OP/TECH USA Tripod Strap (Black)

Reading a couple of the customer reviews for this OP/TECH USA tripod strap I was concerned about its quality. I found three areas where other reviewers simply did not know what they were talking about. Here is what I observed: 1. It is plainly stated in the package that the strap is "Made in the U.S.A." 2. There are at least seven stitches attaching the strap to the shoulder pad. Without ripping it apart one can't say for sure what the construction is, but it is at least that good. 3. I could adjust it to go diagonally across my back with the pad positioned well on my shoulder.Overall I like this strap but there are a few areas for possible improvement, IMHO. 1. The quick-releases are flat but are part of something that wraps around. I think I would like it better to have something that curved with the circumference. 2. Wherever there is excess strap it just hangs loose. It would be nice to have something to tidy up the excess strap. 3. It is a monkey business when using the diagonal configuration to put on and take off. A quick release on the main strap could be handy.

One end of the strap is kind-of short, so I could not really get them to sit comfortably in the horizontal position. It works fine in the vertical position, though. With that limitation, I would recommend. Product appears well-made. It just has that slight design flaw.

I love wildlife photography and I like having a tripod handy as I hike and look for birds and wildlife.But carrying a tripod in your hands (or even a backpack) is not easy with a camera and zoom lens. Tripod is too big to stuff in a backpack easily. I can attach this strap and simply sling my tripod over my shoulder leaving hands free to take pics. I have also like to have my tripod legs almost all the way extended (they have 3 sections) as I carry it. I can have 2 sections extended and 1 unextended and it won't touch the ground as I walk. If I see some sort of wildlife I can quickly unbuckle the tripod and only have 1 section from each leg left to extend to have it ready to go. A LOT faster than having to extend all sections of each leg. I've been using this regularly now. I also have an ebike and ride it on roads and trails looking for wildlife. Again, I can keep my tripod on my shoulder while I ride (although closed all the way up, don't want extended tripod to get in my spokes!)

Toting tripods is a chore. I decided to try this product to see if it worked better than my "USA Gear Padded Tripod Case Bag by USA Gear (Holds Tripods from 21" to 35" Folded)", $24.99.Overall I found it much less useful than my tripod bag.= The carrying strap was too short to be looped over my head to allow the tripod to lie on one side of my body and the strap to go across my chest and over the opposite shoulder. This is the only secure way to carry a tripod. But because the strap is too short, it only went over the shoulder on the same side as the tripod, and kept slipping off my shoulder so I had to keep pulling it back up. Not satisfactory.= The bag does a better job protecting the camera from the tripod head than the strap. A full size tripod is a large hard unwieldy object at least two feet long and when worn on your body its movements are not always predictable. Using these straps the tripod head collided with my Nikon and broke the UV filter (that fortunately protected the lens).= The bag also protects the tripod in my car trunk, as well as the items surrounding the tripod: a loose uncovered tripod can do a good bit of damage.= If you are using these straps, you are forced to carry the tripod with the head upwards and the legs downward. This means that each time you use the tripod, you have to unlock the legs twice (once before extending, and once to allow collapsing). And then you have to lock the legs twice, once after you extend the legs, and once after you collapse them. This is quite time consuming if you have three locks on each leg, meaning 36 lock/unlock operations each time you use your tripod.If on the other hand you carry your tripod in a bag, you don't need to lock the legs after you retract them. Instead you pack the tripod into the bag with head downwards and legs upwards, then zip the bag, then carry it any which way after the bag is zipped. Which means you can leave the legs unlocked except when the tripod is erected. Which means that each time you use the tripod, you need to lock it just once, and unlock it just once, saving quite a bit of time, by having 18 lock and unlock operations rather than 36.= My tripod bag has a handy pocket for keeping the quick release plate and other paraphernalia such as an electronic shutter release.

Makes hauling tripod through the woods at night a breeze.

This OP/TECH is exact same product, no doubt from same Chinese factory, as my B&H Oben TS-20 tripod strap ($12.95, discontinued) that failed after a few hours use. My tripod with camera mounted weighs about 8 lbs, and I prefer to position the shoulder strap so that collapsed tripod is upright and vertical against my back, camera behind my shoulder. Thus most of the weight is shifted to the upper end of the strap where only 5 stitches across the width of the woven strap and end of neoprene pad hold the two together - that’s all, and OP/TECH says up to 25 lbs on those 5 stitches at each end of the neoprene pad. That’s where, without warning, my previous strap broke, thankfully I was able to catch tripod/camera before they hit ground. Since I already bought the OP/TECH I’ll give it another wary try, but others who carry tripod as I do might want to look elsewhere, YMMV.

I used to either carry my birding scope and tripod on my shoulder or with a mule pack. If I carried it on my shoulder then my shoulder ached at the end of the day. If I used a mule pack then it took a while to set up the scope and I sometimes missed what I wanted to see and putting the mule pack back on was often difficult when wearing winter outdoor gear.I decided to try this strap instead and it works very well. It is comfortable and convenient especially when you work out how to position it on the scope and adjust its length.I also recommend the binoculars strap by the same company.

Can't remember the make of strap I had before this one, but I lost it, so the OP/Tech was the replacement.One thing that always irritated me about the old strap was the way that you looped the noose around the tripod feet. It was easy enough to get the noose off, but a pain in the butt to get it back on the tripod again. There are no such problems with this strap as the noose uses a plastic clip. You can set the noose to very wide, snap the clip together and tighten until it's giving you a secure grip that won;t fall off. Thereafter, simply unclip and reclip the latch. Very convenient.The length of the whole strap is adjustable too, with a flexible, wide neoprene shoulder strap that is both grippy on the shoulder and springy too, which helps keep the weight of the tripod from digging into you as you walk.Very well designed product.

Love it. Well made and I find it easier to use than keep having to unshoulder my CleySpy. Used for photography. No ‘sail’ effect that I got from the CleySpy ( pls note nothing against the CleySpy I would still use it for long hikes I guess.. and there are other brands out there that would have the same comparative comments as I make here)Well made. Elasticity if shoulder strap ( and width) make it very comfortable.

There are cheaper options to Op-Tech ,and there are much more expensive one's.I have foolishly gone with the cheap as chips options,and quickly regretted it ( poor design, rubbish materials ) and if money no object is not an option for you,then Op-Tech is probably the best . It's functional,well made,lightweight and most importantly does the job it's designed for. I started out several years ago with an Op-Tech sliding shoulder strap for my heavy Nikon D7000 ( with Zoom lens ) which has proved superb in use.I've since bought several other Op-Tech products and all are equally well made and thoughtfully designed. This Tripod strap is perfect for my relatively heavy Giottos/Manfrotto Tripod combo, easily clipping to each end and then sitting comfortably vertically or horizontally over my shoulder. Great. Just the job.

This is good if you're carrying your tripod inbetween shoots where you're not going to need it. Not so good if you're carrying it with a camera attached and will need to open the tripod quickly. That said, I should have realised this before I brought it so this is no fault of the products.However, this does it's job very well if you don't want to/can't carry your tripod on your camera bag. The thick neoprene does a very good job of adding comfort and the width makes sure it doesn't dig into you. The only thing to be careful of is make sure that you don't whack yourself over the head with it if you have a tripod head mounted!