Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap Review
See what we like and dislike about one of the most popular camera straps of the year - the Peak Design Slide Lite. In-depth real-world review.
There are certain pairings and duos in life that you just cannot deny must have been created by some divine being.
Wonderful combinations such as Wine and Cheese, Salt and Pepper, Han and Chewbacca, and the greatest of all – a Camera and a Strap.
The greatest love affair there could be. Like sure, everybody expects a lens to be the greatest pairing, one so strong that some cameras come fixed with one. But the camera strap is a choice, and that choice can be beautiful.
High-quality, affordable camera strap that’s versatile, comfortable and quick to adjust.
I’ve been using the Peak Design Slide Lite for about 6 months now – it is the smaller sibling of the original Slide, designed for use with Mirrorless and smaller DSLR cameras.
It has been close to perfect for my Sony A7iii…. but when I say close, it is not perfect. There are a few things about it that aren’t particularly ideal, however, I am happy to live with them!
Think of it like your partner’s annoying friend. You put up with them because you care for your partner…
Enough of that! Let’s dive in to my Peak Design Slide Lite review.
Peak Design Slide Lite Specs
- The soft touch feel of the materials used
- The trust it evokes with the build quality and strength
- The look and style of the two colour options
- The grips on the middle neck line
- Quickly and easily change the length using the adjusters
- The loop/hoop shape the strap makes when lifting the camera to your face when being used at a shorter length
- It feels a bit heavy for a strap
- Bulky pack up size
- Bottom anchor point takes up the tripod mounting hole, and requires the hex wrench to remove.
- If strap removed, the anchors can bang against the camera in the wind or while the camera is being used on a gimbal, causing clacking noises in video.
Camera Strap Length:
Max length: 145 cm (57″)
Min length: 99 cm (39″)
Strap Width: 32 mm (1.3″)
Weight: 104 g (3.7 oz)
Anchors:
Anti-abrasion thermoplastic-corded Anchors can withstand over 200 lbs (90 kg). Safe for use with the largest of professional cameras.
Anchor Links head diameter: 17 mm (.67 in)
Anchor Links loop length: 43 mm (1.7 in)
Anchor Mount Size:
25% slimmer Anchor housing hardware. New low-profile Anchor Mount is strong, versatile, and leaves a tiny footprint.
Length: 30 mm (1.2 in)
Width: 20 mm (.79 in)
The Peak Design Slide Lite (V3) camera strap that I am reviewing here comes in two colour options. It is available in a sleek black, and their popular ash grey colour. Both pair nicely with their range of bag colour options.
They come packaged with 4x V4 Anchors (Which have been updated to be smaller and easier to use, as well as being more durable and secure). An Anchor Mount with a 4mm hex-wrench, 2 small spare rings, and a pouch to store your included pieces.
The included Anchor Mount contains a 1/4-20 UNC thread (similar to tripods) and can attach to pretty much any camera.
You can generally fit up to 4 Anchors on the one mount. Giving you the ability to disconnect your camera strap and connect it elsewhere on the camera, or connect up other Peak Design straps using the bottom Anchors, such as the Peak Design Clutch or Peak Design Cuff.
Build & Appearance
The Peak Design Slide Lite is a high quality and well built strap
They say first impressions last, and they do. My first impression of this popular Peak Design strap was that it looks and feels like a car seat-belt. But I trust a car seat-belt, I trust it to save my life. So why not trust a seat-belt style strap to save your camera?
The tightly woven nylon webbing that makes up the Peak Design Slide Lite looks great, is built to last, and is smooth to touch. It isn’t scratchy or rough in any way.
The edges feel tapered off and rounded. In the most recent version of the Slide Lite, the nylon webbing has been improved with a much tighter and a far more durable weave.
Although webbed nylon is rather solid and tight, it doesn’t get too uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Any camera strap will get uncomfortable, and at first this was one of my concerns when I began using it. But to be honest I have not grown tired or sore from using this product yet.
However, I am well aware that depending on the weight of your camera and lens combination it could potentially get rather uncomfortable.
However, given how easy it is to change the length and wear it a different way, I’m sure that would help! It does help me. I change it up regularly.
(There’s also the option of a slightly wide strap – check out the Peak Design Slide review for more on that.)
Sometimes you’ll find me walking the streets swinging my camera around like a baton. I know it’ll hold, it’s rated to 90kg.
