Strap or no strap?

Pieter12 · Dec 1, 2018

A sort of informal poll: Do you use a neck strap on your 35mm RF? I have one on all my cameras, including medium format, but I find it usually just gets in the way on a 35RF. No strap makes it easier to get the camera in and out of a shoulder bag or pocket the camera. Unless I were to carry multiple cameras around my neck or over my shoulder, the neck strap's usefulness is more to stabilize the camera by wrapping it around my wrist. I'm thinking of getting rid of it for a while, maybe trying a short wrist strap or something that detaches easily like the op/tech straps I use for my SLRs.

Sirius Glass · Dec 1, 2018

Use a strap system that works for you. Even an inconvenient strap beats a dropped camera every time.

BrianShaw · Dec 1, 2018

Yes... and on my 35mm SLRs too.

ic-racer · Dec 1, 2018

Yes, on everything. My main rangefinder (Horseman) does not have a convenient place for a neck strap but it has a hand-strap. I need that to swap hands to pull the dark slide.
Everything else, a neck-strap or hand-strap. Even my 4x5" has a hand-strap. I have been using my Bolex's lately and they all have hand-straps too. My Nikonos has a wrist-strap. I'm a swimmer, not a SCUBA diver, so if that one drops, it might be gone...

Pentode · Dec 1, 2018

The only cameras I use without a strap are those without strap lugs and I've come close to dropping a couple of those more than once.
I'm actually contemplating cobbling together some sort of neck strap that will attach at the tripod socket for my lug-less cameras.

DWThomas · Dec 1, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
Use a strap system that works for you. Even an inconvenient strap beats a dropped camera every time.

Tell it, brother!!!

I use a strap on most of my cameras, except a couple of oldies that don't have lugs, and my Bronica SQ-A which is pretty much tripod based in use. One type of strap that I like is the variety with two fairly short, narrow, adapter straps that fasten to the camera lugs which can than be snapped together for a short "handle" or uncoupled and a longer wider (padded) section snapped in to make a full neck or shoulder strap. I just got one of said straps by Domke, and I believe Optech has some similar stuff. My original acquaintance with it was an offering from Canon as their "Pro" strap.

Paul Howell · Dec 1, 2018

As I shoot with 2 bodies I have always used a strap.

Alan9940 · Dec 1, 2018

Since all my cameras are pretty much always attached to a tripod or monopod, I rarely use a strap.

narsuitus · Dec 1, 2018

I use wrist straps on my 35mm cameras.

I use wrist straps on my medium format rangefinders.

I use a neck strap on my medium format SLR.

I do not use any straps on my large format cameras.

awty · Dec 1, 2018

Like others I use a wrist strap on my left hand with my RF's, carrying the camera all the time. Camera is always at the ready then. Last neck strap broke, fortunately the camera got away with just a scratch, they don't make them like they use to.

Steve Roberts · Dec 1, 2018

I use neck straps on all my cameras, but this year I have suffered three breakages.
The leather strap on my Revere Stereo 33 parted company while I was carrying it over my shoulder but fortunately under a long coat as it was raining (as it normally is on Dartmoor!) I felt the camera sliding slowly down my leg and caught it as it emerged from the bottom of the coat - no damage done.
Secondly, the leather strap on my Stereo Realist broke sending the camera from waist level on to the tarmac footpath I was walking on. Realists are built like the proverbial brick ... let's say "out" house... and mine was in its case, again no damage done.
Thirdly, I picked up my Leica IIIa and as I did so the strap gave up. The camera flopped a couple of feet on to the sofa so again I got off lightly.
All of these cameras/straps are 50+ years old, 80 in the case of the Leica and so it's only to be expected that the leather will be beyond its best-by date. However, I'm not complacent and do keep an eye on them if the leather looks to be drying out or splitting. I check them even more carefully now! All the above now have replacement straps that should see me out!

Best wishes,
Steve

maximumPhoto · Dec 1, 2018

I use a comfortable wrist strap and a SpiderLight holster clipped onto my belt if it's a heavy camera, but a lighter camera works just fine clipped onto the small pocket of my jeans if I need it to sit a bit low. The camera bracket that it comes with fits well with very offset tripod sockets, but I use the SpiderPro pin otherwise. I really just treat it like it's a revolver from the old west.. can quick draw pretty well. In other situations I use a Peak Design Clutch with a Capture clip on my bag's strap, or if it has a place for the clip.. slower draw and holstering though.

slackercrurster · Dec 1, 2018

OP, only use a neck strap for specialized photos like this...

