Love my Harry Benz Strap! What are you using?

[Jeff S]

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1 hour ago, ianforber said:

Are the Harry Benz straps relatively slippy? I have some nice leather straps but all have a rough underside which prevents the camera from slipping around but that’s not what I want. I carry the camera cross body and need the strap to move as I bring it up to my eye and then back to my hip. The Peak Design Leash is perfect for that but I am not keen on the look on a M11 or the potential for scratches from the metal buckles. 

Any ideas on which straps work for cross body shooting or tips/techniques for how I could make my current straps work better?

The only camera I sometimes carry cross body is my SL2, with zooms, and the PD Leash has served well.  I preferred it to the Benz SL2 strap, which I sold. No scratches with the PD, and the anchor clips are plastic AFAIK. There are other threads on PD straps here, with others reporting no issues after extended use.
 

On M bodies, I stick to the tried and true Leica 14312 straps (recently discontinued), which are light, flexible, comfortable and durable.

Jeff

Edited August 12, 2022 by Jeff S

[haribo]

1 hour ago, ianforber said:

Are the Harry Benz straps relatively slippy? I have some nice leather straps but all have a rough underside which prevents the camera from slipping around but that’s not what I want. I carry the camera cross body and need the strap to move as I bring it up to my eye and then back to my hip. The Peak Design Leash is perfect for that but I am not keen on the look on a M11 or the potential for scratches from the metal buckles. 

Any ideas on which straps work for cross body shooting or tips/techniques for how I could make my current straps work better?

I don’t want to come across as actively promoting my work here. Which is why I usually refrain from posting at all. 
But please allow me to clarify this here.

For all my camera straps I do not use cow leather (in all its forms, from calf to buffalo). Which is what’s mainly being used by others for leather camera straps. 
Water-Buffalo, the leather I use is from a different kind of animal. In fact, it’s a different species all together. And hence, the leather does have completely different characteristics. 
To answer your question: Yes, the strap will move freely across one’s shoulder. No, it is not slippery like a strap made from cow leather would be. Big difference. 

Furthermore: A cow-leather strap with the same or similar thickness as I use for my straps, would be as stiff and inflexible as a piece of 4x4 wood. 
In opposite, Water-Buffalo is soft and flexible from the start and will become even softer with time and use. Yet, unlike cow-leather, it will not stretch in the process. Again, big difference.

Last but not least, I designed the connector pieces that attach the split ring to the strap purposely in a way that makes it impossible for the ring to touch the camera’s body. No matter how much one twists it.

Thank you for allowing me to clarify this.

Harry

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[ianforber]

1 hour ago, haribo said:

I don’t want to come across as actively promoting my work here. Which is why I usually refrain from posting at all. 
But please allow me to clarify this here.

For all my camera straps I do not use cow leather (in all its forms, from calf to buffalo). Which is what’s mainly being used by others for leather camera straps. 
Water-Buffalo, the leather I use is from a different kind of animal. In fact, it’s a different species all together. And hence, the leather does have completely different characteristics. 
To answer your question: Yes, the strap will move freely across one’s shoulder. No, it is not slippery like a strap made from cow leather would be. Big difference. 

Furthermore: A cow-leather strap with the same or similar thickness as I use for my straps, would be as stiff and inflexible as a piece of 4x4 wood. 
In opposite, Water-Buffalo is soft and flexible from the start and will become even softer with time and use. Yet, unlike cow-leather, it will not stretch in the process. Again, big difference.

Last but not least, I designed the connector pieces that attach the split ring to the strap purposely in a way that makes it impossible for the ring to touch the camera’s body. No matter how much one twists it.

Thank you for allowing me to clarify this.

Harry

Thanks Harry, that’s really helpful clarification. 
 

[ianforber]

7 hours ago, ianforber said:

Thanks Harry, that’s really helpful clarification. 
 

Order placed for a b-strap!

[drunkenspyder]

I am recently new to the HB universe. Vieri Bottazzini highly recommended the HB straps as he moved from camera system to system. I am historically averse to leather straps, generally preferring systems by Black Rapid. I finally ordered one for what I thought would be my Q2M, a nice elegant black Brogue Wingtips 125cm.  However . . . . . that strap is now on my Mamiya 6 rangefinder where it looks superb and behaves even better. I have continued to use a combo of a nice rope wrist/strap and the Leica cross-body holster for my Q2M. It holds the Q2M snugly even with a LIM grip/base. But when it's empty, it's something of a floppy nuisance. A couple of days ago, I decided to ask Harry about a combo J-Loop/Cravate for my Q2M in a monochrome finish with Brogue strap. And away we go! For my—hopefully soon—M11 in black, I expect I will go down the Urushi path. I love that red and black.

 

P.S. Anybody else still on hold for an M11? My dealer in SF cannot seem to get one, but then I see them on Amazon of all places!

