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Idea for a Custom Wrist Strap


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Anyone considered pressing the pin out of the connector end on the neck strap and then using the end piece with their own custom leather or other strap by pressing the pin back in? We have a machine shop and I may take the strap in and see how difficult it would be to either do that or replicate the end piece that plugs into the camera. We have high precision equipment that can make the part of need be. I just need to talk someone into doing it on their own time. Maybe a few $$ might encourage them. :D

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Well said John! The standard strap is IMO dreadful. and the non-ability to change to a better one just as bad.

Now I am currently unable to use my favouite A&A long silk rope, which allows diagonal camera wearing, essential in many places around the world.

 

I have had a look at the idea you describe, but it seems that it is a very tight fit pressed in from one side - not a home-do job I think. IMO better to turn a new plug with a standard lug. Where are the little Chinese workshops when you need them?

 

Incidentally - have you seen the image of Dr Kaufman on Facebook with an A&A rope strap attached to what is probably a early T?

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I'm going to take it into our lab on Monday and they can do a 3-D laser scan and then feed it to a milling machine. I'll have them make a prototype using a 3-D printer first. Then I will find out what they would charge to make some. I'll let you know what I learn.

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I imagine you could likely get $40 per pair, for Leica-branded inserts, but you would have to do a bit of market research. Sounds like your fixed costs are already in place, so just variable cost, say $0.50 to $2.50 for time on the machine and material costs and say a 10% royalty to Leica. If you sell 10,000 units over the next two years, that's about $33,500 in your pocket or about $33.50 per unit gross profit.

 

But, you would need to act fast and get a prototype in Leica's hands for their review and strike a deal on exact royalty amount and also make sure you get *exclusive* rights worldwide. Could be very lucrative. If you need a finance guy to run the numbers, let me know... 8-)

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Unfortunately, the answer is no. The cost to produce just one can't be justified when Leica sells one with the strap for $70 and I wasn't planning on going in the business. The answer for a custom strap is to cut off the silicon strap and then have a leather or chord strap put on using the piece. Alternatively you could use the neck strap's ends and have two custom straps or a custom neck strap.

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What about having a machine shop duplicate the "lug" from an M240 or m9 and duplicate the dummy plug that comes with the T and then making one unit out of the two? If this would still be patent violation what about just adding the lug to an existing dummy plug?

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I got tired of waiting for a wrist strap so I took my own advise and cut the neck strap lug off and used what I had at hand (not my ultimate) wrist strap. Here is a quick iPhone photo and I attached the pin to remove the strap on a nylon lanyard and it fit nicely in the leather bucket of the hand strap.

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I got tired of waiting for a wrist strap so I took my own advise and cut the neck strap lug off and used what I had at hand (not my ultimate) wrist strap. Here is a quick iPhone photo and I attached the pin to remove the strap on a nylon lanyard and it fit nicely in the leather bucket of the hand strap.

 

Great job. I've been thinking about making similar strap ends for the regular lugs of the M, R etc cameras.

It would be fairly straight forward to do... Hmmmm ;)

 

I like the security of the aftermarket strap split rings and the genuine Leica strap ends but this little design detail of the T is beautiful IMO.

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Here is a closer shot of the wrist strap with pocket for the push pin to release the strap when desired.

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Edited by barjohn
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I got tired of waiting for a wrist strap so I took my own advise and cut the neck strap lug off and used what I had at hand (not my ultimate) wrist strap. Here is a quick iPhone photo and I attached the pin to remove the strap on a nylon lanyard and it fit nicely in the leather bucket of the hand strap.

 

 

Is the pin that gets covered by the black silicon bit removable like a watch strap pin? is that how you got the fabric strap on the the metal fitting?

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Unfortunately, the pin is a press fit that was probably done with hydraulic pressure so removing the pin is not like removing a watch lug pin. I even have the tools for that as I occasionally (used to do much more) collect watches. I had to use an exact knife and slice through the silicon strap. Oh well it is $79 to replace and you get two lug pins to use for custom straps or pay $70 for one with a silicon strap. Like others I am not that enamored with the silicon strap as it is not comfortable. Threading the nylon strap through the lug and the cover was easy (just get the right width. I just used a strap I had laying around and it worked perfectly.

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