Hello good folks of XS!

After my initial review/comparison of the Luma Loop vs Black Rapid RS-7, Greg from Luma Loop has contacted me via pm and told me of a revised version of the Luma Loop and that i would be receiving a beta version of this as soon as it's available.

According to Greg:
Yours is a production beta unit (i.e. the design is 100% complete, but the ones we are shipping out now are the ones we use to lock down the actual production steps - the quality and hardware and everything is the same as production Loops)...
well, i'm happy to announce, that it has come... and i am very impressed over the improvements...

many of the concerns regarding the loop has been addressed with some very interesting and nifty features... so without further delay, here goes... and as usual, taking review from top down...

Shoulder Pad "Banana":

Mk I (lf) vs Mk II (rt)

the most noticable improvement of the "banana" is that it has been widened... this will help keep the banana over your shoulders but then again, with all straps, when you lift and move the camera around to shoot, they will move... i have since sold my RS-7 loop because i like the minimalistic and effective design of the LL... and i have to admit, the neoprene also grips better on my shoulder.

second, if you look closely, you will notice that the leather loop that connects the D-Ring has been widened from 7/8" to 1"

LL still opted to use the screw method to assemble the D-Ring onto the banana ends but i have no complaints as they have proven themselves to work fine in my days of walking all around with my camera.

Another noticeable difference is the leather used on the banana... it is thicker and seems more dense.

aesthetic changes were that the LL logo looks like it's laser etched on leather versus simple embossing...

also, they've logo'd the edge of the neoprene...

i did not know that they could do that... lol...

Banana Hardware:

the old Plastic D-ring has also changed to 1/8" thick dual d-ring method and they've removed the sliding locking buckle and replaced it to a metal ladder lock sliding buckle.

this is a great improvement as i found that the plastic lever lock buckle easily came loose.

the metal ladder lock buckle is a bit more time consuming to make adjustments but once you set your length, you don't need to make much changes to the loop length so this is fine.

this system works... in two folds.
remember those old army belts that uses 2 d-rings that lock onto each other? this is the same. the dual locking metal d-ring locks and holds the webbing in place very well... then the sliding ladder lock buckle also holds in place very well, in part, because of the next improvement... webbing.

Webbing:

Mk I (lf) MkII (rt)

they've stayed with the 1" webbing tape...
the LL Mk I webbing tape was still superior to the Black Rapids because they were better quality with a higher density webbing...
the Mk II is taking that and making it even thicker...

the new webbing is a bit more flexible and not as rigid as MkI but the increased thickness and texture works well together with metal or plastic hardware... this is the same adjustment system as the stock camera straps... the texture of the webbing, along with the tension work with each other to lock the buckle and length in place.

i would like to have seen the open end of the loop folded and stitch tacked but this webbing and hardware combo will NOT slip...

Side Release Buckle:

Mk I (lf) Mk II (rt)

keeping with their original design, the 1" side release buckle is still there... and again, i repeat, better positioning versus the BR-7 (especially for those who sling their camera to the right hip) because the buckle is in front of your chest, not behind you.

same model, Duraflex Rock Lobster buckle was used... again, this never failed in my use of the LL with lenses such as the 70-200 Mk II on my 7D.

Camera Attachment:
this is where the biggest improvement has been made.
firstly, the buckle system they've used in the past was fine for my use, again, never failed... worked well, ease of removing and light weight... furthermore, metal does not come in contact with my camera.

the new method... wow...

again, a 1/8" thick metal ring connects to a swiveling male insert that has a push button release.

let me go back and compare this to the BR-7...
this is basically a simple cast metal D-ring with a swiveling carabiner... my problem is that with this type of setup, especially in bags, after use, the mushroom top gets worn out and slips through the hole... it has happened many times to me in college days...

the LL system is definitely improvement because it seems to be machined out of a steel rod and the D-ring is securely fixed to the male cylinder.

the push button basically enables 4 ball bearings to retract and the female cap can slide out and apart from the loop.

nifty feature... yes, added weight but heck there was certain amount of concern over plastic buckles so this is a great solution imo.

i tried to see how easy it was for another person to snap it off... i assembled the loop and put it on my mannequin and tried to prop it off...

see, this is the nifty feature... gravity and design is in your favor...
when the camera is on your loop, the male rod and button is positioned right under the d-ring loop so without lifting the camera and pivoting the D-ring+webbing loop aside, you really cannot access the button with ease...

here's a pic of the male plug...


you can see the ball bearings that lock it against the female cylinder.


here you will see what i mean, the button can be accessed when the webbing and d-ring is out of the way... unless you got small and strong fingers...

Female Cap:
the female cap is at first, meh design... but i've had a DOH! moment...

in this pic, you will see the groove where the bearings lock and hold...

and while looking at this, and attaching this to my camera, it hit me... or, more rather, it hit my camera... and i realized the design...

the grooves hold 4 o-rings in place, quite tightly... and basically, they act as bumper on the camera... that was cool.
yes, you can remove the o-rings... but in the event that you loose an o-ring, heck, you can just pick them up at Ace's hardware or Home Depot or McMaster.com...
if you want, you can buy some heat shrink tubes and ensure the o-rings will stay in place...

but i like this improvement a lot.

i've seen folks concerned about the plastic buckle and they've addressed it... and improved upon it imo.


just another view of the female cap...

my beta loop also came with a 1/4 threaded pod mount...
rather than just a neoprene gasket, it has cork and rubber gasket for the pod mount... but i fix my loop directly to the camera strap loop on the shutter button side...

Camera Attachment Cord:
this is also another place of improvement...


when i received my LL MkI, i saw the flat 1/4" webbing tape and thought to myself... who's shoe-lace did they cut up? hahaha...

the Mk II comes with a tightly woven cord loop that is attached to the female cap and tied at the ends to prevent slipping.
ease of replacement, and better/stronger material.

i do wish that the cord loop was 1" longer tho... but again, it's an easy fix... if you have the scissor and know how to tie a solid knot...

Size:
many have asked me if it is long enough or short enough...
the Mk2 loop only measure appx 30"


in comparison to Mk 1, the Mk2 is actually longer a bit... and fully adjustable for varying heights.


Here's the female cap fixed on my camera...


here's my crappy iphone pic of the setup on my shop mannequin.
the mannequin is appx 6'10" height (including the missing head)


Conclusion:
well, i loved the simplicity and effectiveness of Mk1, but i love even more the improvements of the Mk 2 even more.

i think they've pretty much took a good design and improved upon it even more.

from my initial review, i've had issues about lack of bar tacks... and i've even received and pm'd with Greg from LL about them... but in Mk2, i don't really miss them at all... nor i feel the need for them... this is sturdy enough... thick enough and honestly, i don't know if you can bar tack such thick layers...

anyways, thank you very much LL for giving me opportunity to preview the new product.

hope that you find them helpful...

regards,

Albert