If you are carrying a heavy camera around all day, chances are your neck is pretty stiff at the end of the day. Imagine walking much of the day during a visit to a foreign city. Or standing on the sidelines of an event where you need your camera ready. My situation has changed shooting the nikon 500mm 5.6 PF. This lens is amazing in how compact and lightweight it is. But carrying it around on a normal camera strap is not comfortable. So I have started using a new solution; a Black Rapids Breath camera strap.
These straps are padded and carry across your shoulder. They have a smaller strap that goes under your arm to keep the sling in place. Carrying cross chest is much more comfortable than a standard strap around your neck. I know many veteran photographers who have neck and back issues which are a result of years cameras around their neck and carrying heavy cases of gear. Rather than wait for that to happen, I now carry my 500mm on a Black Rapids strap.
Your camera is carried on the side attached to a swivel connection to your camera plate (or body if no plate). The swivel is nice because you can switch angles of your camera/lens for the most comfortable position. When you lift your camera, it quickly slides up the strap for easy shooting and the strap doesn’t bunch up. And you may have to unscrew the swivel connecter to use your camera on a tripod.
Is there a downside? The strap is more bulky than a standard strap, so it doesn’t pack quite as small in your photo backpack. I’ve found if I am carrying a 70-200mm 2.8 or larger, I will bring the strap along to use on long days carrying my camera. For my smaller camera/lenses I still use a normal camera strap. The strap costs about $70. Work checking out if you are carrying a camera all day around your neck.