I’ve just ordered another brand of camera strap, the latest in my long search for the perfect camera strap. I may not have tried them all but I’ve tried a bunch over the years as I look for just the right strap.
Camera straps are very much an individual thing. For some, the strap doesn’t make any difference – it could be a piece of rope so long as it works. For others (like me) it’s got to be just right. Being “just right” means it has to comfortably carry the camera and distribute the weight when I carry it around my neck. The strap has to be kind of “grippy” so it won’t slide off my shoulder and yet it can’t be too “grippy” when I want to slide it off my shoulder or adjust the position of the camera around my neck. I don’t like it too wide or too narrow. It needs to be a dark color – lighter colors call attention to the strap. I like my straps plain – no company or camera logos. No sense giving a multi-billion dollar camera company a free ad on my camera strap.
I’m now using a one-inch-wide black Domke strap on one camera and a very well-worn stock Canon strap on the other. It’s this Canon strap I’m replacing. Besides being worn out, it’s got a big Canon logo on the strap (see above) so it needs replacing. Over the years the Domke straps have been my favorite but I have always been willing to try another type in my never-ending quest for the perfect strap. My main complaint about the Domke straps is the grippy stuff seems to wear out pretty quickly so they start to slide around.
The new strap is from Think Tank Photo and it looks a lot like the Domke strap. Hopefully it will last longer, especially since the strap cost the company $25.
–Gordon King
