how do you wear your camera, not a poll

[dmr]

I very much prefer a wrist strap. Nothing fancy, I have a few that I cut down from the standard neck straps that work fine. I don't really care for neck straps. I do have a nice clip-on one (not a hippie strap) 🙂 for the Pentax but I seldom use it. I usually just hand carry that one. With the zoom, it's really clumsy on a strap.

I also don't like carrying a separate camera bag.

 

[Rick Waldroup]

When I am out shooting, I usually carry at least two cameras, sometimes three. I do not like to change lenses. I wear a vest, I never carry a bag unless I really, really have to. I wear two of the cameras on straps over both shoulders, I never wear one around my neck. If I bring a third camera, it rides inside a pocket in my vest.

 

[FrankS]

A wrist strap or nothing at all for small fixed lens RF cameras that fit easily into a jacket pocket.

Neckstrap for my interchangeable lens cameras: If I'm traveling and not using the camera, it is in a Domke 803 bag carried on my left shoulder. If I want a camera ready, it is also over my left shoulder, under my left arm. If I'm shooting or anticipating to shoot, I wrap the neckstrap around my right wrist 3 times and walk with the camera in my right hand, the bag still over my left shoulder.

If I'm working with just 1 camera in the fall/winter/spring, it is over my left shoulder, under my jacket, with a lens or 2 in my jacket pockets.

Rarely do I wear a camera on a neckstrap around my neck. It looks pretty funny, the bulge under my coat if I do. (I've got to reduce that belly!)

 

[Kat]

I use whatever's attached to the camera, but more often I prefer the neckstrap (though it's a pain during hot weather when the back of you neck is sweating!). Hang it on my neck when I'm using the camera, over my shoulder if not. Wriststraps are nice, but don't leave my hands completely free, plus camera could get knocked against something.

 

[Scarpia]

Depends on the camera. My Bessas and my Leica have neckstraps so thats what I use. My Zorki 4 and 5 lack strap lugs as does my old Voigtlander Vito so I use the never ready case as much as I dislike it. When I'm on an errand of any kind and photography is secondary I carry a small P&S in a pocket except in the summer when I am not wearing a coat or jacket. Then I choose my camera by considering what is most practical with regard to where I am going or what I am doing. I tell my wife that is why I need so many cameras. She doesn't always believe me.
Kurt M.

 

[ddutchison]

Joe, you might try using a thin (half-inch) soft strap. You can wrap it around your wrist a few times and use it as a wrist strap. This is sort of second nature to me now. Once you get the length right, it makes a pretty decent wrist strap, with your thumb and fingers of the right hand(which remain in shooting position)serving only to keep the camera/strap from unraveling, the actual weight of the camera is held by the strap.

As for carrying, 90% of the time I carry my camera over my left shoulder, on my left side, under a jacket/vest/open-shirt, depending on the weather. I really like the fact that the camera is completely hidden and protected when not in use. I take a camera everywhere, every day - with various lenses, extra film, and a lightmeter distributed around in available pockets (I couldn't get away with this with a SLR system). Wouldn't work too well if I was a multi-camera person, but I'll make nearly any sacrifice not to have to cary a bag.

Since thin straps like to slide down your shoulder when used in this fashion, My first modification is some kind of anti-slip treatment. In this case, a thin strip of sued leather contact-cemented rough-side-out - just at the section where the strap meets my shoulder - worked well.

The other essential mod is a some kind of quick-release, since it would be otherwise impossible to take the camera off without first removing my jacket/vest/open-shirt first. Lutz Konneremann sells some really nice ones (Some day I'll buy one of those, though I'd just use it as an in-line buckle, not as "The Hook"). They have to be small or they get uncomfortable when used in wrist-strap mode.

Partial public disrobing is still required to return the camera to my shoulder, but I don't switch between shoulder and wrist strap that often, so I can live with it.

As to strap length, I like the strap to be fairly snug on the shoulder when the camera is at my eye, that way it's a little steadier.

 

[Doug]

I like side-hanging cameras too, as they're particularly well-suited I think to hang from the corresponding shoulder. Right-side hang, as for a Bessa with its grip, is my preference, but left is more common, as with Fuji GA/GS, Bronica RF, Pentax 67II... and I think the CL too?

 

[rool]

I use wrist straps and hook my thumb behind the advance lever while walking.
I cut the Voigtlander neck straps provided with my Bessa R & L at the right lenght and sew them. They are the perfect width and there is an anti-slip material on the neck area...which became the wrist area!

 

[furcafe]

For serious shooting, as when I have multiple cameras & lenses, I carry the stuff that's not being used in a messenger bag, usually over the right shoulder. Over the opposite shoulder, I use a "neck" strap worn like a messenger bag, i.e., w/the pad usually on my left shoulder, the strap going diagonally across my chest & back, & the camera under my right arm. Thus, the messenger bag strap & the camera strap form an "X." I don't use wrist straps as they're of no help when you have to use your hands for other purposes (like eating, opening doors, etc.).

