Attaching the Clutch to your camera takes a few minutes, and Peak Design has kept the process as minimal and streamlined as possible. First, the Standard Plate needs to be attached to the camera using a small Allen key. While this is relatively straightforward, forgetting the key that Peak Design supplies could be problematic, as there is no slot or fold-down loop option.
However, once the Clutch is attached, it’s an accessory that most users will likely leave in place, especially the base plate. The Standard Plate is Arca Swiss compatible, so there’s no need to remove it unless you want to and it’s Capture Clip V3 compatible as well.
It’s worth noting that the Standard Plate comes with Anchor links to attach to the main part of the Clutch. This means that when you want to remove the Clutch, you can leave the Standard Plate in place. The Standard Plate also has a slim profile, so even when it’s left in place on the base of the camera it doesn’t add too much bulk. This means that while it’s an obvious attachment, it’s not as obtrusive as leaving a standard, large tripod baseplate in place all the time.
Once the Standard Plate is attached, the Clutch loop can be slipped through the strap lug and secured using the small spring-loaded latch. Despite being small and light, the Clutch makes a big difference to the handling of your camera.
One issue to report here is that when Angela was mounting a Clutch on a camera, the spring in the clip slipped out of one of the holes that keeps it in position and propelled itself across the room never to be found. This mean that the strap couldn’t be attached completely securely. Peak Design was quick to replace the unit.
As you start to use the camera the first thing you’ll notice is how much easier it is to carry. The Clutch essentially straps the camera to your hand, so you don’t have to tightly hold the grip. When you’re ready to take a picture, you can do so as normal.
As part of the Peak Design Capture Series, the Clutch is fully compatible with the Capture Clip V3, which means you can clip it to your Capture Clip V3 attached to a belt or bag strap. Additionally, the baseplate is Arca Swiss compatible, so you can attach it to a tripod, such as the Peak Design Travel Tripod or any tripod that accepts compatible plates.
When used with a DSLR, the Clutch significantly improves the comfort of carrying your camera in your hand. It’s much more convenient than having a strap wrapped around your wrist, especially during workshops or events.
However, there are still occasions when a strap would be advantageous, and during this test, I also explored using the Peak Design Slide Lite with the anchor system as a way to easily link the two together when needed. However, it’s worth noting that the section of the Clutch that connects to the camera strap lug doesn’t use a Peak Design Anchor loop, so it isn’t as quick to remove.
The Clutch is also helpful when walking around as it allows for quick mounting and unmounting of the camera from a tripod, giving you the freedom and control to switch from handheld to supported shooting in seconds.
