Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Mirrorless Cameras => Topic started by: lensjack on January 28, 2014, 05:00:07 pm
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If you are not using the strap that came with your OM-D, what are you using and why?
My EM-1 just arrived. I usually switch out any strap prominently showing a brand name unless there's no better option. In this case, it won't be a wrist strap because I will often shoot with the camera hanging at ab level. Anybody got an enthusiastic recommendation for all-day convenience and comfort?
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If you are not using the strap that came with your OM-D, what are you using and why?
My EM-1 just arrived. I usually switch out any strap prominently showing a brand name unless there's no better option. In this case, it won't be a wrist strap because I will often shoot with the camera hanging at ab level. Anybody got an enthusiastic recommendation for all-day convenience and comfort?
http://optechusa.com/adjustable-connector.html + whatever strap you like from there
(http://optechusa.com/skin/frontend/optechusa/default/images/Pilot/AdjustableConn.jpg)
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I put an Upstrap on all my cameras. Is that enthusiastic enough? :) Love those things. The smallest one is perfect for a mirrorless camera.
I did try a Gordy's strap, in a very long 46" length, and it's nicely made but I can't carry it on my shoulder as it slides off. (The Upstraps never slide off.) If I wear a pair of Fujis around my neck, the Gordy's strap works well for the lower one.
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http://optechusa.com/adjustable-connector.html + whatever strap you like from there
(http://optechusa.com/skin/frontend/optechusa/default/images/Pilot/AdjustableConn.jpg)
Thanks, Vladimirovich. Seems like a good start. I guess what I'm most curious about is what straps folks here are finding comfortable around their necks with these little cameras.
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Thanks, Vladimirovich. Seems like a good start. I guess what I'm most curious about is what straps folks here are finding comfortable around their necks with these little cameras.
optech has a number of straps that sit very comfortable on your neck - however do not underestimate how the straps attached to the E-M1 body... those connectors are really good... as for the strap I use http://optechusa.com/straps/envy-strap.html
(http://optechusa.com/skin/frontend/optechusa/default/images/Pilot/EnvyStrapBlack.jpg)
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I put an Upstrap on all my cameras. Is that enthusiastic enough? :) Love those things. The smallest one is perfect for a mirrorless camera.
I did try a Gordy's strap, in a very long 46" length, and it's nicely made but I can't carry it on my shoulder as it slides off. (The Upstraps never slide off.) If I wear a pair of Fujis around my neck, the Gordy's strap works well for the lower one.
If I could see you turning cartwheels, that might seal the enthusiasm test. :) Even though so many people love Upstraps, I'm not sure I want a shoulder strap. I have a head-and-hand tremor, and I've usually shot my little Canon G1 X hanging in front of me, where it's steadier than if I hold it to my eye. Also, during extended foreign travel, I'm wary of shoulder carry because of theft potential. When I travel with full-frame, I use a sling strap. It feels more secure. A full-frame body with an image-stabilized lens works fine for me at eye level. I'm trying now to figure out if IS in the E-M1 will allow me that luxury. Maybe I could use an Upstrap around the neck and switch to shoulder carry as circumstances (and paranoia) permit. Do you ever put those around your neck? Are they comfortable that way? Or strictly designed for shoulder use?
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optech has a number of straps that sit very comfortable on your neck - however do not underestimate how the straps attached to the E-M1 body... those connectors are really good... as for the strap I use http://optechusa.com/straps/envy-strap.html
(http://optechusa.com/skin/frontend/optechusa/default/images/Pilot/EnvyStrapBlack.jpg)
Good to know. Thanks. I'll take a close look. Does all that looping and threading required by so many strap makers seem incredibly outdated to anyone else? Wouldn't you think there'd be something secure that would instantly clip directly onto the camera? Rant aside, one obvious advantage of these over base-mounting sling straps is that when you want to quickly pop your camera onto a tripod, nothing's in your way.
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http://imageshack.com/a/img811/323/qej4.jpg
(http://imageshack.com/a/img811/323/qej4.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img819/6470/h369.jpg
(http://imageshack.com/a/img819/6470/h369.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img844/6432/w1bz.jpg
(http://imageshack.com/a/img844/6432/w1bz.jpg)
http://imageshack.com/a/img32/2636/l02n.jpg
(http://imageshack.com/a/img32/2636/l02n.jpg)
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Aha! I see what you did there, V. Clever. It's the RRS plate, right? You like?
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Wouldn't you think there'd be something secure that would instantly clip directly onto the camera?
simple swivel hooks, on GH3 - I replaced OEM lugs with small metal key rings with rubber o-rings protecting the body and simple swivel hooks are connected instantly...
