Camera strap for heavy MF SLR

[Chadinko]

I have a Norita 66 body that has no lugs to which I can attach a strap. Apparently it's standard, and I'm looking for a strap that I can attach to the tripod lug that will hold it. It's a very heavy camera, especially when I attach the 240mm telephoto or the 70mm leaf shutter lens to it.

I was in my local camera shop today and they had a couple of rather pricey brands, but the guy behind the counter hefted my camera and told me he wouldn't attach it to either of those because he wouldn't trust the plastic to hold the weight.

I'm headed to the leather shop in the next few days to get some leather so I can make a carrying half-case for the beast, but does anyone know of a strap that is guaranteed to be able to hold a camera that is approximately the weight of a small moon?

 

[cramej]

I like the Blackrapid straps. http://www.blackrapid.com/
I used one with a D200, grip, flash and whatever lens I had on it and it worked nicely. Now if only I could find that strap....

 

[ced]

If you can make a half case you can also make your own strap me thinks!

 

[canvassy]

The only third-party strap I've ever used is a Carry Speed, and I quite like it. Very comfortable to use. It looks like they're rated up to 10kg in weight. I tried it out with my Bronica ETRS just now and I would trust it to hold the camera.

 

[Lars Holte]

I can recommend the Op/tech strap. The elasticity of the shoulder pad takes up much of the strain.
Heavy Artillery by Lars Holte, on Flickr

 

[Trask]

I can recommend the Op/tech strap. The elasticity of the shoulder pad takes up much of the strain.
Heavy Artillery by Lars Holte, on Flickr

I second the Op/Tech; I use one for various MF cameras, including a heavy GL690 Fujica. But that's with the strap attached to the lugs, which you say the Norita does not have. I am relatively certain that manufacturers build the lugs to withstand the forces generate by carrying the camera with a strap attached to the lugs. I have personally never liked or trusted hanging cameras from their tripod sockets. It seems to me that the manufacturer would have built the tripod socket to withstand the force encountered when using the camera mounted on a tripod, which 95% of the time will be in compression mode -- the weight of the camera is pushing down on the tripod head, held in place by the screw. But to put a heavyweight camera upside down on a strap that inevitably permits the whole thing to swing (accelerate) like a pendulum then stop, with increased G-force, well, I think you might be courting danger to your camera.

 

[HiHoSilver]

I use an Op/Tech on my 'Blad, but that's 'cause I haven't gotten an Up Strap for it. The site has pages that talk about which strap for what weight of body/lens, wide/narrow strap, pad. 'Got one for a digicam & for me, nothing else has been close. I would think the single tripod mount point would be a pita.

 

[Gerry M]

I use Op/Tech on my Pentax 67. Handles it with ease and is very comfortable.

 

[Paul Howell]

Find an old 70's vintage wide cloth strap, I have 4 or 5 that I use on my Mamiya Universal, Minolta 9 with battery grip, Mirandas.

 

[Njord]

I've been a fan of "UpStrap" for years... I use them for everything from a Konika AutoS3 to my Mamiya 645 1000s. The largest 35mm SLR I use an UpStrap on is a Nikon F5.. That thing is a tank.

 

[MattKing]

The biggest concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the potential for the camera to unscrew the connection when you do not want it to, causing the camera and lens to fall to the ground.. I have one friend who had this happen with a BlackRapid strap and a high end digital Nikon camera and lens.

The second concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the relative difficulty of using that camera with a tripod.

 

[Njord]

I've considered using a tripod mount strap, but my worry has been that it will unscrew. I considered it on the Mamiya.

 

[cramej]

The biggest concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the potential for the camera to unscrew the connection when you do not want it to, causing the camera and lens to fall to the ground.. I have one friend who had this happen with a BlackRapid strap and a high end digital Nikon camera and lens.

The second concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the relative difficulty of using that camera with a tripod.

I've considered using a tripod mount strap, but my worry has been that it will unscrew. I considered it on the Mamiya.

The Blackrapid straps have a rubber gasket on the attachment lug. When screwed in sufficiently, it keeps it from rotating and puts outward pressure on the threads. I never had any problems with the lug even remotely coming loose and I carried it a many events. There is a swivel on the strap as well.

Regarding the use of a tripod, I'm not usually using both a strap and a tripod. Either it's attached to a strap or attached to a QR plate for use with a tripod. I suppose if you wanted to use it with a plate you could - it looks like the Kirk plates have an extra 1/4-20 threaded hole.

 

[Alan Gales]

You want an Op/tech strap. They make them for cameras with and without lugs. I've used the Upstrap on a DSLR and an Op/tech on a Hasselblad. Both are fine straps but for a heavy camera I would prefer the wider, cushioned Op/tech strap.


http://optechusa.com/super-pro-strap.html

 

[Stephen Prunier]

I also have, and use the Op/Tech strap. I have the one that's designed for my Mamiya RZ67. I can use it to support the camera against my chest when hand shooting with the 110mm lens.

 

[Alan9940]

Up Strap. Used 'em for many years with all my MF cameras; including two P67s.