[Ray Harrison]

39 minutes ago, drunkenspyder said:

I am recently new to the HB universe. Vieri Bottazzini highly recommended the HB straps as he moved from camera system to system. I am historically averse to leather straps, generally preferring systems by Black Rapid. I finally ordered one for what I thought would be my Q2M, a nice elegant black Brogue Wingtips 125cm.  However . . . . . that strap is now on my Mamiya 6 rangefinder where it looks superb and behaves even better. I have continued to use a combo of a nice rope wrist/strap and the Leica cross-body holster for my Q2M. It holds the Q2M snugly even with a LIM grip/base. But when it's empty, it's something of a floppy nuisance. A couple of days ago, I decided to ask Harry about a combo J-Loop/Cravate for my Q2M in a monochrome finish with Brogue strap. And away we go! For my—hopefully soon—M11 in black, I expect I will go down the Urushi path. I love that red and black.

 

P.S. Anybody else still on hold for an M11? My dealer in SF cannot seem to get one, but then I see them on Amazon of all places!

Leica Store SF has them both in stock online as does the main online leicacamerausa.com site. Leica Store Miami as well. Maybe one of those can help!

[drunkenspyder]

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On 9/18/2022 at 12:20 PM, Ray Harrison said:

Leica Store SF has them both in stock online as does the main online leicacamerausa.com site. Leica Store Miami as well. Maybe one of those can help!

Thanks Ray. I will pass this along to my dealer. I'm pretty loyal to this shop.

[ianforber]

On 8/12/2022 at 11:55 PM, ianforber said:

Order placed for a b-strap!

Strap received a couple of weeks ago. Very happy indeed. Spent last week on a walking holiday and it had just the right combination of slip and stickiness. Perfect!

[setuporg]

On 9/18/2022 at 11:37 AM, drunkenspyder said:

P.S. Anybody else still on hold for an M11? My dealer in SF cannot seem to get one, but then I see them on Amazon of all places!

Apparently both kinds are in stock at B&H.

[SrMi]

On 9/18/2022 at 8:37 PM, drunkenspyder said:

I am recently new to the HB universe. Vieri Bottazzini highly recommended the HB straps as he moved from camera system to system. I am historically averse to leather straps, generally preferring systems by Black Rapid. I finally ordered one for what I thought would be my Q2M, a nice elegant black Brogue Wingtips 125cm.  However . . . . . that strap is now on my Mamiya 6 rangefinder where it looks superb and behaves even better. I have continued to use a combo of a nice rope wrist/strap and the Leica cross-body holster for my Q2M. It holds the Q2M snugly even with a LIM grip/base. But when it's empty, it's something of a floppy nuisance. A couple of days ago, I decided to ask Harry about a combo J-Loop/Cravate for my Q2M in a monochrome finish with Brogue strap. And away we go! For my—hopefully soon—M11 in black, I expect I will go down the Urushi path. I love that red and black.

 

P.S. Anybody else still on hold for an M11? My dealer in SF cannot seem to get one, but then I see them on Amazon of all places!

Be careful about Amazon. You must check whether the Amazon-seller is a reputable store or a scammer.

[MikeMyers]

I like the custom straps I see in this forum, but I need a way to shorten the strap so the camera is right where I want it.  I've got four or five of the old adjustable straps from Leica, which work fine for me.  They are on most of my cameras.  It's a "14312" or something like that, apparently now discontinued.  I put one on my M10 instead of the strap that came with the camera.  

If I get to the Miami Camera Store, maybe I'll see something I like more.

[Siriusone59]

2 hours ago, MikeMyers said:

I like the custom straps I see in this forum, but I need a way to shorten the strap so the camera is right where I want it.  I've got four or five of the old adjustable straps from Leica, which work fine for me.  They are on most of my cameras.  It's a "14312" or something like that, apparently now discontinued.  I put one on my M10 instead of the strap that came with the camera.  

If I get to the Miami Camera Store, maybe I'll see something I like more.

You can select the length you want(within a range) when ordering a strap from Harry Benz.

[Jeff S]

2 minutes ago, Siriusone59 said:

You can select the length you want(within a range) when ordering a strap from Harry Benz.

But once chosen, it’s fixed to accommodate one carrying method, not adjustable (like the Leica 14312 or various other straps, like the PD series) to allow for alternate carry methods (or different seasonal clothing, etc). 
 

Jeff

[MikeMyers]

10 hours ago, Siriusone59 said:

You can select the length you want(within a range) when ordering a strap from Harry Benz.

Depending on the clothing I'm wearing (or not), I enjoy the ability to customize the length to exactly what I want, regardless of whether it's Summer, or me all dressed up in warm clothing in Winter.  I found a possible substitute yesterday, and ordered it from Amazon.  I'll get to try it out later today.  But the Leica #14312 has been the best I've had access to for many, many years.  It's still easy to find them, even though they're discontinued.

[Dob3rman]

On 3/3/2022 at 1:37 AM, M Journey said:

The Harry Benz urūshī - what a great strap!  Before getting the strap, I saw other forum members gushing about Harry Benz straps.  I didn't get it.  They looked like many of the other straps.  I also never handled buffalo leather before, so I didn't understand the hype.  Now that I have a Harry Benz strap in hand, I have become a believer.  More than a believer, I am preaching the Harry Benz gospel.

