DIY paracord straps

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pixelvandal

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Hello all, just thought id quickly share how i make straps for all my cameras after seeing a post somewhere on instructables.com long ago

Basically, measure a length of paracord, as thick as you like, i wear my cameras over the shoulder so i drape it from my hip, over my shoulder, and down to my hip, and cut to suit.

next get some small keyring rings

some sewing thread.

and some craft glue, or any thick glue really.

thread the keyring loop through the paracord and bend the end up by about 3/4 of an inch.

start winding the sewing thread around and around quite tightly until that whole 3/4 inch section is covered. then, get some glue and rub it over the thread to seal it.

Sounds like crap, looks.... ok, maybe not as nice as the lance camera straps etc, but Costs a total of a couple bucks.

as for strength, ive been using these on all cameras for years, from a 5D with a prime lens, to Nikon film slrs to sony and olympus mirrorless bodies. never had one fail, just be sure to wind a LOT of sewing thread around it, you'd be surprised how strong it is.

Attached is one i made in about 5 minutes for a friend, not the best job but it gives you a good example. you can pick and choose colours cheaply, length, etc, and anyone can make them.

Apologies if this seems silly. But hey, I find them comfortable, and this is a easy way to make a custom strap without needing any skills whatsoever haha. so hopefully someone finds it useful. You could do this with leather strap as well should you choose to 🙂

33174868802_00cbdff240_c.jpg
 
I actually do a similar thing. I also wear my cameras over the shoulder rather than over the neck. I like the way the nylon slides easily against my clothing. It makes it very easy to raise the camera to shoot.
 
Peter Jennings said:
I actually do a similar thing. I also wear my cameras over the shoulder rather than over the neck. I like the way the nylon slides easily against my clothing. It makes it very easy to raise the camera to shoot.
Click to expand...

exactly why i like them too Peter, quick to bring up to my eye, and super comfortable to wear down low. 🙂
 
I’d like to add a little tutorial for how I do my straps. As for WHY I do my own straps, it’s all about wanting things customized to my own exact preferences. I want my straps to be lightweight, comfortable, and simple. I can’t wear cameras around my neck. Due to a herniated disk, anything slung around my neck will lead to discomfort and pain in a short amount of time. Therefore, I need something that I can wear over my shoulder and slung across my body. I also don’t like to use the strap lugs on cameras. Things hanging off the side of my cameras annoys me. So, by attaching the strap to the base of the camera instead of the lugs, the camera is much easier and more pleasant to handle.

I’m sure you can buy things like this, but most I’ve seen are over-engineered and aimed at professionals with heavy DSLRs. This strap is perfect for rangefinders and other small cameras. And it’s more fun to do it yourself, too!

For the strap I’m making here, I’m using some 1” nylon webbing, ⅛” paracord, a ¼” connector that screws into the camera’s tripod socket, and some sturdy polyester thread. This can all be purchased cheaply on eBay. And everything comes in different colors, so you can customize to your heart’s desire!

First, I cut the webbing to about 42” in length and singe the ends so they don’t unravel. I’m 6’2” and this is a good length for me. Some may want to cut theirs a bit longer or shorter.
33710315382_b143c86d5d_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9853 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

Next, cut about a 20” length of paracord and singe the ends of that as well.
33710316102_d1597b526f_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9855 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

Now, pinch one end of the webbing around one end of the paracord and sew the webbing together. Be sure to sew close to the paracord but do not to sew through it! This will allow you to customize the length of the strap by adjusting where you tie off the paracord. Make the stitching about an inch long. I stitch over the seam three times going back and forth from one end to the other - not too pretty, but strong.
33866649125_c538950717_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9858 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

Do the same to the other end and then tie knots at the ends of the paracord.
33825573026_7f4e25e650_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9860 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

The strap connectors come with a rubber ring, but I like to add a leather ring over that. Sometimes I’ll add two additional rings if the camera I’m using has a shallow tripod socket.
33710316912_2f261bd316_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9861 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

Loop the end of the cord through and screw it into the tripod socket. You’re ready to go!
33866649605_f4ed46b042_c.jpg
[/url]IMG_9863 by Peter Jennings, on Flickr[/IMG]

The great thing about this strap is that it’s simple, strong, comfortable and easily adjustable. If you want the strap to be shorter then pull the paracord through and tie it off again. The nylon is soft and slippery so it’s easy to raise the camera to shoot.

Hope some of you find this useful,
 
Is the cord you're using softish? I sling my cameras over my shoulders too, and those cameras are nearly always ancient SLR clunkers that weigh a ton. Usually I have to go w/ one of those straps that are much wider and have a bit of stretch to them to make toting those things comfortable. Hang a FD 135 2.5 lens on a Canon F1 sometime and see what that setup weighs. I'll bet that the "pro" shooters back in the day have shoulder problems now from carrying around all those heavy cameras, especially the big Nikons like the F4s.
 
The nylon webbing doesn't have any stretch to it, but it is soft and supple. I can carry my Nikon F with a 105mm comfortably, but for anything heftier I would probably opt to put it in a shoulder bag. There's also the option of using a wider webbing to spread the weight out.
 
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