 

[John Camp]

I've used a very large number of straps over the years, and recently found what is (so far) my favorite, called an UPstrap. It's a thin nylon strap with a good-sized black rubber shoulder pad with little "nubbins' on it -- you can carry it over a shoulder, dip your shoulder past 45 degrees sideways and it still won't slide off. It just grabs. I don't do instantaneous grab shots; I tend to look at the shot, look for places where a shot might occur -- so i carry the camera over my right shoulder, behind my right elbow, or pinned between my elbow and my body, where it's invisible to anyone looking at me from the front, but where I can feel it all the time.

I don't carry around my neck because I was with Nikons for a long time, and they are heavy enough that carrying one around my neck for very long made my neck sore.

I was in an outdoor-sports store today looking at fishing gear, and I saw a khaki skeet or trap-shooters jacket built to cvarry shotgun shells and other equipment. I think would be great for carrying a camera with a smaller lens attached, plus a couple of lenses, and still look nice. Be just the thing for cool weather, with a wrist strap.

Think I'll start another thread (one of these days) on "camera clothes."

JC

 

[matt fury]

I've got a Domke Gripper with my Contax 139 and an el-cheapo nylon strap with my M4. I usually don't use either, but it depends on if I'm going to be needing my hands a lot. I want to try getting a long strap and wearing it across my chest, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Trying out a finger sling is also on that list.

 

[RayPA]

...

Think I'll start another thread (one of these days) on "camera clothes."

JC

Well if you're going there, I'll chime in on photo vests. I know they're geek-ware to most people, but I've got a nice black one with 21 pockets, and it's great (my wife hates it, even though she bought it for me).




.

 

[Flinor]

Typically I use a Domke Gripper quick release over my shoulder. The camera comes up to your eye very quickly. With a small camera, I'll use just the quick release portion configured as a wrist strap and will wear a vest before I cary a bag. I've got a three lug M5 but I use the vertical carry anyway.

 

[ErnestoJL]

I´m allways carrying the camera hanging from a extra long neck vinyl or leatherette thin strap which runs around my neck, goes to my back, and keeps the camera under my left arm.
This way, the camera is allways hidden under my arm /coat/jacket (even during the hot Buenos Aires summer of +38C), protected from the sun/cold or rain, and best of all it doesn´t bounce on my belly.
If I´m carying two cameras and some extra stuff, the second one goes in a small shoulder fabric bag, and extra film, mini tripod, and other accesories go in a military surplus dual magazine holder clipped to my belt.

Ernesto

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Well if you're going there, I'll chime in on photo vests. I know they're geek-ware to most people, but I've got a nice black one with 21 pockets.

You think that's enough? Gotta have a pocket for that cowbell 😛

---

I wear mine casually.

 

[back alley]

when i was shooting slr's i liked using a vest and also disliked using a camera bag.

but with the smaller rf's i have no problem carrying a bag. the small domke is barely there and the m classic bag is just so comfortable.
with the wrist strap if i need to open a door or shake a hand it's quick to put the camera in the bag.

i can see using a neck strap if i was going to carry one camera with the lens attached and nothing else, maybe film in a pocket. then it would be comfortable to have the camera on a shoulder if i needed my hand.

 

[R Alan]

I use a wrist strap I made from an old belt on my rangefinder and carry it upside down. This way I can focus with my thumb and click the shutter with my pinky if I want to be sneaky. Haven't got the advance lever thing down yet while carrying it this way. I carry my D70 on the painfully thin stock neckstrap across the chest, bandoleer style.

Roy

 

[enochRoot]

i wear mine as in gabrielma's picture when carrying only the camera. otherwise it's in a small-medium sized messenger type bag worn in the same fashion (crossing my chest, behind my left arm). good times.

 

[ray_g]

Neckstrap over the right shoulder if I have one camera/one lens. Otherwise, in the bag (on the right with strap across chest) like you described, Joe, with grip and the neckstrap (I hate swapping straps because of those little rings you need to pry with your fingernails). I just wrap the neckstrap 2-3 times around my wrist.

I also like the neckstrap for when I change film on the fly on the M bodies. I keep them hanging around my neck when I do so.

With smaller cameras (CL, compact 35RF's, IIIF) just my home made wrist straps.

A couple of gripes:
1. Having the CL wrist strap on my LEFT wrist, because of the strap lug location.
2. M Classic bagstrap's too short (for me) to wear across the shoulder. The bag rides too high.
3. Someone needs to come up with a good replacement for those little strap rings..

 

[wlewisiii]

Ray, you might try using a longer strap on the CL so that you can put it on you right wrist despite the location of the lugs. I've also read of people having a third lug ala the M5 added at CLA time. Also, Luigi has an excellent solution to those (censored) rings - check the metal fasteners about 3/4 of the way down this page http://www.leicatime.com/000-STRAPS-page.htm He'll put them on wrist straps as well. I have these on my strap and love being able to quickly swap it to any of my cameras.

William