There are more camera straps on the market than you could possibly count in a day. But every once in a while, a new one comes along that stands out among the more traditional designs.
One such option is the Restrap Sling, a “camera strap redesigned through the power of magnets.”
Known more for its lineup of cycling gear, Restrap is stepping out of its comfort zone a bit with the Restrap Sling. To help get this endeavor off the ground, it’s using Kickstarter to both gauge interest and collect the initial capital to get the product onto the market.
As its tagline suggests, the defining characteristic of the Restrap Sling is its clever use of extremely powerful magnets. Rather than permanently attaching the strap to a single camera, Restrap has made it so the mounting points of the strap are held securely by latching magnets. This ends the day of having to untie traditional straps or unscrew tripod-screw systems.
For those worried about thousands of dollars of gear hanging from two magnets, Restrap has puts its Sling to the test, showing the strap is easily capable of holding 50kg (about 110lbs). Also, the magnetic connections are safe for placing near any SD or CF cards — so no worries about your photos getting wiped.
For times when a shoulder strap is a bit too much, Restrap is also creating the Sling Grip, a similarly designed camera grip that utilizes the power of magnets at a much smaller level.
In addition to the connection points being magnetic, Restrap is including a custom lens cap attachment with a built-in magnet. This magnet is designed to snap into place on the outer portion of the Sling and Sling Grip — a wonderful idea considering how often lens caps just get tossed around or fall out of a pocket.
The Kickstarter campaign amassed £6,900 of its £10,000 goal, which is roughly $9,800. Within four days, the company achieved its goal, with 27 days left as of June 13, 2016.
The early bird specials are still live, although some have already sold out. At the moment, you can still pick up a Sling Grip hand strap for a pledge of 20 pounds (about $29), but the Sling camera strap early bird has finished. There’s no word if Restrap plans to have any stretch goals.
