Neck Strap WARNING!

kbg32 said:
I hate the newer Leica straps. Never use'em. As far as I am concerned, Luigi makes the best straps bar none. I was always a fan of the older Leica leather straps. Long out of production, long wearing, and mine still serve me well 27 years later. Luigi's leather straps are a definite upgrade to the older Leica leather straps and look absolutely beautiful.
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Ted, I'd be in tears... So sorry to hear of this.

I would 2nd on Luigi's strap. Like his cases, they seem to get better with age.
 
Ted I didn't wish to appear callous above, but I did forget to offer my condolences. Sorry. I hope Leica does the right thing by you, I have one of my M7s with them under Passport at the moment and they are taking care of me.

Returning to straps for a moment, I've used Domke, and only Domke straps for as long as I can remember. The metal clasps have the potential to scratch your camera I suppose, but it has never actually happened to me and if it did I probably wouldn't care. I like to use the Grippers with the swivel straps for my long strap only, my short strap doesn't seem to twist as easily as the long one so I don't seem to need metal clasps on the short strap.
 
The Passport Protection was three years when I bought my M6's. If/when I get my M8 I am going to put it on my Amex, which I think still does purchase protection.

But I found the original straps on my M6 (classics) were extremely dependable. It took a bit of oomph to slide the plastic off the metal rings. Maybe if you bowed the metal rings out a bit more to provide more resistance?

Upstrap makes a very good non-slip shoulder strap. They have a rangefinder model. I use them on my dSLRs.
 
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I hope the camera is well Ted. A few days ago I noticed the same problem you describe. I thought it was strange because I had not attempted to remove the strap since i first put it on when I got the camera. I decided to switch and got a small loop instead. It is a little inconvenient to remove but i thought it would be sager.
 
Saxshooter- my "strap" did not slide up, it broke and fell off the neck cord as it is totally MIA. I'll provide a picture or two but it is important for people to understand that these plastic straps are made out of a different plastic then was the case with the straps that came with our M6's. My M6 straps are still working as they did when they were new- they slide on to their clasps with tenacity and are quite strong. By contrast the new straps provided with the M8 both slide off their clasps quite easily and are prone to total failure which can result in your M8 coming disconnected from the neck strap with gravity taking over.

Also thank you for the Amex tip- I charged my M8 to my Amex card and will pursue this as an option but feel Leica should replace my body. It was their supplied neck strap that failed causing my M8 to hit a concrete sidewalk resulting in substantial damage.
 
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I use the standard Leica strap on both my M8 and one of my M3's. I have had the plastic piece break only after I wacked it against something, actually the strap got caught on something and the camera slipped out of my hands and hit the side of my coffe table right on the plastic strap retainer before hitting the carpeted floor, but I could still use that strap and the plastic piece to lock the strap down, although I have replaced it with another standard strap.
Even with the plastic retainer breaking and coming completely off the metal ring the strap itself would need to do a bunch of twists and turns to come out of the metal ring or the mental ring to come out of the eyelet on the camera body.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune but don't blame the strap totally as in the end it is the user that is responsible for camera retention.
 
Shootist,
Glad to see this as your fist post but I hope Leica does not attempt to shill this away.**I am not aware of any such impact with my camera strap nor did I notice any such twisting or turning with my camera strap but I was shooting the entire day and expected the strap to work as one should expect. I see this much like a supplied safty belt that comes with ones automobile. It is expected to hold under reasonable use. If it fails during reasonable use and results in injury then that is a defect of manufacture. I will call Leica on Monday and expect they will rise to the occasion but if I am wrong I will be vocal.
 
The UPStrap costs $32 at their website, but I paid $50 for one of those Leica straps.
However, I notice that the UPStrap, the Leica Strap, and other DSLR straps all use plastic fittings. Are there any straps that use metal fittings? The early M3's used to have circular split rings (like key rings) to use with the leather straps.
 
Twice I've had the spit rings on my old M staps work their way around and the camera come off or nearly off once. the first time I caught my M2 before it went into a swimming pool. Domke are the way to go.
 
To continue the public service aspect, I wonder if it would be possible for someone to post a picture of the type of strap/clasp that is shipping with the M8s? I have several different straps that sound similar that came with various R and M bodies. It'd be very useful to be able to make sure that, for example, a late M7 strap isn't (or is) of the same type that failed here.

