Who likes the provided strap what alternatives are there ?

[MRJohn]

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I am currently using Peak Design. But I am worried that the sharp strap mounts of the SL will eventually cut the fabric of the PD loops. So I am watching for any wear and tear closely.

[Arai]

Arte di mano makes Sughero strap for SL, I like the material and finish but nylon at strap end made me think twice, I don't like nylon. They also make half case which is gorgeous. I'll definitely order it 

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[Jeffry Abt]

I am a fan of the using Upstrap-Pro. ...used them for years.

[rickp13]

don't ask me how i stumbled across this link to straps from www.deadcameras.com      , but i thought their XL STRAP would be perfect for the SL.    they're handmade in portugal; communications by email were quick and easy, and the strap, with its extra-wide pad, is well-designed and very comfortable.  it comes with optional mounting rings , so the strap can be moved to different camera types.    i'll post photos later.  

 

at the same time, i ordered a FATTY D strap in black with red stitching from       https://sailorstrap.ecwid.com/#!/FD-Black/p/62224677/category=18060064     for the SL, because of the larger diameter woven cord.   it too is comfortable, well stitched, and the communications with the company were quick and easy.    $55 including mailing charges from warzaw, poland was quick and reasonable.    the only drawback is that the strap comes without buckles etc for the SL, so i'll need to borrow them from an old strap.

[stevelap]

I posted this in the 'interesting new strap maker' thread in the customer forum but thought it might also be of interest here, as Deadcamera Straps have been recommended in this thread too.

 

A quick update.  My custom Allfit strap arrived today, six days (including a weekend) from order to delivery, Portugal to the UK, very good service indeed.  The strap is exactly as specified and the quality is excellent, it came in a nice drawstring pouch together with two split-rings plus leather washers (for alternative use) and a spare red dot and spare webbing buckle.  

 

It's just what I'd hoped for and I'm very pleased, so that's another 'Highly Recommended' for Deadcamera Straps from me.

 

http://deadcameras.com

 

Although I bought the strap for use on an SL I don't have the 28-90.  For use with that combo their larger shoulder pad or the XL strap would be probably be needed, as mentioned by John (jpattison) and rickp13 above.

Edited March 2, 2016 by stevelap

[mbc 1944]

I addressed this question in a dpr post that received no replies so take it for what's worth. I am finding that when shooting with the SL and 24-90 zoom the easiest thing for me is to wrap the strap (any strap) around your wrist and grasp the camera with lens firmly around the lens barrel. This provides a secure an inconspicuous hand hold. Because the SL zoom is weighty, the center of gravity lies in the lens, not the camera.

 

I also affix a JB Designs bamboo base designed for the SL. This protects your camera from bumps where the occur most often, on the camera's baseplate. It ads only slight weight. The great advantage of this plate on the SL is that it contains a cut out to permit you to open the battery compartment while leaving the bamboo base on

[Arai]

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I addressed this question in a dpr post that received no replies so take it for what's worth. I am finding that when shooting with the SL and 24-90 zoom the easiest thing for me is to wrap the strap (any strap) around your wrist and grasp the camera with lens firmly around the lens barrel. This provides a secure an inconspicuous hand hold. Because the SL zoom is weighty, the center of gravity lies in the lens, not the camera.

 

I also affix a JB Designs bamboo base designed for the SL. This protects your camera from bumps where the occur most often, on the camera's baseplate. It ads only slight weight. The great advantage of this plate on the SL is that it contains a cut out to permit you to open the battery compartment while leaving the bamboo base on

 

I ordered a halfcase that protect it further more, made of high quality leather and I love the smell, it has a battery door too..

what kind of strap do you using right now? I still looking perfect strap for my SL

[Guest]

Just wondered what recommendations others have for straps for the Leica SL.

Don't know about you but I'm not happy with the provided strap. 

 

Trying to fit others that previously fitted Leica M's is fairly impossible without scratching the camera.

 

All suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I hated the strap on the T and replaced it straight away. I thought it would be the same with the SL, after reading this thread. Not so, I will use the standard strap it seemed comfortable and stable enough for me. I did not buy the 24-90 zoom though, my lenses weigh less.........

[ramarren]

My strap solution: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/252169-which-bag-for-the-sl/?p=3002423

 

Still not set on the best bag... but I'll leave that for the other thread. 

[IkarusJohn]

Tie Her Up strap - Rock n Roll for Leica SL (excuse the iPhone pic)

 

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[Paul925]

I like my black Tie Her Up strap - Rock n Roll for Leica SL from the standpoint of fit and finish and since it has some "spring" to it that seems to make the SL and 24-90 somewhat lighter around the neck (if that's possible).  The only downsides I see are that its not quite as nice as a A&A silk strap is for wrapping around the wrist in that it gets a bit "bulky" and that the same bulk makes it a tighter fit in the camera bag.  Has anyone compared the Slinky to the Rock n Roll?

