If we were to take a ride in the wayback machine to the late 1980’s, you would see me sporting a Canon AT-1 with a 50mm lens. That is when I had the time to spend learning about F-stops, shutter speeds, lighting, and a bunch of other fun photography details.
Jump to the present, and I am trying to reuse that detailed info that still resides in my cranium all these years later. I’ve since put my point-and-shoot out to die, but instead of going full bore into a DLSR kit, I chose to buy a bridge camera, as it gives more options than an auto-focus but is not as bulky as a DLSR.
To hold my camera when I am out hiking, I reached out to Peak Design to test their Capture camera clip system. The GearCaster first gave some press to the Capture when the start-up was running a capital campaign on Kickstarter in 2011.
When out on the trail, I need to easily access my camera but also have a stable way to secure it. The Capture is a clip that attaches around the harness of your backpack, best placed on your harness strap at the mid to upper chest area. The Capture can also be mounted on a belt in addition to any strap.
To secure the Capture to your pack’s harness, take the plastic mounting clip and screw it into the female tripod mount located on the bottom of your camera. Next, take the aluminum clamp and slide and lock it onto your harness strap using two securing bolts. Then, slide the camera with the attached mounting clip into the mounting plate until it clicks. The click indicates that it is secure.
The Peak Design Capture has accompanied me on multiple hikes. I am a hike leader for a local outdoors club in Pittsburgh. Outside of taking the lead on the trail, I also like to snap photos of what we see and the group’s members. The Capture enables me to quickly grab my camera when we stumble upon a herd of deer, or quickly take the high ground off the trail and snap off several shots of the group.
Once finished, I simply snap my camera back onto my pack’s harness and run to the beginning of the group so we do not get off course. The Capture gives me the ability to multi-task and to feel comfortable that my camera is secure and will not be damaged by unexpectedly hitting a tree or falling to the ground.
It took me some time to feel confident that the Capture would securely hold my camera at first, as the mounting clip screws securely into the female-ended tripod mount but does not keep your camera in a fixed position. This results in your camera rotating, and made me feel that it could accidentally dislodge from the mounting clip. This has never happened, however, and I am not anticipating that it will.
If you are looking for a quick access camera-carrying solution for your outdoor pursuits, I highly recommend the Peak Designs Capture. (MSRP $79.99)
–Jason Renda, Head Gear Geek at OutdoorInformer