Not too long ago, I went on a hike up Mt. Monadnock with a friend and brought a DSLR on a two-point strap. It was irritating, to say the least. The strap compelled me to be exceptionally conscious about where the camera was dangling and how I needed to retain it. I spent most of the day with one hand glued to the camera, keeping it stationary and safe.
I was determined to find another method to carry a full-size camera without the irritation of a strap system.
Then, it occurred to me that I had seen the Peak Design Capture system on Kickstarter. Of course, it was out of its initial fundraising and production phases and was available for retail at a relatively high price ($79.99). While I was slightly discouraged by the price, I still bookmarked it as an option, among other things.
In a pleasant surprise, the Capture then found its way onto Huckberry at the discounted price of $65.00 (it is no longer available there, and may be purchased through Peak Design directly). It was too good to pass up and I am now the proud owner of the Peak Design Capture.
Unboxing
The Capture is packaged in a small cardboard box (no surprise there).
On the back of the box are the instructions for installation of the Capture and a description of the various parts on the device.
Inside the box there is a small microfiber bag. It was unexpected and is a nice little detail. If I ever need to store the system in a drawer or whatnot, it will be rather useful.
Of course, inside the bag is the Capture device.
Initial Impressions
When you pick up the Capture device it feels solid. It's constructed predominantly of aluminum with what I'm assuming are steel screws and springs. The only plastic portion is the quick-release button assembly.
Screwing the mount into the camera is, of course, exceptionally simple (it's a screw; if it's hard to figure out, maybe photography isn't for you). It installs into the camera's tripod mount. It should be initially hand-tightened followed up by a quick torque with a screw driver to ensure it's secure.
Installing the retention mechanism is also simple. There are two thumbscrews on either side that tighten the system onto whatever strap you can fit it around. If the strap you're attempting to fit the system around is rather thick the device unscrews into two parts. Otherwise, it unfolds to slide around a strap.I've affixed it to the strap of my Lightspeed for the foreseeable future.
On the top right of the Capture is the red quick release button. When you slide the camera into the mount it locks automatically; pressing the red button allows you to unlock and detach the camera. On the opposite side is a screw-down lock which prevents the camera from being removed, even by depressing the quick-release button.
When affixed to my Lightspeed the attachment system is barely noticeable. It took a couple minutes to decide where it looked and felt best on the strap. Based on those few minutes and walking around my apartment with the bag on my back I've decided, at least initially, that it's more comfortable mounted higher on the strap.
It seems that the Capture might be less comfortable if mounted to a "traditional" backpack strap without MOLLE-type webbing as the aluminum back-plate of the Capture would sit directly on the chest. Of course, this is just conjecture.
I'll be leaving the Capture's base-plate system on my bag during my daily ins and outs and I'll carry the camera around hiking and during other excursions (no, I don't carry a camera everywhere; there are unsurprisingly few photo opportunities in a law class). When I feel I have an adequate basis for producing a well-researched and -reasoned I'll post a more detailed discussion and review.
In any event, I really look forward to putting the Peak Design Capture through its paces...
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