Strap or Sling

[John Rountree]

My solution gives you the advantage of both a neck strap and a wrist strap. I use a thin (10mm) neck strap so I can sling the camera over my shoulder or neck when I want to. But, when I am shooting I always keep the camera in my hand. I make a girth hitch (very simple knot) and slide my wrist through so the camera is totally secure and cannot be dropped or snatched. When attached to your wrist in this manner this solution also has the practical advantage of taking all the pressure off the camera lugs.

 

[jano]

What's a sling strap? Just a neck strap, or size of a neck strap on one lug?

 

[Alec]

I spoke to both Don Goldberg and Sherry Krauter and they both emphatically said that any force that pulls the lugs away from the body can work them loose, which includes any kind of one-sided strap even if the camera isn't allowed to dangle from it. That'ss good enough for me, but what other people want to do with their Leicas is none of my business, it's their money.

Funny, I just heard the same thing from the mouth of the French authority on Leica service, Gérard Métrot.
I'll take off the 'Sling' from both my Leicas. It's a real pity because it worked like a charm, but I don't want to hear the camera smash on the floor because the riveted lug popped off. So I'll give another chance to the M-grip and try a wrist strap that screws into the tripod thread.

 

[tenebrae]

I never use camera straps or slings. Tried them out, but they always seem to get in the way, or entangled.

The inside pockets of a business suit are large enough to accomodate a Leica III with a collapsible lens. "Off duty", I usually wear some kind of home-made jacket with two large inside pockets. It's a short waist jacket, made from the top half of an overall. I have about 6 of these.

 

[back alley]

I spoke to both Don Goldberg and Sherry Krauter and they both emphatically said that any force that pulls the lugs away from the body can work them loose, which includes any kind of one-sided strap even if the camera isn't allowed to dangle from it. That'ss good enough for me, but what other people want to do with their Leicas is none of my business, it's their money.

i use the wrist strap as a security against falling out of my hands when shooting or walking. i also use a grip on most of my cameras and i hold the camera by the grip. if no grip i hold the camera with my hand around the lens.

there is never any stress put on the lug, in fact, i put less stress on the lug then a person using a neck strap and hanging the camera on their neck or shoulder.

joe

 

[Jon Graham]

I agree totally with Joe-
When using a grip with a loose wriststrap as a safety tether, there is zero stress on the lugs. I have found the the ML grip far superior to the standard Leica M grip.

 

[ddunn]

My solution gives you the advantage of both a neck strap and a wrist strap. I use a thin (10mm) neck strap so I can sling the camera over my shoulder or neck when I want to. But, when I am shooting I always keep the camera in my hand. I make a girth hitch (very simple knot) and slide my wrist through so the camera is totally secure and cannot be dropped or snatched. When attached to your wrist in this manner this solution also has the practical advantage of taking all the pressure off the camera lugs.

I use a similar approach: camera over my shoulder and usually behind my right or left elbow when moving around. Camera goes into my hand when shooting, with the strap wrapped around my wrist HCB style (see attached).