Bassism
Well-known
Today I decided to stop being so lazy and head down to MEC, the local outdoor outfitter-type place, and see what I could rig up for a strap.
I didn't have much of a plan going in, I figured I'd just see what struck me as workable. I ended up making it out of some 16mm tubular (looks about 5/8" to me) webbing. I went for this choice for a couple of reasons: first, they didn't have the buckles I liked in 1 inch, and I figured that the skinnier webbing would slide more easily in a keychain-sized 'biner. It also came in a nifty iridescent purple 😛 Black would have been nicer, but it wasn't a choice in this size.
I also used a combination of two carabiners to get what I wanted. The first one I found was a larger wire-type carabiner, that came with the black strap I use to connect the strap to the camera. Then I also found a smaller, skinnier, prettier locking carabiner, so I grabbed it too.
Came home, stitched it all together, and it works a charm.
Only time will tell whether the webbing is really thick enough to be comfortable. My reasoning is that since it's still thicker than any of the classic camera straps, and that it distributes the load over a larger area than just the neck, it should be okay. From my limited testing so far, it certainly seems fine. Worst case, I have to go spend a few more bucks on some more webbing and a buckle, and then I'll have a thicker strap for longer or heavier trips, and a smaller one for shorter or lighter.
Materials:
2 metres of webbing: 3 dollars (way more than needed, but it's sold by the metre)
Buckle: 1 dollar
2 'Biners: 4 dollars (if cost were an issue, I could have forgone the locking one
Embroidery thread: Lying around the house. But it's dirt cheap, so not really a concern
The gas to and from the store probably brings the cost up to around an even 10 bucks. And for that, I got something comfortable, secure, easy to remove from the camera for tripod work, purple, and not quite like anything on the market. Thus, I'm happy.
Street shooters probably wouldn't be too fond of the purple, but I actually find it quite striking now that I've been looking at it for a bit. Besides, who else has a purple camera strap!?
This 'biner and keychain strap were the most expensive part of the whole outfit... But the strap gives just enough clearance from the camera and I really like this 'biner. It's tiny and unobtrusive, and the locking feels really secure.
Stitching this stuff is tough. It's incredibly thick and almost impossible to have the thread line up where it comes out. Sadly, the inner side is much prettier.
That K100 is still useful for some things, I suppose...
Never underestimate how hard it is to take a photo of yourself taking a photo in a mirror. You can see the difficulty in my face.
I didn't have much of a plan going in, I figured I'd just see what struck me as workable. I ended up making it out of some 16mm tubular (looks about 5/8" to me) webbing. I went for this choice for a couple of reasons: first, they didn't have the buckles I liked in 1 inch, and I figured that the skinnier webbing would slide more easily in a keychain-sized 'biner. It also came in a nifty iridescent purple 😛 Black would have been nicer, but it wasn't a choice in this size.
I also used a combination of two carabiners to get what I wanted. The first one I found was a larger wire-type carabiner, that came with the black strap I use to connect the strap to the camera. Then I also found a smaller, skinnier, prettier locking carabiner, so I grabbed it too.
Came home, stitched it all together, and it works a charm.
Only time will tell whether the webbing is really thick enough to be comfortable. My reasoning is that since it's still thicker than any of the classic camera straps, and that it distributes the load over a larger area than just the neck, it should be okay. From my limited testing so far, it certainly seems fine. Worst case, I have to go spend a few more bucks on some more webbing and a buckle, and then I'll have a thicker strap for longer or heavier trips, and a smaller one for shorter or lighter.
Materials:
2 metres of webbing: 3 dollars (way more than needed, but it's sold by the metre)
Buckle: 1 dollar
2 'Biners: 4 dollars (if cost were an issue, I could have forgone the locking one
Embroidery thread: Lying around the house. But it's dirt cheap, so not really a concern
The gas to and from the store probably brings the cost up to around an even 10 bucks. And for that, I got something comfortable, secure, easy to remove from the camera for tripod work, purple, and not quite like anything on the market. Thus, I'm happy.
Street shooters probably wouldn't be too fond of the purple, but I actually find it quite striking now that I've been looking at it for a bit. Besides, who else has a purple camera strap!?
This 'biner and keychain strap were the most expensive part of the whole outfit... But the strap gives just enough clearance from the camera and I really like this 'biner. It's tiny and unobtrusive, and the locking feels really secure.
Stitching this stuff is tough. It's incredibly thick and almost impossible to have the thread line up where it comes out. Sadly, the inner side is much prettier.
That K100 is still useful for some things, I suppose...
Never underestimate how hard it is to take a photo of yourself taking a photo in a mirror. You can see the difficulty in my face.
