REVIEW – I am well acquainted with numerous products from Peak Design, ranging from their travel bags and gear to some of their photography-focused items. Therefore, I was eager to evaluate the Peak Design Slide, specifically in the Ash colorway, alongside the other two Peak Design camera straps that I already owned.
What is it?
The Peak Design Slide is a high-end, heavy-duty strap that can be used as a carry strap for not only a heavy camera setup, but also as a strap for many other of your carry duties.
What’s included?
- 1x Slide camera strap.
- 1x 4 mm hex wrench
- 4x Anchor link loops (Red/Black)
- 1x Anchor mount
- 1x microfiber pouch
- 1x Quick Reference Card
The box also included a five-piece anchor split ring set and tool which is not mentioned on the website. This can be used on anything that contains eyelets which are not conducive (very small) for the included anchor link loops.
- 1x Anchor Split Ring Tool
- 2x Anchor Metal Split Rings
- 2x Anchor Split Ring Plastic Spacers
- 1x Anchor Split Ring Quick Reference Card
Tech specs
Click to expand
| Length | max length: 145 cm (57″) min length: 99 cm (39″) |
| Width | 45 mm (1.8″) |
| Weight | 148 g (5.2 oz) |
| Materials | strap: seatbelt-style nylon webbing, anodized aluminum, and glass-reinforced nylon adjuster hardware, Hypalon and leather accents (leather on Ash, Sage, and Midnight only)
connectors: glass-reinforced nylon Links with stainless steel springs, 2-layer anti-abrasion woven thermoplastic Anchor cord, thermoplastic Anchor over molding |
| Anchor Size | Anchor head diameter: 17 mm (0.67 in)
Anchor link length: 43 mm (1.7 in) |
| Anchor Mount Size | length: 30 mm (1.2 in) width: 20 mm (0.79 in) height (protrusion from camera): 5 mm (0.20 in)
strap loops: fits all generation Peak Design Anchors, plus straps up to 13 mm (0.51 in) wide |
| Strength Rating | Anti-abrasion thermoplastic-corded Anchors can withstand over 200 lbs (90 kg). Safe for use with the largest of professional cameras. |
| Warranty | Guaranteed for life |
Design and features
I’ll begin with a brief introduction to Peak Design’s range of camera straps. For readers unfamiliar with Peak Design’s offerings in this category, there are three options available. The flagship product, which is the focus of this review, is the Peak Design Slide. Additionally, there’s the Peak Design Slide Lite, which shares similar functionality but is thinner and lighter and finally, there’s the Peak Design Leash, a lightweight camera strap that has a slightly different mechanism for adjusting the length of the strap.
Now, returning to the review. As with all Peak Design products, the Peak Design Slide camera strap stands out as one would expect for its quality and durability. According to online documentation, the anchor link loops are claimed to support camera equipment weighing up to 200 pounds. While I won’t be verifying that claim in this review, I have confidence that the Peak Design Slide can indeed handle as much weight as the user is willing to place around their neck or shoulder.
Peak Design states that the Slide is marketed for DSLRs, while the Slide Lite is marketed for mirrorless cameras. Of course, this is not a hard fast rule as the size of your specific setup should dominate the decision process. The Slide is a larger and more comfortable camera strap as it is padded in the middle while the Slide Lite is not.
The most notable feature of the Peak Design Slide is its two smooth quick-pull strap length adjusters. These adjusters, again also found on the Peak Design Slide Lite, enable effortless one-handed adjustments in any direction, facilitating quick transitions between neck, shoulder, and sling configurations with ease.
Regardless of which camera strap is selected, all Peak Design’s camera straps employ the same unique anchor system, allowing for swift attachment and detachment from cameras, bags, or pouches. The Peak Design Slide comes with four anchors, two of which are pre-attached to the actual camera strap, while the others are neatly stored in an included grey pouch. One of the remaining other two camera anchors that are provided is pre-attached to the included anchor mount, allowing one end of any Peak Design camera strap to be attached to the bottom of a camera, where a tripod would typically connect.
