Review: Peak Design Slide Camera Strap

Review: Peak Design Slide Camera Strap

Introduction

The majority of people that purchase a new camera will use the supplied camera strap or buy a cheap neck strap that may look and feel more comfortable. I mean… how important is a camera strap anyway!! Most people would say it wasn’t important at all ….well they’re wrong. Take it from us, the humble camera strap is crucial in the difference between, not only how you shoot, but also how your neck feels at the end of a long day. For years, we used a neck strap that was comfortable at the beginning, but by the end of the day, we were relieved to finally be able to remove it. Sure we could have had the strap over our heads and sitting on one shoulder but this made it impractical when taking shots on the go.

There had to be a better way. Several years ago we started using a sling strap made by Joby (the same guys that brought you the nifty Gorillapod tripod) and we absolutely loved it. We immediately tossed all our other straps in the bin and used nothing but these. However, the problem with most sling straps on the market is that they are connected to the tripod thread at the bottom of the camera. Now, this is great until of course, you need to use a tripod and then you have to laboriously remove the strap to mount the camera on the tripod. Sure, with the Joby strap, you can mount a plate to the bottom of the camera which can hold the strap and mount a Quick Release for the tripod however this can be a problem depending on the size of your Quick Release (this is the case with our Manfrotto 168 Ball Head).

And then along came Peak Design with their Slide and Slide Lite straps with their very unique design.

Peak Design was kind enough to send us the Slide & Slide Lite camera straps for this review. As always, our review is completely transparent and all opinions expressed are our own. Peak Design did not pay us for this review, however, we may receive commissions on links in this post.

The Strap

The strap is made from what seems to be a very high-quality “seatbelt” type material that you would see in a vehicle. This material makes it very robust and durable and, in our opinion, will last a lifetime of use (Peak Design offer a Lifetime Warranty, so they must be confident that it will endure). The great thing about the material, besides its width, is that it would be difficult to slash through by thieves doing a “slash and grab” when attempting to steal your camera. The fact that the strap is used as a sling would make it difficult anyway, but this makes it even more secure, in our opinion. The strap can be easily adjusted using either of the two durable aluminium quick-adjust handles. The section of the strap that would cover your shoulder is smooth on one side and silicone grip on the other, making it easy to flip the strap over if you want to wear it just over one shoulder (not that we would ever use it like this in our travel photography). Included is also an ARCA-Swiss compatible tripod plate.

They really put their heads together and came up with a very innovative way of connecting the strap to the camera that would keep the bottom of the camera free and also easy to remove if needed. They invented the Anchor Link. The nifty thing about the Anchor Link is that they can connect to the normal camera strap connection point (eyelets, lugs etc) or any other connection point such as an L Bracket (for use with Arca Swiss quick release systems). In the image above they are the small red & black objects with the loop. The newly upgraded *Dyneema-corded Anchors can each hold well over 90kg (200lbs.). Once the loop is fed through the eyelets (lugs) on the camera or another connection point, the small plastic dime-sized (5-cent coin for us Aussies) connection slides securely into the buckles at the end of the strap. Make sure you are pushing down on the dime-sized connector while sliding into the buckle. These wonderful little connectors will also easily connect to a host of other Peak Design products which will allow the straps to be connected. We use them on our Peak Design Travel Tripod bags.

*Dyneema is apparently the world’s strongest fibre

The Slide & Slide Lite is available in Black, Ash (light grey), Sage (olive green), & Midnight (navy blue).

The Positives

The things we love about this strap –

• It is extremely well designed, durable, practical, and sturdy
• The Anchor Links connecting to the camera are the best design in the market
• Makes it a cinch to use your tripod with the strap attached or easy to remove the strap without being fiddly.
• Looks great
• Brilliant for photographers who do not carry backpack type bags
• Takes the strain off the neck reducing muscle pain and headaches

The Negatives

Now, as much as we love this strap there are just a few negatives (sorry but there’s always got to be a downside) –

• It’s not really a sling, well not like the Joby Sling. The whole strap needs to slide for the camera to be raised to the eye whereas with the Joby Sling the camera will actually slide along the strap as you raise it to your eye. Therefore you can use the Joby Strap underneath your backpack and it works fine. As a result, the Peak Design Slide is not ideal when using it underneath a backpack camera bag. You could use it by putting the strap on top of the backpack bag. We’ve met a photographer that uses it this way and has no problem so we guess it is up to the individual to make up their mind. So for those that walk around with a backpack camera bag all day, this may not be the ideal strap for you. Having said that, Peak Design recommends the Capture Camera Clip as an alternative for those that carry backpack camera bags.
• The stiffened area of the strap that would normally be on the shoulder in our opinion is a little too stiff. As a result, this makes putting the camera in your bag with the strap attached a little more awkward. This becomes a little more pliable over time with regular use.

Below is a video about the strap –

Pricing & Shipping

At the time of writing the prices for the straps are as follows. To purchase, click on the banner below –

Peak Design Slide – USD$69.95
Peak Design Slide Lite – USD$59.95

US Customers – Free Standard Delivery in the US, however, taxes may apply

Australian Customers – Prices exclude taxes and shipping. As there is a global warehouse in Sydney the shipping price will be calculated at domestic rates.

Worldwide Customers – For shipping costs worldwide check out the rates here

Conclusion

If you like the design and style it is a great investment and possibly the only camera strap that you will ever need. It is the only camera strap that we use now.

We hope this post will encourage you to give them a try. We definitely think you won’t regret it. If you have any comments or questions about this product then we’d love to hear from you.          

RATED: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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