I am a professional photographer shooting with the Canon 50d and the Canon 5d mk ii. Lenses range from a teeny little 50mm to a big baby 70-200 L. Heavy is the only word for it.
Capture Clip has performed EXCELLENTLY so far! I have used it at the zoo with my son, on live shoots, during action packed events.
It takes a little getting used to for the quick release I am only just now getting it down to a science after having it for 3 weeks.
It's rugged, sturdy, easy to use and set up, pretty looking, convenient, awesome.!
I backed this item on Kickstarter, and absolutely DO not regret it.
Capture Clip is a must have if you have multiple bodies, a bad back, your hands full of kids or diaper bags, or any number of other qualifiers!
Best $79.99 spent. Period.
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I'm going to agree with the other reviewers here: the design and concept of this product is incredible. If you're a casual photographer looking for an easy way to carry your camera around, or go on a light day hike--you can't spend better money. Unfortunately, after giving me nagging trouble on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, one misstep (literally) released my Canon XSI off into the pavement. I didn't exactly see it happen, but reconstructing the event, I think something in my pocket (pocket knife perhaps) on a step up pushed into the release button and that was that. My lens requires $100+ dollars of repair.
You may ask, why did this happen? Didn't you have the safety screw in? Here is the problem. Part of what makes this better than a strap is its ability to be hooked in anywhere and allow easy access. The safety screw adds a bit of security but decreases the functionality, since the piece is small and requires you to remove and replace it any time you want to access the camera. On hikes like the Camino, fast access to the camera is what's valuable and if you take the 3-5 extra seconds it's gone.
Don't let that story take away from the amazing overall concept. If you will be using this for short hikes, or daily wear, it can't be beat. For longer trips, you may want to stick with more traditional, though less convenient options.
As a suggestion, I would make the safety screw a spring loaded toggle, or something that did not require a separate piece that could be lost.
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The Capture Camera Clip System is an innovative approach to carrying a camera. It's manufactured by Peak Design, an upstart company based in San Francisco. The Capture clip was initially designed to be attached to a backpack strap but can just as easily attach to a waist belt. Designed for people with outdoor lifestyles, the Capture clip allows easy access to your camera while at the same time eliminating the inconvenience of wearing a strap around your neck or shoulder. If you've ever ridden a bike with a camera around your neck you know it can be very awkward at times.
The Capture consists of a chassis, backplate, and camera connection plate. Attaching the Capture to a belt or strap is easy. You just swivel open the chassis, slide the backplate behind your belt or strap, and swivel the chassis back in place. Then you tighten the two clamping bolts to secure the clip in place.
The camera connection plate attaches to the camera's tripod mount. To attach the camera to the clip you simply slide the connection plate into the chassis. It's held in place by a plastic tab. To remove the camera you press the quick release button and slide it off the clip. There's also a twist lock on the chassis as an extra measure to keep the connection plate in place, but I found it wasn't necessary to use. The connection plate is Arca Classic compatible, so if you're using that type of tripod system you won't need to remove the plate for tripod use. There's also a tripod mount drilled into the plate. It's a bit off center so I'd rather just remove the plate and use the camera's tripod mount. The plate also has a metal loop on each side for attaching a hand strap.
I tried the Capture using a standard backpack. Carrying the weight of the camera on the front of my chest felt a little strange and slightly uncomfortable, but I eventually got used to it. Overall though it wasn't bad and I really liked having both hands free. However, the Capture was originally designed for hikers and bikers. Hiker backpacks usually have longer straps plus a connecting strap in the front to take the weight off the shoulders, so I'm sure the Capture would be much more comfortable to use with this kind of backpack.
I also tried the Capture with a belt around my waist. It took me a while to find a position to put it in where it felt comfortable. The Peak Design website recommends that it be worn in the front, more towards the midsection. For me though I found it to be most comfortable on my hip, right behind my pants pocket. Sliding the camera on and off the clip was easy. Again, it was nice to have both hands free without having a camera around my neck or at my side on a sling strap.