 

[Chadinko]

Thank you for all your replies. Problem with a lot of these straps is that my camera body does not have strap lugs, so the only kind of strap that will work for it, as far as I can tell, is going to be either a half-case (which I can make, in my COPIOUS spare time ) or a strap that attaches to the tripod lug. The other two bodies I have do have strap lugs, and I use leather straps for them because they look great and leather is very strong.

I like the Blackrapid straps. http://www.blackrapid.com/
I used one with a D200, grip, flash and whatever lens I had on it and it worked nicely. Now if only I could find that strap....

I looked at the Blackrapid strap, but the guy at the camera shop hesitated when I asked about it. He also hesitated when I asked about the Joby and the Opteka, just because of the weight of the camera. The metal bit that screws into the tripod mount isn't worrying; what's worrying to me is the plastic/resin bit that is the swivel on the strap mount. And I ended up with some pretty serious sticker shock when I looked at the Blackrapid straps. Yikes! Yes, I know about the cost of the strap vs the cost of the camera, so it might be worth it if I can find one that will for sure hold the camera and its heaviest lens.

The biggest concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the potential for the camera to unscrew the connection when you do not want it to, causing the camera and lens to fall to the ground.. I have one friend who had this happen with a BlackRapid strap and a high end digital Nikon camera and lens.

The second concern (for me) with using a tripod mount strap is the relative difficulty of using that camera with a tripod.

I very, very rarely put a camera on a tripod, unless I'm using my 4x5 Speed Graphics, so I'm not worried about that. I am pretty sure that putting such a strap on the camera, I probably wouldn't take it off any time soon so I would most likely use some sort of a thread sealant.

It's just a pain to carry the thing around in hand.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Thank you for all your replies. Problem with a lot of these straps is that my camera body does not have strap lugs, so the only kind of strap that will work for it, as far as I can tell, is going to be either a half-case (which I can make, in my COPIOUS spare time ) or a strap that attaches to the tripod lug. The other two bodies I have do have strap lugs, and I use leather straps for them because they look great and leather is very strong.


I looked at the Blackrapid strap, but the guy at the camera shop hesitated when I asked about it. He also hesitated when I asked about the Joby and the Opteka, just because of the weight of the camera. The metal bit that screws into the tripod mount isn't worrying; what's worrying to me is the plastic/resin bit that is the swivel on the strap mount. And I ended up with some pretty serious sticker shock when I looked at the Blackrapid straps. Yikes! Yes, I know about the cost of the strap vs the cost of the camera, so it might be worth it if I can find one that will for sure hold the camera and its heaviest lens.



I very, very rarely put a camera on a tripod, unless I'm using my 4x5 Speed Graphics, so I'm not worried about that. I am pretty sure that putting such a strap on the camera, I probably wouldn't take it off any time soon so I would most likely use some sort of a thread sealant.

It's just a pain to carry the thing around in hand.

What a bind.
I have an idea.
This...

... and a bit of workshop engineering...

Alright, alright...
I was going to suggest the OP/Tech 2-part strap that suits my Pentax 67 and 165mm LS lens just-so (the lug attachment is excellent and absolutely reliable), but then noted whatever it is you are using has no lugs. Well, duh! Then idea of a cradle type cover/carrier with integral straps came to mind, and this would be for a skilled leatherworker. But really, a big, heavy and cumbersome camera is something you carry around either in a case or a fitted-out backpack and assemble/disassemble as needed, despite the irritating chore of doing so over time.

 

[Chadinko]

Now the cable I could go for!

Just makes me wonder what the engineering thought process was to make a camera body with no lugs. I often run into poorly-designed but perfectly functional technology, and figure that most things are not designed by users but by engineers. I think the engineers who designed this camera body with no lugs must have gone on to be software engineers for Microsoft.

 

[MattKing]

Now the cable I could go for!

Just makes me wonder what the engineering thought process was to make a camera body with no lugs. I often run into poorly-designed but perfectly functional technology, and figure that most things are not designed by users but by engineers. I think the engineers who designed this camera body with no lugs must have gone on to be software engineers for Microsoft.

Not very long ago, a lot (almost all?) cameras were sold with custom fitted cases that often included straps of their own.

It is awkward putting a case on a camera which has a neckstrap attached via camera lugs.

Custom fitted cases aren't made any more for new cameras, because preferences have changed.

When I bought my father his Retina IIIC a few years ago, at first he was reluctant to use it because there wasn't a case with it.

 

[Chadinko]

Not very long ago, a lot (almost all?) cameras were sold with custom fitted cases that often included straps of their own.

It is awkward putting a case on a camera which has a neckstrap attached via camera lugs.

Custom fitted cases aren't made any more for new cameras, because preferences have changed.

When I bought my father his Retina IIIC a few years ago, at first he was reluctant to use it because there wasn't a case with it.

I have a few cameras that have cases and lugs; usually those cameras' cases wrap around the lugs with snaps and straps. My Olympus OM-1s are like this. This body has no lugs, so a custom case with a strap would make it so I could actually carry it outside a bag. I don't like to have to go spelunking in a bag when a shot arises...