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Neck or Wrist?

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Maris said:
The video doesn't show the dark side of HCB's camera strap. It's reported that when faced with a promising but inexpressive subject in the street HCB would fling his Leica directly at the face of the person. But cunningly the distance was slightly more than the length of the camera strap one end of which remained in HCB's tight grasp. The resulting look of shock or surprise might make a nice negative.
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I do not believe he would be so insensitive to his subject to perform such a crass action.
 
I'd say a neck strap. A wrist strap only really feels right if it's a small camera and light camera. The Leica M2 isn't exactly small.
 
It's a lot smaller and lighter than the vast majority of SLR's out there. Definitely lighter than my F, F2 and 6x7.
 
bdial said:
If you don't get one of those enormously wide neck straps, you can use them either way. Around your neck, or put your hand and wrist through the loop, then a couple of winds and you have a wrist strap.

The classic thin leather straps work very well for this, but flexible webbing straps that aren't too wide work well too.
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+1 for this. I prefer to carry a camera in hand while actively shooting. This option also allows you to easily throw your camera around your neck or on your shoulder, which comes in handy for me when climbing jetties at the beach, hiking, etc.
 
ColColt said:
It's a lot smaller and lighter than the vast majority of SLR's out there. Definitely lighter than my F, F2 and 6x7.
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Maybe but I use wrist straps on

Nikon F2, F3, FM, Leica M2 and Canon P

Frequently one handed instinctive point. Though I only use light small aperture lenses which are lighter.
 
I doubt HCB's using a wrist strap but is using a narrow neck strap wrapped around his wrist. In the image with him walking away, the camera seems to have the strap attached to both sides and is much longer than any current wrist strap currently on the market.
 
John Koehrer said:
I doubt HCB's using a wrist strap but is using a narrow neck strap wrapped around his wrist. In the image with him walking away, the camera seems to have the strap attached to both sides and is much longer than any current wrist strap currently on the market.
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You're right. I went back and watched the video again, paused it in several places and it does indeed appear it's attached to both sides of the camera. It's pretty obvious at 0:21 sec.
 
I've got Gordy's wrist straps on both my Barnack bodies (Leica IIIf and Canon IVsb) as they're unobtrusive and good for quick shooting. However, I find they're a pain if I need to use both hands to do something as I can't just let the camera dangle from my wrist. Also, with a neck strap I can let the camera hang from my neck when changing lenses or film.

I like thin, supple straps for my M2 and Contax IIA bodies. Strong enough for RF bodies, minimal hardware and easy to wrap around the wrist if needed. I like the Voigtlander strap which is cloth, 3/4" wide with a non-slip suede patch on the inside. Also, the Black Label soft strap is really nice. Soft leather, a bit narrower than the Voigtlander strap. Here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...g_blb_205_black_very_soft_leather_camera.html
 
If I had my Canon New F1 with the Motor Drive FN attached ( which takes 12 AA batteries ) and my 80-200 zoom lens attached to the camera on a neck strap it would feel like being decapitated.
 
Neck slung cross ways so the camera can be in front or back depending if I want quick access or for it to be out of the way. Slung this way I can use the strap as a brace to stabilize the camera in use by pressing out on the fabric with my elbow. Hard to explain in words but it is something I picked up from another hobby. Even my hefty Fujica GL 690 is comfortable this way for hours of walking.
 
I've tried a neck strap but keep going back to a wrist strap. I feel more confident with it in my hands and it doesn't bang against things.
 
I have the Voightlander strap for my M2, originally designed for their Bessa cameras but works great on the Leica. for the M4 I decided on getting the Leica strap from B&H.
 
ColColt said:
I have the Voightlander strap for my M2, originally designed for their Bessa cameras but works great on the Leica. for the M4 I decided on getting the Leica strap from B&H.
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Are you really allowed to just mix Voitlander, Bessa and Leica equipment together wily nily? That could cause the camera and lenses to have identity crises. Image putting a Canon or Nikon lens on at Leica. The poor camera will not know how to talk to the lenses because the camera speaks German [or a Canadian Leica will speak English and Quebecois] and not Japanese. Do you really expect to take good photographs if the equipment is not speaking its native tongue?

What are you thinking? :blink:
 
If I'm in predatory candid street mode, I have a remote flash in one hand, preset, and a wrist strapped camera in the other hand, preset, pre focused, ready to shoot. Both held at my side, and only brought up at the very last moment. A neck strap would be limiting, awkward, and obvious, so I avoid it.

In any other more relaxed shooting mode, just walking around casually shooting street views or being a tourist, I'll go with a neck strap, because I probably want to use my hands for other things as well.
 
Sirius Glass said:
Are you really allowed to just mix Voitlander, Bessa and Leica equipment together wily nily? That could cause the camera and lenses to have identity crises. Image putting a Canon or Nikon lens on at Leica. The poor camera will not know how to talk to the lenses because the camera speaks German [or a Canadian Leica will speak English and Quebecois] and not Japanese. Do you really expect to take good photographs if the equipment is not speaking its native tongue?

What are you thinking? :blink:
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Jeez-I don't know whatever I was thinking about. I'll have to make amends. That means taking the Canon strap off my F2A as well I guess.
 
ColColt said:
Jeez-I don't know whatever I was thinking about. I'll have to make amends. That means taking the Canon strap off my F2A as well I guess.
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At least Canon and Nikon equipment speak the same language. Unless they are now made in Singapore or China.
 
Ah, there is the rub.
 
I keep my 35mm (Leica IIIf, meterless Nikon F2, Nikon N70) in my bag most of the time. Before pulling it out I slip my hand through the wrist strap for safety. I developed this habit while traveling with small P&S cameras in a Domke J3.
Also, the wrist strap is less likely to interfere when putting the camera a tripod.
 
It depends on camera.
I learned hard way why Gordy's wrist strap has little ring. At the end of the roll in M4-2, I decided to walk and reload film. Somehow Leica went of my wrist and ended up on the sidewalk. Have to give it for service. Ring is to prevent strap going from the wrist.
I looked how Winogrand and Meyerowitz handled their's with neck strap and not using wrist strap for rangefinders. With neck strap it is where and how I could see shutter speed and focus scale. And it is secure.
 
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