The user manual, more akin to a quick start guide, features clear illustrations of various camera carrying positions as well as a wealth of other information. In my setup, as depicted in the accompanying images, I attach the Peak Design Slide to each side of the top of the camera where camera straps are conventionally secured. When I use the strap with the Peak Design Medium Camera Cube, I attach it to the two connection loops that gives me side access to the camera cube allowing for the quick removal and storage of the camera.
Given Peak Design’s reputation for compatibility and versatility, it’s no surprise that the Peak Design Slide camera strap seamlessly integrates with the Peak Design Capture camera clip, as evidenced by the four eyelets located on each corner around the Capture camera clip. The image showing the Capture mount also shows the included camera anchor mount, as previously described, providing users with multiple attachment options.
Now, let’s delve into the Peak Design Slide strap itself. The soft seatbelt material exudes a sense of high quality, complemented by the smooth anodized aluminum of the slide mechanism. This smooth side of any Peak Design camera strap allows for seamless sliding from carry to shooting position.
In the Peak Design Slide model specifically, the central part of the strap boasts comfortable padding, providing extra support during use. One side of the strap features the aforementioned smooth texture, while the other side is adorned with color and pattern-matching rubber ribs. This thoughtful design minimizes the risk of the strap slipping off, especially when worn over the shoulder.
Should you need to pack away the Peak Design Slide, the package includes a convenient drawstring pouch to safely store the strap along with any unused anchors and the tool required for attaching or detaching the anchor mount from the bottom of the camera. It should be noted that the anchor link loops are so flexible that they can even be placed between the camera and a tripod mount. Additionally, the ash colorway features leather accents near the anchor link connections, while the black colorway offers a leather-free alternative.
Peak Design always does a great job of demonstrating their equipment and there are two videos on their website that I recommend for anyone contemplating purchasing either the Peak Design Slide, or the Peak Design Slide Lite. There is the shorter Slide and Slide Lite deep design video, and the longer Slide and Slide Lite setup and tips video.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Setting up the Peak Design Slide camera strap is the same for all models and is straightforward. You attach two anchors to whatever you intend to use the strap with, and then utilize the uniquely designed button attachment system to easily attach and detach the Peak Design Slide camera strap from the item you’re using it with. The anchors consist of an anti-abrasion thermoplastic-corded loop, which is fed through the desired eyelet as found on a camera, or connection loop on the item, such as those found on Peak Design Camera Cubes.
As mentioned earlier, there’s also the anchor split ring set, which can be used if the attachment eyelet is too small for the anti-abrasion loop. Turns out some Nikon cameras have these very small loops. Who knew? The long Peak Design video mentioned above demonstrates the use of the anchor split ring set in that situation.
What I like about the Peak Design Slide Strap
- Single hand strap adjustment
- Peak Design’s legendary attention to detail.
- Anchor system.
What needs to be improved?
- I would have loved for the back of the box quick reference to be duplicated inside the box on maybe the back of the quick reference card.
- Provide just anchor links without the housings.
Final thoughts
Like everything Peak Design, the Peak Design Slide strap does not disappoint. Exquisite craftsmanship thoughtfully designed and climate neutral. The decision to pick up this camera strap is an easy one if you can afford it of course as it is a high end piece of camera gear.
I really like that I can use the Peak Design Slide on the Peak Design Medium Camera Cube and then once at my destination, I can unhook the Slide and connect it to my camera located inside in just seconds. It is also very nice that I can use the Peak Design Slide with their Field Pouch or Tech Pouch should I want to create a very comfortable sling bag from either of those.
If you need more anchor links, they are available from Peak Design and are a little pricey as they contain 2 anchor link housings which support using the Peak Design anchor link system with the camera straps that were originally provided with your camera or any other strap for that matter. I would not recommend that as the Peak Design Slide is just a better camera strap then is ever provided with any camera that I have seen.
Finally, here is a link to the Product’s Manual (Quick Start Guide). This really shows all the various features of the Peak Design Slide camera strap.
Price: $69.95
Where to buy: Peakdesign.com, Amazon, Best Buy
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Peak Design. Peak Design did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