I highly recommend the Capture to any photographer with an outdoor lifestyle, especially hikers and bikers. For the casual photographer it's probably a better alternative to a neck or sling strap when worn on a waist belt. There are a few things you should be aware of though. When wearing it on a backpack the Capture is best used with a camera with a small to mid sized lens. I tried it with the Nikon 70-300mm VR lens, with the lens hood on. It was a little too uncomfortable to my liking. Around my waist though I had no issues with my Nikon D7000 and Sigma 100-300mm f/4 lens. If you're going to be carrying this much weight I suggest you wear a thick belt with a large buckle for support. If you use a professional sized camera, ie a Nikon D3X, with a larger bottom grip, or a DSLR with a battery grip added to the bottom, the camera will be a little unbalanced, with the lens pointing down at a bit of an angle instead of straight. I recommend using a hand strap with the Capture to prevent any accidental dropping while photographing. For anyone with a little extra weight around their waist the camera might be a little difficult to access and/or uncomfortable to wear on your belt. I'm not exactly skinny, but had no problems. The Capture is a little pricey, so it's not for everyone.
Honest reviews on Peak Design Capture Camera Clip PEAKCAMCLIP
It's a must have. Takes all the weight off your neck and shoulders. It's nice to secure it to your belt or backpack and not worry about your camera swinging around. I have had mine for a few weeks now and don't see a reason to go back to a shoulder strap. You will not be disappointed. Hooked to a T3i with 18 270 lens, works great.
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I got my PEAKCAMCLIP a few days ago and managed to put it to use on a 4-hour hike at Lake Berryessa today. I attached the clip to the shoulder strap on my Jansport backpack and the base plate to the bottom of my DSLR camera (a Canon XSi, with a fairly large and heavy 17-55mm f/2.8). With the clip installed in this fashion, I was able to easily secure my camera to my shoulder strap and easily detach it whenever I needed to -all on the go.
I used to carry my camera on my shoulder using the shoulder strap (slinging the strap around my neck is not an option as I find that it puts undue stress on my neck and shoulders). With the PEAKCAMCLIP, I now feel completely liberated from having to worry about the camera getting bumped around or the camera strap slipping off my shoulders (thus sending the camera plummeting to the ground). With the safety of my camera off my mind, this contraption has helped to make for a much more enjoyable hiking experience!
This PEAKCAMCLIP is very well made. It is all-aluminum except for a red plastic piece, which when depressed releases the catch that prevents the base plate (i.e. the piece attached to the bottom of the camera) from sliding off the clip. The clip is clamped onto a shoulder strap, belt, or any other kind of strap you chose to attach the clip to using two hand-screws on opposites ends of the clip. Once the hand-screws are tightened, the clip is very firmly and securely attached (it won't budge even with a hard yank).
I do have a quibble about the finish on the PEAKCAMCLIP I received. On the flat side of the clip (the side opposite to the base plate housing), I noticed that the finish (or possibly the metal) is slightly pitted (another reviewer also complained about the unsatisfactory finish on his copy). Other than this cosmetic blemish, I really don't have anything else to complain about the PEAKCAMCLIP. It works as advertised and it works beautifully. Definitely recommended.
[Update 2012-06-03]
I used this clip for my 12-hour Half Dome hike 3 days ago and discovered that the more I used it, the more difficult it became to slide the base plate in and out of the clip because of increased friction (possibly as a result of the smooth black coating on the base plate gradually wearing off). The plate would frequently get jammed and refuse to budge. I checked the tension knob and it was set for the least amount of tension, so that wasn't the problem.
I used a little lubrication (actually some spray-on sunscreen with a slightly greasy consistency), which did the trick. A proper lubricant, such as WD-40, lubricating grease, or even Vaseline would have worked better, but of course I didn't have any of those on me. (Lubricating grease, Vaseline, or any semi-solid/non-liquid/non-flowing lubricant should provide longer-lasting lubrication than liquid lubricants such as WD-40.)
(Star rating downgraded from 5 to 4)
