Birding Gear : BlackRapid FirstLook/FirstUse
A few months ago, we took a look at the way we transported the Nikkor 200-500mm lens when we birded (yes, it’s a verb). In that post, we gave a quick mention to two slings (Cotton Carrier, BlackRapid) that we felt would let us more quickly access the D850/Nikkor heavy combo when we shot handheld.
We took a look at Cotton Carrier’s Skout sling in a post in July. Today we give a similar report on BlackRapid’s Blackline sling.
BlackRapid
Looking for a camera strap that allows you to quickly move the camera into shooting position, is made with high quality materials, and ergonomic enough for all day shoots? The BlackRapid Blackline is worth a serious look., The sling is designed by a working photographer, for, well, everyone, really.
What’s in the Blackline bag:
- Sling with locking swivel CR3 carabiner, shoulder pad, and Cam-Locks;
- FastenR5;
- Camera Safety Tether II; and
- Black mesh zippered gear bag.
FirstLook
The most important feature for us when hauling the D850/200-500mm zoom is gear security, i.e., how “safe” is everything when hooked up to the Blackline sling. BlackRapid addressed our concern brilliantly with the ConnectorCR3/FastenR5 combo and the Camera Safety Tether.
The ConnectorCR3/FastenR5 attaches either to the camera’s bottom or its lens. The tether attaches to the camera body as a backup. If for some exceptionally odd reason there is a failure of some sort, the tether will still prevent the camera from falling.
There are a lot of cool features to the Blackline sling. One of them is the ConnectorCR3 Locking Swivel Carabiner. This sling/carabiner pair is worth a closer look.
The ConnectorCR3 is a locking carabiner, i.e., the ABS cover can only be engaged to hold the screw in place when fully treaded. This is a nice design, as it is a clear indicator that the locking has been done properly.
One of the downsides of many straps is that they tend to “bite” into one’s shoulder when attached to something heavy. The Blackline tackles this issue with a wide pad to distribute the load. The pad is made from highly breathable polyester mesh, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) foam, and some polyester air mesh.
To keep the strap from moving around, there is a removable underarm stabilizer that goes just under the armpit. It absolutely kept everything in place when clicked in.
The FastnerR5 goes into either the tripod hole of the camera or the tripod base of a big lens. This piece is made from stainless steel for strength, covered with nylon for scratch protection, and padded with a rubber washer so it will anchor securely.
FirstUse
Our Nikon D850 Nikkor 200-500mm combo weighs in at over 8 lbs, a pretty heavy load for any photographer. From past experience, we knew that carrying the pair can be fatiguing. We weren’t exactly sure how the sling would be with this beastly combo, especially after having been out in the field for some time.
We are happy to report that the BlackRapid Blackline absolutely made a HUGE difference, on both the accessibility and comfort fronts! This sling is legit!
Our version of the Blackline is designed to be worn cross-body on left shoulder with camera at right hip. This is because we shoot with our right hand.
Front and rear spring-loaded Cam-Locks on the webbing help secure the camera near the hip. We adjusted things so that we could hold the tripod collar of the big zoom lens while walking, thus splitting the weight between the left shoulder pad and the right arm holding the camera.
This worked really well for us on our all-day shoot. We had no issues with fatigue, maneuverability, or access.
When the camera is not in use, it is upside down by the hip or just behind the back. This made it easy to both carry and sliding it up into position for shooting.
FinalThoughts
An eight pound camera/lens combo hanging by the hip is not an easy carry by any measure. However, the Blackline sling not only made it possible, but made it much more comfortable than any other sling we have used so far.
It took a while before we were totally comfortable enough to just let the camera “hang” while not in use. However, once we got used to it, to be able to immediately move the camera up to shooting position without the sling flopping about in any way, was awesome!!! It was a feature we didn’t really appreciate until we experienced it in action a few times.
We will report back once we have put a few more “miles” on it, but color us impressed with how well the Blackline performed in the FirstUse.
Links to items mentioned:
Leave a comment