As I eagerly awaited my new D700 it was time to order a strap for it. Like tripods straps are highly under-rated. For extended length shooting situations they can not only make or break your experience but make a difference in what images you capture. As usual, I've gone through several over the years to find the best...I switched from my trusty Op/tech camera straps to the Upstrap QR a couple years ago for one simple reason. The Op/tech straps, although comfortable, kept slipping off my shoulder. For whatever reason the neoprene on the Optech even with the little nubs slides off. The Upstrap doesn't. In particular when my hands are full it is frustrating and time consuming to have to deal with a strap slipping off. The Upstrap QR, in addition to being non-slip, has the Quick Release center section that I can replace with a short strap for when the camera is on a tripod (one less thing to dismay animals or for me to get tangled in) and it has Kevlar sewn through it so it is unlikely to ever break or be cut off by a thief. At $55 + $5 shipping it sounds a bit expensive for a strap. But like tripods, straps are used so often and last so long that the true cost is tiny compared to the possible benefits.The one advantage of the Op/tech strap is that it is a little easier for me to rotate the camera up and shoot than with the Upstrap. I know you're supposed to be able to "shrug" the Upstrap up off your shoulder and quickly shoot, but that is a little easier said than done. Personally I also like the way you can snap the two ends of the Optech straps together without a middle section. That way I can quickly put the "long" strap on the camera I plan to carry and leave the other on my tripod without messing around with yet another loose section to fit between the two ends the way I need to with the Upstrap. The short "wrist strap" mid-section for the Upstrap can double as something of a "shoulder holster" for a second camera body in a pinch however, so it has some advantages in that regard.What about the venerable cloth straps provided by the camera vendor? Frankly there isn't anything wrong with using one if it doesn't bother your shoulder with its lack of padding. But for the heavier cameras most photographers find they want the additional support and comfort of a pad. My other concern is that they blare out the make and model of your camera. It seems like that would act as a thief magnet. But the vendor straps are very compact so my Nikon D70 strap lives happily on my Infrared converted D70 to help it squeeze in my bag as a third camera.The Upstrap is available from Al Stegmeyer at Upstrap. Optech straps are widely distributed including by B&H.