One of the other recent updates to the Slide series of straps includes a silicone rubber grip, which has been built in to help keep it from slipping off your body when using it as a shoulder strap.
The quick pull adjusters are made of a nice-looking combination of aluminium and plastic, they feel good quality and don’t give the impression that they’re going to give way anytime soon.
They’re kind of fun to fiddle with. I find myself subconsciously flicking them open and closed… This makes me wonder how long they’ll last – watch this space!
Ease of Use
Peak Design have somehow improved on and simplified an already simple task
Being a camera strap, there’s not much to say about how to use it. You connect it to your camera and then you stick your head through it. Other than that, all that is left is mentioning how to connect it or resize it.
Being Peak Design, it’s the small simple details that make this trap special – their wonderful way of making a basic simple task, even simpler and easier!
To lengthen and shorten the camera strap, all it takes is a quick flick of the quick pull aluminium adjusters and a light tug on the strap. It’ll smoothly slide through in either direction. Something you can do one handed while holding a camera or a coffee (or beer?).
The adjusters are light, yet tight. They open and close with a rather satisfying click (hence the fiddling).
The wonderful Peak Design Anchors can be mounted to either side of your camera, as well as on the Anchor Mount attached to the bottom, giving you multiple ways to attach and wear your Peak Design Slide Lite.
Attaching them to the Anchor Link System on the bottom will have the camera with the lens pointed downwards. How you wear it is up to you, but having the lens pointed downwards can act as a way to help prevent accidentally bumping it against anything.
Attaching the anchor links to the outer edges will allow your camera to sit against your body with the lens pointed outwards.
If you do install the Anchor Mount to the bottom, you will need to remove it before attaching a tripod. You will require your included hex-key for both the install and removal of the Anchor Mount.
If you lose your included hex-key, you can use any other 4mm hex-key. One recommendation is to use the included key ring attached to the hex-key and attach it to your tripod so you always have it when you need!
Depending on how you like to wear your camera strap, you can also pair it up with a Peak Design Clutch or Cuff. This will give you more carrying options! Personally I have paired mine with a Peak Design Clutch to help with comfort and confidence when carrying my camera.
The Peak Design Slide Lite shoulder strap can be paired with the Peak Design Clutch or Cuff
Value for Money + Discount Code
The Peak Design Slide Lite seems to come with a full hobby kit
Given the price, there are lots of cheaper options out there, so it can at times be hard to justify the cost of some camera straps on the market.
However, one thing to take in to consideration is the gear you have, and how much confidence a cheaper product can give you. I’ve had straps break on me in the past, and I’ve been lucky my camera didn’t hit the ground.
Quality materials and proven attachments should mean that it lasts the life of the camera. I don’t expect I would need to replace the Peak Design Slide Lite any time soon, but if I do, it surely has lived a hard life!
Peak Design also offer a lifetime warranty on all their camera straps and camera bags. That too gives me confidence. If a company is willing to back their products for life, I am willing to back them as a customer.
Peak Design Slide Lite Review | Conclusion
The Peak Design Slide Lite has some design quirks
As much as I do quite like this camera strap, and I do use it proudly, there are a few gripes that I have with it.
The first one is the overall weight – it’s definitely a solid build and they’ve packed the material in tight. But that’s not too much of a concern compared to how annoying the pack up size and bulk of the strap is! Packing this up on my camera with a mid-size lens in to my Peak Design Everyday Backpack is a bit annoying. It takes up more space than a strap should.
Not to mention when I have this camera strap adjusted to my body size, as I move the camera about or lift it to my face the lower end of the strap causes a big loop. From what I have read elsewhere the ash grey variant doesn’t do this as much.
But it is annoying. I would also like to mention, yes I am aware I could use something to clip or tie it together, but I shouldn’t have to do that. Peak Design tend to think of everything (or at least I do assume they do, given the pedigree of their products), but I find this a a design flaw.
But in saying the above, the pros I find with the Peak Design Slide Lite far outweigh dealing with the above mentioned gripes. It feels great, looks great, is strong, sturdy and very durable. I have a lot of trust and confidence in this camera strap, and I am very happy using it.
High-quality, affordable camera strap that’s versatile, comfortable and quick to adjust.
Tommy Williams is a travel photographer from Sydney, Australia. He is pretty chill, and admits he really needs to get around to updating his website more often.
