Family-owned camera accessory manufacturer OpTech has been creating American made camera accessories since its inception in 1982.
Quality, comfortability and functionality are OpTech’s key brand values and I’m hoping its binocular harness ticks all three boxes as I got hold of one for review. It’s worth noting that the harness, although predominantly designed for binoculars, will still work and can be useful for small camera setups. It also comes in a more affordable rigid webbing, or a slightly more expensive elasticated version which adds a little more comfort and helps suspend your binoculars and camera better. It was the elastic model I got hold of to review here. So without further ado let’s get to it!
OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Specifications
OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Price
The OpTech Bino-Cam harness is only available in black but comes in two different materials: standard nylon webbing or a more stretchy elastic for better comfort. At the time of writing, the basic nylon model retails for $17.99, whilst the elastic version is $28.49, and on Amazon UK, the price is £17.99 or £21.99 respectively, which, for just a few pounds more, makes the elastic version a bit of a bargain in the UK.
In terms of competitors, it’s quite similar to the Zeiss Comfort Carry harness, which retails for $72 in the US or £45 in the UK.
OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Design & Handling
The OpTech Bino-Cam harness is designed to fit most binoculars and comes with its QD (Quick Disconnect) tabs which can be unbuckled from the harness and then threaded through the strap lugs on binoculars or even DSLRs and mirrorless cameras with lugs on either side – though devices with very small strap lugs will require a split ring.
It’s a fully adjustable harness available in just the one size and claims to ‘fit most’ people, however the elasticated version I got hold of is a little more stretchy and comfortable than the standard webbing version which doesn’t have any play in it.
The two plastic buckles on either strap can be glided up and down which makes it easy to bring the binoculars up to eye level and use. The strap length can also be easily adjusted for either side, though is quite tricky to do whilst wearing it and better to do when you’ve taken the harness off. Each of the left and right shoulder straps can be extended to a maximum length of up to 58cm and its self-adjusting design stabilizes gear against body.
Binoculars hang in a natural and comfortable position, and whilst it’s not designed for use with a camera it can be used for this purpose. The binoculars I tested the harness with were 800g and my lightest mirrorless full-frame camera setup wasn’t much more at around 950g with a simple 35mm f/1.8 prime lens attached. Though note here that the camera needs to have strap lugs on both sides to work well with the harness and also depending on the weight and balance of your camera it is likely to tip upwards with the lens pointing forwards rather than down, this doesn’t pose any issues other than you need to be careful of the rear LCD rubbing up against any metal zips you might be wearing.
The low profile design of the harness makes it easy to also wear with a backpack or camera bag, or even combined with a camera strap such as the OpTech Pro Loop to hang a camera off your shoulder. It can also be worn over or under a jacket for a more low profile and discreet look, or worn over the top of a fleece or jacket which provides a little more padding and comfort.
OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Performance
The materials used in the OpTech Bino-Cam harness are very no-frills, mostly consisting of plastic hardware, the leather backplate and either nylon or elastic webbing depending on the model you go for. This all makes it feel fairly budget, there’s no metal hardware which would make it feel more durable, but in its favor this does help keep weight down and also means there’s no metal components that could clatter around and cause noise, potentially scaring away a skittish subject.
The two Quick Disconnect buckles can also be carefully pressed to remove your binoculars without causing any sound if you need to be particularly stealthy. One nitpick is I would rather both of the QD buckles on the harness were the same and the two that go on the binoculars are also the same, because on more than one occasion I accidentally installed them on my camera and binoculars the wrong way around – they’re not the fastest to attach and detach so this can be a little frustrating when it happens.
The tab on the back which connects all of the straps together is made of a leather square measuring 2.5x2.5” and has a thickness of 3mm. There’s quite a big difference in this design compared to the Zeiss Comfort Carry which admittedly is more expensive at $70, but had a larger 4x4.3” footprint to spread the load and also also attached to the straps at four points rather than just three, so it felt more comfortable.
OpTech BINO-CAM harness: Verdict
In my testing I found the Zeiss Comfort Carry to be the better product, but it does cost more than twice that of the OpTech Bino-Cam harness on test here – it doesn’t feel like you’re getting twice the quality. But the extra comfort could be worth the extra spend for some people, especially if you plan to use them a lot and for extended periods.
However for more casual birders and those with stricter budgets the OpTech Bino-Cam is good basic option with no frills but it won’t break the bank.
