A BR and 5D MKII update.
Ok, BlackRapid got back to me last week but I was swamped with Thaipusam edits. So here was their response:
Matt-
Thank you for getting in touch and letting us know what happened for you.
I’m so sorry to hear that your camera dropped!
To answer your questions:
1. We have a new distributor for our ConnectR-1s… they have a stronger spring, so it takes a little more effort to open them.
2. We have a new FastenR-1 that has a smaller hole on it…that makes it a lot harder for the ConnectR to let go.
3. We have the swivel locking ConnectR-2 nearly here from our distributor (that does away with the gate stop all together)
4. It looks like you aren’t really using the FastenR-1 so perhaps something like THIS would be a better fit for your needs. (see linked page)We most definitely thank you for your feedback- it helps us grow and improve!
Please let me know if I’ve left any of your questions unanswered.
Best,
Melissa, BlackRapid
So it sounds like BlackRapid is aware of the issues and are trying to address them. I hope they will send me a prototype a soon as it is ready to test. Let’s see what the future holds.
Canon got back to me and said that nothing is wrong with my 5D MK II. They said it works perfectly fine. Ok? Well then why was it dead. They suggested it must be my battery grip or my batteries. But this couldn’t have been the issue. Because, while my camera was in the shop, my buddy used the grip and the batteries on his 5D MKII to shoot Thaipusam with me. I went by Click-n-Snap this morning and picked up my 5D body and all seems to be well. It seems to be working for now. So, it must have been all those prayers. What is that old expression? “All’s well that ends well?”
Hey Matt –
I noticed in the previous posts image – you are using your black rapid strap in combination with your modular equipment from think tank. How is that working for you? I attempted to use my r-strap in combination with the shapeshifter backpack (which I LOVE) and I couldn’t find a comfortable way to set the two. Strap under, strap over, everything I tried led to an uncomfortable rubbing at some point in the r-strap. Any suggestions? Beyond permanently attaching, or sewing the strap onto the backpack – Im at a loss. How has your experience using the r-strap in combination with other gear you have?
Hope all is well, and thanks for a great blog! I am always looking forward to new posts!
J
Hey Matt –
I noticed in the previous posts image – you are using your black rapid strap in combination with your modular equipment from think tank. How is that working for you? I attempted to use my r-strap in combination with the shapeshifter backpack (which I LOVE) and I couldn’t find a comfortable way to set the two. Strap under, strap over, everything I tried led to an uncomfortable rubbing at some point in the r-strap. Any suggestions? Beyond permanently attaching, or sewing the strap onto the backpack – Im at a loss. How has your experience using the r-strap in combination with other gear you have?
Hope all is well, and thanks for a great blog! I am always looking forward to new posts!
J
John,
To be honest, I don’t use my Shapeshifter while I shoot. I love it for getting gear to the assignment, but once there, it stays in the hotel room. With that said, I use my BR strap with both the Modular and Skins component systems as well as with Think Tank’s Belly Dancer and the Pixel Racing Harness with no real issues. You can see from the photo on this post how the camera often sits sort of wedged behind the skin. I think it works great.
John,
To be honest, I don’t use my Shapeshifter while I shoot. I love it for getting gear to the assignment, but once there, it stays in the hotel room. With that said, I use my BR strap with both the Modular and Skins component systems as well as with Think Tank’s Belly Dancer and the Pixel Racing Harness with no real issues. You can see from the photo on this post how the camera often sits sort of wedged behind the skin. I think it works great.
Wow, I can only imagine the combination of bemusement and happiness when you found out it works 🙂
I love my BlackRapid, but I use an extra bit of string to tie in the swivel connector to my tripod mount because I don’t trust the gate. To each their own, I tend to be a bit over-protective about things like that.
But I would love the new swivel locking ConnectR-2…
Hi Matt, & sorry to hear about the camera. I tried a quick reply when you first mentioned it but windows spat it out and I didn’t have time to re-type.
What i’d wanted to say was that “up in’t north” where I live, we have a saying i’m not sure translates. Belt & braces. Basically what it means is if you’re going to secure something important, do it twice and in two different ways. If you go for that carabiner approach, what I sometimes do with them is to cut an old piece of flexible tubing or rubber, the kind you get in fish tanks for example, and pop that over the screw fixture. The reason is simply that the screw type fittings can sometimes come loose when rubbed against the body over a long period such as when you’re out walking. The tubing over the top stops that from happening for the most part, but even when it doesn’t, it also acts as a barrier itself that stops the carabiner from opening. A quick google search comes up with this photo http://wesspur.com/images/product/k9120001_01_500.gif that shows what looks like a similar manufactured approach.
Glad to hear everything’s ok in the end 🙂
A camera that was dead but has no problems would worry me.
John, I’ve used the R-strap in combination with ThinkTank’s Streetwalker Pro (while also wearing a belt with Skins; hey, I needed a lot of gear that day). It was a very comfortable setup. I had the strap on first – as I needed to access the Streetwalker far more often than I needed to remove the camera. I had no problems with the Streetwalker interfering with the R-strap. I put the belt on first, the the camera with R-strap and finally the Streetwalker.
Thanks for all the suggestions – I’ll have to give it another shot – and just play with what works for me. Thanks again!
J