached.

RonDavis Loc: Chicago, IL

Another case of Camera Suicide.....(told ya' they do it)

JD750 Loc: SoCal

OMG!

Royce Moss Loc: Irvine, CA

Agree with you urnst. On a hike in Yosemite my ist wife wanted take a photo of me.I told her to put the strap around her neck. She said " oh only gonna take one picture" and picked up the camera. In one motion, yes she dropped it down a 100 ft cliff.

gwilliams6

Yes never worn around the neck.

The gradual cervical spinal damage and nerve damage caused by years of wearing cameras on straps around my neck, led to me having to have two major neck surgeries after years as a photojournalist using heavy gear, big heavy SLRS and DSLRs and heavy SLR and DSLR lenses on multiple cameras on neck straps hung around my neck on long assignments. The two critical neck surgeries and the metal framework I now have inside my neck saved me from more years of constant pain and likely permanent paralysis. Thanks to my top docs, I was lucky to have my career and life back.

Please, please, please never wear any size or weight camera on a strap around your neck, EVER.

Now cameras on straps only hanging off a shoulder or across the body, or wrapped around a hand. I am not one for the en vogue trend of handheld with no straps.

But yes cameras can be knocked off tripod setups. You can trip and fall accidentally like I have, or you can get pushed in a crush of spectators, overzealous fans, rioters, other fellow press and more like I have been .

Cheers and best to you.

User ID

I have ALWAYS used neck straps as NECK straps ... BUT ! I never "wore" a camera.

The neck strap is just a safety while using the camera. When not in actual use the camera is in a shoulder bag.

Therefor I avoid bulky "comfort" straps cuz they would take up more space in the bag. I use only thinnest and most flexible straps Ive got, always oldies cuz AFAIK no one makes them anymore :-(

charles brown Loc: Tennesse

gwilliams6

Whatever you mean.

A working photojournalist cant keep the cameras in their shoulder bag all the time when not shooting, and still be ready to quickly capture breaking stories, during sports games and other changing action. So whether it is on a quick release belt mount, on a hand grip or hanging from a strap over your shoulder, the camera has to be ready in a split second in my business..

Cheers and best you.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

One time my wife and two kids were coming home from a funeral. We were in the ‘60 Studebaker Hawk so no seat belts. A guy pulled out in front of us, I swerved to miss him only to be facing another car head on and the ditch being the only other option. We went ass over appetite (end for end) and ended up upside down. When I repaired the car I installed seat belts. Go through something like that and you view seat belts differently.

Something else I learned, when you flip a car, it’s amazing the places you find DQ Blizzard. It will end up in little nooks and crannies and some you don’t find until you disassemble the car.

User ID

When Im on a newsy shoot, I still do not WEAR a camera on my neck. Its in my hand. If its not in my hand its in the bag. Theres no in between.

Never cared about 5 seconds delay, no fantasies of Pulitzers. But if things are "getting busy" then acoarst the cameras in my hand. And I would nevvvvuh hang a camera on my shoulder.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

All my camera straps across various models / bodies are all carefully and purposefully adjusted to allow for wrapping around my right wrist for carry and shooting.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

As much as I would prefer to not use a strap from a safety point I useone because bad things can happen.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

As soon as I pick up a camera, I put the strap around my neck or the wrist strap on my wrist. I don't trust myself.