“Isn’t it time you focussed on your shot, and not your strap?” is the question that the folks at Qimera Gear pose to you, and rightfully so. Too often, we allow our obsession with gear and accessories to come in the way of us getting great photographs. The less we have to worry about fiddling with and adjusting our gear, the more time we get to mentally focus on composing our pictures. And there’s also the constant worry that some of us have about whether our camera is truly safe in our hands. Putting those worries to rest is the Flat Strap from Qimera Gear. It’s slim, robust, and easily adjustable. But best of all, it has a great locking mechanism that secures itself to your camera in a way I’ve never seen before
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The Big Picture: Qimera Gear Flat Strap Conclusions
While there weren’t too many third-party camera straps in the recent past, and photographers were accustomed to using either stock-brand camera straps or handmade leather ones, the playing field has certainly opened up in the last decade or so. In such a competitive niche for camera accessories, even attempting to come out with a camera strap is somewhat commendable. But for bringing out one that does more than a decent job at a relatively affordable price, Qimera deserves to be lauded. The Flat Strap is super easy to set up, looks stylish when paired with your camera, isn’t flashy enough to attract the attention of pickpockets when you’re abroad, and doesn’t weigh you down at all
For its slim design, ingenious method of securely locking onto your camera, lightweight material, easy adjustment methods, and relative unobtrusiveness, I’m giving the Qimera Gear Flat Strap four out of five stars. I only wish it came in a few more color options to give some photographers the option of standing out from the crowd.
Pros
- Super slim compared to most camera straps these days
- Lightweight
- Stylish
- Fast and easy length adjustment
- Exceptionally good locking mechanism to ensure the strap never slips off your camera
Cons
- Comes in just one color currently
- It could have also had a thin-width option for smaller mirrorless cameras. Some of you might feel this strap is a little too wide
Gear Used
I used the Qimera Gear Flat Strap with a Nikon Zf, 40mm f2 lens, and a Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 lens.
Ergonomics
True to its name, this Qimera strap is among the more flatter straps you can buy today. Most stock straps are thick or double-layered. Leather straps, as thin as they are, are still thicker than this. It almost looks like a seatbelt and even feels like it to the touch. You hardly ever feel it around your neck, and it doesn’t cut into your skin like some straps can.
The strap works with cameras that have closed loops of 5mm or bigger, so there’s a possibility it might not work with some vintage cameras that have tiny eyelets.
Ease Of Use
Here’s where the Qimera Gear Flat Strap really shines. Firstly, you must swiftly thread the thin Dyneema loops (trademarked as the world’s strongest fiber) through the camera lugs. Unlike some strap systems that require you to loop them complexly, making you feel like you’re tying a sailor’s knot at times, or have to clip them into a lock/lug system and pray they never come off on the Flat strap, you don’t do any of this. You simply insert the threaded loop into the plastic clasps on the strap, which are then screwed over tightly onto the straps, preventing any possibility of them coming off. When you complete this on the first clasp you’ll be amazed at how simple the system is and why it wasn’t thought off sooner.
The strap is adjustable in length (from 93 to 152cm / 36 to 60 in), so you don’t have to worry about your camera hanging too low or high on your torso. If you’re someone who likes to take your camera off your neck and wrap it around your wrist, it’s soft and slim enough to easily do this.
Build Quality
At not one point during the use of this strap did I feel like it was unreliable or going to slip off. It pretty much felt like a seatbelt for the camera. It’s an excellent fit-it-and-forget-it system. The screw clasp system gives you the reassurance that the strap isn’t going to slip off the camera, and the Dyneema loops definitely don’t feel like they’re going to wear thin any time in the near future.
It’s all scratch-free materials used in the making, so your precious camera and lenses won’t get scuffed or damaged in any way. If you’re someone like me who loves keeping your gear in mint condition no matter how old it is, you’ll love this.
Qimera Gear Flat Strap Vs. Peak Design Slide
The Qimera Gear Flat Strap is definitely the more sleek of the two and is considerably narrower. It often doesn’t feel like you’re wearing it, which isn’t the case with the PD Slide model. It also comes in slightly cheaper. The one drawback that could be corrected tomorrow even is the lack of color options. I’d like to see something like olive or military green, midnight blue, and even camel-colored options. These would surely make the Flat Strap appeal to more photographers. However, for it’s quick yet super-safe attachment tech and its supremely comfortable feel, I’d pick the Qimera Gear strap as the winner.
If flat straps aren’t your thing, Qimera does have a rope option with the same attachment mechanism, available for purchase on their website
