Anybody uses OP/Tech USA neoprene straps with MF cameras ?

Hassasin · Mar 19, 2023

Michael Mutmansky said:
I have an Op/Tech Pro strap on my 501C at the moment, but I am more inclined to not use a strap because the right clip does get in the way of winding at times

I actually do not have this problem as I tend to wind without lever flipped out (I guess call it being careful and slow on that "new" 503CW), so no matter what strap I have it seems unnoticed when winding on. But I do agree strap on Hasselblad is not always the best way to handle it. Wrist size strap I often use on the SWC.

Also several have commented on this, most MF cameras hanging from the neck are not a comfy way for extended walk arounds. Away from street, hiking is still for me to pack it up and set up again wherever it makes sense.

Sirius Glass · Mar 19, 2023

Michael Mutmansky said:
I have an Op/Tech Pro strap on my 501C at the moment, but I am more inclined to not use a strap because the right clip does get in the way of winding at times, and if you have a prism on the camera (instead of the folding WL finder) the camera is going to likely want to flop in an akward manner (unless you are using a very long lens). If you are shooting out of a bag or satchel, I think having the straps on are more hassle as well.

I have noticed the strip getting in the way of the right clip, but I soon learned to work around the problem so that I am barely aware of it. I only use the 503 CX with a prism.

Philippe-Georges · Mar 20, 2023

Hassasin said:
I actually do not have this problem as I tend to wind without lever flipped out (I guess call it being careful and slow on that "new" 503CW), so no matter what strap I have it seems unnoticed when winding on. But I do agree strap on Hasselblad is not always the best way to handle it. Wrist size strap I often use on the SWC.

Also several have commented on this, most MF cameras hanging from the neck are not a comfy way for extended walk arounds. Away from street, hiking is still for me to pack it up and set up again wherever it makes sense.

That's why the genuine Hasselblad leather strap is still the best.
If you have a close look at it, you will see that the buckle to trim the length is on one end, and at the other end the clip is attached on a long double sewn pice so it is more stiffer, and by this stays straight, that way it doesn't hinders the transport knob.
The same goes for the later made nylon woven wide strap, it has long leather ends on which the clips are attached. BTW, that one hase rubber strings woven in the band to prevent it slipping of the shoulder...

Hasselblad spent a lot of energy in thinking out even the simplest accessories (that's why I am so found of these Swedes)...

250swb · Mar 20, 2023

I had an Optech neoprene strap many years ago and maybe the design has changed since then but it was like an octopus trying to escape from my camera bag. It's still at the back of a shelf somewhere.

Hassasin · Mar 20, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
Hasselblad spent a lot of energy in thinking out even the simplest accessories

That is a bit hyperbolic. Some of the things they made would not make a grade with several other well known manufacturers.

Taking cameras/lenses aside, let me just point to one item: the later version of extension bellows, the auto version. It works fine, overall I would say an excellent design, except bellows material is made of some sort of double layer that separates over time (not saying all of them do, but there are plenty of examples for sale with this exact issue on full display). Once that happens they are nearly useless, short of continuously checking if manual pushing it back into shape is still holding up for a shot, as inner part goes inwards and obstructs optical path. If they were that perfect they would have chosen different material.

This is just one of a few items I could point to. Only a proof nothing is that perfect. I can appreciate a number of things Hasselblad made, they also committed some engineering boo boos. None of it would distract me from appreciating the system, even if I would certainly stay away from buying some of the accessories had I known more about them.

Philippe-Georges · Mar 21, 2023

Hassasin said:
That is a bit hyperbolic. Some of the things they made would not make a grade with several other well known manufacturers.

Taking cameras/lenses aside, let me just point to one item: the later version of extension bellows, the auto version. It works fine, overall I would say an excellent design, except bellows material is made of some sort of double layer that separates over time (not saying all of them do, but there are plenty of examples for sale with this exact issue on full display). Once that happens they are nearly useless, short of continuously checking if manual pushing it back into shape is still holding up for a shot, as inner part goes inwards and obstructs optical path. If they were that perfect they would have chosen different material.

This is just one of a few items I could point to. Only a proof nothing is that perfect. I can appreciate a number of things Hasselblad made, they also committed some engineering boo boos. None of it would distract me from appreciating the system, even if I would certainly stay away from buying some of the accessories had I known more about them.

The only issue I had with their accessories was, indeed, the quality of their later 'faux-leather' stuff.
For instance, I had a small camera bag, the one with a zipper to hold one camera-with-lens, of which the plastic covering pealed off within a few months, the same for some lens pouches.
The bellows of my auto version didn't degrade, but it was one of the first that was sold (1983), nor the bellows of my Flexbody and the lens shade.