[hydet]

I have been beta testing a new strap design for the SL by Harry Benz and I believe it will be a winner.  It is similar to his wonderful Urūshī strap which I've used on two of my Leica M240s.  It is made of Water Buffalo hide, so no give, and no matting on the underside so it never gets slick.  That is one of my biggest complaints with other leather straps--they get slick in time and slide easily off ones shoulder.  There is also no give or "springiness" with this strap.  It also has an ingenious swivel allowing full movement and reverse carry for the big lenses (a method I used when carrying big Nikon lenses with the camera body facing inward and the lens laying against the hollow of my hip, reporter style).   I'm not sure when Harry will begin producing these commercially.   I'm not ready yet to say it's the final word on SL strap design, but it may be.  It's certainly the best one I've tried so far.   (By the way, I was asked if the metal screws or pins might not scratch the camera body.  Not sure you can tell this from he photos, but they do not come in contact with the camera at all.)  

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Edited March 24, 2016 by hydet

[wlaidlaw]

I think that strap's major deficit is the lack of a shoulder pad to spread the load. Having spent the last three weeks in Myanmar, wearing thin clothes due to the heat of up to 44º, I was very grateful for the substantial suede lined pad on my Leicatime strap (Luigi Crescenzi) to cushion the weight of the SL and either 24-90 or Noctilux. I also found the braided silk of part of the strap, very comfortable to use wrapped round my hand, whereas a leather strap, would have tended to cut in.  

 

Wilson

[hydet]

Wilson-

 

That's why it is so good we have options available.  I'm the opposite.   Even with heavy lenses and long weeks of all-day carries, I dislike a shoulder pad.  The lovely Luigi straps are a non-starter for that very reason.  It's just another thing to get tangled up when you are in a hurry, and inhibits (for me) a smooth and fast wrist-wrap when I'm in those situations where the action is lively and I tend to secure the camera in my wrist by wrapping it around my hand.  

 

The TieHerUp strap was sort of the best of both worlds, in that it was easy on the shoulder (wider and softer) and easy to wrist-wrap,  but my problem with that strap was that the damned thing wouldn't stay on my shoulder and was a little too bouncy.  

 

Tim

[Suteetat]

Barton's The Leather Strap also works very well.

https://www.barton1972.com/the-leather-strap-black.html

It is wider, not quite as soft but also not so springy lie TieHerUp strap.

I like the looks of TieHerUp a bit better but I think Barton is more comfortable

and certainly much easier to put it on or take it off.

[haribo]

I think that strap's major deficit is the lack of a shoulder pad to spread the load. Having spent the last three weeks in Myanmar, wearing thin clothes due to the heat of up to 44º, I was very grateful for the substantial suede lined pad on my Leicatime strap (Luigi Crescenzi) to cushion the weight of the SL and either 24-90 or Noctilux. I also found the braided silk of part of the strap, very comfortable to use wrapped round my hand, whereas a leather strap, would have tended to cut in.  

 

Wilson

 

Hi there,

I came across this thread and noticed Tim's post about my strap design. (Thank you, Tim.)

 

Wilson, I hope you won't mind me clarifying something.

The fact that my straps don't have shoulder pads is not a major deficit. Not at all. They simply don't need them.

Before I'll go on and explain, let me say this: Most shoulder pads are useless. And many people think they need one for the wrong reasons.

 

When I started designing camera straps, I questioned absolute everything.

First, I made a list of everything that's wrong with leather camera straps. (Being a photographer myself, it didn't take me long. After all, there are reasons why we keep buying them over and over again.)

Alright, making a list is one thing, figuring out the Why behind each point, is another. To make a long story short, I came across the following.

Problem: Load too heavy = strap cutting in  – –  Solution: Shoulder pad

Problem: Strap being too slippery  – –  Solution: Shoulder pad

 

Two completely unrelated problems but one and the same solution? That's strange.

Let's face it, we are talking shoulder pads here, not Aspirin.

To keep things short, a tiny shift in thinking made things clearer. What if it's not the solution but just a band-aid? Bingo, two unrelated problems became one reason.

Most leather camera straps are made from cow leather. It is very common and goes in range from relative inexpensive to fancy and pricey. No matter what it's called, it is still cow leather. And as that it has a few characteristics that are in fact the perfect explanation for the above problems.

 

It is a relative stretchy (some call it springy) leather. In particularly when used in a thinner weight (= thickness). But don't be fooled. Because it's stretchy doesn't mean it's shock absorbing.

