Why did I wait so long?

[Nill Toulme]

Every once in a while you see people wildly praising a product and you think gosh, it's just a whatchamacallit, it can't be that great, and surely it can't be any better than the highly touted XYZ that I'm using now. Qimage was like that for me. I saw people raving about how wonderful it was and how they wouldn't print without it and I thought sheesh, this is printing we're talking about — it can't possibly be any better than my own highly intricate PS printing workflow. Then one day I broke down and actually tried it, and I realized wow, they were right, it really is that great. Why oh why did I wait so long to try this spectacularly good product?

My latest experience in that vein is the UPstrap. I'd read the reviews and testimonials for years, but I thought sheesh, it's just a strap, and my Optech Pro Loops are pretty wonderful, even though the darn things won't stay up on my shoulder any better than any other strap I've ever tried, and that does happen to be the one thing about a camera strap that really drives me nuts, and besides I like the quick releases. So I waited and waited till Al finally produced his QR version of the UPstrap, then decided I wouldn't really like that because the QR's are so big and especially because he intentionally designed it so that you can't snap the pigtails together to make a short hand strap (Al is very very conservative in his designs and didn't want to even risk the possibility of somebody using it that way and having their hand on the QR and causing it to come unhooked unintentionally).

So I finally broke down again and ordered a couple of the regular UPstraps for my 20D and my big binoculars. Dang! Why did I wait so long? They really do exactly what they claim to do, which is to stay up on your shoulder like magic. And it's a nice clean simple design that appears to be bulletproof, and what's more I've decided I don't really want QR's on those pieces of equipment anyway.

Qimage and the UPstrap. Highest recommendation for both.

Why did I wait so long?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

 

[Dierk Haasis]

I didn't have the same experience with QImage, which I originally tried out to convert D1x files. although it does a very good job with them, the work-flow - for RAW conversion! - is abysmal. I put it away, just to revisit it a few months later to print. Bought it within a day or two [only other program that happened with was The Bat!, even Opera took a bit longer to get to know enough for buying it].

For camera straps my experience is exactly the same. For roughly 2 decades I loved my OP/tech's with quick release. In recent months I grew out of them: slipping from the shoulder, the rubber and neoprene lets the heavy camera jump and jiggle, there's not enough webbing to adjust the strap [I like them a little on the short side]. Very often I read endorsements of the UPstraps, so I got me some.

The craftsmanship is exceptionally good, and the claims are met - they do not slip from the shoulder, regardless if I wear only a shirt, an M-65, a leather jacket or a Barbour Border. That entails the only downside, it can be a bit annoying when you put the camera to your eye, want to adjust it a bit (i.e. because it came up skewed) and it won't budge because the pad doesn't move. Also takes a bit more effort to throw strap cum camera from your shoulder.


PS: The US slowly grabs a large share in photographic accessories I found. And the build quality is very good, not something one would expect [hey, it's Made in Germany not Made in the US which has highest accolades, only the Swiss are known for as good a quality]. Examples include Hoodman, Really Right Stuff, Lensbaby, Al Stegmeyer's UPstraps, Michael Tapes' WhiBals. From my European perspective I might include Visible Dust - but I know that throwing something Canadian over the border can get me into trouble ...

 

[Jan Luursema]

YMMV

The Upstrap is great, if you want to carry a camera, but not if you want to use it.. It's too rigid, and it grips too tight. Oh and it's impossible to use as a neckstrap.
The Optech strap is much better, be it a little bulky.

 

[Nill Toulme]

The instructions recommend a sort of exaggerated shrug to move the strap on the shoulder a bit when you want to bring it to your eye.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

 

[Peter Mendelson]

Thanks Nill. I am a bit confused on which models to buy. I have a 5D with grip and my heaviest lens is the 100-400L. I assume the SLR-QR is what I want? I also carry around the 5D and various lenses in a Domke F2 bag. I assume the LT is what I want for this, or is the SLR-QR best for this too?

Peter

 

[Nill Toulme]

Peter — yes, I'd say SLR or SLR-QR for the camera, LT for the bag. But they're very responsive to e-mail inquiries to confirm.

Jan — "impossible to use as a neckstrap?" Why do you say that?

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

I also just bought an upstrap. Although I wouldn't use it for my main body, a 5D with grip, lenses, flash, etc, for my second body on my shoulder it's great, I don't have to think or keep a part of my mind free to concentrating on making sure it is not slipping. That said I would agree with a previous poster that it's useless when shooting in that you have to loosen the strap to access the camera by which time it is no longer secure, the reason I still keep my main camera on an op-tech round my neck, it is far far faster to work that way. I suppose you can't have it both ways, either it grips and doesn't move, or slips round easily to facilitate quick shooting.

Nill, around your neck it is uncomfortable and will turn your neck to a red sore mass within an hour. It just simply has not been designed as anything but a shoulder strap at which it excels.

 

[Nill Toulme]

What would be really nice would be an Upstrap compatible with the Optech QR's. I'm tempted to cobble one together myself.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net