BjarniM Posted June 25, 2015 Share #1 Posted June 25, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Sorry about the strange question, but i will give it a go: Somewhere on the internet i've read, that leather straps can be the cause to fungus in both lenses and cameras, while i've on other sites have been reading that this is nonsense. My Monochrom, the M6 and my lenses are being stored in a camera bag while not in use. Should i have any concerns if a Luigi's leather strap is attached to the camera while in my bag, or is it better to just mount and use the leather strap while using the camera, and it's not in the bag? Can leather straps attached to my cameras, while being stored in my camera bag, ultimately cause fungus? If i should attach/detach the leather strap every time the cameras come in and out of the bag, then i maybe just will stick to the original, supplied nylon strap, which - though - isn't comfortable to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 Hi BjarniM, Take a look here Can a leather strap be the cause to fungus in a bag?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
M9reno Posted June 25, 2015 Share #2 Posted June 25, 2015 Yes and no. Long-term storage of lenses, particularly (but not exclusively) in enclosed, humid conditions, is not advisable in the company of leather. Obviously a leather strap is not as bad as a leather case or bag (presumably your bag is not leather). If you are not storing long-term, or it is very dry where you are, a strap should be no problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack-tucker Posted June 25, 2015 Share #3 Posted June 25, 2015 It depends on where you are living, I think. I am in Delhi an during the rainy season, leather goods (shoes, belts, etc.) sometimes get fungus over night. In the past even the leather rim of my canvas camera bag got fungus. Now I am more careful and store cameras and lenses in a pelicase, when not in use. I would be careful and the danger of fungus is for me the reason, not to use a leather strap. If I would live in a less humid place, most of the time, I would prefer a leather strap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted June 25, 2015 Share #4 Posted June 25, 2015 I have the Leica made leather straps on my two M cameras and have never had fungus grow on my strap or in my bag. If my strap was wet or damp , I would not even think of putting the camera in the bag with a wet or damp strap attached - that's just asking for trouble. I would leave the camera & strap sit out in open air to air dry overnight and then put both in a gallon size ziplock freezer bag with a silica dryer pack or two ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=242571&gclid=CKC3mvD3q8YCFQUGaQodIrwDlQ&is=REG&Q=&A=details ) for 24 hours to be on the safe side if the strap still felt damp after the initial overnight air dry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BjarniM Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted June 26, 2015 I have the Leica made leather straps on my two M cameras and have never had fungus grow on my strap or in my bag. Do you have a picture or a link to the Leica made leather straps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted June 27, 2015 Share #6 Posted June 27, 2015 Can leather straps attached to my cameras, while being stored in my camera bag, ultimately cause fungus? No they can't cause fungus, but because leather will absorb and retain moisture easier than a Leica they provide the conditions for fungus to grow. A damp camera bag or high humidity would do the same thing even if leather were not present. Fungus spores are all around you all the time, you can't keep them away from your camera but you can try to keep them dormant, so dry circulating air and light are better than closed bags. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brill64 Posted June 27, 2015 Share #7 Posted June 27, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) high humidity in an enclosed environment will cause fungal growth. keep silica gel packs in your camera bag & refresh occasionally or place in a room with a dehumidifier. fwiw, you can effectively & safely clean fungus off leather items by using rubbing alcohol 75%. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 28, 2015 Share #8 Posted June 28, 2015 Fungus growing on leather is probably not the same species as those causing lens etching, but the fact that it does occur is indicative that the conditions for growth are present. So it is coincidental and a warning sign. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted June 28, 2015 Share #9 Posted June 28, 2015 Sunshine is your friend. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted June 28, 2015 Share #10 Posted June 28, 2015 Do you have a picture or a link to the Leica made leather straps? Here you go: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=982999&gclid=CKOpjvrEs8YCFYI7aQodtpsKhA&is=REG&m=Y&A=details&Q= and http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/982997-REG/leica_18776_leather_carrying_strap_for.html The cognac strap #18777 is the strap that came with my Safari set. It is quite a nice strap, and reasonably priced if you buy it as a separate item. I don't quite understand why B&H sells the black version #18776 at a slightly higher price, but they do (I have the black version on my M4-P body). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted June 29, 2015 Share #11 Posted June 29, 2015 It probably has to do with the exchange rate at the time of the pricing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dante Posted July 1, 2015 Share #12 Posted July 1, 2015 Leather can absorb moisture and release it into the environment (like a closed case), so it's best not to store cameras, lenses and leather together long term. In fact, I've now seen a couple of warnings in instructions not to long-term store optical products in plastic or velveteen packaging (the one that springs to mind was the Hexar RF). Dante Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BjarniM Posted July 10, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted July 10, 2015 Blast. I don't know whether i should keep on using the hand crafted Luigi's leather strap or i should switch back to the original strap supplied by Leica, since - afterall - the camera is in the bag for quite some hours each day and week. I don't wan't to attach the leather strap each time i'm taking the camera out of the bag and it's being used, and detaching the leather strap each time the camera goes in the bag again. Hhmm... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted July 12, 2015 Share #14 Posted July 12, 2015 Blast. I don't know whether i should keep on using the hand crafted Luigi's leather strap or i should switch back to the original strap supplied by Leica, since - afterall - the camera is in the bag for quite some hours each day and week. I don't wan't to attach the leather strap each time i'm taking the camera out of the bag and it's being used, and detaching the leather strap each time the camera goes in the bag again. Hhmm... It sounds like the strap is important to you, hence the conundrum. Chances are it makes no difference whatsoever whether you store the camera strapless or not. But is the strap THAT important to you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manoleica Posted July 12, 2015 Share #15 Posted July 12, 2015 Be like my GF, go strapless! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BjarniM Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted July 13, 2015 But is the strap THAT important to you? I don't think it could be boiled down to a question whether the trap is that important to me. The original supplied Leica strap - that comes with the Monochrom, and also on my M6 - gives me pain in both my neck and shoulder, when carrying the camera for lets say 8-10 hours. It's just not comfortable. Therefore i did buy a good strap for some weeks ago, just to make things more comfortable on days when lugging the cameras around for many hours, but afterwards i did see some discussions on the web, where somebody said, it could be a cause to fungus - when storing leather things in a closed canera bag. Therefore i'm in a dilemma, though a small one: Take the pain, that comes with the original nylon straps, or take the chance and use leather strap(s) and live with the "risk", if there is one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BjarniM Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted July 13, 2015 Be like my GF, go strapless! That certainly could be an option, if the equipment - that is Leica, i mean - wasn't so expensive Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manoleica Posted July 13, 2015 Share #18 Posted July 13, 2015 That certainly could be an option, if the equipment - that is Leica, i mean - wasn't so expensive Do you know how expensive my GF is? (MB Coupe/Longines Time Piece/and Oh that Lingerie...). '()' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill W Posted July 22, 2015 Share #19 Posted July 22, 2015 I gave up the GF, my wife was less expensive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbl Posted July 23, 2015 Share #20 Posted July 23, 2015 Therefore i'm in a dilemma, though a small one: Take the pain, that comes with the original nylon straps, or take the chance and use leather strap(s) and live with the "risk", if there is one. I'd say use the leather strap that you enjoy. If you're worried about it, throw some desiccant bags in your camera bag as someone else suggested, but this isn't supposed to be a painful activity :-). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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