I think that the quality of the external supplied goods wasn't always what it should have been, Hasselblad didn't make these in house and, in the '80s—'90s, plastics weren't what they are today, which is indeed what we encounter now (and complain about).

Linhof encountered the same problems at the time (eg. the Kardan GT bellows), and the same for Nikon who's rubber/faux-leather covering of their body's and lenses degraded rather fast (eg. the D800).
And see some nylon made gears in other apparatus (eg. enlargers).

Time will tell what happens with the today made materials.

But, yes, you are right, nothing is perfect (nor humans)!

BTW, don't forget that the remaining of solar protective cream (or any cream alike) on your hands can be very destructive for these materials too, like the steering wheel of a car (ask FIAT!).

Hassasin · Mar 21, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
Linhof encountered the same problems at the time (eg. the Kardan GT bellows)

This is actually a long going Linhof issue, for whatever reasons they used the material cracking up on the outside, presumably still staying light-tight, but at the very least such an eye sore, hard to keep it going and not replacing. I had that on Technika 70 & Kardan and all bellows made in those years by LInhof had that problem.

Philippe-Georges · Mar 21, 2023

Hassasin said:
This is actually a long going Linhof issue, for whatever reasons they used the material cracking up on the outside, presumably still staying light-tight, but at the very least such an eye sore, hard to keep it going and not replacing. I had that on Technika 70 & Kardan and all bellows made in those years by LInhof had that problem.

I don't think that Linhof, and others, knew that these issues would occur in the years to come, and I think, if they would have known, other materials would have been used, they aren't that ignorent...

Hassasin · Mar 21, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
I don't think that Linhof, and others, knew that these issues would occur in the years to come, and I think, if they would have known, other materials would have been used, they aren't that ignorent...

Perhaps not going that far, but there were bellows materials that had already been proven with decades in longevity and they had chosen to "fancy" it up for the ultimate failure. Surely not an intent, just an unfortunate result.

Hasselblad had another crazy failure with pro shade 6093, bellows os stiff, the frame could not hold up. They quietly fixed it with 6093T, but never replaced the original supply, which they should have at no cost.

As the saying goes, if you can't make it better, don't fix what's not broken.

Hassasin · Mar 21, 2023

Got the straps and quite happy. A bit more bulk than I was expecting, but nothing that would get in the way. This needs some walking around with camera on it to have an educated feedback.

Since the extensions are relatively narrow I see nothing getting in the way of operating either a Hasselblad or Bronica EC for handheld shots.

But I will say the neck section is now rather stiff, very slight elongation even with 3 kg hanging on it. It has non-slip surface on the inside and feels very reassuring. The binding all around the neck part is probably the part I dislike, allthough not enough to second guess this purchase. Plastic quick clips are tough and quite hard to detach, which is good from my perspective.

BTW, this is about Super Classic version.

GLS · Mar 22, 2023

Bit late to the party, but yes, I use OpTech Pro straps on my Hassy as well as a Pentax 6x7. No complaints.

Pieter12 · Mar 22, 2023

Hassasin said:
Got the straps and quite happy. A bit more bulk than I was expecting, but nothing that would get in the way. This needs some walking around with camera on it to have an educated feedback.

Since the extensions are relatively narrow I see nothing getting in the way of operating either a Hasselblad or Bronica EC for handheld shots.

But I will say the neck section is now rather stiff, very slight elongation even with 3 kg hanging on it. It has non-slip surface on the inside and feels very reassuring. The binding all around the neck part is probably the part I dislike, allthough not enough to second guess this purchase. Plastic quick clips are tough and quite hard to detach, which is good from my perspective.

BTW, this is about Super Classic version.

I use the Super-Pro, a bit wider--it has no binding but rather has a length of nylon web strap attached down the center. Assuring that if the neoprene starts to go (which it hasn't on any of my straps, some over 10 years old, maybe 15) the webbing will keep everything together and the strap won't break.

lrlebron · Mar 23, 2023

I use this one OP/TECH USA Pro Loop Strap with my Yashicamat 124g

etn · Mar 26, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Carrying a bag on one side is bad for the back, especially if out shooting all day. Use a photography back pack and the camera around my neck. The distribution of weight front and back is good to balance and posture.

+1 on that. I gave up on shoulder bags long, long ago.
The weight of a MF camera hung sideways across my chest is the most I will carry.

Be aware of hanging a camera or bag on your shoulder. I trashed a Leica this way one day. I was in a store and it only took reaching out for my wallet in my pocket, the camera slipped along my arm. There was nothing to catch it and it landed on the floor. The Leica could be repaired and you'd be hard pressed to find any dent on the body (as a matter of fact the shock only kicked the rangefinder out of alignment) but I still feel bad about it today.

