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Nov 03 2009

My Black Rapid-R Strap Modification

Posted by Jeff in Accessories, Camera Gear

I really love my Black Rapid R-Strap.  It’s the perfect accessory for shooting on the go.  The strap offers much more comfort when walking around with my camera and makes it super accessible when I want to grab a quick shot.  There is one problem that I have found when using it though and that is when I want to transition between using the strap and setting my camera up on a tripod for some late-night or HDR shooting.  See, normally the Rapid-R has a great little attachment for clipping the strap to the camera called the Fasten-R2.  It’s a d-ring with a rubber spacer that keeps it snugly mounted to the camera by the tripod mounting socket.  This also means that I have to remove the Fasten-R2 whenever I want to mount the camera to the tripod.  It’s not a big thing but it does sort of interrupt the flow of things.

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I solved that problem by using a quick-release tripod head.  The quick-release mount attaches to the camera on the bottom via the tripod mounting screw.  The trick is that my quick-release plate uses a d-ring to tighten the mounting screw into the camera base.

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Now, I simply keep the plate attached all the time and attach it to the Rapid-R Strap with R-Strap’s clip. Then, when I want to use my tripod, I simply un-clip the strap and lock the plate into the tripod head and I’m all set for stable shooting.

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It’s not a big mod but it makes all the difference when I want to quickly transition from hand-holding to tripod and back again.  Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 12:05 am and is filed under Accessories, Camera Gear. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

15 Responses to “My Black Rapid-R Strap Modification”
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  1. Alltop says:
    November 2, 2009 at 10:11 pm

    My Black Rapid-R Strap Modification http://bit.ly/1itpp7
    Photography.alltop

    Reply
  2. Nikon Photo Guy says:
    November 3, 2009 at 6:05 am

    Setting up Black Rapid R-strap when using it with a tripod: Here's one way … http://bit.ly/1qSp0J

    Reply
  3. Silvia Ganora says:
    November 5, 2009 at 7:25 am

    PhotoWalkPro » My Black Rapid-R Strap Modification http://ow.ly/zeXS #photography #DIY

    Reply
  4. DPLife says:
    November 7, 2009 at 4:18 am

    PhotoWalkPro » My Black Rapid-R Strap Modification http://is.gd/4PvWY LM

    Reply
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Comments
  1. Mark says:
    November 3, 2009 at 6:01 am

    I like this idea – do you think you could just clip it into a RRS right angle tripod mount too?

    Reply
  2. Martin says:
    November 3, 2009 at 6:06 am

    Small note of caution – apparently the D-rings used in QR plates are not specified to take the weight of a camera+lens. It is designed only for tightening the plate screw. I appreciate it is very convenient and will probably work most of the time. Until it breaks :(

    martin

    Reply
    • jeff says:
      November 3, 2009 at 8:09 am

      Martin,
      Always sound advice. I tested my Quick Release plate’s d-ring prior to hooking it on the R-Strap. It’s true that some quick release plates are not made with the best construction so it is always wise to test before hanging a few thousand dollars from the end of a metal ring.

      Reply
  3. Michael Preston says:
    November 3, 2009 at 8:55 am

    This is precisely what I do…I have a Manfrotto tripod and the quick release plate works perfectly. I check the integrity of the D-ring before each outing, and remain vigilant about checking the connection frequently while walking about.

    Something else perhaps worth mentioning — after removing the camera from my tripod, I make it a point to re-attach it to the R-strap connector immediately. I recall one instance after I took it off the tripod I was momentarily distracted and almost released the camera from my hand, thinking it was attached when in fact, it wasn’t…WHEW! That was a close call.

    Reply
  4. Scott Niesen says:
    November 3, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    We’re working with Black Rapid on a killer combo for Trekpods and the R-Strap. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted.

    Reply
  5. Mike says:
    November 3, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    I’ve been using a plate from Kirk Photo that has a hand strap loop on it. I just used a bit of webbing (cut off my old neck strap) and secured a eye-ring to it. Been working pretty good for me.

    Reply
  6. JasonP says:
    November 4, 2009 at 6:51 pm

    If you’re using a Manfrotto QR plate DEFINITELY check it constantly. When I first got my R-Strap I left the Fasten-R in the box and connected it to my QR plate. Tested it several different ways and was very pleased. Unclipped the R-Strap and started shooting something else. About 20 minutes later, *PING*! The D-ring shot across the room! Fortunately it held on while the camera was hanging by my side, but only by a small part of one half of the ring. Catastrophe averted and lesson definitely learned. I’ll stick with the supplied ring and suck up the 30 seconds it takes to swap out the Fasten-R for my QR plate.

    Reply
  7. john says:
    March 23, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    where did you get that tripod mounting screw? i want to make a set up like yours.

    thanks

    Reply
  8. David says:
    April 28, 2010 at 5:59 am

    Hello, I’m making my own r-strap and I’ve just got my hands on a screw from an Induro plate just like the one you’re using in the picture. How is yours holding up? Has it proven strong enough to support the weight of the camera?

    Reply
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