Optech has connectors for swivel hooks = http://optechusa.com/system-connectors/utility-loop.html
(http://optechusa.com/skin/frontend/optechusa/default/images/Pilot/UtilityLoops.jpg)
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It's the RRS plate, right?
RRS plate provides better grip (pinky finger has something to hang on) and adds some mass to the body, which shall a little reduce shutter shock... I also have the battery grip for E-M1, but then RRS does not make a good custom base plate for it, so I am rarely using it.
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RRS plate provides better grip (pinky finger has something to hang on) and adds some mass to the body, which shall a little reduce shutter shock... I also have the battery grip for E-M1, but then RRS does not make a good custom base plate for it, so I am rarely using it.
All helpful to know. Thanks. BTW -- since you've got this stuff wired -- is there a removable sheet of plastic film inside the eyecup and over the viewfinder? Or is it supposed to look cloudy? I haven't pulled off the eyecup to look closer yet, but holding it away from my eye, it looks kinda filmy in there.
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Yes, I wear the Upstrap around my neck, too, and it's reasonably comfortable. The only thing it doesn't work well for is the wrap-three-times-around-the-wrist technique because the rubber pad isn't flexible enough.
I have back and neck issues (something about 30 years of carrying cameras) so I prefer to keep weight on my shoulders or, better yet, my hips. The little mirrorless cameras have been a Godsend.
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Yes, I wear the Upstrap around my neck, too, and it's reasonably comfortable. The only thing it doesn't work well for is the wrap-three-times-around-the-wrist technique because the rubber pad isn't flexible enough.
I have back and neck issues (something about 30 years of carrying cameras) so I prefer to keep weight on my shoulders or, better yet, my hips. The little mirrorless cameras have been a Godsend.
Thanks for the helpful feedback. Know whatcha men re neck and back issues. I took up photography in retirement, but over the years had many friends who were career shooters lugging heavy gear, and paying a physical price. I've been shooting lately with Canon 1-Series. I love the gear, but by day's end my neck is stiff and my lower back tight, even with only a 70-200 f/2.8. When my Oly arrived, I was slack-jawed at how light it feels for such a solid build. I keep picking it up just to re-experience that amazement. Hoping to start shooting with it by the weekend. It's complex little sucker, but that's exactly what I wanted -- plenty of config options.
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I've used OpTech straps for about 15 years. Never really understood why straps always generate so much debate. These days I principally shoot an EM5 so weight isn't really an issue and these straps are almost overkill.
I'm usually sporting a backpack of some kind and I've found that using a Capture Clip
https://peakdesignltd.com/store/?c=clips&utm_source=home&utm_medium=mainmenu&utm_campaign=home
makes straps an afterthought as the pack's shoulder strap bears the weight except when actually shooting. Another advantage is that even an FF body carried in this way is quite stable rather than bouncing about against the body.
All in all the CC is actually the most useful, best value, photographic accessory I've ever bought - by some margin.
Roy
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is there a removable sheet of plastic film inside the eyecup and over the viewfinder? Or is it supposed to look cloudy?
honesly I do not recall any plastic film over EVF - but then may be it was there... I replaced the cup with another part from Olympus and I do not have it cloudy... may be you managed to get some skin oil on it somehow ?
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Never really understood why straps always generate so much debate.
Roy
I'm with ya, Roy. Everybody's in high dudgeon these days. Nikon vs. Canon, PC vs. Mac, etc. Seems like the Net is overrun by 12-year-olds. Maybe it's the same kid everywhere, and he types really fast. :) Anyway, the Capture Clip looks cool. I'll check it out. Thanks for the tip.
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may be you managed to get some skin oil on it somehow ?
Very possible. In fact, that's what it looks like -- a slightly oily surface. I've asked Olympus. They will probably send back an email that starts, "Dear Greaseball..." :) Are you using the EP-13 eyecup? B&H shows only three reviews, two reviewers like it, one was disappointed. Is it better at locking out light for you? Do you use it with eyeglasses? I shoot left-eye. Might try it.
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Canon L3 neck strap. It's just a simple fabric strap, nice and light. I don't like straps that are too wide, thick, heavy, stretchy or rubbery.
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Are you using the EP-13 eyecup?
it is not a good eyecup (may be it is if you have to wear glasses, but I don't)... too stiff, also makes the process of inserting of FL-LM flash a little inconvenient
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it is not a good eyecup (may be it is if you have to wear glasses, but I don't)... too stiff, also makes the process of inserting of FL-LM flash a little inconvenient
More useful info in one sentence than in all four reviews I read. Thanks!
