Question 1-in the past I've always 2-3 spare batteries for my p&s or more recently my wife's megazoom. I just bought a nikon and the nikon branded batteries are ~$70. Are off brands safe to use with the same performance? Any brands better than the others? Or should I just suck it up and buy the nikon brand?
Question 2-Camera straps. The strap that came with it is I guess your standard Nikon strap. Kinda thin, nikon written all over it. I don't mind the branding but it's not real comfortable. I'm also a big guy and the strap isn't long enough to where it hangs comfortably. I want another one, but most of the good ones I see screw into the tripod mount. Not sure how much I trust that. Would prefer to have the strap secured on the side like it is now and still have access to tripod threading.
jeez, this hobby is a little more expensive than I thought it was going to be.
Re: Question 1 - If you are going in with the idea of having extra batteries for back up, then I personally don't have a problem in reading reviews on some of the 3rd party ones and use those exclusively for backup. I wouldn't rely on them being in the camera body the majority of the time. I also have used 3rd party batteries in my grips and have never had an issue. My last two grip batteries are nicer than the Nikon version as they are higher capacity and I don't need to pull them out of the grip to charge as they have a connector at the end to plug it in. Just be sure to take the grip off the body before charging. Just be sure to do your research and don't purchase any from vendors you can't find any 1st hand feedback online from.
Re: Question 2 - the straps included are never the most comfortable. I finally made the switch over to a sling strap and picked up the Black Rapid RS-7. Before doing so, I spoke with many of my photography friends and even had a call with one of their contacts from Nikon's HQ here in the US regarding the issue of using the tripod mount instead of the lugs. Based on what I was told, I feel much more comfortable in using one of the lugs vs. the tripod mount. While the tripod mount can take abuse, the Nikon engineer explained to me that the lug is a solid piece of steel inserted into the magnesium chassis. The entire lug or chassis would have to fail to cause an issue. Using the tripod mount, the only thing holding the strap is place is the friction of the threads. So, not only in theory would there be more chance of thread failure due to less material involved, you are compounding the risk in that the friction is user dependent in that you screw it in and out. So, both lug and tripod mount have the risk of structural damage (perhaps a bit more with the tripod mount); but, the tripod mount runs the risk of not being tightened properly every time you take it on or off. In the end, I opted to use the BosStrap Bostail as my method of connecting to the RS-7. Whatever could break my lug would certainly break my tripod mount as well; but, I don't run the risk of it becoming unscrewed. I put the tail on the body and bought one of the LockStar protectors to make sure it doesn't come loose either.
BTW - your comment about the expense is very true; but, you are doing something very right with it - asking questions and thinking long term. The number 1 mistake I see people make when it comes to photography is trying to save money up front and then pay to replace and upgrade down the road. When you buy equipment, buy things that you can reuse only once. Lenses, tripods, shutter releases, flashes, etc. The body is replaceable; but, what you purchase to go along with it can last forever if you plan right.
