When 2 is better than 1

pardon the phone camera quality photos. will update with better ones soon

When one is not enough.

So I mentioned in the earlier post that i'm trying out this new Rapid Strap for women. The RS W-1.

That is perfect for my street photography and walk about days when I take my one camera and one lens out for a walk around the office.

However, like I mentioned before, one's never enough.

Hahaha.

When i'm out in assignments which require a long lens (70-200) or (300)mm lenses, I will normally shoot with 2 of my Canon bodies. The Canon Mk IV and a Canon MK III. Sometimes I use the Canon 5D MKII as my second body. Depending on assignment.

I carry the 16-35mm lens on the other body so I hang a camera on each shoulder.

Recently, I got my hands on the RS DR-1 which is a double camera strap, which is attached to each other on the front, and the back (see image) This is great because it spreads the weight of my cameras across my upper body, and they're attached to each other meaning they will never fall off me. It also means I have 2 hands free to do whatever. Running and jostling will never be a problem.

I first saw this in Thailand when my colleague was using it during the Red Shirts Protests in Bangkok. The major crackdown where we were in the line of fire. He had the straps and was using his cameras with such ease.

On this assignment, we were required to wear heavy duty flak jackets _ the real stuff_ and cavlar helmets.

This was difficult. Because the cameras kept slipping off the our shoulders and we were all trying to figure out how to secure the cameras onto the flaks. Our colleague who had this RS-DR strap didn't have a problem. And it make riding a motorbike so easy (it was our only mode of transport). We needed to keep the cameras on our shoulders but hang on to the bikes at the same time. Not to mention, keep our heads down and out of the line of fire, run, duck, run, walk.... This is really tough and I could have done with one less thing to worry about.

Anyway, i'm not saying that I'll be shooting under those conditions daily or in the near future (actually I don't know) but its on other assignments which would really work as well. As long as I have to use 2 cameras, i'm attaching them to the double straps. Just last week, before I even had time to think about it or look at myself in the mirror with the straps on, I was activated to cover the Qantas emergency landing. I used the straps and they worked beautifully. Especially when I had to let go of my two cameras on my shoulders and focus on using the third body on my 400mm long lens on a monopod. …

Like the RS W-1, i'm waiting for the smaller sized one to launch year end. Mine likewise has excess strap at the moment. But otherwise functions pefectly.

The only thing I have to do now is really figure out which camera I want on what lens. Because the screw that is normally fixed onto the camera bodies will have to be fixed onto the lenses if its anything more than the 70-200 F2.8 lens.

I'm hoping this will be the end of my search for a double strap situation.

It's feeling good and looking good at the moment.

Functional and simple looking.

Let's see how it goes in Guangzhou over the next three weeks.

Wish me luck and if you have any feedback do let me know what you think because I think there are a lot of you out there who use the R-straps as well..

Here is more information on the RS DR-1 ... CLICK HERE

Or go to www.BlackRapid.com

Take care...

From Guangzhou...

Maye.