Peak Design Clutch Camera Strap Review
In-depth, entertaining review of the Peak Design Clutch - an efficient way to carry your camera, and a good alternative to a regular camera strap.
By Tommy Williams | Last Updated: March 10, 2023
A clutch is a product I normally associate with cars. A Peak Design car modification line up? That would definitely get my attention. In any case, I don’t foresee them heading in that direction anytime soon (much to my dismay).
As one would expect, when I am not driving, I am walking. When I am out roaming the streets with a camera in hand, I usually have my full-length camera strap wrapped and twisted around my wrist.
I am not a big fan of having something hanging around my neck for too long. But I want the security of having my camera attached in some way.
Keep it light, fast and fuss-free with this adjustable camera hand strap.
I’ve had a few different wrist or hand grip camera straps in my time, but up until a year ago I had been using a Canon 5D Mk3 with a 24-70mm attached.
It was quite weighty just having it on my wrist and no weight being supported anywhere else, so they were a rather short-lived carrying solution.
But now with the A7iii the weight is almost halved, so I figured I would give a hand grip camera strap another go. It’s been a mixed feeling using the Peak Design Clutch, but I have grown quite fond of it, so allow me to explain why below.
Peak Design Clutch V3 Specs
- The small size
- It’s very light weight
- It is quite simple and not bulky at all
- Nice and tidy style and soft materials
- Not being able to use a tripod without removing the bottom mount
- The bottom mount requires the included hex key to remove
- Without another strap attached it is quite vulnerable to being dropped
- It can be tiresome on the hand and wrist depending on weight of the camera
Weight: 50g (123g as packed)
Max Length: 29 cm (11.4″)
Min Length: 20 cm (8″)
Width: 51 mm (2″)
The Peak Design Clutch comes packaged with 2 Anchors, an Anchor Mount which attaches to the bottom of the camera, a small triangle ring, a 4mm hex-key, and a handy little pouch to carry your remaining accessories.
It can attach to pretty much any camera, and if you don’t have a point large enough for the strap to loop through the small triangle ring may help.
The bottom Anchor Mount contains a 1/4-20 UNC thread (similar to tripods) to attach to most cameras, and allows you to hook up a total of 4 Peak Design Anchors.
There have been two previous versions of the Clutch – this one is the latest, known as the Clutch CL3.
- Peak Design Clutch CL2 vs CL3
The key difference between the 2nd and 3rd generation Peak Design Clutch is that the CL3 has a Standard Plate V3 that is optimized to be used with Peak Design’s Capture Clip V3.
Both are designed to be quick-connecting and quick-adjusting for maximum security, durability, and ease of use.
Build & Appearance
The Peak Design Clutch is built well, comfortable, and simple to use.
Well, it’s definitely a looker, and it is definitely Peak Design. From the first look you can tell it belongs in their line-up. The Peak Design Clutch is aesthetically pleasing, yet very functional. One might say it is what one would want in a life-partner.
When I say it is definitely Peak Design, what I mean is that it follows a balance of both form and function. The materials used are durable, stylish, comfortable and are chosen to proficiently serve their purpose. This is definitely not a bad thing. They’re pretty heavy duty.
Peak Design advertise that the Clutch is “Made from premium materials and custom hardware inspired by high-end climbing gear” and that the “Clutch’s exterior shell is made from the same material that whitewater rafts are made of”.
Oh and the two other important facts include that it is “Strong enough to hold any pro camera/lens/accessory combo” and your hands won’t sweat from it either.
The padding is soft and not bulky, the strap is firm and tight, and the clip is stylish and strong. Just what you need when you’re carrying a camera that you must care about. But comfortable enough to use it for an extended period of time.
Ease of Use
It’s a two step process to using it once fitted.
I actually had some trouble threading the strap of the Peak Design Clutch through the little metal attachment on my camera, but once it was on there it was not going anywhere else!
The strap material that you loop through the attachment is rather solid and not particularly malleable at first. I’ve since attached and removed it a number of times for the sake of this review, and it’s definitely softened up since.
The Anchor Mount at the bottom, however, that was a rather seamless experience. You connect that just like you would a tripod plate and to tighten it you use the included 4mm hex-key (Allen Key/Allen Wrench).
Be sure to note that once you have the Anchor Mount installed, you won’t be able to attach your camera to a tripod without first removing it.
If you lose your included hex-key, you can use any other 4mm hex-key. It is not a propriety product or size. But don’t go rummaging through your old Ikea boxes, I already tried that, it turns out they tend to only ever include 3mm or 5mm sizes!
To adjust the length of the Peak Design Clutch, pull on the loose strap and slide it through the bracket, that’ll tighten up the size. It can be a touch difficult to readjust the length while using it, so best to fix that up beforehand. It’s that simple to set up!
So now you’ve got your Clutch set up, you’re ready to rock and roll. Here’s how you use it:
Step 1: Insert Hand.
Step 2: Don’t let go!
But wait! Now you’re out and about, and you’ve come to realise that you may be a little bit clumsy at times. You might be thinking, “if I trip over, I have a tendency to launch anything that I am carrying across the street. I like my camera, I don’t want to send it wildly flying through the air! What can I do?”
Well, let me tell you what you can do. You can go out and grab yourself a couple of extra Anchors and strap those little bad boys in to the bottom Anchor Mount!
If you use another pair of Peak Design Anchor Links you can attach any other strap you own to your camera along side your fancy new Peak Design Clutch.
I attached two extra Anchors to the Anchor Mount so I could also use the Peak Design Slide Lite.
Or, if like me, you also own a Peak Design Slide Lite you can hook that up. This way you have a choice, you can either use just the Peak Design Clutch, use the strap, or if you’re a wild child like me, you can use both!
If you’re not clumsy and you’re quite a sturdy person, you’re all set and ready to go. You’ll enjoy your Peak Design Clutch! And if anything is wrong with it, Peak Design offer a lifetime warranty on their products. Just hit them up and they’ll sort your right out.
Tommy’s Top Tip:
Use the included keyring to attach the hex-key to your tripod somewhere. That way you’ll always have it on hand when you need to attach your camera to your tripod.
Attach the key ring to your tripod or your bag so you always have it with you in case you need to remove the Anchor Mount
Peak Design Clutch Review | Conclusion
I’ve decided that the best solution for me is to use the Peak Design Clutch along with the Slide Lite.
I will admit, the Peak Design Clutch is not for everybody, nor is it great in every situation. Some may prefer the added security of having the camera attached to your body in some other way, other than just in your hand.
You may also want to relieve your hands of camera carrying duty and rely on your neck or shoulder instead. You may want to free your hands so they’re able to do other handy type stuff.
While I, at first, was not too fond of this as a carrying solution, I have now come to the conclusion that when paired with the Peak Design Slide Lite, it is a great solution.
Having the security of a full-length strap with the stability and comfort of the Peak Design Clutch, I feel this is a great pairing. This will probably become my everyday solution now.
Without the Slide Lite, I like having some other way to put the camera down and free my hands. Such as slipping it back in to my bag, or passing it to my wife to carry for me. It’s only fair after all the countless shopping bags I carry for her!
Keep it light, fast and fuss-free with this adjustable camera hand strap.
Tommy Williams is a travel photographer from Sydney, Australia. He is pretty chill, and admits he really needs to get around to updating his website more often.
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