REVIEW – As a photographer, having convenient harnesses and belts to easily and safely carry a camera and related gear has been at the top of my priority list when out on a shoot. It is important to be able to have access to multiple lenses and even a second camera without having to stop the action to go into a gear bag to grab the gear. Cotton Carrier has been very good at designing and creating systems to accommodate photographers and the Cotton Carrier SlingBelt and Bucket System should not disappoint.
What is it?
The SlingBelt is a carrier/harness system for cameras, lenses and other gear. It is ergonomically designed to sit comfortably on your hip and includes the ability to customize by adding an additional camera mount, in addition to the lens bucket.
What’s in the box
1 x SlingBelt
1 x Bucket
2 x DryBags
1 x Twist and Lock Camera Mount
1 x Shoulder Strap
1 x Allen Key
1 x Informational Leaflet
Design and features
On one side of the waist belt section of the SlingBelt system, there is the built-in twist and lock camera mount. The section is padded.
On the back of the mount, there is padding and the rest of the waist belt with adjustable buckles.
The shoulder strap is also padded and adjustable.
The lens bucket is quite deep and padded on the inside. It has a velcro strap to go around the SlingBelt waist belt and there are clips on the inside for you to attach the DryBags should you choose to use them.
The DryBags are designed to fit and clip into the lens bucket for a secure carry.
Performance
The SlingBelt system arrived in a brown box as usual and I recognized the great quality as soon as I opened the box, which is also as usual for this company. The first thing that I did was to attach the camera twist and lock mounting system to the bottom of the camera using the included Allen key.
I then attached the safety strap to the camera. This strap locks into the shoulder strap to ensure that that camera does not fall if it slips out of your hand.
The system is easy to put on, and as you can see from the picture of my model below, it sits on the hip and everything is within the reach of your hands. The camera can be positioned with the lens facing forward, downward or backward as per your choice. The lens bucket can be placed in several positions around the waste, but under the opposite had is the logical position unless you choose to attach a second camera mount (not included).
It is very easy to unlock the camera from the mount and swing upwards to take photos. The camera remains attached to the shoulder strap so it remains secure.
The lens bucket is deep and wide enough to accommodate 2 fairly large lenses, but I would not use it as designed because there is no included padding to separate the two lenses. I do not like the idea of two of my expensive lenses slamming against each other as I move around. It works great if you are carrying just one extra lens.
As previously indicated, Cotton Carrier also sent 2 DryBags that are designed to fit and clip into the bucket for a secure carry and to keep your lenses dry.
You can also your the camera mount to carry other gear like a tripod, etc.
What I like
- The versatility of the attachments
- The construction quality
- The ease of use
- The comfort when wearing and using it.
- The practicality
What I’d change
- Include a removable padded divider for the lens bucket
Final thoughts
As with all of the other Cotton Carrier harness systems that I own and have tried, this system works well and easily integrates into my photography session workflow. Keeping in mind that photographers like myself have different harness needs for each shooting scenario, there is definitely a good place and time where this system will be perfect. The construction and quality are great and this is another great addition to my useful and regularly used gear. Once again I give Cotton Carrier a well done and two thumbs up.
Price: Estimated MSRP $128 (Jan. 2020 estimated delivery)
Where to buy: The Cotton Carrier website
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Cotton Carrier.
