Best camera strap for short, fat, curvy bodies

June 30, 2023 11:40 AM

I like to wear my (mirrorless) camera cross-body while I'm on photo adventures, but because I have a super short torso, very wide hips, and a large chest, it never sits quite right--it either dangles too far while I'm scampering around, or bounces off my hips too much, or is too tight to quickly & easily grab. If you are also short-torsoed and curvy, and you're happy with your cross-body camera setup, can you recommend a strap? Or suggest techniques and best practices, in case I'm just doing something wrong?
posted by rhiannonstone to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Have you tried the style of strap that has an extra "underarm" strap to help keep the main strap in place? example pic
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 12:06 PM on June 30, 2023

Do you wear a backpack on these adventures? If yes, I strongly encourage you to test drive a strap clamp camera mount. Achieves the cross-body position without needing an additional strap. I keep mine at chest height on my backpack strap. It's so much more liberating than I expected it could be.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:51 PM on June 30, 2023

I’m a big fan of the F1 strap from Simplr. I wear it cross-body style. It’s very easy to adjust the length on the fly — I shorten it up and tuck my camera behind me if I’m walking or hiking, but I can lengthen it as I pull my camera around to the front. I’m not explaining it well, but there are some videos on that site that show the strap in use. It’s not complicated at all once you get the hang of it.
posted by Pork-Chop Express at 5:17 PM on June 30, 2023

Does it HAVE to be cross-body? If it's mirrorless, it should be relatively light. Maybe wrist-wrap? Or neck-strap?
posted by kschang at 6:24 PM on June 30, 2023

Although I usually just use a wrist strap, when I do use a cross-body strap I find that it helps to attach the strap to a plate on the bottom of the camera instead of using the built in attachment points on top: this is the one I have. It makes the camera rest more naturally, especially with larger lenses attached.
posted by rpn at 12:56 AM on July 1, 2023

THIS ONE. You need this one. I have had it forEVER and it serves me so well on all my scampering adventures. It takes a few tries to get all the stop latches properly set, and I do find that the stops themselves can change for different adventures, but it is so easy to move everything around and customize to your heart's content.

And I love that it's shaped to fit between my boobs. SO COMFORTABLE.
posted by cooker girl at 7:32 AM on July 1, 2023

I have a harness I use for my binoculars, that is adjustable and works well with boobs and short torso. Would something like this work?
posted by gingerbeer at 1:27 PM on July 1, 2023