Gear Review: Peak Design Clutch & Sony A7 IV
The Peak Design Clutch with a Sony A7 IV, tested in Norwegian summer heat and Nordkapp wind. What it fixes about the standard strap.
For some recent filming, I switched to a Sony A7 IV, a camera which I rate highly, but I do not love its very dangly strap.
I took the camera on a test run to Nordkapp, the most northerly place you can drive to on the European mainland.
In both extreme heat (in mid-summer in Norway) and the occasional high winds at Nordkapp, I spent more time trying to hold down the strap than taking useful B-roll. I have more than one image with a swinging camera strap in shot!
Pictured: Sony A7 IV with its giant strap, at Nordkapp in the Arctic Circle
The Clutch Problem
After that trip, I was back in Northern Ireland and went to my local camera shop to try to find a camera cube. In my mind, I had worked out that a strap isn't always the right solution, particularly for using the camera outside.
However, I didn't know that a camera clutch exists and is called a camera clutch. I described the problem to the shop manager and he led me directly to the Peak Design Clutch.
Peak Design Clutch
This link or the button below will bring you to Peak Design's website and all of its sales information on the Clutch.
However, let me try to sum up why this works for me. I am not a fan of a camera strap. Wearing a camera over your chest does mark you out as a tourist (not always a bad thing), but it's unwieldy if you need to capture something quickly. Simply carrying the camera in your hand does get tiring, especially when using a bigger lens.
The mesh and hardware of the Peak Design Clutch feel comfortable and well-mad
The Peak Design Clutch secures the camera to your hand, so that - when you're walking along - you don't feel the weight of the camera so much. A quick adjustment and you have access to all the controls.
It feels well made to me: the mesh is comfortable and high-grade while the metal hardware is burnished to a smooth finish. Some people use both a hip-strap (which I think Peak Design also makes) AND a Clutch, but for me that would be overkill.
For street photography and quick reactive videos, I think a Peak Design Clutch will be my go-to accessory.
Please note: you probably CAN get a cheaper product (you should totally check that out), but the two Peak Design products I've bought so far are very resilient, so I'd be tempted to save a bit longer, rather than end up buying twice.