Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 6,799 | | Review Date: April 21, 2017 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Secure, slides easily, quick adjusting, variable use, style | | Cons: | Cost, not as easily attached/detached as others and wear out, doesn't jive with backpack | |
I was an Op Tech Sling Strap user for many years, and bought the PD Slide II after I lost my Op Tech strap last year (must have left it somewhere). Thought I was going to love the PD Slide, and almost do, but it has a couple handicaps that cause it to be stuck at the 'just like' level for me. It's everything my Pros above say it is though.
Here are my cons spelled out a bit more... If you are going out shooting with just camera and the PD slide, then it's great. The only thing I don't like about it in that scenario as much as I like with the Op Tech, is that the connectors are harder to attach and detach than with the Op Tech. The Op Tech connectors are a snap, literally and figuratively.
If like me you often want to wear your strap and carry along your camera backpack as well with other lenses that you might be swapping around, then the PD Slide is not comfortable in that scenario for me at all.. I tried for months to get comfortable with different adjustments/arrangements and it simply doesn't sit and.or stay on the shoulder nicely. Because the strap needs to move, it competes with the backpack strap for shoulder space and gets to be a real pain, literally and figuratively. This is not an issue with the Op Tech because the strap doesn't need to move.
So my solution was that I scored a like new Op Tech strap recently from KEH for $10 to replace my lost strap. Now I have the best of both worlds. Whenever I want to wear a strap and also carry a camera backpack, the Op Tech works perfectly in that scenario. When I am going solo with just camera and strap, the PD Slide gets the nod (even though I don't prefer the connectors).
I will also add that I personally find the Op Tech more comfortable if I am going with a longer, heavier lens on camera (I mostly use a K-1). I find it more comfortable and balanced in that scenario. (I always carry a camera with two connectors attached no matter which strap. One connector to the bottom Arca plate and the other to the shutter side strap lug, so the lens faces behind me and down when carrying)...
If I had to choose between Op Tech Sling and PD Slide I'd definitely go with the Op Tech. For the peak price we pay for the PD Slide strap, there shouldn't be any cons other than price. The Op Tech sling is overall a more functional design and much more reasonably affordable, and the PD connectors can be a hassle sometimes. Oh and my PD Slide connectors twist up a lot and are already showing signs of wear and tear, which never happens with the Op Techs, which also tells me that I will have to purchase more PD connectors at some point.
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Site Supporter Registered: January, 2014 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 737
4 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 16, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Secure, slides easily, quick adjusting, easily attached/detached, variable use | | Cons: | Cost | |
I'm always looking for ways to carry my camera comfortably, securely, and with ease of use. The Slide fits all my criteria. The folks at Peak Design really put a lot or thought into this one and it shows.
Though I sometimes carry heavier cam/lens combinations on a Cotton Carrier belt, I don't always want or need the bulk. More times than not, I'm carrying a lighter kit on my strap, but I have always disliked the weight hanging on my neck. The Peak Design Slide is made to solve that problem. It can be used as a neck strap or shoulder strap, but It really shines as a sling. Made of seat-belt fabric, the sling "slides" easily on clothing, so you can take the camera from a resting position on the hip to shooting position at eye level in a second. It's secure and very well made. Adjustments to the strap are quick, easy, and secure.
The basis for the attachment system is their Anchor Link connection system. You can attach or detach the Slide in two seconds, which is something that comes in handy when you want to get the strap out of the way, perhaps when using a tripod. Both the Slide and the optional Clutch handstrap (see that review) are attached to a provided Arca-type quick release plate. I was wary of the link attachments getting in the way of the tripod clamp but, as the photo below shows, it works just fine. If you're taking the camera on and off the tripod constantly, you could get a little slowed down by the need to ensure the link line doesn't get in the way of sliding the camera plate onto the clamp.
The comfort of this strap is phenomenal. Though it's expensive at $50, it stands out in its class and I feel a lot better about expensive glass not swinging out of control. I'm a big fan of things that do well what they're supposed to do and the Sling does it. I've attached several photos below. I'm also using the companion Clutch hand strap. See that review for more information.
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