At the end of 2014 I was really frustrated with my wedding day camera set up situation. I love using two cameras to photograph with all day long on wedding days (or at styled shoots), but using two cameras meant having two camera straps. I wasn’t able to find a system I liked. I was always unsure if I should I use one from each shoulder, shoulder and neck, what about my camera bag, etc. No matter what I tried, something always seems to slip off.

A friend of mine purchased a Holdfast Money Maker, and after trying hers on once, I purchased one too! I generally don’t make gear purchases on a whim, but I was so frustrated with my set up and my post wedding day shoulder pain. I did some research, but wasn’t able to find a good review of this product online, so after using mine for four months I’m writing a review!

When I use the Money Maker: I only use this for weddings and styled shoots when I am the lead photographer. Simple reasoning behind this, I only use one camera during portrait sessions and one camera when assisting at weddings.

Pros of using the Money Maker:

• It’s comfortable and allows me to use two cameras all wedding day long.
• My gear feels very safe. I was worried about dropping a camera, but this strap has a dual safety set up. If you are using it correctly it would be nearly impossible to drop a camera.
• It distributes camera/lens weight very well. My shoulders and back hardly hurt after long wedding days.
• It is very very well made, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Cons of using the Money Maker:

• It’s difficult to take on and off. The first few times I used this strap it was awkward. It’s important to keep in mind, you can’t just set your cameras down. This was mostly as issue when going from inside to outside and needing to quickly take my jacket on/off.
• I bend down and move around a lot when I’m photographing (i.e. to fix the bride’s dress, to photograph a different angle, etc.), so I have to be cautious to make sure the camera I’m not shooting with doesn’t hit the ground.
• People walk into my cameras more often because they simply don’t notice them as much.
• If I wear a sweater, the side rings sometimes ‘eat’ my sweater and it gets caught.

Additional Comments:

• If you’re right eye dominate, then make sure to purchase the extender. Other wise, it’s a bit awkward to use the left camera.
•  It’s mentioned on the Holdfast website, but if you have longer hair the upper back rings can tangle your hair. If you email them, they can leave these off in production. I left mine on, and have only caught my hair once.
• They have really great customer service, and have quickly (and nicely) answered all of my questions.

Overall thoughts: I’m happy with this purchase. This product is worth the investment and I enjoy using it!

Do you use the Holdfast Money Maker or another camera strap? I’d love to hear what works best for you, or if you have any questions about the Money Maker feel free to ask!