Review

The thing I’m gonna review this week is Peak Design’s strap system. One of the most frustrating things about setting my camera up the first time was attaching the conventional strap to the eyelets on the camera body, and if I wanted to remove the strap to use it on a tripod for astrophotography, I would have to reverse the process and go through the struggle of attaching it again to use it during the day. There were also pieces that could be lost.

This wasn’t fun.

Then I learned about the Peak Design Anchor system. The system works by using magnetic quick disconnects that Peak Design calls Anchors. They are made out of Kevlar rated for 90 kilograms of weight each, according to the manufacturer. They are multilayered so you can see if one is damaged and replace it before it completely breaks. The Anchors attach to the eyelets on your camera with a knot called a cow hitch which is very strong.  Even with my fine motor skill problems, it was easy to securely install the Anchors to my camera, and once that was done, changing or removing straps takes a matter of seconds even in the field. The Anchors themselves slide into Links where they click into place, though this is slightly tricky and takes some practice.

For most things, you only need the two Anchors on the camera body, but for my setup, I have five: two on the top, one on a quick release plate, and two on my 600-millimeter lens, using an Anchor Mount which screws into the tripod mount on the lens. With the 100-400 millimeter, I put one end of the strap on the top and the other on the bottom so it balances comfortably, hanging horizontally not vertically.

Peak Design offers a whole array of products that Anchors can attach to, from wrist straps to phone cases. I’ve personally used the Slide Lite and Leash straps and also the Cuff wrist strap. 

The Leash strap is good for a small body with a prime lens. The small size helps with taking things out of a bag easily, which is a problem when I have my 24-240 millimeter lens and small camera bag. The Leash comes in four different colors so that you can accessorize it with the rest of your setup and outfit if you want. I have the silver one because it was what was in stock at the time I wanted to get one. Pandemic supply chain anyone?

The Slide Lite is good for heavier lenses, such as the Canon RF 600mm and RF 100-400mm lenses I’ve reviewed recently. It’s comfortable to walk without holding on to the camera at all times because the strap keeps it from bouncing. It has a grippy surface on the inside near where it goes over your shoulder and back to make it even more comfortable. Build quality is pretty good, and it’s easy to adjust the length of the strap. It comes in the same four colors as the Leash, with the strap made of the main color and an accent color next to the length adjustment. You can get one and support the show by using the Amazon affiliate link in the show notes for today’s episode:

There is a larger strap called the Slide for even larger and heavier bodies and lenses, but I haven’t used it.

I liked the idea of the Cuff wrist strap so I could fit a complete camera in a jacket pocket and leave a bag at home. I got one a few weeks ago. It works well for that situation and lets me have my hands free when needed. Peak Design sells a more complicated wrist strap called the Clutch for heavier setups; however, this requires removing an Anchor from one of the eyelets, so I went with the Cuff which attaches to an Anchor only.

There are also quick-release plates that Anchors can be fitted to. I have the Dual Plate to fit on my tripod; the Standard Plate is Arca Swiss compatible.

Peak Design also offers bags and backpacks to fit gear in. I have an Everyday 10-liter bag, and it fits my EOS RP with a 600-mm lens attached and also my 100-400mm lens. It has a divider in the main area of the bag which I don’t use, but it’s well built. The bag also has an outside pocket where I put spare straps and a granola bar or something. There’s an internal pocket, too, where I put spare batteries and memory cards. This is really useful for when I forget to turn off my camera, and it drains the battery which has happened a non-zero number of times. One day, I’ll learn.