all about straps...

[back alley]

what camera strap do you use and why?
let's talk a bit about straps.
i have used all kind of straps over the many years that i have been playing with cameras...and i've settled on the lance strap as my go to strap on every camera i own.

it's soft enough to wear all day long without irritation.
it's round and moves easily...if worn over the shoulder it can glide with ease from hip to eye.
it is sold in standard lengths or can be cut to custom lengths.
it has different ends, like a quick release or a leather patch with round metal circle.
it comes in various colours though my favourite is black the red is very catchy.
and after years of use they still look great and feel new.

 

[tunalegs]

Anshare project strap by Berang Berang, on Flickr

I find plain leather is usually the most comfortable. Although I also have a "hippy" strap from the 70s that works great with heavy gear.

I also have a couple of those silver "rope" type straps from the 60s, which are only really appropriate for lightweight cameras, and ten to pinch your neck when they wear out. How people put up with them back then I have no idea.

 

[rbsinto]

I buy the cloth Nikon straps at swap meets for a couple of dollars each, and customize them by getting rid of the adjusting metal clips and sewing them to the length I want. Then I sew Velcro onto the bottom side at the point where the strap sits on my shoulder or neck and add metal swivel clips at the ends.
The Velcro mates with the Velcro on the epaulettes on my vest's shoulders and I'm good to go. I've carried rigs up to about ten or eleven pounds (Nikon F2AS /MD-2/MB-1 motor and battery pack/300 2.8 AIS and monopod), all without slipping off my shoulders or straps breaking or clips failing. Function over form.
Robert

 

[Contarama]

One inch black web belt with keyrings on the ends. Homemade. I also have a purplish red vintage Nikon strap that I really like but do not use.

What I would like to know is do any of you not use any sort of protection at the lugs to keep your camera from getting scratched up?

 

[fbf]

domke all the way. I like leather straps too but I don't think they age well and sometimes leave stains on my white shirts. I think the modern "fancy" straps are too expensive. I am sticking to my good old domke.

 

[majid]

I am partial to the Artisan & Artist kumihimo braided silk straps.

 

[Chubberino]

Cecilia Leather straps for my Leica, Bronco RF645, and other more stylish cameras. Peak Design Slide Lite's for my Rollei TLR, Fuji TX-2, and all my work gear (X-t2, X-Pro2 etc.) For work gear I need to be able to have a quick release option.

 

[rbiemer]

I much prefer cloth straps, most leather ones I've tried over the years are either too narrow or too slippery. I mostly wear them on my left shoulder as I do not like a camera bouncing off my stomach every step I take.

There is a Korean brand I quite like called Arnuvo and I have recently discovered Hyperion.

The Arnuvo straps are similar to CV's "deluxe" straps in that they are flat, woven and about an inch wide. And when I bought the ones I have, they were much less expensive--I think at the time they cost me about $18 US each. Lots of different colors and several different attachment points.

Recently, I found Hyperion straps. These are round woven straps in lots of differnt colors and available in different lengths. Currently they are 13 Euros each (plus shipping) and these straps are also very nice. Made to order so the two I just bought took about two and a half weeks to get to me but well worth the wait, I think. I am going to buy some more of these.

Rob

 

[rbiemer]

What I would like to know is do any of you not use any sort of protection at the lugs to keep your camera from getting scratched up?

I don't worry about that and the straps I'm using just came with split rings at the ends but no "protectors". The straps attach easily enough and probably will mark my cameras but I'm not sweating it.

Rob

 

[Jockos]

Luigi deluxe straps for both my M3s. Perfect size, enough padding, and very soft leather.

 

[jazzwave]

Artisan & Artist Easy slider for my Ms

~ron~

 

[Talus]

Harry Benz talked me into one of his straps earlier this year. Well worth it. By far the best made and most comfortable strap I've used.

 

[sebastel]

heavy duty shoe ties.

 

[kshapero]

I have a black Cecilia Leather strap for my Leica and Gordy Straps for everything else.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

I use the thin straps made by Think Tank- very much like Domke straps. What is cool about them is that they fold up very neatly inside your bag taking up very little space. And they are extremely strong and comfortable.

 

[Dogman]

I use Ciesta brand leather straps found on Amazon. Ciesta is a Korean leather products company (I think). I tried one of their camera straps a little over a year ago and was impressed with the quality. They're made with thick smooth leather backed with soft suede and sewn to nylon webbing that attaches to the camera lugs. The straps are comfortable, well made and nice looking.

 

[sjauch]

I'm a fan of the Domke as well. However I picked up an Artisan & Artist easy slider and now wish I had it on my other M's.

 

[Ken Ford]

Narrow Domkes without QD are my standard, but I use the wide version on a few heavier DSLRs and motorized SLRs.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I like OEM for Leica M-E and Canon 500D. Just purchased slightly worn OEM for Nikon FG-20 yesterday. Black stripe, Nikon in yellow.
My nicest OEM strap came with Bessa T or L (simple black, nylon strap, but well made to be as elegant as classic black tie), I'm using it on M4-2.
FED-2 has very similar to it black strap made by Minolta. It has chrome locks matching FED-2 and J-3 chrome.
M3 has OEM brown strap on brown OEM case, which I made half-case.
For cameras which come and go I have extra-long hipsta color and pattern extra-wide strap from ebay, very good and comfy.

I just wear strap old fashion way. If camera is not in the bag or on the shelf, it is on the strap over my neck. I learned it hard way, here is the bump on M4-2 top panel and extra glue in RF, due to fancy Gordy's wrist strap, which I forgot to lock by the ribber ring on the strap. M4-2 slipped on the sidewalk. First and last time I used wrist strap for valuable camera. Tiny, cheap and nylon wrist strap does work better on small cameras. Like on tiny Canon dP&S I have now. One dollar strap on twenty dollars (CAD) camera is the perfect match. 🙂

Oh, I checked OP strap. Cool! It has Canadian Tire and Banff feel in it. And not overpriced on Amazon.ca.

 

[michaelwj]

Artisan and Artist cloth strap. It doesn't look like they make it anymore, but it was the 103N, simple. I'd get the ACAM102 now.
Not a fan of leather straps, or padding, or straps really. Most of the time I go strapless.