Gear Talk: Peak Design Slide Lite

Peak Design Slide Lite Review: Why This $80 Camera Strap Is Worth It

If you’ve read my other articles, you might already know that I’m a bit of a gear nihilist. Sure, I love high-quality gear—I want my equipment to make my job easier. That’s why I invest in modern camera bodies and sharp lenses that help me elevate image quality. If a new body or lens can noticeably improve my results, chances are I’ll end up buying it.

But for many years, I didn’t buy any “gadgets.” And that’s coming from someone who used to be obsessed with them early in my photography journey.

For about a decade, I was a pretty stationary photographer. Most of my landscape work was done from a tripod. I was fixated on keeping my aperture as narrow as possible and my ISO as low as it could go.

Then, things changed.

As camera technology evolved and features like VR and IBIS became increasingly effective, I found myself shooting handheld more and more. Pair that with powerful software like Adobe Lightroom and Topaz Denoise, which now do a fantastic job cleaning up noise in landscape images, and suddenly I had a new world to explore.

Shooting handheld brought a kind of creative freedom I hadn’t experienced before—it felt liberating. And the result? A noticeable boost in fresh, spontaneous compositions.

I still use tripods regularly, especially when guiding photo tours and workshops. In those cases, I don’t have time to shoot much myself. But I can still set up a composition, activate interval shooting, and let the camera work while I assist clients.

So now, I find myself constantly switching between needing a strap for handheld shooting and needing no strap at all for tripod work.

But removing and reattaching traditional straps? That’s a pain!

It´s great to have the camera always in reach while hiking, that´s why i like to have my camera on a camera strap when i move for landscape photography…

Enter the Peak Design Camera Strap System

I had seen several clients using a sleek system that allowed them to attach and detach camera straps with ease depending on their shooting situation. I liked the idea, but being the brilliant procrastinator I am, I never really looked into it.

That changed when I asked my followers over at instagram.com/felixinden for recommendations—and the response was nearly unanimous: Get a Peak Design strap.

So, before my long trip to El Chaltén in Argentina, I caved and picked up the Peak Design Slide Lite. I promised my followers I’d give it a real-world test and share my thoughts.

TL;DR: I love it! But there’s one thing I’d love to see improved.

My Nikon Z8 chilling out in a beautiful tree during autumn in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, ready to get strapped on in a breeze if needed…

The Peak Design system is well-machined, sleek, and a major upgrade from the default straps that come with most cameras. In just a few seconds, I can detach the strap when my camera is on a tripod—and just as easily snap it back on when I’m ready to shoot handheld. It’s seamless. Functional. A gadget that actually improves my workflow? Gotta love it.

The strap itself is beautifully crafted, with metal elements that allow you to quickly adjust its length on the fly (Peak Design calls these “Dual quick-adjusters”). The central section has rubberized material that helps the strap grip your outer layers—though I initially thought it had been installed on the wrong side. Turns out, that’s intentional. Still, I would personally prefer the sticky side to be flipped. When I carry the strap over one shoulder (my go-to for long hikes), it would make more sense for it to grip better in that orientation.

The connectors (which are called “Unique Anchor Links” by the manufacturer) are where the magic really happens. They snap in with a satisfying click, giving a sense of confidence and stability. Peak Design states: “Each Anchor holds over 200lbs (90kg), strong enough to keep the heaviest of pro rigs safe”. And in deed it does feel safe. Within minutes of using the system, I trusted it completely. No worries about the camera falling—everything feels robust and well-engineered.

The One Flaw (And It's Minor)

There’s one thing that bothers me: the strap tends to twist and “wrap” itself, putting tension on the system. It’s a bit annoying because it means I have to stop, detach the clips, untwist the strap, and reattach it. A simple solution would be a small rotating element at the connection point. Interestingly, lately some competing products offer this and it seems to work well.

Despite that, I chose to go with the original Peak Design strap rather than a cheaper copy—even if the knockoff addressed this exact issue. Why? Because the build quality of the Peak Design kit speaks for itself. I’ve seen lower-quality materials and connectors in those other products, and when you’re hanging thousands of dollars' worth of gear from your shoulder, quality is non-negotiable.

For me, that $80 wasn’t just a strap—it was peace of mind. And if Peak Design ever releases a refined version with a swivel element, I’ll gladly pay for an upgrade.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored article. I bought the product myself and have no cooperations with Peak Design at the time of writing this.