Hands-On Review and Kickstarter info: PeakDesign’s Capture Pro, Slide, Clutch and Anchor Links

If you’ve seen me walking around with my gear over the last year or two, you will probably see my camera hanging off the left side of my chest, supported by a small metal object called the PeakDesign Capture Pro Camera Clip. I originally purchased the product, along with a DUALplate that works with both ARCA style and Manfrotto RC2 Quick Release (QR) Plates via the company’s first Kickstarter campaign, and I absolutely love it. It is very strong, easily supporting my Canon 6D and 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens (about 3 lb. combined), and I plan to test an 8 lb. lens soon to see how it fares. It is easy to attach my camera to the clip via the DUALplate, and it’s also very easy to release my camera from the Capture Clip using my opposite hand on the red button. That being said, I often keep the camera attached to me and take photos that way, which was a fantastic revelation when I tested it the first time. Turning the camera to a vertical orientation is a bit more difficult while it is attached, but I manage to make it work. The advantage is that I will never drop the camera this way–I can quickly take a photo and not waste a moment, and the stability of the images is definitely improved.

The company launched its third Kickstarter campaign in July of 2014. Until now, I’ve purchased all of their gear via their two other Kickstarter campaigns and at their booth at the PhotoPlus Expo, but I was very interested in testing their newest gear, so when I was asked if I was interested in reviewing each of their newest products: Slide, Clutch and Anchor Links, I said “definitely!.” I plan to do a more in-depth review of these products soon, but I wanted to make sure I posted this before their Kickstarter campaign ends. In general, you can save at least $10 by purchasing via the Kickstarter campaign, and if the campaign has ended when you read this, the estimated availability of the products can be found on Peak Design’s website.

Here I am hanging out on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, NJ with a standard backpack and the PeakDesign Capture PRO Camera Clip (it is supporting my Canon EOS 6D and Canon 28-135mm IS lens). I can hardly feel that the camera is there, and I can take photos without even removing the camera from the clip, as I describe in the review (close-up of camera follows).

The small red button you see on the left below my collar is the part you press to release the camera from the PeakDesign Capture PRO Clip.

Slide

Let’s start with the PeakDesign Slide. This is a camera strap that uses the company’s Anchor link system (the anchors look like a coin attached to a small rubber band, and fit into a metal fastening device), which is truly a fantastic way to attach gear via a one-finger release that is almost impossible to mistakingly open (unlike some other “plastic click lock” systems I’ve seen). The strap works almost like a camera sling because the material (similar to seat belt material), slides along most clothing very smoothly. The padded strap is extremely well made, easy to adjust and the wide strap makes it very comfortable, even with relatively heavy DSLR/lens combinations (this is user dependent of course, but I could hardly feel my 3 lb. lens/camera combo when using the strap and walking around a studio and outdoors for an hour or so). You have the option of attaching the anchor links to the traditional metal neck strap rings or to one of PeakDesign’s QR plates. I prefer using the metal neck strap rings so that I can leave the QR plate free for mounting on my Manfrotto RC2-compatible tripod heads or monopod with RC2 adapter.

One minor thing I would have liked to see with the Slide is a choice of PeakDesign QR plates (for the Kickstarter campaign, only their ARCAplate is included). It’s really not a big deal for me for two reasons: First, I am not attaching the Slide to a plate at all, so it is just a bonus item that is included. If I did want to attach the Slide to the bottom of my camera, I already have a DUALplate. For those who don’t have a PeakDesign Capture or Capture PRO, which come with a choice of plates, and if you then want to use the Slide and attach the anchor links to the bottom, you’ll just need to purchase a DUALplate (about $30).

Clutch

Clutch is a new hand strap designed for the side of a camera. It is very nicely designed, and I found it very comfortable to use. It attaches to the right-side metal camera strap ring as well as the bottom of the camera via an anchor link. What I like most about it is that it is easy to tighten by pulling down on the sturdy rubberized part located on the end of the strap. It is also easy to release by just pulling up on the metal ring that has a carabiner on one end.

Anchor Links

Until the announcement of this product. PeakDesign’s Anchor links could only be found integrated into some of their products, including Leash (a lighter-weight camera strap compared with the Slide (but also strong and well-made) and Cuff, a wrist strap (also very well made and a product I like a lot).

Anchor links now allow you to turn any camera strap (or even straps like Guitar Straps (hint, hint!)) into quick-release straps using the very strong, one-hand releasable anchor link system.

New Products Announced: Shell and Capture Bino

PeakDesign also just announced two products, called Shell (a rain and dust cover) and Capture Bino (a binocular holder). See the Kickstarter page for more information.

Summary

I’m very impressed by all of PeakDesign’s products that I’ve used so far including their Capture Pro, ProPad, (which acts as support for their Capture plates), DUALplate, Slide, Clutch, and P.O.V. kit. I expect to post at least one more review  in the near future, including a review with video to show how I use the products. If there is one thing I’d like to see changed, it would be having the option to choose between the company’s ARCAplate and DUALplate (or new plate called the PROplate). Hopefully, that will be an option when the products start being sold. I would also like to see even stronger anchor links (maybe reinforced with steel wire). The current material used is very strong (I’ve been using them for years on different cameras), but they can fray, so you need to keep an eye on them.

To visit the company’s Kickstarter page (campaign ends 8/15/2014), visit this page.

Full Disclosure: I received one PeakDesign Slide, Clutch and set of Anchor Links to do this review and to test the products. I  will be keeping them for further testing, reviews, etc. I have not been compensated in any way other than by the receipt of the products for testing.