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I'm with ya, Roy. Everybody's in high dudgeon these days.
In this thread? I didn't notice any dudgeon at all, let alone the high kind. I didn't even see much debate, just people talking about their own personal preferences for camera straps.
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In this thread? I didn't notice any dudgeon at all, let alone the high kind. I didn't even see much debate, just people talking about their own personal preferences for camera straps.
No, compared to lots of discussions this one seems pretty dudgeon-lite. All I meant was that for a peripheral component straps seem to generate more opinions than I'd expect. For me it's always been the general inconvenience and weight that's the concern when trundling about with cameras. In this respect the CC is, as I have said more than once, quite amazingly convenient. For perspective I originally bought one of the Cotton Carrier flak-jackets which is complete overkill and an embarrassment to be seen in.
Speaking of which - embarrassment - some time ago I managed to buy a brand new "Gitzo" fleece for £59 (usually an absurd > £200 I believe). It's a magnificent thing to contemplate and although several times I've tried to count all the pockets, flaps and whatsits, I always run out of fingers before I'm halfway done. I'm waiting until I'm too old to care about my appearance before being seen in public wearing it. Occasionally I take it out of the cupboard and admire it: a genuine bargain, for a change, sort of.
Roy
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I long ago gave up caring about my appearance. Makes it easier to be a photographer, that's for sure.
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I long ago gave up caring about my appearance. Makes it easier to be a photographer, that's for sure.
I've never found the perfect strap, though I use the gariz leather one black for the gh3's, brown for the omds, though I'm having a leather worker I use, add some type of material like neoprene under the strap so it grips on the shoulder.
I don't like carrying cameras around the neck, but on the shoulder you need some grip so they don't slip off.
IMO
BC
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I've been using DSPTCH sling straps (dsptch.com) on 2 Fujis (X100S, XE-1) for about 9 months. No reason they wouldn't work on an Oly.
I like them because they are light, very flexible and long enough to wear diagonally. Reasonably comfortable in hot weather.
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In this thread? I didn't notice any dudgeon at all, let alone the high kind. I didn't even see much debate, just people talking about their own personal preferences for camera straps.
Right you are. I should have said I didn't mean here. Lots of it all over so many boards regardless of topic. Here, if we sent out a search party hunting for dudgeon, we might never hear back. :)
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I've been using DSPTCH sling straps (dsptch.com) on 2 Fujis (X100S, XE-1) for about 9 months. No reason they wouldn't work on an Oly.
I like them because they are light, very flexible and long enough to wear diagonally. Reasonably comfortable in hot weather.
David, thanks for the tip. I haven't seen these before. It looks like both the round and the flat cords attach to the camera easily, with none of the multi-loop threading typical of many attachments. Am I seeing that right? Do you have a preference between the round and the flat? (I think the Oly would take either.) How hard or easy would it be to accidentally open a clip and drop the camera? I saw one review of a different strap where the user said he bumped his hand against a clip, it popped open and his camera fell.
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RRS plate provides better grip (pinky finger has something to hang on) and adds some mass to the body, which shall a little reduce shutter shock... I also have the battery grip for E-M1, but then RRS does not make a good custom base plate for it, so I am rarely using it.
You were dead on about the RRS plate improving the grip. I put one on today. Just as you said, it keeps the pinky finger from slipping off. Perfect for my hands. Thanks.
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I have a related question: I want just a sturdy wrist strap or handgrip to attach on one side of my E-M5, maybe to one strap lug. (With a camera this light, I am happy to have it in one hand almost all the time, so my preferred "neck strap" is dropping the camera back into a camera bag.) Olympus has an accessory handgrip, but that needs the vertical grip, which I do not wish to burden myself with.
I do have a wrist-strap now, but it is a lightweight design intended for smaller cameras, so I would not trust it with a heavier lens like the 12-60/2.8-4 attached.
Are there good options? Do any of the systems discussed above cover this option?
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If you like a cross-body camera strap, I have been using BlackRapid's Metro sling with my X-Pro 1.
I don't own any of the zooms, but works well with the primes.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/895525-REG/BlackRapid_rs10c_1a0_Metro_Sling_Camera_Strap.html
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I have a related question: I want just a sturdy wrist strap or handgrip to attach on one side of my E-M5, maybe to one strap lug. (With a camera this light, I am happy to have it in one hand almost all the time, so my preferred "neck strap" is dropping the camera back into a camera bag.) Olympus has an accessory handgrip, but that needs the vertical grip, which I do not wish to burden myself with.
