Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I bought this because my heavy DSLR killed my neck and back after a while with a conventional neck strap. This works great, looks a bit geeky, but who cares when after a couple of hours no back pain.

I would recommend a few tweaks. Broader shoulder straps help, I installed some from sporting goods store. It could use a few accessories for the straps and belt to hold lenses and small parts.

Overall it works like a charm.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I usually use this item in hiking, trekking and mountaineering activities.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

This product is highly adjustable so it fits full figured women with ease. The vest does a fantastic job of distributing the weight of the cameras over a comfortable area so there are no heavy spots. I love the fact that I can kiss my neck strap good bye and carry two cameras, which helps me to shoot with different lenses very quickly. I also love the fact that when I'm rooting around in my camera bag the vest keep the cameras in place so I have both hands to use.

If your neck straps are a pain in the, well NECK, consider trying this carrying system. You won't be sorry you did.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I have only used it a couple of times but it does work.. Its comfortable and I am shooting a Canon Rebal T2i with a Sigma 150-500mm lens. Its hard to carry around but this is the best system I have see to let me carry it around in comfort. You might look funny but you will learn to like it!

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

Really comfortable & great on the trail. Be sure to tighten the hub super tight or it will work loose & spin & the camera will not release.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

This is a great product to manage your DSLR while hiking, traveling, etc. The Cotton Carrier is comfortable and allows you to walk around with even a heavy DSLR/lens combination without the neck strain. It also eliminates having to hang onto your camera.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

This product allows you to use your hands freely without having to hold the camera the whole time while shooting at parties weddings and special events!! It's unique holster type holder system gives you the worry free feeling of wondering if the camera is gonna drop like other cheap holsters!!!! This is a wonderful productany professional photographer can easily say this is a must have!!!!!

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

The Cotton carrier has a design flaw that the manufacturer is unwilling to acknowledge. There is a large velcro strap that is used to secure the center of long lenses (300mm and above). When the velcro is released, no matter how gentle one is, the ripping sound it makes will scare off any animals within 50 yards of you. I had to pay a shoe repair place to make a funky adaptation to replace the velcro so i could use the unit. A rip-off for bird photographers especially.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I have used my Cotton Carrier a few times now. Overall it does what it claims to do. Inventor Andy Cotton claimed in a YouTube video that the product was made in North America. When I opened the package I was surprised that it was 100% made in China. The product is well made but the claim was false. The product was designed for large people. I find it too large for me and had to alter it myself. If you are under 150 pounds like myself you will likely find it not fitting you well. If you are a small person like me and you carry two large cameras there will be interference when you mount/unmount the cameras (i.e. the cameras will rub each other). The cameras won't be spaced far enough apart for smaller people. Another issue with the product is you can only attach the mounting pin to your camera. You cannot mount it to your lens support. This limits what you can carry to only smaller lenses. Even a 70-200mm 2.8 lens would be too large to carrier with this carrier since you can't attach the mounting pin to the lens. For shorter or smaller aperture lenses though this carrier works just fine. All in all this is a decent product if you have to carrier two cameras and don't want them to swing around hitting each other.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I bought this to save my neck and back as I wear my camera around often. This system, while only tried at home for short periods so far, seems to be perfectly designed to take the weight off my neck and shoulders as I carry around a Canon 5D Mark II with battery pack (two batteries) and 70-200 f2.8 IS USM lens. Something that I have considered making myself and now I don't have to. One nice addition would be to make something in the back to hold a regular sized umbrella firmly to free up hands on a less than perfect day weather wise.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I use it mostly when hiking or needing to keep my hands free. It is also good for most sports shooting. I put the 2nd holder on a separate belt because it felt unwieldly on the chest system but feels solid on a good belt. I haven't quite figured out the best way to tether if I am not wearing the chest system but it is a minor inconvenience. The system feels solid and has performed well so far:)

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I ordered this harness to use on a one-day, rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon. I found it to be very comfortable (in temperatures ranging from 42F to 95F) and barely noticeable weight-wise. My neck was also very thankful! I was stopped by several people on the trail and at the two lodges on each side asking me where I bought it and how I liked it. It keeps your camera safe but handy, and it keeps you safe since your hands are free to balance, scramble, etc. And my neck never hurt even after a 22-mile hike with an elevation gain and loss of over 1 mile each! I also loved the fact that this vendor threw in the hand grip for free! The first fitting took a little while, but after that, it was a snap to put the harness on and take it off.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

Only tried it once so far, so still getting used to it. Nice to have hands free, but camera ready, and not straining neck. Also useful while driving stop/go looking for wildlife, and in cold weather (keep hands warm but camera ready). Adjustment takes a while, but I like it better than other things I've seen.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

