Cotton Carrier with two camera bodies.
If you’ve ever been hiking with a camera and a long lens around your neck, a pack full of gear on your back and a tripod slung over your shoulder, or shot a wedding with two camera bodies dangling from your neck, you know what a pain in the neck it is, literally.
Enter the Cotton Carrier. I bought mine a few months ago, but hadn’t really had a chance to field test it until recently, when I did some hiking around Kaupo, on Maui. I was a little nervous at first, but after a while, I hardly thought about it. I carried around two camera bodies for several hours and both felt secure and comfortable at all times.
Being primarily a landscape and nature photographer, I have L-brackets more or less permanently mounted on my camera bodies, so I had to figure out all the nuts and bolts of getting them on and off my ballhead easily. It wouldn’t do to constantly be futzing with the thing when you’re trying to capture a fleeting moment.
Cotton Carrier Insert Kit mounted on a Kirk QRC-2 Quick Release Clamp.
After doing a little research, I purchased two Kirk QRC-2 Quick Release Clamps and attached the Cotton Carrier Camera Insert Kits to them with a little lock tight. (When you do this, be sure to have the little arrow on the Insert Kit pointing at 90 degrees to the knob of the clamp, so that the camera can twist off the receptable on the vest the right way, and then really, really tighten it down.)
I’m not one for a lot of gadgets when it comes to photography. Being out in the field (or underwater) most of the time when I’m shooting, I prefer to stick with the essentials for simplicity, but when I heard about the Cotton Carrier, I just had to try one. I’m glad I did. I’d recommend it to anyone who spends a lot of time carrying a camera around on a strap. Works like a charm.
Peter – nice right up. I’ll have to check it out. On a related note I have been using the Black Rapid camera strap for carrying my camera when in the field. I have found it to be a big win over a standard camera strap, easy to control the camera when hiking and definitely takes the strain off the neck. Not as full featured but easy to travel with. Does have issue with getting on to a tripod quickly though.
Hey Mike! Just checked out the Black Rapid. I can see how tripods would be an issue. They have to come up with a fastener that accomodates Arca style. Probably great for situations where tripods aren’t a requirement.