Every once in a while I stumble upon a product that really changes or improves how I do something. I firmly believe that the Peak Design Capture Pro is one of those products.
Photos Courtesy of Peak Design
While I was hiking the North Kaibab trail into the Grand Canyon in September I ran into a fellow who had is digital SLR camera attached to the shoulder strap of his backpack. I was immediately intrigued by this and started to ask him questions about it. Turns out, the product he was using was the Peak Design Capture Pro. I knew I needed to add this product to my arsenal.
Being the travel and adventure photographer that I am, having quick and easy access to my camera has always been a struggle. I could keep it around my neck and an arm using a camera strap, but I found myself worrying about bumping my lens into things while it hung down at my side. Often subconsciously following the out of site out of mind Mentality.
The Capture Pro, by Peak Design is a pretty simple and low profile product that attaches to a variety of different strap widths and thicknesses and can even attach to a belt if that is what you want out of the product. The idea is simple. You take the capture pro which has two screw down knobs to adjust the thickness. You undo one of the screws to swing the device open, and then you place it around the strap of your choice, which in my case was my Lowepro camera bag. I found that getting the placement right is much easy if you only attach the Capture Pro loosely, the put the backpack on your shoulders, adjust it, then tighten it down.
I tried fitting the device to a variety of backpacks with little issue, though I did find that on bigger expedition size bags such as the Granite Gear Blaze AC 60, the padding of the straps are thicker and it takes a little more effort to get the foam compressed enough to get the Capture Pro on. That being said, once it was on and tightened down, the Capture Pro worked great with that pack too.
The camera attaches to the Capture Pro via a few different choices of plates that screw into the tripod thread. Fortunately, if you find yourself using a tripod frequently as I do, there is a plate available from Peak Design that works with a variety of tripod heads. I use a Manfrotto 49RC2 ball head, and plate works great.
Once the plate is on the camera, holstering your camera is as simple as sliding it down into the Capture Pro, giving a wiggle to make sure it locked, and away you go. It really can’t get any simpler than that. When you are ready to shoot, all you need to do is press the release to the right side of the capture pro and lift the camera up.
Photos Courtesy of Peak Design
What I Love
If you like the convenience of having your camera always out, but don’t like the bulkiness of a camera strap, then this is certainly going to be right up your alley. There is no doubt in my mind that your camera is securely fastened to your camera strap with the Capture Pro. After using this product for a few months I can tell you that I never had a single instance where I felt like it was not secure. That being said, you need to make sure you correctly slide the camera in and make sure it locks. Though this system is pretty straight forward, it is still always a good idea to give the camera a good shake and make sure the Capture Pro has a hold of the camera.
Providing easy and reliable access to your camera is great and all, but it is nothing if it isn’t widely and easily usable. Fortunately, the Capture Pro is both of those things by being very easy to install to pretty much and belt or strap your can throw it at.
What I’d Change
As you can probably gather from what I have said, I am very pleased with this product as a whole. And while I haven’t found any truly bad points about this product, there are a few things I would change to push this thing above and beyond.
For starters, I would love to see a second set of slightly longer screws included for straps with thicker padding. This would allow for easier installation on expedition style bags.
Secondly, while it isn’t an issue now, and perhaps never will be, I’d like to see the little piece that captures the quick release plate be made of metal instead of plastic. While the plastic is very high quality, I feel like metal will be less likely to wear over a long period of time.
And finally, I think a piece of removable foam padding for the back of the capture pro would be great. I didn’t really have any discomfort where the Capture Pro touched my body, but I also had a jacket or thicker layer of clothing on during the fall months when I was using this. I think a thin piece of padding would definitely mitigate any possible discomfort during warmer months when less layers are being worn. Again, I didn’t get to test this during the warmer months, so it may not being an issue.
Photos Courtesy of Peak Design
Go Get One!
If you do any kind of adventure, or travel photography, then this is for you. If you are a shutterbug mom or dad chasing your little ones around, this is for you. There are so many applications for this thing and I think you will find, as I did, that it really helps you spend less time fumbling for your camera, and more time shooting. And with several add on accessories coming down the pipe, there is a lot of potential for other uses too. Stay tuned as I bring you more info on that front shortly!
Where? www.Peakdesign.com
How Much? $79.95
When? Available Now
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