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It’s amazing what you can go without — then suddenly experience for the first time and realize you never want to be without again. That’s how Danny and I feel about the Opteka Professional Wrist Grip Strap. (Thank you, Zach & Jody for touting the importance of hand straps during your recent creativeLIVE workshop!)
The Opteka strap doesn’t look particularly fancy:
What it does isn’t particularly fancy either. But it’s wonderful. Simply having a strap around your camera-holding hand reduces fatigue, helps stabilize the camera as you shoot, and gives you plenty of opportunity to stretch or wiggle your fingers while still keeping a grip on your camera.
Nikole and Arun’s elopement last Friday was the first full-day shoot we’d had using the strap, and we loved the results: When we got home that night, we still felt like we’d been hit by a train (this is the norm after weddings), but our hands weren’t the slightest bit sore. Usually, after a long shoot, the tendons and muscles on the back of my right hand feel strained and achy. Not anymore.
Serious DSLR users, whether you’re a pro or an avid hobbyist, I would highly recommend this. It’s a very inexpensive investment in your own comfort! Check it out, and let me know how it works for you!
~ Laura
OHMYGOODNESS i’ve been trying to find one of these that would work with my camera!! thank you for the recommendations
Caitlin, it took a couple shoots for me to get used to it, but now I wouldn’t even trade it for a much-wanted new lens! I hope it works just as well for you.
I’ve ALWAYS had a hand strap on my camera, it scares me to watch those who DONT use one! This one is a bit wider than mine, so maybe I will look into investing in this one! Thanks for sharing!
I know what you mean, Brittany: Before we had these, I pretty much wouldn’t use my camera at all unless the strap was around my neck.