Purchased as an alternative to traditional strap for large, bulky DSLR. Although a little overpriced for what it is, it IS unique and definitely a step in the right direction for fast comfortable access to my DSLR. Reading many prior reviews, they appear to be acting proactively to improve this product in response to used complaints; For example, the side holster appears to now have a flap that can attach it to a belt at the lower end to prevent ridu-up when removing the camera; Materials are high quality. I would like to see a brown or tan color to "hide" against my equipment vest to be less conspicuous.Overall though, a well orchestrated approach to comfortable carry of multiple cameras.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I do a lot of hiking and cycling and have tried various other carry systems. The Cotton Carrier System beats them all hands down. I carry a Nikon D7000 w/ 70-300mm on the vest and A Nikon D90 w/ 18-105mm in the side holster. Both cameras are tethered, secure and available for quick access. Long hikes or bike rides are a pleasure with this setup.
When the system is new, some folks feel the cameras are difficult to insert or remove from the carrier receptacle, just spray a small amount of WD40 or Pam cooking spray on a paper towel and lightly rub it on the Lexan receptacle. I haven't found any other carry system that works as well for an active lifestyle.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

After seeing the carrier used by a hiker at Long's Peak, Colorado, I purchased one right away. Got it in time for my next Colorado hike, a 7-miler with plenty of elevation gain (and loss). The carrier securely held my Nikon D200 with 18-200mm zoom going up and down the hills, and it was very easy to grab and shoot as needed. No more swinging camera. The quick-connect for my tripod can't be used with the adapter that holds the camera to the carrier. But, when using my larger macro lens (70-180mm) I put the tripod adapter on the lens, solving the problem.
The only complaint is that the waist strap is way too large. I have it adjusted to almost as small as it will go, so someone who has a 34" or smaller waist may have a problem.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

The Cotton Carrier is well designed and constructed from quality materials. I was concerned about the "one size fits all" claim since I weigh a mere 160 pounds but the adjustments accommodated my frame quite nicely. I attached the hub to a Nikon D300s with an 80-400 VR lens and headed to the Louisville Zoo on a 95 degree day. This combination represented my worse case scenario for the use of the system.

This torture test lasted a little over three hours and left me with a favorable first impression. The oppressive heat and humidity were never a factor and the weight was distributed quite comfortably. I've carried this combination in a holster type carrier but back pain was always a problem...not however with the Cotton Carrier.

So far I am pleased with my purchase. We are taking a two week vacation out West in a couple of months and I'm hoping the long term results are as favorable as my initial test.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

I use this vest with the side holster for bird and nature photography under conditions where I need two cameras and/or want to avoid lens changes due to weather, blowing dust, etc. It accomodates a 400 f5.6 on the chest and a 100 f2.8 macro on the side, or a 70-200 f/4 zoom or 17-40 WA zoom. My 500 f/4 is a bit too much for this rig - it stays on my shoulder on a Wimberly head/tripod.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

Cotton camera carrier saved me a lot of time on a resent vacation to Yosemite National Park. Did not have to stop and dig through my back pack for different lens to switch out on my camera.

Comments about Cotton Carrier 100 CCS Camera System:

Does what it is designed to do; it may be overpriced. Fitting it to one's body requires a lot of patience and trial/error. Specific directions cannot be supplied by Cotton because of different varieties of human body types.

Some design tweaks would be helpful. For example, a 33" waist with no beer belly finds the lens stabilizer strap short on velcro in meeting the corresponding strip on the body strap. Additionally, the one strap restricter on right of the back body strap is useful, and another needs to be added on the left side, for same purpose. (I am presently using paper clips to secure excess strapping.)

The camera hub tightener is well designed and does double duty as a tripod plate tightener. It can be attached to Carrier tether or camera neck strap.

For this user, there is no need to discard the regular camera neck strap; it makes the Carrier tethers unnecessary, and the metal split rings supplied by Carrier for attaching tether straps to camera may rub and scratch the camera over time. The regular camera strap is weightless on the neck while the Carrier is used, and provides all necessary security.

Be cautious before spending more money on recommended accessories. For example, the tripod plate mount may not be necessary if, on a long zoom lens, the tripod ring foot is used instead of the recommended tripod camera mount. The mount is definitely overpriced. Use of the tripod ring foot enables the use of any tripod mounting plate.

The Cotton Carrier is hot to wear. Nylon does not breathe. But, the Carrier does what it claims to do: Relieves stress on neck when carrying heavy equipment. However, one's back still carries the weight.