Y - Strap

I bought a heavy duty Dog Leash and cut the clip off and had a seamtress sew the clip back on such that it's free to move. So now, I have the Y-Stap concept, but the camera can be quick-released from the strap.

I use the tripod shoe as the loop to clip into with the custom Y-Strap.

I liked the Y-stap idea (and it goes way way back), I wrote the guy in your link and asked for a 'quick release' method and he flatly refused to entertain the idea. Saying he considered it 'too dangerous' (he thought the camera would come loose accidentally).

So, we made our own...

Works great and is VERY secure. I like it better than the one in your link because I can swap out cameras, midstream.

The dog lead was $17.00 and the custom sewing job was $5.00.
 
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I have a Schaub Y-Strap as per the link and used it for the first time recently with my M8. The camera really does hang in an ideal position compared to a normal neck strap ... it's out of the way and very quick to bring up to your eye when you so choose.
 
Real_fan,

Cool, do you have a photo? I was thinking of rigging up something similar with a dog leash and a loop of some sort and maybe a quick release of some sort, as I am tired of the gripper strap I use for my F3.

Mark
 
mw_uio said:
Real_fan,

Cool, do you have a photo? I was thinking of rigging up something similar with a dog leash and a loop of some sort and maybe a quick release of some sort, as I am tired of the gripper strap I use for my F3.

Mark
Click to expand...

Mark,

It's dead simple. Buy a Dog Lead that is for a big dog. With a wide strap and generous clip (that you usually hook up to the dog's collar).

Cut off the handle (I also make a 'handle strap' out of the handle I cut off of the dog lead..kind of like a softer Gordy strap).

And cut off the the clip.

Now get your 'alterations person' to sew the continuos loop with the clip on (as in the photo). You can get 'sized' while your at the alteration shop. Custom length is also great. I have one for summer (no coat) and a longer one for winter (big heavy coat).

Now you can clip onto the loop in a tripod shoe...or into a large keyring type deal (buy them at Ace Hardware for cheap).

I like the tripod shoe, but have used keyring loops, too with good results:

4003755992_92ba7d88ea_o.jpg
 
Sorry to dive in here, but what do you guys think of hanging it off of one lug? Is it safe? I saw Gordy straps have a lug that hangs off the tripod socket, would that be safer? or should it not matter..
 
I definitely think the tripod socket is stronger than just one lug, as long as the screw is tightened. It is true that the strain is normally spread over two lugs, but it still only takes one to fail for your camera to fall.

As for the Y-strap concept, it is pretty neat. I have reservations though, since I prefer carrying the camera on my right side, which would mean hanging it from the other lug, with that big ring getting in the way of my fingers. Also, hanging from the viewfinder lug is inconvenient as I frame vertical shots with the view finder up, and shutter down. Doing that with the Y-strap you would end up having the strap awkwardly crossing my face.

I could see a tripod socket system as pictured above hanging on the right side work well with an M leica, with the socket on the right.
On the other hand, I find that the conventional strap helps hold the camera level while shooting from the hip. There is no perfect solution for all situations.
 
When it comes to wrist straps, certainly, I definitely back the tripod socket option over the one-lug option. In fact I've never even tried the latter as it makes me too nervous. The obvious concern is the screw coming out of the socket, but I've never had this happen yet -- though there is a sort of 'worry bead' option built in, so that you periodically check the tightness of the tripod screw because the camera is in your hands.

A properly made wrist strap secures the strap to a free-moving collar around the tripod screw, and in my experience works better with a camera with the socket at one end than with one having a central socket.

Over the last 40+ years I've tried most kinds of straps, holders, belt-clips and God knows what else, and I have to say that overall, the neck-strap (with the camera around the neck) still wins hands down. My suspicion is that all the others are either 'Wow! This is ideal for me!' or 'Why on earth does anyone bother?', without much middle ground -- and that the only way to find out is to try 'em.

Cheers,

R.
 
I'm not sure what a 'tripod shoe' happens to be.
I know that attaching a clip to something in the tripod bush on the base of the camera is an idea that I would like to investigate. What terms do I use to search for such an item on eBay?
jesse
 
I use both and they are fine. The y strap you can make yourself out of a length of webbing. I haven't found anything that works better than the Leicagoodies hook, in fact I now have two. Hanging your camera from one lug is perfectly fine...
 
Carry your bag crosswise over your chest. Attach a rock climbing carabiner (looks like an enlongated closed U with clip that opens) to the bag strap. Shorten the strap on the camera and insert it through the carabiner.
 
Roger, you might ask Gordy how many of his customers have reported failure of the single lug attachment. Everybody expresses fear over the method, but I don't recall any reports of failure. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, just I haven't head of it.

In addition, one doesn't HANG the camera from the strap while not shooting. The wrist strap is there as convenience and safety while one HOLDS the camera. Hence there is actually less stress on the lug than even a neck strap.

But back to topic ... I like the dog leash idea combined with LeHook. Aside Crome the functional advantages, dog leashes come in a wide variety of colours and styles -- something the camera industry has largely ignored since the hippie straps from the seventies!
 
My Y-Strap just arrived, so I'm about to give it a test-drive. I should really have read the FAQ first, though - it's not recommended for any Leica prior to the M6, which leaves my M3 (the intended recipient) staying on its original strap. On the other hand my Pentax MX is going to be very happy.

First impressions - looks neat, is well made, holds the camera well, and is unobtrusive in use.
 
Trius said:
Roger, you might ask Gordy how many of his customers have reported failure of the single lug attachment. Everybody expresses fear over the method, but I don't recall any reports of failure. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, just I haven't head of it.
Click to expand...


I have also never heard of a lug failure. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened but if it is something to be really concerned about I think we would hear about it more often. I've been hanging my M6's via one lug for more than two years, no problems yet....
 
I have a Y strap as well as the similar strap from LeicaGoodies. The Y strap is wider and more comfortable, as well as adjustable in length. However, the Y strap's width necessitates a larger ring, which does not fit well in the lug of my R-D1. So I use the LeicaGoodies strap, though it's a couple inches shorter than I'd like.

I've had no issues with outright failure of the lug. However, the R-D1's lugs are made of brass, which is soft enough to be deformed at the edges by the ends of the split ring as it moves around. Leica lugs are made of steel, I think, and should be just fine.

I also tried this system with the LeicaGoodies hook, but that didn't work for me. The free-swiveling connector allows the camera to rotate into the wrong position on my hip, resulting in additional fumbling when reaching for the camera to shoot. That, IMO, defeats half the purpose of the strap.

Ari
 
From the Y-Strap FAQ:

8. Question: How durable are the strap lugs on my camera and is there an issue carrying the camera from one lug?

Answer: I have spoken to many camera makers and each has indicated that there is no issue carrying the weight of a camera with lens from one strap lug. I had a conversation with Leica USA and they indicated that since the M6 (20+ years ago) all strap lugs are steel with two steel screws to hold the lug straight with no lateral movement. Older M’s used a brass lug and a crimp to hold it in place so the Y Strap is not advised on Leica Cameras older than the M6. I carry two lens on my M7 using the M Lens Carrier attached to the base plate and even with all of that you are only talking 3lbs at best.
Click to expand...
 
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