Quite the opposite actually. It's the reason why cow leather tends to cut in. The stretchier, the deeper it will cut.

Furthermore, cow leather has a fleshy underside. It looks nice when new (like suede – after all that's what suede is made from). Unfortunately, this doesn't last long. After just a short time of wear it matts together. This matting together makes it not only less appealing, it makes the leather also very slippery. The like an ice rink kind of slippery, that is.

 

And there you have it. Two reasons why instead of a shoulder pad a strap made from a different kind of leather would be a better choice. And generally speaking, why cow leather is maybe not the best choice for a camera strap to begin with.

 

I guess, it's no surprise any more that I do not use cow leather for my straps but Water-Buffalo instead. (Not Buffalo, different species.)

If you're interested, in the philosophy section on my website you'll find more about this. (If you like to hear my customers' opinion as well, see the testimonials.)

But please, don't judge a strap by its shoulder pad. Or by the lack of it.

 

Harry

[wlaidlaw]

Hi there,

I came across this thread and noticed Tim's post about my strap design. (Thank you, Tim.)

 

Wilson, I hope you won't mind me clarifying something.

The fact that my straps don't have shoulder pads is not a major deficit. Not at all. They simply don't need them.

Before I'll go on and explain, let me say this: Most shoulder pads are useless. And many people think they need one for the wrong reasons.

 

When I started designing camera straps, I questioned absolute everything.

First, I made a list of everything that's wrong with leather camera straps. (Being a photographer myself, it didn't take me long. After all, there are reasons why we keep buying them over and over again.)

Alright, making a list is one thing, figuring out the Why behind each point, is another. To make a long story short, I came across the following.

Problem: Load too heavy = strap cutting in  – –  Solution: Shoulder pad

Problem: Strap being too slippery  – –  Solution: Shoulder pad

 

Two completely unrelated problems but one and the same solution? That's strange.

Let's face it, we are talking shoulder pads here, not Aspirin.

To keep things short, a tiny shift in thinking made things clearer. What if it's not the solution but just a band-aid? Bingo, two unrelated problems became one reason.

Most leather camera straps are made from cow leather. It is very common and goes in range from relative inexpensive to fancy and pricey. No matter what it's called, it is still cow leather. And as that it has a few characteristics that are in fact the perfect explanation for the above problems.

 

It is a relative stretchy (some call it springy) leather. In particularly when used in a thinner weight (= thickness). But don't be fooled. Because it's stretchy doesn't mean it's shock absorbing.

Quite the opposite actually. It's the reason why cow leather tends to cut in. The stretchier, the deeper it will cut.

Furthermore, cow leather has a fleshy underside. It looks nice when new (like suede – after all that's what suede is made from). Unfortunately, this doesn't last long. After just a short time of wear it matts together. This matting together makes it not only less appealing, it makes the leather also very slippery. The like an ice rink kind of slippery, that is.

 

And there you have it. Two reasons why instead of a shoulder pad a strap made from a different kind of leather would be a better choice. And generally speaking, why cow leather is maybe not the best choice for a camera strap to begin with.

 

I guess, it's no surprise any more that I do not use cow leather for my straps but Water-Buffalo instead. (Not Buffalo, different species.)

If you're interested, in the philosophy section on my website you'll find more about this. (If you like to hear my customers' opinion as well, see the testimonials.)

But please, don't judge a strap by its shoulder pad. Or by the lack of it.

 

Harry

 

Harry,

 

We are going to have to disagree about this. Having bought a larger Billingham bag, a 225, to accommodate my SL kit, for the first couple of uses, I just had the bare wide, 2", canvas strap. I found it quite uncomfortable. I then wondered if the shoulder pad off my older Billingham Leica Combo M would fit and it did, just, even though the Billingham M has a slightly narrower and thinner canvas strap. Instantly much more comfortable. I am quite a thin bony person with most of my joints being affected by 25 years of arthritis. The only strap I use without a shoulder pad is the Luigi one on my IIF, which weighs very little.

 

It is simple mechanics, if you spread the same load over a wider area, the point pressure will be lower, which is how tanks, with their tracks, can go over boggy ground without sinking in, in spite of their 50 ton weight, which is nearly as much as an SL and 24-90. 

 

Wilson

Edited March 25, 2016 by wlaidlaw

[farnz]

...in spite of their 50 ton weight, which is nearly as much as an SL and 24-90. 

[AlanJW]

Harry,

 

 

 

It is simple mechanics, if you spread the same load over a wider area, the point pressure will be lower, which is how tanks, with their tracks, can go over boggy ground without sinking in, in spite of their 50 ton weight, which is nearly as much as an SL and 24-90. 

