DIY wrist straps

[Muggins]

They're hardly Luigi's, but fun to make and I suspect with a bit of practice you could get quite good quite quickly. Ebay link may be for illustrative purposes only if you are outwith countries they ship to.

Probably not applicable if you are shooting with full frame DSLRs or other chunksters but if you have something smaller, or just enjoy tinkering... This started off in a discussion on Fartbook about Kodak Retina and Retinette ever-ready cases. Often they look great, but the leather loops that the straps attach to have a nasty tendency to snap and deposit your lovely camera on the deck with a horrible crunch.

Someone suggested buying these babies: Pardon our interruption...

From there it got a bit creative. Thought no 1 was to use paracord to make a wrist strap to attach to it. It worked but I couldn't be bothered to macrame a paracord strap so it looks a bit basic.

Thought No 2 was to use some leather strapping. It's a single piece of strap with the ends bought together and rivetted. Yes, my holes should have been punched a bit more central*, I'm still working this out as I go along. The keeper loop was made first, rivetted with pliers rather than a punch, and slipped over before I closed the gap. This looks a lot classier, and I've hung a Nikkormat off it and bounced it up and down a bit so it's certainly strong enough - though I don't think I'll risk the Contax!

Wrist straps by gray1720, on Flickr

*shut up you at the back!

 

[Joao]

Good job.!!!
There is an old thread here in RFF about the same subject. And another solution can be found at the "Fed-1 & Zoki-1 Survival Site." by Jay Javier ( username Zorkikat in RFF)

 

[Muggins]

Thanks, Joao, I'll take a look at those and compare notes.

 

[Bob Michaels]

Almost every new camera sold comes with a sturdy thin black nylon strap. If you don't already have several, just about any photo store will give you a few. Infinitely adjustable so they can be used as wrist straps, neck straps, or shoulder straps with a one minute adjustment using no tools. They work perfectly. And, did I mention the price is right.

The only thing they are not suitable for is those people who equate usefulness with what something costs.

 

[Muggins]

What is this "New Camera" of which you speak, Bob? I have no knowledge of such things!

More seriously, this came about because a number of the later Retinettes have no strap lugs, if they lose the case (the classic cause being broken strap loops on the case) you have to get creative, hence making straps that screw into the tripod bush.

I do take your point though. As the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat!

 

[Muggins]

Mk 3 version - again about half an hour's work, mostly spent getting the knot straight at the start and keeping the tension on. If I was going to do these regularly I'd make a jig to do the job.

Wrist strap Mk 3 by gray1720, on Flickr

 

[Richard G]

I use the standrard modern Leica strap and leather straps and a nylon strap of my 2 lug M5 as wrist straps. Picked it up from a couple of photos of HC-B. I figured if that worked for him, using a camera so much, I’d explore the practicality of it. I use the left wrist for the M5.

It is convenient, as I still have with me a neck or shoulder strap. Carrying the camera this way makes it anlways ready, but unobtrusive, and a couple of winds around the wrist spreads the load. I can even let go of the camera, but mostly it’s weight is shared across two encirclements of wrist and the fingers of my right hand.

The two disadvantages are when I want to very quickly get the rig off my wrist, eg to shake someone’s hand; and putting the camera in a pocket, with too much leather to stuff in.

 

[Muggins]

Loaded for game!

Straps ready to go by gray1720, on Flickr