Fotospeed F1S Camera Shoulder Strap Review

Fotospeed F1S Camera Shoulder Strap

I first got to know about Fotospeed F1S camera strap when I was searching for a shoulder camera strap that can hold my gear securely and is durable. I was looking for a budget shoulder strap and was on a lookout for an affordable Black Rapid alternative, this is when I heard about the Fotospeed brand.

Some of the key features of the Fotospeed F1S camera strap are:

  • Flexible Neoprene & Air Cushion Shoulder Pad
  • High Tenacity Nylon Strap
  • One Press Positioning Lock/Release
  • Aviation Aluminum Connector
  • Length Self-adjustment
  • Additional Safety Strap
  • The baseplate can be used directly on ARCA-SWISS tripod mounts

I have now been using the Fotospeed F1S camera strap for more than 6 weeks for street, wedding and fashion photo shoots. In this post I would be sharing my review about this product, do read the complete review to get to a conclusion.

Camera strap material and grip

The strap on which the slider runs is made up of nylon, which further adds on to the swiftness of the slider. The shoulder pad of the strap is made up of neoprene (synthetic rubber) which is flexible in nature and also has air cushion design. My experience has been good and the pad does hold its position well even when I raised the camera to my eye level to click photos. The under-arm strap adds to the ability of the pad to stay firm and not come off the shoulder.

Fotospeed F1S Camera Shoulder Strap

The nylon strap can be adjusted easily up to the length of 40cm, thus making the total length of the camera strap to 190cm. The buckle holding the strap together has a double lock feature, one is the basic lock and the buckle opens only when you press the second lock.

Connector attachment built quality and other features

The biggest fear of mounting your gear on a shoulder strap is the possibility of the gear falling off the shoulder strap mount. This is the reason you need to be sure of the durability and built quality of the connector that holds the camera.

The connector of F1S by Fotospeed is made up of aviation aluminum and zinc alloy and is abrasion resistant (does not wear off when rubbed with other material). The moment you hold it in your hand you realize that it is heavy and can safely hold your camera.

The baseplate (the other end of the connector) can directly be mounted on ARCA-SWISS tripod mounts (most commonly used), no need to detach the baseplate again and again.

Fotospeed F1S Camera Shoulder Strap

Connector performance and lock accuracy

To connector sits on a metal part which is used a lock and release slider, this allows you to lock the position of the connector holding the camera at required position. As per my personal experience, I am not quite happy with the performance of the lock. Till the time I am standing still, it does hold its position but as I start moving or bend forward it fails to hold the position. This could be a manufacturing defect in the unit that I purchased, not quite sure.

Fotospeed F1S Camera Shoulder Strap

 

Talking about the movement of the slider from the waist-level to the eye-level, I am happy with the performance and swiftness. Make sure that the length of the belt is as per your requirement if it is too loose or tight, it can cause issues in the movement of the slider.

For additional safety of your gear, the F1S has a safety strap one end of which is to be attached on the camera and the other on the lock and release slider. This further ensures that your camera does not fall off from the connector of the camera strap.

Is it worth buying?

I got the Fotospeed F1S camera strap for Rs.3,200, at this cost this is a smart and secure investment. The shoulder pad sits comfortably on your shoulder and I do not feel any pain even after using it for more than 6-8 hours in a stretch. The slider also moves smoothly, thus allowing you to click photos swiftly. The connector is of superior quality and you can be trust that your camera would not fall off. The only issue I had while using this camera strap was with the lock and release slider, the lock is not that accurate. Maybe the product that I have been using has some manufacturing defect or it could be because of the reason that the strap is made up of nylon.

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