The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning Returns to NJ July 25-27, 2014

Get your cameras ready! An incredible event is taking place in NJ this Friday through Sunday July 25-27, 2014. This year’s QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is the 32nd annual running of the event, and it’s happening at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ from Fri. July 25 to Sunday, July 27, 2014. The photo opportunities at the festival are always incredible, and it looks like the weather will be perfect for the Friday balloon ascensions at 6:30am (Open to members with press passes, photographers and photo club members). There are also planned morning and afternoon balloon ascensions on Saturday and a planned morning ascension Sunday. I write “planned” because all ascensions are weather permitting. I plan to be there bright and early on Friday morning (and possibly on other days) taking photos with many other pro and amateur photographers and videographers.

There are also a lot of family-friendly events during the day, including a “Famous Movie Cars Exhibit,” rides for kids, and juggling/magic shows. And there are a LOT of food options, including many food trucks and a “pop-up” QuickChek store. The bands that they have lined up, including America (8pm on Friday), Three Doors Down (8pm on Saturday), and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (3pm on Sunday) look pretty amazing as well. You can either purchase reserved seats, or you can just enjoy the show from a lawn chair or blanket outside the main show area with your entrance to the festival since the concerts are all held outdoors under a covered stage. I was there last year for the REO Speedwagon concert, and the show was absolutely fantastic. The balloons glowing in the night sky during the “Night-time Balloon Glow” made it even more enjoyable.

Below is a gallery with a few of my photographs from the 2013 Festival, as well as a 2.5 minute video from the very end of the REO Speedwagon concert (includes a few seconds showing the “Wicked” Broadway show balloon glowing) to give you a feel for what it’s like to be there:

BE SURE TO ADJUST YOUR SPEAKERS for when the concert video appears (you’ll see a play button in the center of the screen).

For a good overview of the show, here is a link to a very informative interview from CBS News with Executive Producer Howard Freeman.

To get a better idea of exactly what to expect at the show, and to see a listing of all of the bands who are scheduled to play, below are direct links to the full schedule from the Festival website for each of the three days (I recommend printing these out or taking them with you on a mobile device so that you can get the most from the Festival):

Friday Event Schedule (PDF)
Saturday Event Schedule (PDF)
Sunday Event Schedule (PDF) 

Ticket Information and 33% off Tickets Available Until 11:59 pm Thurs. 7/24/2014

General ticket information can be found on this page, including links to information on purchasing balloon ride tickets. General Admission Tickets are $10 for children (age 4-12, children 3 and under are free) and $20 for adults when ordered by 11:59pm on Thurs. 7/24/2014. After that, they are $15 and $30 respectively. Other ticket options can be found under the “Tickets” section of the website.

Just in case this is your first time at the Festival, any general admission tickets purchased are valid for one day only. You can also avoid a $3/ticket online ordering surcharge by purchasing tickets at a QuickCheck store (here is a link to a page where you can search for a QuickChek location).

BookExpo America (BEA) Starts Today in NYC and Runs Until Sat. 5/31 – Some Quick Links

What if the Jacob Javits Center in New York City basically turned into the world’s largest bookstore for three days? That’s about the best way I can describe BookExpo America (a.k.a. BEA), being held from May 29-31, 2014. I covered the show last year for The Imaging Buffet, and you can find my article here for a look at a bit of what I experienced.

I was especially impressed by the number of photo and art books on display from many different publishers when I visited the show in 2013. I learned from the show website that Christopher Bonanos, author of Instant: A Cultural History of Polaroid (Princeton Architectural Press) will be a guest at the show this year. As a child of the 70s when a Polaroid camera was always nearby, and as a professional photographer raised on 35mm, medium and large format film (and Polaroid instant film), the brand brings back so many memories, and I look forward to reading the book.

This is a show for “the trade,” which means that you’ll need to be a professional in the industry to attend on Thursday 5/28 or Friday 5/29 (see the links below to see the categories if you’d like to attend on Thursday or Friday). If your job title does not fit into one of those categories, or if you’d prefer to save quite a bit on admission to the show, you might consider attending “BookCon” on Saturday, 5/31/2014 for just $30 (advance purchase) or $35 for tickets on-site: https://www.thebookcon.com/. You will then have access to the show floor, autographing area (over 750 authors are signing books this year at the show) as well as quite a few special events that are happening on Saturday. And don’t forget the kids! I would guess that at least 25% of the show is dedicated to children’s books, activities, toys, games, etc. Tickets for kids 6-12 years old for BookCon are $5.

Below are some links related to BookExpo 2014:

• Main Show Page
• Show Info/FAQs
• Link to the 2014 Exhibits and Conference Pass Pricing Page.
• A list of guests who are expected to be at the show. The list includes John Grisham, Mario Batali, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Martin Short and Peter Rabbit, just to name a few.
• Exhibitor Directory
• Autographing Area Main Page
• The BEA Mobile App Page
• BEA on Twitter
• BEA on Facebook
• BEA on Instagram
• BEA on YouTube
• A great post about a young person’s BookExpo experience from her blog, Words Like Silver, with some tips for getting the most from the show. Other posts related to the Expo, including her recent “Armchair BEA” posts (because she wasn’t able to attend the show this year), can be found here.

Here’s a fun video from (and starring) some of the folks who produce the show. Don’t miss the adorable cat at about 2:30 who wasn’t showing off any books (but I’m guessing he or she is a fan of Grumpy Cat, who will be at the show on Saturday signing books in Chronicle Books’ Booth #2827 from 12:00-1:30pm).

I also highly recommend taking some time to visit the New Title Showcase, which is in the upstairs lobby area of the Javits Center. There you will find a huge number of hardcopy and digital titles on just about every subject you can imagine.