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| Product: Op/Tech straps |
Company: Op/Tech |
| Web: www.optechusa.com |
Phone: 888-678-3244 |
| Platform: Your tired shoulder |
SRP: ~US$17 (depending on model)
Street Price: same |
Cred Rating: | Special Award: |
Op/Tech has been making replacement straps for some time. I stumbled across the company in the mid-80s when I got one of their camera straps in Austin, Texas. It didn't occur to me until I was experiencing laptop-lugging discomfort that they might make other kinds of straps as well.
Op/Tech straps are different than others because they're made out of neoprene, the same material found in diving suits. The neoprene gives a bit as you walk, easing the countless jolts your neck and shoulders normally recieve as you carry something around on a strap. It also distributes the weight of your burden more evenly. The company claims that their straps make things feel 50 percent lighter, which may not be far from the truth.
Op/Tech makes straps for holding everything from cameras and guitars to laptops and luggage. The larger straps have loops of nylon or leather attached to them for reinforcement, so they're a lot stronger than you'd expect from a simple neoprene strap. The straps can have several different types of secure fasteners on the ends to keep your cargo from coming loose.
I now have Op/Tech straps on my guitar, camera, laptop case and camera bag. I visited Op/Tech's website recently and was surprised at the range of products available. There's a line of cases, covers and pouches and even a specialized strap for photojournalists that holds two cameras at once. I'm *this* close to getting one of their straps for my tripod.
If it's not already obvious, I'm a fan. You gotta love a product that literally eases your burdens. They don't rely on amazing technology or bleeding edge innovation. They're just well-designed, why-didn't-anyone-think-of-this-before accessories that you can't live without once you've tried them...and sometimes that's the best tech of all.
- Andrew Sasaki [8/16/99]
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