Wrist Strap Accessory

Carrying valuable camera gear while tromping through the great outdoors can be a bit unnerving.  My biggest worry is not so much that I fall with it, but rather that the camera slips out of my grip while hiking.  

One of the best investments I made is the BlackRapid Wrist Strap that attaches to the 1/4 thread tripod mount in the bottom of my camera body.  This strap prevents the camera from free falling in case the camera should slip out of my grip.  I will wear it on my left wrist when I have the large lens attached.  It doesn't prohibit me from using the camera at all as I generally cradle the camera lens with my left hand while shooting anyway.  When I have a body with a small lens attached, then I will wear it on my right wrist as I usually carry the camera by its grip with my right hand.  I find that I have much more confidence in the field while wearing this accessory.

The other small device I use in conjunction with the wrist strap is a seatbelt accessory called a Leash Lock. Technically this is a clip for a dog leash but it works just fine for my purpose.  I usually drive with my camera sitting on the passenger seat next to me so it is readily accessible in case I see something on the side of the road I want to shoot.  One day, I did see some wildlife that caught my eye and I hit the brakes while turning the wheel to pull over.  My camera with the 150-600mm zoom rolled into the door and then onto the floorboard!  Needless to say, the idea to use a seatbelt attachment to tether the camera down was born soon after.  This little device does a great job for me as a way I can simply hook the wrist strap into it while the camera is on the car seat next to me and I don't have to worry about my camera going flying if I hit the brakes.