Of the dozens of camera straps I’ve used throughout my career, not a single one has addressed what I consider to be the biggest issue — shoulder and neck strain.
No matter how wide or padded the straps are, at some point or another, all of them begin to put strain on your neck or shoulder, depending on how you prefer to secure your camera. Especially when it’s anything larger than a mirrorless camera attached to the strap, such as a DSLR or medium-format film camera.
To rid the world of this problem, leather goods manufacturer Ponte Leather has created a new camera strap designed to move the strain off your shoulder and on to your back.
As the above video shows, the strap — which comes in both leather and canvas materials — is aesthetically similar to almost any other camera strap on the market. What sets it apart is a unique closure that securely attaches to the handle of a backpack. By attaching the camera strap in this manner, the weight of your camera and lens is distributed more evenly across your body, rather than weighing down on your collarbone.
Without a backpack, the strap is little more than a novelty, but considering it’s targeted towards travelers, it’s likely it’ll be used alongside a backpack more often than not.
Another benefit of having the camera attached to your backpack is that it’s far less likely to slip off your shoulder by accident or be taken by a thief.
Ponte Leather is looking to kick-start the camera strap into production through Kickstarter. Currently, the campaign has secured less than half of its $10,000 goal, but with 13 days left, it’s by no means out of reach.
The canvas strap is available for a pledge of $26, while the leather one will set you back $59. Delivery is planned for November 2016, but as with all crowdfunded projects, this may or may not be the case. For more information and to secure your pledge, head on over to the Kickstarter campaign.
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