Presenting the Kinogear strap
I recently got into the production of textile equipment and tried to develop what I thought was the ideal camera strap. Here are some details and thoughts on its design
As always, a full list of the articles in this blog can be found HERE.
First of all, a quick presentation of the specifications that I wanted to fulfill:
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offer a strap that is resistant and durable over time,
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adopt a comfortable design
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offer quick length adjustment,
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offer a quick attachment system to the camera body,
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ajouter des possibilités de modification et réparation,
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be compatible with multiple systems.
Let’s review each of these points in detail:
A resistant and durable strap
This parameter implied the use of solid materials that will not be damaged with use and are resistant to abrasion. It was important for me to favor the European origin of all materials, so I chose to use Cordura and mil-spec polyamide webbing made in Germany.
For the choice of plastic parts, I turned to the Italian manufacturer Due Emme, supplier to several European armies. The parts are solid, well sized and will not wear out easily.
Finally, the thread used for assembly is a thread made in Germany in continuous filament bonded polyester for outdoor use. It is extremely strong, UV and weather resistant, ensuring long years of use even outdoors.
Creating a comfortable design:
During development, this is one of the points that required the most time and revisions. The use of abrasion-resistant and durable materials involves textures that are not the most pleasant to the touch. So I wanted to limit the areas of friction and any uncomfortable elements. For example, a reinforcement seam can quickly become rough. I therefore reduced them as much as possible without impacting the solidity of the product.
The result is a strap based on a 25mm wide webbing, very strong but with a reduced footprint and compatible with a lot of plastic parts and accessories.
The pad, 50mm wide, allows the load to be distributed over a wider surface and the weight of the camera plus lens to be felt less. The two triglides at each end and the pocket provided for this purpose hold the strap firmly and prevent the pad from slipping during use.
The beveled shape prevents the strap from snagging on other equipment and reduces the feeling of discomfort that sharper angles could produce. It is common to carry a backpack or camera bag in addition to the camera; the design of the strap, flat and without hard edges, allows it to be easily integrated over other straps, without creating extra thickness.
Quick length adjustment
The ability to adjust the length of the strap was an important capability in my eyes. Strap tightened when moving, the camera can be held against the body and does not shake with each movement. Then, when shooting, the strap can be lenghtened to increase freedom of movement.
For video use, it is also very practical for forming a stable support and stabilizing the camera body. By being able to adjust the length quickly with one hand, you can adapt to each situation and framing without wasting time.
Designing a quick attachment system
An important point for a good photo strap is to be able to be easily detached from the device. In my case, it is mainly to move from handheld use in video to integrating the camera into a cage or video rig. Having a strap attached would hinder access to the buttons and would not be practical.
But how can you create a quick release system without creating custom plastic parts?
Here again, this is one of the points that took the longest to develop.
I quickly turned to a hook/ring system, but that meant attaching a ring to the camera, which could hit the body, making noise (and thus rendering the system unusable for video) or worse depending on the material, damage the body.
So a metal ring seemed like a bad idea, but would a plastic ring be strong enough without becoming too big and hindering the handling of the camera? After dozens of unsatisfactory prototypes, I returned to one of the simplest systems: creating a loop directly with a cord.
But here again, finding a suitable solution is not so easy: which cord to use, how to form the loop, how to attach the cord to the camera?
There are very thin and very strong Dyneema cords, but the material is smooth and a knot could slip and unravel without splicing. Paracord is very strong but is too wide to fit into the rings of some camera bodies, and again the knot could slip.
The solution I found is a textured Cordura nylon fiber cord. Its limited diameter fits through all the eyelets of cameras that I have tested. The texture secures the knot and prevents catastrophic slippage, while being very resistant to load and abrasion.
The knot also has a use: it allows the cord to hold optimally in the hook and not to get stuck in the safety.
The hook also had to be strong enough to ensure that the camera was held securely. The plastic hooks used from Due Emme have been developed for a load of 60kgs according to the manufacturer. They therefore offer a very good margin of safety, without having to resort to metal hooks which could damage the camera.
Modifiable and repairable
I chose to give the user maximum customization possibilities. For example, if the hooks used are not satisfactory, it is possible to easily replace them with the solution of your choice.
If you want to lighten the strap as much as possible, the pad can be removed to keep only the basic webbing. If any part is damaged, it will be easily replaceable.
Compatibility
Finally, one of the negative aspects of photo straps on the market, especially those with a proprietary quick release system, is the impossibility of using them on anything other than a camera.
Thanks to the standard hooks used, the one I developed can be used on any bag or satchel with attachment rings.
Additionally, simply loop rope to form a ring and use the strap on a video cage or any other equipment.
Conclusion
Many other parameters were considered for the creation of this strap, but I focused in this article on those which seemed most interesting to me to share.
Pour la moindre question ou explication, n’hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire sous cet article.
Quick-adjust photo straps are available on the Kinogear webshop at this link:
Kinogear – Quick Adjust Photo Strap