Cotton carrier Camera harness
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Alright friends. I never saw myself as a product review guy but I’ve finally come across something that I feel needs to be shouted from the roof tops. As some of you know, I spend a considerable amount of time hiking, searching for native wildlife to photograph. These hikes take me through all kinds of terrain all while carrying a heavy pack laden with lenses and camera bodies. My constant struggle became trying to cover distance while having quick & easy access to my camera and long lens combo in case a photo opportunity arose. I feel like I tried everything at some point. I carried my set-up by the tripod collar which is a short term solution at best. I made makeshift harnesses on my pack that I never fully trusted to not drop my camera in the mud. I even spent the money on Black Rapid shoulder straps, which I love but aren’t great for longer treks, as the camera is free to swing at your hip while hiking. I find myself using the Black Rapid harness for my commercial work such as family portraits and weddings when I’ll be shooting more than walking.
This brings me to my recent purchase. I want to point out that this is not a paid endorsement nor am I a sponsor of this company. In fact I paid full price for this product because I had been searching for something like this for months. The Cotton Carrier G3 Camera Harness popped up as a targeted Facebook ad and I was sold before even visiting their site. I’ll start with what I love about it because there’s a lot to cover.
Photo From Cotton Carrier Website
This harness system features a locking plate that mounts to the thread on the bottom of your mirrorless or DSLR camera. The mechanism slides easily into the chest mounting plate on the harness itself and can only be removed when turned ninety degrees. This means no unexpected falls. Just in case, they included a safety strap that attaches to the eyelet where a normal camera strap would attach, which then buckles to the harness. The harness itself is made of a soft yet durable fabric with breathable mesh. This doesn’t totally eliminate the heat buildup beneath it on hot days but it for sure helps. Not to be understated, this harness is extremely comfortable under an already heavy backpack.
I purchased the version that came with an additional carry all attachment and mounting plate. This can be used for anything from binoculars to a light weight tripod or even a second camera. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this addition. Many times, optional add-ons can feel like flimsy after thoughts but that’s not the case here.
Photo from Cotton Carrier Website
Essentially, everything about this product design is well thought out and intentional. Now that I’ve extolled the benefits, we have to get into a couple minor setbacks. The biggest flaw, if you can even call it that, is that while using the harness to carry my Nikon D850 with the 200-500mm Nikkor Lens, and Battery Grip, the tripod collar hangs down past the bottom of the padding on the harness. The tripod collar digs into my sternum which becomes uncomfortable over time. I know what you’re thinking,
“Take the tripod collar off, idiot!”
Yeah yeah I did that. The issue then becomes that there is to much angled pressure on the lens mount of the camera itself. I may just be nit picking but I never like to have the full weight of a lens that size hanging on the lens mount. My short term solution has been to put a small amount of upward pressure on the lens while hiking with this set-up. I also tried mounting the Cotton Carrier hardware onto the tripod collar instead of the thread on the bottom of the camera but this put the camera body to high for comfort. Lastly, The included rain cover is rather small for my needs but works well as a shower cap.
These “negatives’ are a small price to pay for quick, easy access to my gear without having to fumble around in my backpack. I went with the camo model first so I can stay sneaky in the woods but I’m ordering the gray one to match my Peak Design Bag as soon as I can. This product is the solution to most of my annoyance on long hikes with heavy gear and I’m only upset that I didn’t find it sooner!
