Hi,
I have happened to end up with both these straps, and having used each for a couple of shooting days apiece now, thought I would post my thoughts.
TL;DR: Sun-Sniper trumps the BlackRapid in terms of strap design, connector engineering, general comfort and fit. The BlackRapid costs less.
The BlackRapid:
http://www.blackrapid.com/products/classic
Pros:
- Cheaper than the Sun-Sniper.
- You can use the carabiner to put some nice torque on the connector.
- Strap "bumpers" are a nice idea: allows you to lock the camera in place on the strap when you do not want it to slide up and down.
Cons:
- Strap is horribly uncomfortable, *waaaaaaaaay* too wide. Ridiculous really. It is almost as if to save on high-quality cushioning, they went wide to distribute the weight. I find myself continually having to pull it away from my neck, which it keeps trying to cut. It is worse when wearing a jacket with a smooth other surface, constantly rides up my neck and chaffs me (best case) or chokes me (worst case). You can buy speciality BlackRapid designs (such as the Sport etc.) that have a built-in curve, are narrower, or better cushioning, but the Classic is a no-go for me.
- Carabiner + connector system is noisy. Clank, clank, clank, clank. You can shell out some $$ to go for "stealth" connector, essentially a vinyl-coated one. I have patched mine to make it quieter using duct tape. But either way, there is no way to really silence the metal carabiner itself.
Sun-Sniper Pro II
http://www.sun-sniper.com/en/the-pro-ii-491.html
Pros:
- Strap is *really* comfortable. Not too wide, not to thin, great cushioning, nice friction so that it does not slide too much, and some nice shock-absorbing rubber built-in.
- Connector is actually engineered as opposed to being to something thrown together at Home Depot, and it is engineered very, very, very well.
Cons:
- You have to use your fingers to twist the connector into the camera, and the circular head of the connector means you have to squeeze tight. It would nice if they supported, e.g. a coin-twist or allen screw or something
- Pricier than the BlackRapid
Conclusion:
All in all, I far and away prefer the Sun Sniper. Yes, I know BlackRapid has all these modular components, but I find all of this rather gimmicky, and the basic product (at least, the Classic) is flawed and falls short when compared to the Sun Sniper.
Other thoughts:
I have a RRS L-bracket on my body, and while this has a ΒΌ"-20 threaded socket that will accept the Sun Sniper connector (or the BlackRapid), I actuall decided to get this:
http://reallyrightstuff.com …ctDesc.aspx?code=B2-FAB-F
This overcomes the one major drawback of the Sun Sniper, the hassle of fiddling with the small connector head with your fingers. Quality product, as anything from RRS.
Incidentally, I find the camera sits much better when attaching the strap to the side (which I can do as the body has an L-plate) rather than the bottom.