Hassasin · Mar 26, 2023

etn said:
+1 on that. I gave up on shoulder bags long, long ago.
The weight of a MF camera hung sideways across my chest is the most I will carry.

Be aware of hanging a camera or bag on your shoulder. I trashed a Leica this way one day. I was in a store and it only took reaching out for my wallet in my pocket, the camera slipped along my arm. There was nothing to catch it and it landed on the floor. The Leica could be repaired and you'd be hard pressed to find any dent on the body (as a matter of fact the shock only kicked the rangefinder out of alignment) but I still feel bad about it today.

Actually shoulder bag is not necessary worn of same side shoulder. It was actually hardly conceptualised as such. But I suppose same side shoulder bag seems "natural" for such a use. Backpack has its disadvantages, sling bags are somewhere in between in that sense.

etn · Mar 26, 2023

Hassasin said:
Actually shoulder bag is not necessary worn of same side shoulder. It was actually hardly conceptualised as such. But I suppose same side shoulder bag seems "natural" for such a use. Backpack has its disadvantages, sling bags are somewhere in between in that sense.

Agree. Since the event described above I only carry shoulder bags or cameras across the chest, right shoulder / left hip. Agree on the disadvantages of the backpack but if you carry a lot of gear it's still the most comfortable to me.

Well, after all those years (plus a 3-year old kid and all the logistics it involves ) I tend to come "back to the basics" with 1 camera / 1 lens, such as Rolleiflex, Makina 67, Nikon F3 with 40mm, or the above ill-fated Leica M6 with either a 35 or a 50mm...

Hassasin · Mar 26, 2023

etn said:
Agree. Since the event described above I only carry shoulder bags or cameras across the chest, right shoulder / left hip. Agree on the disadvantages of the backpack but if you carry a lot of gear it's still the most comfortable to me.

Well, after all those years (plus a 3-year old kid and all the logistics it involves ) I tend to come "back to the basics" with 1 camera / 1 lens, such as Rolleiflex, Makina 67, Nikon F3 with 40mm, or the above ill-fated Leica M6 with either a 35 or a 50mm...

Agree for sure. Backpack will still allow to carry along much more comfortably some significant gear, especially for a longer hiking. And I'm also staying on minimum. Sometimes I miss a lens, but I suppose one needs to own decisions made, no lens - work with what you have

Huss · Mar 27, 2023

I used one on my GW690III, and Nikon F6 (which weighs as much as many MF cameras), and the wide neoprene pad made the cameras so much more comfortable to carry.

mitrajoon · Mar 28, 2023

Hassasin said:
Was just wondering if anybody is using Op/Tech USA neoprene straps with heavier MF cameras (Hass, Bronica. Mamiya etc). I have two concerns hanging heavier body on these: security of plastic quick connects and "bounce" on that neoprene neck part. I have not used it, nor had my hands on it, so just asking for any user input.

I'm particularly looking at the Classic. They make connectors for Hass and Bronica size, both are actually of high quality as far as the metal part goes (have those already, great price at B&H). Question remains whether to just use the connectors with different strap or stick with quick connects and Op?tech USA offer through and through.

Op/Tech USA Classic

I have the orginal Hassy Straps. I use the leather wrist strap on my 503CW which is light enough to carry around in my hand, but use the OpTech Strap on my 203 which hangs from my shoulder. Frankly haven't used either camera in a long time. This thread reminds me I need to break them out.

Radost · Mar 28, 2023

They work fine. As far as I remember one of the only options for Mamiya 645

MartinTenbones · Aug 28, 2023

GLS said:
Bit late to the party, but yes, I use OpTech Pro straps on my Hassy as well as a Pentax 6x7. No complaints.

I'm new to the Pentax 67. Do you have a right hand grip on yours? Can the strap be used with the strap on the left side camera lugs and slinging it across your left shoulder to the right hip. This would be with an eye level finder.

GLS · Aug 29, 2023

MartinTenbones said:
I'm new to the Pentax 67. Do you have a right hand grip on yours? Can the strap be used with the strap on the left side camera lugs and slinging it across your left shoulder to the right hip. This would be with an eye level finder.

No don't use a right hand grip. I haven't tried the arrangement you mention, but with long/extended connectors I don't see why it wouldn't work.

MartinTenbones · Aug 29, 2023

Thanks. I have a grip coming so I will give it a try and report back

Arthurwg · Aug 29, 2023

I have three of them. Hasselblad, Mamiya RB67, Nikon F6. The Nikon strap goes back 25years, first used on my F100. Never a problem with any of them. And no "bounce". that I've noticed.

Anybody uses OP/Tech USA neoprene straps with MF cameras ?

I use this one OP/TECH USA Pro Loop Strap with my Yashicamat 124g​

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency

I use this one OP/TECH USA Pro Loop Strap with my Yashicamat 124g