Leica Monochrom (ccd) leather strap. How comfortable is it?

[Roel]

I have been using my Monochrome for a about 7 months with my old m6TTL Leica webbing strap which i like. It is not stiff and let's me use the strap in various ways ways. I can wrap it around my hand when not around the body and it works for me. Most of the time i wear the camera diagonal around the body.

I still have the original Leather strap in the box but am thinking of using it. One thing keeps me from using it is that the leather is still very stiff and I wonder if the strap with use will become nice and flexible.

Would like very much to hear from users of the original leather Leica Monochrome strap what their feelings/experiences are.

 

[icebear]

...

I still have the original Leather strap in the box but am thinking of using it. One thing keeps me from using it is that the leather is still very stiff and I wonder if the strap with use will become nice and flexible....

LOL, that most likely is where my strap is too 😀.
I never unwrapped it. I have a grip and a finger loop and when I'm out and about shooting the camera is in my hand. When I stop for whatever reason I put it in my Domke bag. No shoulder strap for me.

If you want to soften the strap, I guess there might be some leather care oils around to help with that e.g. mink oil, neatsfoot oil etc.

 

[CVickery]

I used the original strap for a couple of months, but found it too stiff. There may be products that would soften it a bit, but I just moved to a third party strap that I liked without having to experiment with lotions and potions. (Annie Barton 1972 strap)

 

[Calzone]

I use the MM OEM strap on another camera. I used nose grease to soften it up and flexed it and rolled it. Basically I worked it in. I find it to be an elegant strap. Also the padded section did not prove to be durable and eventually delaminated.

Sell me yours.

Kinda cool because I have never seen anyone else use this strap "In the wild."

Cal

 

[Richard G]

Love mine. Still stiff. Coiled around the wrist it distributes the weight over a wider area.

 

[yossarian123]

Nose grease, huh? That's not a bad idea - it's a good thing I'm never selling my MM otherwise I'd have to disclose that ☺️

 

[Jockos]

Bees wax and silicone free mink oil are excellent options to nose grease 🙂

 

[Calzone]

Nose grease is free. Organic, sustainable and renewable. LOL.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Nose grease, huh? That's not a bad idea - it's a good thing I'm never selling my MM otherwise I'd have to disclose that ☺️

Plus one on keeping the Monochrom. Nose grease is one way to personalize your camera. LOL.

My camera has my DNA.

Cal

 

[Roel]

So some lovers of the Original strap here. I like the look of the strap and woud like to use when it is a good option. My sister has horses, maybe she has some saddle type greases to make it more flexible. Maybe i should start with making the strap more flexible before using it.

Anybody have problems, besides stiffness, like with the rings. Scratching or loosening and crashing the camera. I read some stories about that.

 

[Richard G]

Just use the strap. Its stiffness is one of its strengths, as it were. I prefer it to all my other straps. The standard Leica strap has a way of finding a path off my shoulder. Paradoxically this leather strap with a smooth leather shoulder pad stays on better I find. I have a shortish A&A leather strap on the M6 and I really like that too. When carrying the camera dangling from the strap in one hand there is much more to grip and it is much more comfortable. Coiling the strap around the camera is a slightly greater challenge for storage.

Do you rub neatsfoot oil or smear nose grease on your new shoes? Didn't think so. Nose grease is the ideal lubricant of a dry pre-M6 film Leica mounting flange.

 

[Jockos]

Just use the strap. Its stiffness is one of its strengths

Wrong.

Any stiff leather should be treated before using it. Stiff leather is ofter thick (good) and dry (extremely bad).

 

[Thud]

How does a strap help you make photo's. Pay more attention to the image, then the gear.:bang:

 

[Calzone]

How does a strap help you make photo's. Pay more attention to the image, then the gear.:bang:

I strongly disagree. Carrying a camera all the time means more shooting and photo ops. A good strap makes a big difference, especially when I carry one or more cameras for a day.

Cal

 

[Roel]

So this weekend I started breaking in the Monochrome strap and will be using it to make it as flexible as can be.

Only to hear yesterday at my Leica dealer in Amsterdam that it is best to send the Monochrome to Solms because it is suspect to have some sensor issues..

Not sure how long Solms will have the MM1 but it looks like I am going the use the MM strap on my M6 or A7 for some time in the coming months.

 

[Richard G]

Wrong.

Any stiff leather should be treated before using it. Stiff leather is ofter thick (good) and dry (extremely bad).

'Wrong'? The strap is perfect. I am not a saddler and haven't ridden a horse in thirty years, but the Monochrom strap is perfect in my view and has loosened just a little with use and like good shoes one just has to be patient. It is not dry and needs no treatment. It is just the right thickness.

 

[Luke_Miller]

Only to hear yesterday at my Leica dealer in Amsterdam that it is best to send the Monochrome to Solms because it is suspect to have some sensor issues..

Not sure how long Solms will have the MM1 but it looks like I am going the use the MM strap on my M6 or A7 for some time in the coming months.

I believe Wetzlar is where Leica is now located.

It is true that the M9 sensor corrosion issue also affects the Monochrom. Mine has corrosion. Unfortunately the Monochrom version of the re-designed sensor is not yet ready. So if a Monochrom with sensor corrosion is sent in now for sensor replacement it will receive the "old" sensor. Reportedly it will be the end of the year before the new version is available and I am waiting before I send mine in. Not all bodies will have the problem and Leica will not replace a non-corroded sensor with the new design.

 

[drec]

I use the OEM strap not wrapped in my hand, but slung diagonally across my shoulder to quickly flip up for a shot. No issues. The bigger eternal M issue is what to use to grip the camera better. I have a Luigi half case with built-in grip but the Thumbs-Up is more elegant and is what I use.

 

[asiafish]

My original strap lasted about 8 months, then started to come apart. I threw it away and use a Different Leica strap, long and wider at the center with nice padding.

 

[Pioneer]

It is a very nice strap and I like it. It is a bit thick and stiff though regularly coating it with neatsfoot oil every now and again helps a lot with the stiffness. I coat it at night and then wipe it off in the morning. You will know you are good when you coat it at night and not much soaks in by morning. Treated right that strap will certainly last longer than the MM.