Peak Design Clutch camera hand strap at a glance:
- Easily and quickly adjustable hand strap
- Unique design, protected by patent
- Made from durable premium materials inspired by climbing gear
- Price: $30 (around £18) pre-order on Kickstarter
- Website: www.peakdesignltd.com
Many companies are now using crowd-sourcing websites like Kickstarter to gauge user interest in new designs before putting them into production. Potential buyers can register their interest in a product, often by pre-ordering at a special price. If a project meets its target, it will go ahead.
One user of this approach is US-based camera strap maker Peak Design, and it currently has a couple of new items available for pre-order: the Slide (see opposite) and the Clutch hand strap. More than $400,000 has been raised against the original $50,000 goal, so anyone placing a pre-order now should get their goods.
The Clutch has a $30 pre-order price (around £18). It is billed as the only quick-attaching, easily adjustable handgrip on the market. It uses a carabiner-style release to attach to the camera’s strap lug, with an Anchor Link connector for attachment to the supplied Arca-Swiss-compatible tripod plate.
Peak Design Clutch camera hand strap – key features
Adjustable
The Clutch can be tightened for security and loosened when you need more flexibility to access the camera controls.
Premium materials
Inspired by high-end climbing gear, the materials are strong enough to hold any pro camera, lens and accessory combo.
Flexible system
Utilising the company’s patented Anchor Link technology, the Clutch hand strap can be removed and replaced with a Peak Design slide strap.
Peak Design Clutch camera hand strap – verdict
I found the Clutch quick to attach or detach, and easily adjustable to
a comfortable length. If you like having the extra reassurance of a hand strap while shooting, and frequently change between strap types depending on how you’re working, it’s well worth looking into.
SCORE: 4 out of 5
You may wish to consider:
Joby Ultra-fit Sling Strap
Price: £38
Website: www.joby.com/camera-straps
Available in versions to fit men or women, this sling-style strap has a generous shoulder pad and connects to the camera’s tripod socket. It can be quickly adjusted in length to pull the camera in closer
to your body for
added security.
Op/Tech Super Classic Strap
Price: £17.99
Website: www.optechusa.com/straps/super-classic-strap.html
US-based Op/Tech offers a wide range of straps that can be combined with an array of different camera connectors. The Super Classic has a large, thick neoprene pad to help absorb the weight of heavy cameras and lenses.
Cotton Carrier Hand Strap
Price: £24.99
Website: www.cottoncarrier.com
An alternative to the Clutch, this hand strap uses a substantial Velcro strip to attach the camera’s strap lug and adjust its length, while the other end attaches the camera’s tripod socket.