Many thanks
 
Ted, I can't even begin to imagine what it must've felt like having a $5000 camera hit the pavement. Hopefully a rangefinder adustment it all it'll need. IIRC Leica USA is not offering the Passport on the M8, however I also believe as you do that they should make an exception where the damage is a result of the failure of their supplied neckstrap, and I hope they step up honorably and fix your rangefinder and the replace the dented part under warranty. Considering how vocally you have stood up for them in the face of all the criticism, it would be a real slap in the face if they didn't reward your loyalty. Hopefully if you plead your case in a calm and logical manner they will be responsive. If not I would contact Mr. Hagenauer or Mr. Daniel in Solms.

As to the strap coming off, I too am a little puzzled because I know that after sliding up the plastic retainer, it always takes me quite a bit of turning and twisting to get the clip out of the eyelet, or the strap off the clip. Maybe there is another cost-cutting redesign to the strap, other than just the plastic part?
 
i still remember the sound when my canon p and 50/1.9 collapsible hit the pavement!!

what you pay for a camera is less important than how you feel about that camera when you hear that thud.

sorry for the pain.

joe
 
Ted, that's bad news.

I've looked at my M8 strap and even with the plastic locking collar that goes over the split "D ring" removed I'd think it unlikely that the strap would come out of the split ring.

I'm wondering if the end of the strap which is anchored onto the adjustment buckle by being looped and sewn onto itself had become unsewn. That would account for the loss of the locking collar which would drop off the end of the strap as soon as it broke free. Can you compare both ends of your strap and confirm that the sewn loop is intact?

Bob.
 
Dooooode...I feel really bad for you as I know how much enjoyment you have been getting out of this camera. Leica owes you on this one, don't back down.

I have always used a few wraps of black gaffer's tape near the adjustable components of my camera's straps once I get them into position, but I have to say I like the shrink wrap idea too. I think I am going to stick to tape though ( no pun intended ) as I can quickly use it use it for an emergency if I need to and have had to do this on an occasion.

The M6 straps seem bomber, but this is going to make me tape them as well. A little 1/4 inch piece wrapped like 4 times around, no one will even notice it.

I hope Leica treats you as well as you have treated them.

Hang in there.....

Sailor Ted said:
Thanks all and an update- the range finder is out of alignment. I focused on a flag on the horizon and it is way off. I agree the ballistic nylon that Leica uses on the strap is great and I too like it's ergos but... the plastic caps are not the same as what came with my M6. Perhaps Leica's vendor changed the formula for the plastic or perhaps Solms was pinching pennies (euros?) I don't know but this is a significant set back for me.

I will contact Leica on Monday and see if the warranty on my M8 is as robust as what came with my M6. Lifetime Passport Protection I believe it was called?

I have been thinking about how best to remedy this problem for other M8 owners and have the following suggestion. While tape would be of benefit it is not an elegant solution and can come undone. I believe heat shrink is our best option and I offer this as a suggestion.

Cheers,
ST

PS. The plastic cap is totally MIA- gone as in not on the strap. This means it failed and as a result of this failure my camera strap came off the clasp and my camera hit the ground hard.
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Ted: ow-wow-WOW! Really sorry to hear this!

Also sorry to add more bad news - but the M8 is covered only by a 2-year manufacturing defect warranty, NOT the 3-year all-risk Passport warranty. At least in the US. However, if you make a compelling case to Leica that their strap failed...

(the reduced warranty - per Leica reps I've talked to - was to avoid having to cover shutter/sensor damage from folks who insisted on trying collapsible lenses on the M8 and crunched things internally)

I've used old 1980s Leica M6/R5 straps for years - long before I had Leica cameras to hang on them. But they do have heavier wire for the attachment loops AND heavier plastic sliders . Only one that ever broke in 20 years was slammed in a car door, shattering the plastic slider.

My "M8" straps have stayed safely in the bottom of the original box while I used the old-timers.
 
dshfoto said:
The UPStrap costs $32 at their website, but I paid $50 for one of those Leica straps.
However, I notice that the UPStrap, the Leica Strap, and other DSLR straps all use plastic fittings.
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Condolences to Ted on the 'drop' - you wouldn't wish that on anyone.

As regards alternative straps I'll also vouch for the UpStrap rangefinder version. I use this on my M8 and it's excellent. As regards the comment above about fittings being plastic, this is not the case at all. The fittings are metal with the exception of the little riser that keeps the strap ends together.
 
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