I don’t really understand why you are dropping the camera on the thread. I get the testing it but surely that’s like swingin it around your head, it’s asking for trouble.

Depending upon the load, the wire/rod may gradually bend, especially if the camera drops, rather than just hangs. That can increase the force on the ring by a factor of 2-5, easily. (It’s about “g-forces.”) As the wire/rod bends, the angle at which it contacts the edge of the hole may change so that there is a component of force along the length of the wire/rod, as well as across it. That force will tend to cause the wire/rod to slide and it may gradually open, just as the lighter-duty D-rings have done for several. At some point, it could open up and drop the camera. I wonder if the R-Strap manufacturer has done any repeated drop tests (say, 15 lbs dropped from 3-4 ft at least 1,000 times)? It might work if everything is heavy enough, but the design has basic problems. A continuous ring (e.g., a welded circle) might be better. (That’s how heavy-duty chains are made.)

There are two other problems I can see. One minor one is the rubber washer/cushion. Putting something compliant–rubber, cork, etc–between the screw and the camera can easily lead to over-tightening the screw and possibly damage to the tripod mount on the camera. A direct, non-yielding contact will prevent that. (We have the same problem in horseback riding with girths with elastic ends–it’s easy to over-tighten them.) That’s why top-quality quick-release plates (e.g., Kirk, Really Right Stuff, Wimberley) usually do not have cork or rubber between the plate and the body.

More serious, though, is a concern about the design of the tripod mount. I don’t know if the camera manufacturers factored in the camera hanging from the tripod mount and being subjected to impact forces as it will be if the camera is dropped. (Small cameras often have plastic tripod mounts.) The tripod mount normally has the load applied the other way–toward the camera body. Jerking on the tripod mount might damage the tripod mount or even circuitry that’s nearby. The method that I mentioned a bit above uses the camera strap lugs, which were designed to take tension loads and impacts. (Plus, each lug normally takes only about half the load.)

This may be hooey, of course.

Thanks!

I don’t use a Bogen QR system–it’s too restrictive (one plate is used for everything) and doesn’t give good results with lenses nor in preventing rotation of the camera in portrait mode. Instead, I use the universal, standard Arca-Swiss system (Markins and Triopo ballheads, Jobu gimbal head) and plates from Really Right Stuff and Wimberley. Those do not have cork or rubber “cushions,” which can lead to over-tightening of the screw and damage to the camera’s tripod socket or internal circuitry. The RRS plates are custom-made for various camera bodies and battery grips, so they fit snugly and prevent rotation with ridges on the front and/or back of the plate. My favorites are the RRS L-plates for camera bodies (I have them on my Canon 30D and G9) and the WImberley lens plates for collared lenses.

Those who use an Arca-Swiss system and the R-strap might consider getting a good quality clamp (Kirk has very nice clamps, as does RRS) that has a 1/4″-20 threaded hole and mounting it on the R-strap’s bolt, then using the clamp (TIGHT!) to attach the camera. That way, you can quickly move from the R-strap to a tripod or monopod without compromising the security of the R-strap’s bolt. (If you unscrew it and then screw it back in while you’re in a hurry, you may not screw it in securely.)