The Strap Problem

Wow!! Who knew there were so many straps out there. Do we have an RFFer strap connoisseur somewhat like some who like bags more than cameras? ;-)

I put a wide strap on my Super Press 23 right after I bought it, it has a Yashica logo on it. So did the somewhat less wide one on my Rolleiflex I gave my son-in-law.

I still have the original strap my Fujica ST 901 came with some 40 years ago. That Super Press 23 Yashica strap is about as old.

I have bought narrow nylon straps to replace other camera straps and been OK.
 
Just found a better strap for my Nikon F6 last evening. It's the strap that came with the Leica R8 that I bought used.

I have no idea whether it is the original R8 strap, but it's definitely a Leica strap. It has a broad padded section with a textured grippy side that sits on your shoulder or around your neck, and narrowed ends with an interesting clasp arrangement for a narrow nylon strap-end that hooks to the camera. The standard Leica lug-ends (same as the M strap that others here have liked) are used so it come on and off the camera easily and handles a heavy camera like the R8 or F6 well.

Quite the nice strap ... the F6's weight is much more manageable with this strap on it.

G
 
Couple of Thinktank straps and those really wide, tapered Nikon straps for the D4 workhorses and D750. Was never a fan of Domke straps but now they make them without the QR and hardware so more Thinktank style.

Leica cameras are old school Leica leather straps or what look similar to an A&A leather strap except the pad is moveable along the strap. Very nice nonetheless.
 
I use the Leica strap that Peter David Grant illustrated, on every rangefinder I have including Leica M's, Nikon's, Leica screwmounts and Contax IIA. I find them extremely secure, just the right size for the camera, a great fastening method and they don't mar the camera - I find them perfect. I have 5 of these which I use on 9 cameras. The DSLRs and SLRs get the factory Nikon straps (lucky they are all Nikons or the name on the strap would look odd).
 
Can't go wrong with Gordy's. Simple, clean and good.

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I will now raise from the dead this thread from a year ago.

I recently became aware of the Ciesta brand straps. After seeing them for sale on Amazon, I tried them on my Fuji mirrorless cameras. I wasn't familiar with them but they look nice--good quality smooth leather with a suede lining that's thick enough to feel padded. The leather is stitched to nylon webbing that threads through the camera attachments. They're available in 15cm and 30cm widths and in various colors. I bought a 15cm for the X100S and 30cm straps for the other Fuji models that are heavier. These straps are well made, feel comfortable and look great. About $40 each from Amazon.

I agree about the Leica straps. The attachment method is about as secure as is possible. And for the heavier Canon DSLRs, I just use the billboard straps that came with them. I don't like the look but they're wide and comfortable and the slip-resistant lining grips well.
 
I have three Peak Design straps, two of the smaller ones for my RFs and one larger for the DSLR. They are like a seat belt material but thinner. I'm still trying to decide if I like the larger one. I'm pretty sure that I'm going back to the Domke straps. While the Peak straps are nice and light and very flexible, they seem to dig in to my neck a little. Particularly the larger one with the 6D on it. Just like bags, camera straps seem to be a never ending quest for the right one. I even made some of my own from light cotten strap material.
 
It depends upon the way you carry your camera imo. I recently spent an entire day/night on the streets of NYC with my M9P and 35mm zeiss f2. It's not a big heavy lens. The standard Leica strap didn't suit me as I like to wear cross body and the pad on the strap was useless as it was positioned across my chest when I wore the camera that way. No amount of adjusting could get the pad at my shoulder. As a result the thin strap dug into my shoulder throughout the day. And I am fairly athletic and have larger shoulders. I used to have a Luigi strap on my M6 with a small moveable shoulder pad, but I distinctly remember that on the street every time I would swing my camera up to my eye, the pad would move and it would take more time to reposition the pad after every photo. After a time I didn't bother adjusting the pad to my shoulder anymore. Recently I looked at the Angelo Pelle. http://www.angelo-pelle.com/neck-strap-large-deluxe-.html . It appears to be what I want in a strap, wider to displace the weight. But I don't care for the red leather. I went on etsy and found dozens of straps similar to this one, at better price points, but stumbled across deadcameras, another leather worker. A few journos reviewed the straps and, despite being thinner, sounded like they ticked the boxes. And they're very nice to look at. So I bought one. I got the "slim strap." I haven't taken it out yet, but the maker is great and he even custom made my length 120cm and had it shipped within 3 days from Portugal. Craftsmanship is nice. Still testing comfort.
 
Dear Board,

Nothing but OP/TECH for me. The best thing about them is all you need to buy are connectors once you own an OP/TECH strap. The system is completely modular and the same neck strap or sling strap can work on every camera you own just by hooking up to the connectors on the camera.

OP/TECH uses high quality materials that have been proven to work in rugged outdoor applications. I often carry a Canon 1DMK2 or gripped 40D with a Sigma 150-500 lens on a $ 20.00 OP/TECH neck strap or sling strap and have experienced no problems with either comfort or holding the camera securely.

Try them, you'll like them.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
Just a quick update to my resurrection post.

One of the only questions I had about the Ciesta straps I mentioned above is the possibility of the dye transferring to clothing when wet. Today I gave the black strap mounted on my X-E2/14mm combination a try during the morning dog walk. The black leather model has black suede lining. If any color would run, it's the black color. I sweat heavily and I live in a hot and humid climate. This morning the humidity was higher than normal, following a thunderstorm last night. Although I was soaking wet with perspiration by the time I got back home, the Ciesta strap shed no color whatsoever despite being nearly as soaked as my shirt. The camera/lens combination may not be a heavy one but the 30cm strap distributed the weight well and the soft suede was extremely comfortable.
 
Tim Murphy said:
Dear Board,

Nothing but OP/TECH for me. The best thing about them is all you need to buy are connectors once you own an OP/TECH strap. The system is completely modular and the same neck strap or sling strap can work on every camera you own just by hooking up to the connectors on the camera.

OP/TECH uses high quality materials that have been proven to work in rugged outdoor applications. I often carry a Canon 1DMK2 or gripped 40D with a Sigma 150-500 lens on a $ 20.00 OP/TECH neck strap or sling strap and have experienced no problems with either comfort or holding the camera securely.

Try them, you'll like them.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
Click to expand...


I'm a big fan of the OpTech modular system, (and the other brands that use it).

I used to use a 1dMk2 on the wide Optech strap a lot, I'm currently using a 5d3 on a non Optech strap because that wide neck strap gets a bit warm when shooting concerts, I may well end up going back to them though.
 
Hi guys. I've given up the OEM leather strap as it started to chip off, used Artisan and Artist for a while, now using a new strap from E-niner. Been using it for a few months now. My impressions are very positive.
 
I have a Gordy on my M4-P, Artisan & Artist Silk Strap on my Monochrom, and a Sailorstrap on my M9. Of the three, the Gordy is my least favorite, mostly because I find the leather chafes on my neck. The Artisan & Artist is pricey but it's my favorite—very light and there's an elasticity to it that makes it extremely comfortable. The Sailorstrap is a close second; it's a lot cheaper and the strap itself is thicker. However, it lacks the elastic quality that I love about the AA. YMMV.
 
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