I do have a wrist-strap now, but it is a lightweight design intended for smaller cameras, so I would not trust it with a heavier lens like the 12-60/2.8-4 attached.
Are there good options? Do any of the systems discussed above cover this option?
You might want to look at the websites for Optech, DSPTCH and Gordy's. I'm not in the market for a wrist strap yet, but I've been browsing those sites on neck/shoulder/sling strap recommendations from posters in this thread. Seems like among those three companies, there's something for everyone. Good luck.
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If you like a cross-body camera strap, I have been using BlackRapid's Metro sling with my X-Pro 1.
I don't own any of the zooms, but works well with the primes.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/895525-REG/BlackRapid_rs10c_1a0_Metro_Sling_Camera_Strap.html
Thanks much, Paul. I considered this because I've been mostly happy with Black Rapid DSLR straps. I use the Sport for full-frame action shooting. The brad does a great job holding the shoulder pad in place. For my taste, anyway. I've been trying an RS-7 on my Oly to see if I might like the Metro. But I'm now thinking that for travel -- my primary Oly purpose -- I may prefer a lug-and-plate-threaded strap so I can pop the camera onto a travel ballhead without needing to remove anything. I'm leaning that way at the moment but as Lennon famously said, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." :) So we'll see.
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Canon L3 neck strap. It's just a simple fabric strap, nice and light. I don't like straps that are too wide, thick, heavy, stretchy or rubbery.
Thanks. The only drawback for me here is that I'm intent on traveling with no brands visible in big letters. I put gaffer's tape over the logos on my camera bodies. It's probably excessive but the less attention I attract in some places we go, the better (another reason for leaving the full-frame home). Now, if you could persuade Canon to pay me for advertising their gear, we might have a game-changer. ;D
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I've never found the perfect strap, though I use the gariz leather one black for the gh3's, brown for the omds, though I'm having a leather worker I use, add some type of material like neoprene under the strap so it grips on the shoulder.
I don't like carrying cameras around the neck, but on the shoulder you need some grip so they don't slip off.
IMO
BC
Thanks, BC. I'll take a look. Talk about first-world problems, what strap to buy has gotta rank right up there. But onward we stagger. :)
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I want just a sturdy wrist strap or handgrip to attach on one side of my E-M5, maybe to one strap lug. (With a camera this light, I am happy to have it in one hand almost all the time, ...
Artist & Artisan.
Originally, for the Leica M's - they've never failed me.
Also their silk cord straps ...
www.artisanandartist.com/straps/index.htm
www.artisanandartist.com/straps/acam290.htm
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Thanks to Vladimirovich, Paul Sumi, lensjack and Manoli for the various ideas and links. I think I have been persuaded to go for a sling instead of a wrist-strap, in the form of the Optitech Utility Strap Sling (http://optechusa.com/straps/utility-strap-sling.html), after ruling out options that occupy the tripod mount, and ones with too low a weight limit for the 1.5Kg of my heaviest combo.
P. S. And Optitech's neoprene SLR wrist strap (http://optechusa.com/straps/slr-wrist-strap.html) too, since their "uni-loop" system allows quick switching between the two (neck strap with heavy lens, wrist strap with lightweight kit?)
I guess I'm just too much of a high-tech guy to go for those elegant old-school leather wrist straps, but thanks for the suggestions anyway.
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The OMD is so light, I tend to carry it with a wrist strap when I am on a photo walk, I believe I am using the strap that came with my Sony RX100. For times when I want the camera to be out of the way, I use a shoulder strap attached by a nano steel clip (http://www.berkeleypoint.com/products/hardware/stainless_clips.html). The strap I use is the old one that came with the Oly E-10 and E-20 -- a single piece of webbing widening to 1" at the center with a minimalist shoulder grip pad sewn in, pure function (but it will kill your shoulder with a heavier camera like the D800 + 24-70, though perfect for something like the OMD) (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-OLYMPUS-CAMERA-NECK-STRAP-Vintage-/251436483051?pt=US_Camera_Straps_Hand_Grips&hash=item3a8ac841eb#ht_207wt_1124) They are rare as hens teeth, though.
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I have a related question: I want just a sturdy wrist strap or handgrip to attach on one side of my E-M5, maybe to one strap lug.
Check the Gordy's page. The neck strap I bought is very well made. The leather seems stiff at first but softens with use.
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The leather seems stiff at first but softens with use.
you can always oil it...