I got to see a lot of cool, new outdoor gear at this year’s Outdoor Retailer 2014 Winter Market, but the one item that made me stop in my tracks was the Capture Pro Camera Clip from Peak Design Ltd.
As the producer of the KSL Outdoors show, and an outdoor writer who shoots his own photos, I carry big cameras around with me a lot. Outdoors, on long hikes, backcountry ski trips, even mountain biking, you can be sure that an HD video camera or SLR is in my pack. But getting to the camera has always been an issue if the perfect shot presents itself and I have to waste time digging the camera out. All too often, the moment is fleeting and gone by the time I get my eye to the viewfinder.
So when I saw the Capture Pro at the Peak Design booth, I had to have one. Well, they were nice enough to let me take one home, and I have to say, it works. It’s a very simple design. You slide your backpack strap, or any strap for that matter between two metal plates that screw tight together. You screw a quick-release plate on the bottom of your camera, and it slides onto the Capture Pro, freeing up your hands, and cutting the camera strap that is weighing down your neck.
The plates are constructed from die-cast aluminum, and the clip is tightened into place with stainless steel shafts and turned aluminum heads. These bolts allow versatility so you can move the Capture Pro pretty much anywhere you need it. So far, I’ve used it on my camera backpack – a Deuter Freerider Pro 30, and slung a JVC Pro HD camera to it. I was afraid the clip would be uncomfortable on my pack strap when everything was tightened, and while I could tell it was there, it never dug into my arm or chest and I got used it it really fast.
The weight of the camera made it flop around a bit, so I used the sternum strap to secure the lens, which helped a lot. And with that, I went to Snowbasin to cover the Freeride Avalanche Workshop for the TV show. With my hands now free, I could carry my skis and poles, and even ski down the mountain with the video camera secured to my pack strap. When I saw something I needed video of, a quick push of the release button and the camera slid out of the clips.
In the past, I had to weave my pack’s sternum strap through the camera’s top handle to go hands free, but with the Capture Pro, everything has changed. This little device will make my job shooting outdoor video a lot easier. I also foresee me using it with my SLR camera as well.
About a month later, I used the clip again to hunt for cougars in the Uinta Mountains. While it wasn’t a hunt to kill a mountain lion, but to take pictures of one, the Capture Pro sure came in handy. Cougars live in hard-to-reach places, to I found myself post-holing through thigh-deep snow, and scrambling on all fours over rock ledges and through scrub brush. Basically, it was a good thing I was hands free with my video camera clipped securely on my pack strap.
The Capture Pro is also compatible with certain tripods, so you don’t have to change out the camera plate. There is a mounting hole on the bottom for monopods and tripods. The standard ARCA Plate is also compatible with ARCA-style tripod heads, but making the entire clip tripod-mountable makes it extremely versatile. There’s also a safety lock next to the quick release button for added security. I found it handy and gave me peace of mind that while I was skiing over bumps and ice in the backcountry at Snowbasin, the camera wasn’t coming off.
So if you’re a photographer on the move who needs their hands free while on assignment, or are just tired of using your old camera strap around your neck, then pick up a Capture Pro Camera Clip. It will make shooting photos and video faster and easier.
For more information, check them out at peakdesignltd.com
Hey, on the tripod mount, where the hex screw is, it looks like a fold up thumbscrew-looking hand tightener thing. Is that part functional? Or is it just there for show? Also, great write up! That would totally be useful for shooting ski stuff!!
That part is functional, but they provide the hex tightener to make it super tight so there is no way your camera is coming off the thing. So while, yes, you can hand tighten it, the company strongly recommends you use the hex screw.