The strap is narrow (in width) much narrower than it looks in photos, but man is it sturdy.  I really like how robust and durable it feels.  The urūshī strap has hand painted color accents on the sides.  I love that the paint job isn't perfect and shows that it is hand crafted, matching the modus operandi of manual focusing Leica m cameras.  I don't think it will ever come off my m11.  10 years from now, this camera setup (1 camera, 1 lens, 1 strap) will look fantastic as it the kit wears from loving use.  My lens hood is already showing signs of wear (I keep the lens cap off all day when traveling). and the leather strap is breaking in nicely.  I can't wait for the body to start showing some usage (I know the silver bodies keep the like new look much longer than black bodies).  Maybe I will drop the camera on the ground a few times to give it some dents...

Harry was also able to make my strap 58" long, the longest urūshī strap he has ever done (at least according to him).  This makes it the perfect length (for my height and body type) to allow the camera to be worn cross body with the camera resting nicely in the OberWerth Jan pouch attached to my belt.  This allows me to carry the m with me wherever I go and out of sight unless I am taking a photo.

If you are looking for a great strap and/or on the fence about getting something from Harry Benz, do yourself a favor and swipe that credit card.  You will not be disappointed.  It is the perfect forever strap for your forever camera.  

Would love to see what straps others are using, especially if they are Harry Benz straps as well.

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

What brand is the leather case/cover you are using in this picture. Is it convenient to remove while carrying the camera?

[Jeff S]

3 hours ago, Dob3rman said:

What brand is the leather case/cover you are using in this picture. Is it convenient to remove while carrying the camera?

He mentioned his Oberwerth Jan pouch.

Jeff

[haribo]

A customer of mine returned a custom strap he had ordered recently to get it shortened. 
When it arrived it had to my surprise those Peak Design Anchor thingies attached to the SL2 connectors.
Frankly, I didn’t even know they would fit. But what a great idea! 
Since many here have straps outfitted with my SL/SL2 connectors I figure some might appreciate this idea. That’s why I thought i take a pic and share it here. (Not everyone here follows me on Instagram.)

Harry 

PS: Sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds. If that’s the case, feel free to delete this post. 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Jeff S]

4 hours ago, haribo said:

A customer of mine returned a custom strap he had ordered recently to get it shortened. 
When it arrived it had to my surprise those Peak Design Anchor thingies attached to the SL2 connectors.
Frankly, I didn’t even know they would fit. But what a great idea! 
Since many here have straps outfitted with my SL/SL2 connectors I figure some might appreciate this idea. That’s why I thought i take a pic and share it here. (Not everyone here follows me on Instagram.)

Harry 

PS: Sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds. If that’s the case, feel free to delete this post. 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I bought the Benz SL2 (Brogue?) strap, but replaced it with a Peak Design Leash. The PD is a great design, not just due to the anchors, but for easily changing connection points and/or adjusting strap length to accommodate different carry methods or different clothing, and allowing for the heavy camera and zoom to better hug the hip and more easily lift to shoot.  Your strap was very well crafted*, but not nearly as functional and flexible for my needs.  Another forum member was happy to buy my Benz strap.  Different strokes….

*I did, however, get black residue on my hands after initially connecting the leather ends to my SL2 strap lugs. 

Jeff 

[haribo]

29 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

*I did, however, get black residue on my hands after initially connecting the leather ends to my SL2 strap lugs. 

Jeff 

No offense but it always baffles me that people associate the above with ‘bad craftsmanship.’
Contraire to what some people seem to believe, black is not a naturally occurring color when it comes to leather. Of course, it has been dyed black.
Not by me since I don’t dye leather myself but by the tannery. Although colors get sealed in there’s always a chance that things might not go 100% to plan. 
After all leather is a natural product and each hide reacts slightly different to the process. 
Of course, this applies to all kind of leathers. Not just Water-Buffalo. 
Frankly, there’s not much I can do about. (Other than turning it into something that feels like a piece of plastic. But who wants that?)

Harry

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[Jeff S]

8 minutes ago, haribo said:

No offense but it always baffles me that people associate the above with ‘bad craftsmanship.’
Contraire to what some people seem to believe, black is not a naturally occurring color when it comes to leather. Of course, it has been dyed black.
Not by me since I don’t dye leather myself but by the tannery. Although colors get sealed in there’s always a chance that things might not go 100% to plan. 
After all leather is a natural product and each hide reacts slightly different to the process. 
Of course, this applies to all kind of leathers. Not just Water-Buffalo. 
Frankly, there’s not much I can do about. (Other than turning it into something that feels like a piece of plastic. But who wants that?)

Harry

I never said bad craftsmanship. Maybe the tannery needs better QC. Not my problem as the customer. Call it what you want…turning my hands, or a white shirt, black is not a desirable attribute for a new strap, regardless the cause. Never happened to me before, after using dozens of straps since 1974. I’ve used the Leica 14312 nylon strap on all my M bodies since the 80’s. No problems or reasons to switch.

Jeff