...on a shoulder strap with self-timer. (Candid)

For street work this is how I work...

If you are serious at street work you need camera in-hand with an unobtrusive strap. Camera has lens cap off, powered up if digital and exposure dialed in best you can.

The worst things are these bright, fat, $$ straps.

世界のリーダー赤外線フラッシュと円形魚眼レンズ写真

RalphLambrecht · Dec 1, 2018

Pieter12 said:
A sort of informal poll: Do you use a neck strap on your 35mm RF? I have one on all my cameras, including medium format, but I find it usually just gets in the way on a 35RF. No strap makes it easier to get the camera in and out of a shoulder bag or pocket the camera. Unless I were to carry multiple cameras around my neck or over my shoulder, the neck strap's usefulness is more to stabilize the camera by wrapping it around my wrist. I'm thinking of getting rid of it for a while, maybe trying a short wrist strap or something that detaches easily like the op/tech straps I use for my SLRs.

to me, they are more of a hiderence.

MattKing · Dec 1, 2018

I'm pretty close to being a one and one-half handed photographer - I can hold a camera in my right hand, and can operate some things with my right hand, but if a camera starts to fall I won't be able to effectively grab and control it with my right hand.
Neck straps are critical to my photography.

abruzzi · Dec 1, 2018

Larger cameras I use a neck strap, smaller cameras I use a wrist strap. My rangefinders are all small—Canon QL17, Kodak Retina IIIC, Olympus XA—so they all have wrist straps.

benjiboy · Dec 2, 2018

For street shooting I use wrist strap, I don't often use a neck strap because I don't like the weight around my neck, but I always use a strap of some kind.

R.Gould · Dec 2, 2018

Neck strap on everything for me, execpt for some Voightlander's and a few others that don't have lugs, then I keep the camera in an ER case, all of the cameras are over 50 years old, and I would rather have them around my neck in some way rather than risk them dropping onto a hard surface, only once did I carry a camera in my hand, and I tripped near the coast, I didn't fall.but I could have cried as I watched my precious camera, which I had only got that day, fall into the sea, and if a luglus camera does not come with a case I will adapt one of my large stock of cases to fit
Richard

dmr · Dec 2, 2018

Wrist straps with the RFs and P&S. Neck/shoulder straps (or sometimes no strap) with the SLRs.

Ko.Fe. · Dec 2, 2018

It depends how you photograph. And on some personal issues.

To me if camera is in the bag, I'm not into taking pictures. If I'm, then camera is on the neck strap. I might walk for hours, I do other tasks with hands and camera is ready at any time. RF or not , doesn't matter.

RF wise I learned it hard way. Went for fancy wrist strap once for M4-2. As result while changing film on the street, camera went from the wrist on the sidewalk concrete. RF has to be fixed, but after it I still have issues.

Basically, I'm not taking cameras in and out from bag. It is on neck strap. I photograph different things, I check framing and I like to have my camera to be visible. It starts conversations.

E. von Hoegh · Dec 2, 2018

Neck or wrist strap, always, unless the camera is used exclusively on a tripod.
Even my Super Technika IV has a neck strap!

Laurent · Dec 2, 2018

Sirius Glass said:
Use a strap system that works for you. Even an inconvenient strap beats a dropped camera every time.

+1... I really like a wrist strap, even got a nice one for my M4, and finally dropped it to use my Canon neck strap (reminder of my T90) as I once dropped the M4 on concrete because it was not secured by the strap on the car's seat.

Since that day, and after paying for an RF adjustment, I settled on straps...

macfred · Dec 2, 2018

OP/TECH neoprene straps for my large FUJI GW670iii / GSW690 - original Fuji straps for my GA645 series cameras and a Gordy leather strap for the Konica III.

BrianShaw · Dec 2, 2018

So, Pieter12... what conclusion are you drawing from this varied input?

guangong · Dec 2, 2018

A strap on everything but my 45Wista, including my little Minolta 16s and Minox. Straps have saved my cameras too many times to count.
A strap can also help hold a camera steady, even the little wrist straps. I found that when using my Medalist, even tha case helps for steadiness.

Strap or no strap?

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