Hasselblad straps?

[redwoodphotographic]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has any experience using hasselblad straps for your camera or have used a third party strap? I believe the hasselblad straps have been discontinued but used ones can be found online.

I have a 503CM camera.

Thanks for all your thoughts / help.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Op-Tech straps are great. They really take away the weight of the camera and are comfortable to wear. A lot of people here use them.

 

[photomat-]

Op-Tech straps are great. They really take away the weight of the camera and are comfortable to wear. A lot of people here use them.

+1 Well worth the price.

 

[Ian David]

In my experience, the wide straps (1.5 inch) made by Hasselblad are a very good choice for a 503. They have a good grippy rubber underside too.
Ian

 

[mesh]

I really like the Op-Tech strap also, but frankly it's pretty ugly. That's very subjective of course ;-) Just doesn't seem to 'go' with the Hasselblad IMO. The thin leather straps look great, but are awful to use... I finally opted for the aforementioned wide strap and think it's wonderful! They seem pretty easy to find.

 

[André E.C.]

This might give you an idea, some types(brands) of straps are mentioned

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Sirius Glass]

In my experience, the wide straps (1.5 inch) made by Hasselblad are a very good choice for a 503. They have a good grippy rubber underside too.
Ian

That is what I use. The thin straps tend to cut the neck especially if I have the 250mm lens on.

Steve

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

I use Dead Link Removed, with a neck pad. Pretty happy with the performance, and they're a rather attractive bit of kit themselves. I've always used straps as more of a way to sling a camera over my shoulder, though.

 

[cfclark]

Op-Tech straps are great. They really take away the weight of the camera and are comfortable to wear. A lot of people here use them.

I use the Op-Tech straps on my two Pentaxes--very comfortable.

 

[redwoodphotographic]

excellent information, thanks guys!

 

[fschifano]

I don't care a whit about the appearance of the strap, the Op-Tech straps are great. I've got a few of them on some rather hefty 35mm SLR's and I can tell you that it makes carrying one around a LOT more comfortable. I haven't gotten one for my Hasselblad since I don't carry that thing around much. It pretty much stays in its case and gets mounted on a tripod when used. Bet your bottom dollar though that if the day comes when I do find myself carrying it around, that Hasselblad strap will be replaced with the "ugly" Op-Tech neoprene job.

 

[Exeter2010]

Yes, just in case this slipped by, the Hassy does have a unique little "clippy" thing that attaches the strap to the body. I went through the whole "what strap for Hassy" some years ago until I got fed up and just paid the $60 for the OEM strap. I wasn't aware that Op-tec even made straps for Hasselblad. That's what I get for not looking a little more! FWIW though, the expensive Hassy strap is a good one, albeit a stretch at $60.

If you get an Op-tec and it's good, please post on it. I'd be interested to know, if not anyone else.

 

[eddym]

Love my Op-Tech! I'm gradually changing out my other cameras to it. One great feature is that you can buy different connectors and use the same strap on many cameras (not at the same time, of course!).

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Since the OP apparently has his answer, I can butt in. I am amazed by how many people are using camera straps. I find them a complete nuisance and just in the way. I took them all off and never missed them.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Since the OP apparently has his answer, I can butt in. I am amazed by how many people are using camera straps. I find them a complete nuisance and just in the way. I took them all off and never missed them.

With a 35mm lens the straps can be useful. With Hasselblad, I hold the camera in my hand and the strap is insurance. I cannot imagine using a strap, other than maybe, maybe a back up wrist strap for a Crown Graphic, Speed Graphic or a Linhof. Some how I cannot imagine using a strap on a Graflex Model D.

Steve

 

[Ian David]

Since the OP apparently has his answer, I can butt in. I am amazed by how many people are using camera straps. I find them a complete nuisance and just in the way. I took them all off and never missed them.

I think it depends on what you do with your camera, Ralph. In another thread you mentioned the danger of dropping glass bottles in the darkroom. When I am hopping around with my camera out in the middle of nowhere, a strap makes sense. Putting it in and out of the bag every few minutes is a nuisance. And a smashed Blad would make me a lot sadder than 500mls of XTOL on the floor...

Ian

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I think it depends on what you do with your camera, Ralph. In another thread you mentioned the danger of dropping glass bottles in the darkroom. When I am hopping around with my camera out in the middle of nowhere, a strap makes sense. Putting it in and out of the bag every few minutes is a nuisance. And a smashed Blad would make me a lot sadder than 500mls of XTOL on the floor...

Ian

You are correct. I use my cameras either on a tripod or in the studio with or without a tripod. A camera strap would be nothing but in the way. In the studio, I have my equipment on a small cart right next to me. It's easy to pick up the camera or put it back on the cart, no strap needed, but other shooting habits may benefit from a strap.

 

[PVia]

Just some thoughts...

I'm looking to get a strap for my Hasselblad and Leica and I like the OEM straps. I've used them both without straps, and I'm fine with that but sometimes you need two hands to do something while you're out there shooting. It's also less conspicuous to have it on the strap down along your side when you're out and about, you can be much more nonchalant while carrying the camera than if it's in your hands the whole time. I went out on a street shoot, about 4-5 hours a few weekends ago, and although it was only the Leica with one lens, it can strain your hands to hold it for that long.

 

[eddym]

You are correct. I use my cameras either on a tripod or in the studio with or without a tripod. A camera strap would be nothing but in the way. In the studio, I have my equipment on a small cart right next to me. It's easy to pick up the camera or put it back on the cart, no strap needed, but other shooting habits may benefit from a strap.

I agree that the strap is in the way when using the camera on a tripod. That's one of the reasons I like the Op-Tech strap; you can disconnect the strap part from the short parts that clip onto the camera body, and then connect them to each other to make a sort of hand strap. This is not in the way on a tripod.
When I'm not using a tripod, I sometimes use a monopod, and the strap around my neck becomes a safety feature.
For some cameras, like Leicas and the old Linhof 220 I used to have, the best strap is a wrist strap.

 

[Anscojohn]

Another vote for the OP-Tech on my 500C. Although the strap I use on my Kiev 88 would probably also work, and I got one from Georg at ARAX foto in Ukraine and like it very much.

 

[MattKing]

I never mount any camera onto a tripod unless I also have the strap around my neck. Same goes for when I take the camera off the tripod.

I've got a myriad of different straps - some of which are probably older than some APUG members. I tend to prefer something fabric, of medium with.

 

[benjiboy]

This is one of the best ones made http://www.artisanandartist.com/straps/acam404.htm

 

[redwoodphotographic]

I ended up going with the Op-teach straps. Can't wait to try them out. Thanks for all the input.