 

Wilson

Agree with Wilson.  The Luigi strap for SL is wider than normal (about 1") and the shoulder pad is 2".   The width of the strap has a lot to do with comfort.  The silk Luigi is narrower but has some give as well as grip and I use that on my M, which is not as much of a load as the SL.    Harry may have a point about Water Buffalo and its properties but if you made a strap out of it that was 1/8" wide, it would cut into your shoulder without a doubt so width and distribution of weight do have to mean something.

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[haribo]

Harry,

 

We are going to have to disagree about this. Having bought a larger Billingham bag, a 225, to accommodate my SL kit, for the first couple of uses, I just had the bare wide, 2", canvas strap. I found it quite uncomfortable. I then wondered if the shoulder pad off my older Billingham Leica Combo M would fit and it did, just, even though the Billingham M has a slightly narrower and thinner canvas strap. Instantly much more comfortable. I am quite a thin bony person with most of my joints being affected by 25 years of arthritis. The only strap I use without a shoulder pad is the Luigi one on my IIF, which weighs very little.

 

It is simple mechanics, if you spread the same load over a wider area, the point pressure will be lower, which is how tanks, with their tracks, can go over boggy ground without sinking in, in spite of their 50 ton weight, which is nearly as much as an SL and 24-90. 

 

Wilson

 

 

Agree with Wilson.  The Luigi strap for SL is wider than normal (about 1") and the shoulder pad is 2".   The width of the strap has a lot to do with comfort.  The silk Luigi is narrower but has some give as well as grip and I use that on my M, which is not as much of a load as the SL.    Harry may have a point about Water Buffalo and its properties but if you made a strap out of it that was 1/8" wide, it would cut into your shoulder without a doubt so width and distribution of weight do have to mean something.

Gentlemen,

 

There is a lot more to this than you think. And just because you made those experiences with another strap doesn't mean they apply to all.

This might sound arrogant but the truth behind it is undeniably simple: The worst thing that can happen to something good, is something better.

 

Alright, let's start with shoulder pads. As Wilson stated correctly, they work by spreading the weight onto a larger surface. Correct.

Then again, this concludes the following: In order to work, they need to be big. And the bigger, the better to be precise.

Fact is, for shoulder pads size does not only matter, it is essential. Unfortunately, this simple fact makes them also cumbersome. Which of course is counterproductive to what they are supposed to do and hence, disqualifies them completely at the point where they begin to actually work. I mean really work and not just 'doing some good.'

 

On a side note, you might find this interesting. I actually designed something that solves this problem in a completely different way. It is the total opposite to a shoulder pad but works sheer magic. Roughly speaking, when in use about 80-85% of the weight one carries, simply disappears. It works not only for camera straps but also with bags or anything else one carries.

 

In case you're now shaking your head in utter disbelief, I have news for you. This idea – well, it's more than an idea – is so innovative that it is now in the hands of a patent officer (who happens to be also a bio mech. engineer) at an IP Law firm and is currently going through the patent application process. It already passed the first few steps successfully. As soon as it achieves official Patent Pending status, I am happy to talk more in detail about it.

 

Anyhow, the only reason why I'm bringing this up is to show that I know a thing or two about this.

 

Okay, moving on. Next I'd like to clarify a few things about strap width.

Here's the thing: Width by itself means pretty much nothing when it comes to camera straps. Frankly, it doesn't matter at all how small or how wide a strap is.

That is, of course, unless it works together in unison with another factor: The right thickness of the material in question!

 

This relation of this mixture between width and thickness of a camera strap makes not only a world of a difference, it is at the same time also the most underrated and ignored factor when it comes to the choice of material by the majority of camera strap makers.

The why behind this goes from ignorance (simply using the same material as everybody else) to intentionally trying to avoid opening a hole other can of worms: Thick straps are often too stiff and, as we all painfully know, take an awful long time until they become more comfortable to use.

 

Again, you might not be surprised anymore that my straps are relative thick in material. What is surprising, though, is how soft they are right out of the box. Even more surprising is the fact that after using it for about 2 weeks the leather becomes as soft as a glove. And that without stretching longer.

Let me just say, this softness is not coincidence but by design.

 

Here's a funny story. In the beginning of my strap endeavour, before my website was up and running, I was talking to customers via email.

Considering that all of my straps have a width of 13mm (0.51")  –  well, the Brogue SL is the exception to the rule  –  you can't imagine how many times I got asked for a shoulder pad.

Again, at that time my straps were pretty unknown. It took quite an effort each time to convince people that s/he won't need one with my strap.

That's why I came up with the following. Every time I got asked for a shoulder pad, I made a deal with my customer: Try my strap for 2 weeks. If you still want one after that, I'll make you a shoulder pad for free.

The short of the story is, I have not been taken up on my offer once. Not a single time.

 

 

 Harry