So I sold my only AR today to help with my ongoing medical stuff.  Part of the deal I made with myself was that I'd finally get a good hand strap or sling strap for my D7200.  I'd love to buy a lens or something, but $30 or less is all I can really justify.

I've been using one of these clunky bastards for probably 5 years on different cameras.  Don't get me wrong, it works surprisingly well, it's just not the best but hard to beat $5.  I'll be in Seattle for a week again in less than a month, and after the last trip I realized that hiking around with my camera on a handstrap is a bad idea.  Anyone have some good but inexpensive slings they recommend on Amazon?

Mostly I'm going inexpensive on that, because I'm hoping if I sell all my AR stuff (still have rails, mags, and ammo to sell) I'll have enough money for a dedicated camera travel bag.  Pelican discontinued their U160 bag that is really nice.  Built in hard case for cameras, storage, and still fits in a carry on size.  If I can squeeze $1200 out of my stuff, I'll buy it.

Did you sell the sling?

I know Pelican makes good stuff, but I looked that one up, and it's heavy as hell.  Over 7 pounds!  That is not going to be fun to carry around.  

I have a Think Tank backpack,and their belt system (available directly from them), and they are both top quality products.  I also have a Lowepro shoulder bag, and a backpack (available from B&H) that I have beat the crap out of, and they have held up very well.  I would buy either of those brands again.

As for straps,  I'm OK with the basic type that come with the cameras, but I also have an OP/TECH strap that has held up well.  They make quite a few different models.  

Why didn't I think of that.    Sling went with the rifle though.  Looks like I need to see if I can make one out of paracord. (I know you can, it's more of  a 'can I' thing)





Thanks Fish, I have a few camera bags already.  I guess I should have said dedicated hardsided bag.  It's not really a necessity since I already have a the messenger bag that Nikon makes, a smaller pelican bag with heavy padding around the camera area, and a a couple other misc bags that I cut foam to fit.   I was just thinking it would hold up nicely getting knocked around.  Odds are other than to the truck, airplane, or 4wheeler, it won't get used much.  Thinking about it now, going to a hardsided case for that is kind of silly.




Mostly it would be to protect the camera gear from getting whacked while in storage on the plane, bouncing in the truck offroad, that kind of stuff.  I have a regular pelican bag already that works well, just isn't hard sided.  Fully loaded with everything I'd put in it, it's less than 15# so it's not horrible even on my screwed up back.  But going to a full hardcase bag is probably stupidly overkill.

I am four years into using that for the Nikon. It is starting to wear but it will be years before it breaks. Thats a key ring attaching it to the camera. Walmart for that.
Handy as anything.  Put across my left shoulder, like you would for a rifle, it hangs lens back against my left hip. I can quick draw grab it and shoot away. The quick release locks, but I can quickly remove it from the sling for overhead shots.
Make sure the ring is large enough it wont twist through the sling hook.

I usually have a D4s over the other shoulder on the factory strap, work provided so I use what it came with. I will have long glass on one and short glass on the other. With the sling set up I can quickly drop the D800 and it will just sit at my waist till I am through with the D4. Works very well for a two camera set up.

The sling hook will take the paint off the body over time, if that is important to you.

I'll have to give that a whirl.  I'm sure I can find something to pad the clip, or I'll just wrap it with gaffer's tape.

Sounds like I need a QD mount for my camera so I can use my single point sling with it.

I should mention the reason I went with that in the first place is, well factory camera straps suck. No news there.
But when I was working and going from landscape to portrait the strap kept falling in the way of something, lens, my eye, flash, something.
One day when I was about to throw the camera across the studio because of strap interference again, I thought , what I need is a a single point attachment of some kind and this crap will stop.
Hummmm single point, I got something like that.

Worked well ,real well, but I found out the hard way about having the ring too small when the d800 and the 70-200 went to the ground after the small ring twist pulled out of the sling hook.

I would like to find a small hook or bolt or fastener to replace the ring, but nothing I have tried has worked as well.

I wonder if they make a quarter inch clevis pin shackle?  That would work great, especially if it was one of the threaded pins.  Just wrap the shackle in heatshrink or plastidip to keep it from dinging stuff, but secure as hell.

Granted, the image is from a threaded big one.  I'll ht up the hardware store on friday and check.  I have some other ideas I'm working on though.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/wichard--bow-keypin-d-long-d-twisted-d-shackles--P002_060_004_006?recordNum=9



 

Sorry to hear about your tough times. PM your name and address and I'll send you a black rapid strap I've had hanging in my closet for a while.

Thank you, but I actually just started building a paracord sling based off Noone's sling idea.  Figure it gives me a good project to work on, even though it'll probably take a couple weeks to finish.  Seriously though, thank you for the offer.  

Now I just have to see if I can finish making this sling without killing myself.  Paracord projects and I always get screwy

https://customslr.com/

you are welcome!