Cotton Carrier Style vs Spyder Holster Style carriers

Hi all, So i am looking for a new system to take my cameras.
I shoot at tracks across the UK and often smaller shoots around town / with animals.

At the moment i use a BR sport strap and love it. HOWEVER i don't like how much the camera swings and the weight is over one shoulder.
The setup i will be using is:
350D with either 50mm f1.8 or 8mm f3.5
and
1D Mk III with Sigma 50-500 Bigma

I was thinking i would get either THIS cotton carrier style with the 50-500 on my chest

or

THIS
with one on either side.

Anyone had experience with either of these carriers?

urbanfreestyle wrote in post #17711910
Hi all, So i am looking for a new system to take my cameras.
I shoot at tracks across the UK and often smaller shoots around town / with animals.

At the moment i use a BR sport strap and love it. HOWEVER i don't like how much the camera swings and the weight is over one shoulder.
The setup i will be using is:
350D with either 50mm f1.8 or 8mm f3.5
and
1D Mk III with Sigma 50-500 Bigma

I was thinking i would get either THIS cotton carrier style with the 50-500 on my chest

or

THIS
with one on either side.

Anyone had experience with either of these carriers?

I have all of them and also not only Cotton Carrier and Spyder Holster, but also the Black Rapid Strap.
Which one you choose is really a matter of personal preference.
For me, I like the Black Rapid much more than the other 2.
Spyder comes second and Cotton Carrier is a far 3rd.

Really? that surprises me! i thought the CC would be at least 2nd. Why do you prefer the spider over the CC?

I have a BR double and a double spiderholster.

I had the same issues as you with the BR - the cameras swing around a lot

I took the spiderholster belt bits off the supplied belt, and just run them on my everyday belt (its a heavy duty 1.5" nylon gunbelt by "the wilderness")
I love the system, no straps, no swinging - just pick the cameras up and drop the pin into the slot, pull the camera our and away to ensure its locked in properly, then let go.
To grab it again, grab, pull up, shoot.
No messing with straps slipping off your shoulder, or fighting with your backpack (unless you have a proper pack with a waistbelt)

Have been running my Spideholsters with a pair of 1DX - 24-70 on one side and 70-200 on the other
After three years heavy use the pins are looking pretty worn, and will replace them soon.


No experience with the cotton carrier, it looks a bit geeky for me, and my blackrapid only gets used when there is a risk of injury/loss from dropping the camera - work at height and around water mainly.

?Sounds like the spider style will work well for me then, I'm often wandering the racetrack (trackside) so need quick access and nothing to swing arround when i'm running away from sliding cars! haha!

I am soooo ordering the double spider holster as soon as i have the funds. I currently have the BR Double and it does not work very well for carrying 2 cameras while moving and crouching at weddings. You have to move slowly or hold them because they will swing. One also hits the ground if you crouch too far, and I like to get low angles. The spider system stay right where you leave it, on your hip.

I do LOVE my double BR as a single though. Its a great cross-chest should strap for a single camera.

Decision made then Spider it is!

urbanfreestyle wrote in post #17711961
Really? that surprises me! i thought the CC would be at least 2nd. Why do you prefer the spider over the CC?

CC looks too weird an geeky.
I would not wear it outside.

Why Black Rapid strap over Spyder?
Because I don't want to drop my equipment by accident. Spyder has no insurance whatsoever.
And the camera swinging part had not really bothered me much yet.

True I guess there is no safety leash :-/ I'll take the risk though for ease. More wanted to rule out the cc. Then again i have insurance so not too worried

Van Gogh wrote in post #17712548
Why Black Rapid strap over Spyder?
Because I don't want to drop my equipment by accident. Spyder has no insurance whatsoever.

When was the last time you dropped your camera and the strap caught it ?

The camera is either securely in the holster (theres even a locking latch that stops it being removed, i have never used it)
Or in your hand - a bit of care when picking it up or putting it back and you wont have a problem.

Even switching between two cameras is easy with a bit of practice.

urbanfreestyle wrote in post #17712614
True I guess there is no safety leash :-/ I'll take the risk though for ease. More wanted to rule out the cc. Then again i have insurance so not too worried

You can use a hand strap w the spider if u want

I love my Cotton Carrier. Use it with my 300 f 2.8.
I also have the BR Sport, but for a large and heavy lens the CC works great.

I LOVE my CC, and I use it exclusively for heavy lenses with my 5DIII. I've tried BR Sport and Peak Design. While they can work with heavier gear, CC is my preferred choice.

As for CC looking geeky, I too had that initial reservation until I came up with a simple solution: Seasonal photographer's vest as seen here:

hmm... could the cc be back in play?

I couldnt use a seasonal gillet with it as the side holster is a bit high for that? and i'm curious how the bigger lenses feel on your shoulders after a day's shooting?

You don't have to zipper the photographer's vest to allow the dual camera CC system to work. The only thing that makes the CC look stupid is what goes on your back side, so whether you zipper up the front photographer's vest or not makes no difference really.

When I was younger, I used to carry big lenses on my shoulders all day. Not any more without aches that last for days. I used to abuse my body in my younger days, and I'm now paying for my youthful folly.