Strap failure: I just finished filling out the repair order to send my 3 month old D850 and my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 for repair. The camera no longer focuses properly with any lens and the...

dgolfnut Loc: Bear, DE

I just finished filling out the repair order to send my 3 month old D850 and my Tamron 24-70 f2.8 for repair. The camera no longer focuses properly with any lens and the lens has a loose mount and some stripped screw threads. It only fell from about 18".
I was using an Altura shoulder strap that screws into the tripod screw hole and it let go when I picked up the camera by the strap. The strap is in the garbage now. I am posting this to hopefully prevent someone else from going through this experience. If you have any screw in type strap without a backup tether - get a replacement before your next camera use.

Hopefully I will have both back in a few weeks working properly.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Too bad. Good luck for a quick and thorough repair.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Sincerely very sorry that this happened to your gear. Are the tripod screw-in threads still intact ok on the bottom of the camera? Have you tried attaching your tripod and does the connection look solid? What I’m driving at is whether the screw just worked it’s way out or whether, in your view, the hole somehow failed to hold the screw.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Did Altura offer a guarantee? Maybe they owe you for the repairs.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Bummer! Hope you don't have long to wait.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

dgolfnut wrote:

I just finished filling out the repair order to se... (show quote)

Can't expect much from a $19 strap. I've been using Black Rapid products for years - even carry my 150-600 with a D810 and battery grip - over 9 lbs - no issues at all. The BR has a locking carabiner that is very secure. There's a reason they cost $60 - $80. Hell, the part that screws into the camera costs $20 just by itself. Now they may be overpriced, but 6 yrs without a mishap has to count for something.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

The danger of a strap which screws into the tripod screw socket is that, with enough camera movement, it can eventually screw itself out again (unless there is some sort of locking mechanism to prevent it from doing so). Also, as the screw wears out over time, the looser it gets! I used such a strap for a period, but after a while I abandoned the strap altogether because I simply got tired of constantly checking up on it and screwing it back in. In one incident I caught it just in time - the attaching screw was extremely close to falling out of the socket.

dgolfnut Loc: Bear, DE

The screw just worked it's way out over time. Happened a few times before where it was part way loose and I always caught it and tightened it. They were warning shots and I missed the clues. I've been tightening it as tight as I can with my fingers.
Please --- anyone who reads this --- pay attention. Near misses are gifts.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

dgolfnut wrote:

The screw just worked it's way out over time. Happened a few times before where it was part way loose and I always caught it and tightened it. They were warning shots and I missed the clues. I've been tightening it as tight as I can with my fingers.
Please --- anyone who reads this --- pay attention. Near misses are gifts.

I suppose you could use thread lock, but you’d need a wrench to get it off to mount it on a tripod. I only use straps that attach to the lugs.

Andy

dgolfnut Loc: Bear, DE

Thanks. I have some decent backup equipment. I see you're also from DE. I'm just north of the canal in Bear.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Gene51 wrote:

Can't expect much from a $19 strap. I've been using Black Rapid products for years - even carry my 150-600 with a D810 and battery grip - over 9 lbs - no issues at all. The BR has a locking carabiner that is very secure. There's a reason they cost $60 - $80. Hell, the part that screws into the camera costs $20 just by itself. Now they may be overpriced, but 6 yrs without a mishap has to count for something.

Absolutely

What did Benjamin Franklin say? "Penny wise and Pound foolish?"

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

What did Benjamin Franklin say? "Penny wise and Pound foolish?"

Actually, there is no evidence Franklin ever said it. The phrase was coined by Robert Burton in England in the early 1600's.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

dgolfnut wrote:

The screw just worked it's way out over time. Happened a few times before where it was part way loose and I always caught it and tightened it. They were warning shots and I missed the clues. I've been tightening it as tight as I can with my fingers.
Please --- anyone who reads this --- pay attention. Near misses are gifts.

You admit you didn’t ensure that the screw was tight - how did the strap fail?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

dgolfnut wrote:

I just finished filling out the repair order to se... (show quote)

Try the one that came with the camera. I have yet, after over 40 years, to have one fail.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Gene51 wrote:

Can't expect much from a $19 strap. I've been using Black Rapid products for years - even carry my 150-600 with a D810 and battery grip - over 9 lbs - no issues at all. The BR has a locking carabiner that is very secure. There's a reason they cost $60 - $80. Hell, the part that screws into the camera costs $20 just by itself. Now they may be overpriced, but 6 yrs without a mishap has to count for something.

I too use a Black Rapid strap, never a problem, opted for a Black Rapid Arca Swiss Plate for my Canon that has the Black Rapid connector built in, so I unscrew nothing when going from strap to tripod mount.

Plate remains tight to camera, carabiner connects to connector when needed.

Over 5 years of use between Canon and Nikon now.