The Strap Problem

Bill Pierce

Bill Pierce

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This is going t sound silly, but, what is everyone doing for neck straps these days? DSLRs seem to come with wide cloth straps with a lot of advertising on them. Mirrorless seem to come with straps so thin in both width and thickness that you spend a lot of time taking out the twists before you put them around your neck and are definitely suspicious of them if you have to use a heavy long lens.

My answer was somewhat simple in the past. As I switched from film to digital I took the good leather straps from my film cameras and put them on my digital cameras. But I’ve used up all those straps, and I just bought a new camera. What do I do?
 
I use Leica straps on everything, these:

14312.jpg


Part number is 14312. I've always picked them up second hand in the UK from Ffordes.

No lose ends, however long or short you want your strap, and nice and grippy on the shoulder.
 
I do have some nice leather straps that I am happy with but I have become very fond of the selections available from Op/Tech USA. Nylon instead of leather but their camera straps are very robust and, with the right neck pads, very comfy. There are certainly some advantages to the newer materials.
 
Having just bought a Pentax 6x7, comfy, strong straps suddenly seem really important. I've always used Op/Tech in the past, but the plastic quick release looks a little dodgy with 3kg hanging off it. Currently using the Pentax original which feels like cheese wire after a three hour walk.
 
My ONLY choice is Leica Time, Luigi,leather, soft/strong nech pad, 10mm wide and adjustable ://www.leicatime.com on each M5/M6/Fuji x100…..
 
the round lance strap is the most comfortable strap i have ever used. i like extra long and they can be custom ordered, the round moves on the body with ease...
 
back alley said:
the round lance strap is the most comfortable strap i have ever used. i like extra long and they can be custom ordered, the round moves on the body with ease...
Click to expand...

I'm gonna second this. I love my fancy new Hard Graft strap but buying it was a "Treat yo'self" moment, LOL. All my working mirrorless cameras are supported by classic lance straps. They're even color coded by camera. :) I've gotten years of use out of my Lance straps. They're comfy for lighter cameras and extremely handy. And relatively affordable.
 
I feel passionately about the simple A&A ACAM-102 woven nylon strap:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...aaacam102blk_acam_102_camera_strap_black.html

Very comfortable, also can be wrapped around the wrist, no metal except on the lugs. Also known (with different label) as Voigtlander "de Luxe" strap. 2cm wide, comes in 90 or 120cm length, so you can carry two cameras around your neck without them touching each other. Usually around 40 bucks, if you shop carefully. I must have 10 or more at home.

I try to keep my gear away from leather.

And, BTW, the first thing I do when I get a new strap is remove the lug/leather protector. Totally useless if you ask me :)

This was before going to Alaska a while back, Leicas for B+W, OM for color:

stuff1-X2.jpg


Roland.
 
I'm a huge fan of DSPTCH straps, I have the "standard" strap on my GR, and it's absolutely perfect. (No connection, just it was perfect for me)

It does have a quick release, if that's a problem for anyone.

Standard:
http://www.dsptch.com/collections/all-products/products/standard-camera-sling-strap-black

Heavy (thicker strap)
http://www.dsptch.com/collections/all-products/products/heavy-camera-sling-strap-black-1

Paracord wrist strap
http://www.dsptch.com/collections/all-products/products/camera-wrist-strap-black-matte-black-1

Lifetime guarantees too.


When it comes to heavier cameras FF Digital etc, there's no tempting me away from Neoprene straps, but for lighter choices, the DSPTCH stuff is great.

I also have a couple of Gordy's wrist straps, they're incredibly sturdy, a little unwieldy at first, but that's the process of breaking in leather.

I've definitely eyed up the round Lance strap on a number of occasions, but I know I'll get stung by customs charges, (and as you may have guessed, I'm pretty happy with the DSPTCH option right now).
 
Just got a couple of new straps this week and have yet to give them a tryout. They are both from Peak Design, the Leash neckstrap and the Cuff wrist strap.
 
I make my own Strapateers out of parts from Tandy leather and a bit of salvage from old Nikon nylon straps for the buckle/slider. Best strap ever, as I'm sure you know.
 
The strap I like the most is the OP/TECH which is use on my Pentax 6x7. If Pentax comes out with the FF camera they promise; I'll buy one for that camera. You are right those skinny straps are annoying.
 
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