Talk to me about wrist straps

I’d like to get a wrist strap for my OM5 - I’m sure one must have come with it or with previous cameras, but I’m blowed if I can find ones. I’ve only used simple loops before and have no idea if more fancy, aka expensive ones, are worth the extra - Peak Design do a couple for £28 & £37 :open_mouth: I’ll be using a belt clip, so want the added security when I have it in my hand.

I have and like the Simplr F1 strap, which converts between neck strap and wrist strap. It is meant to stay on the camera–does not have a quick release. F1 Camera Strap • Made in USA • Simplr

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Wrist strap is something that You can easily DIY.
My solution is a thin rope threaded into soft plastic hose. That gives the loop some rigidity, that helps keeping it open and putting the hand into it.
There are some caveits, however:
-It may be uncomfortable to hold camera constantly with such a wrist strap (well, any wrist strap suffers this disdvantage more or less)
-It doesn’t bother me, as my cam sits in the carrying bag and I draw it only for shooting/lens swapping (wrist strap is unvaluable for that last task!)
-Moreover, my DIY wrist strap is just non-crucial (but very convinient) part of carrying system, in which camera is constantly tethered to a slinging carabiner on the bag’s shoulder strap (see the photos below); when I want to use the cam on a tripod or hand it to another person I have to unclip it from the bag and me, so the wrist strap is then necessary protection, too.



im-3

Regards,
-J.

I prefer simple loops :slight_smile:

I use soft cotton-like woven loops on all my cameras; they do the job without getting in the way like less flexible types can.

I use them just for security (it’s madness to carry a heavy camera on one) but also find them useful to “dangle” the camera when two hands are briefly needed for something (lens changing, for example).

I don’t use any other straps so I remove the dangly strap hangers from the camera and attach one of these directly to the eyelet:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CZHFBPF

Of course most use a metal ring to attach but I find they get in my way, I prefer the simple string option. Incidentally, I’ve tried many and the one I show is by far the best quality I’ve found. I actually tested one to destruction and I suspect it would break my wrist before the “string” broke so an OM-5 (or my E-M5 II) is no contest:

Hmm… need to get out my Rocket Blower :slight_smile:

It is a bit more expensive…but I do love the Peak Design Cuff strap. I’ve bought into the PD ‘system’ with a Slide, Cuff, and Capture Clip. It’s a good family of products that work together well.

Thank you all, I’ll have a look around online and have a think :slight_smile: Mine is to use in conjunction with a belt clip - I got a bit fed up with putting the camera into and out of the clip over and over again, but don’t like carrying it in my hand without some sort of ‘back-up’ system. I’ve discovered with photography that by the time you’ve worked out the perfect solution, you’ve spent a shedload of money on things that ticked nearly all the boxes!

You’re not wrong :wink:

Maybe you should reconsider why you think you like the belt clip solution, because you clearly find it annoying (been there, done that…). Anything about the experience that annoys - even a little bit - is a very bad thing that puts you off doing what you want to do.

I always use small “work from” bags and as long as the wrist strap doesn’t get in the way (see above!) I find them more fluid and quick to use than any belt clip system. The bag must have nothing to impede access (most fail on this) and work either open or closed, and if closed must be very quick to open. I’ve tried many, many bags but it’s such a personal choice I won’t offer recommendations, but of my two most used bags one is really cheap and the other… well, not so much, Price isn’t really a good metric for usability :slight_smile:

Are these over-the-shoulder bags? I have muscular issues which make my shoulders very sensitive (can’t even carry an empty rucksack or wear dungarees), but my lower half functions well so having the weight of the camera on my hips works well for me - particularly as I often walk a mile or so before I get to where I want to take photos.

The reason I had to take it out so many times a day was because we were visiting Corfe Castle, and I kept being distracted by insects and other critters when I should have been looking at mottes, baileys and towers :rofl:

Ah, that makes sense. I use shoulder bags but if I couldn’t I’d still use a bag - a waist bag - rather than a clip. Actually I did use waist bags for a while when I had some medical issues a few years ago but shifted back to shoulder bags as soon as I could. I still have them - basically shoulder bags with removeable straps and belt loops on the back - and was actually using one of them today (it’s the cheap one of my two favourites).

Clips are too fiddly for me and leave the camera open to accidents

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Thanks John - I’ll have a look at bags and see if I can find one of the right dimensions. Hopefully I can find a suitable bum bag (fanny pack in the US?) in a charity shop to test the concept.

Columbusrat–when you say you are using a belt clip on your OM-5, is it a Peak Design clip using the tripod socket mounted plate?

If so, I would recommend not using that attachment on an OM-5, as the base plate may not be strong enough to prevent fatigue and failure. No one knows how or if they changed the design from the E-M5iii and I had one base plate fail in fatigue from use of the belt clip and tripod mounted manual focus for focus stacking.

I’m just offering a suggestion, just be careful to minimize any base plate flexing.

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I’ve tried a bunch, some purchased, a few DIY…
The purchased ones are all relegated to the storage… they were all nicely made, but had some point less desirable - like being too short to have flexibility with your hand, arm, when being used.
I am outdoors a lot, and hiking or backpacking, I find having the camera in-hand is best, safer for me and camera, ready for use. But, I also want some flexibility with using the hand to reach for things, in the pack or scratching my head, etc… LOL!
Many made wrist leashes are too short for me. Those with plastic release clips are an absolute NO for me. No matter how well designed, they are plastic (who knows how good) and if they fail, the camera drops like a stone. A strong shock, like dropping the camera could break these small clips - I don;t trust they’ll work every time.
So here are two options - one is a DIY braided wriststrap, adjustable and quite secure for the camera. If interested I can find the link for a Youtube video showing how to make/braid it - 5mm parachute cord.
The other is now my Go-To on ALL my cameras ! It’s the Std supplied Olympus neck strap supplied with the smaller/cheaper bodies, EM-5, E-PL, EM-10… It’s the approx 1 inch wide neck strap.

The neck strap can be looped into a knot, just above where the necks strap is attached to the webbing.
It fits nice and loose, but very secure because the loop is small enough to not slip over your hand, but easy to get in and out of.
Nice option is the strap can be un-looped and used as a neck strap when you so desire!
Perfect for me! I have this on ALL my cameras, including a much larger and heavier Sigma SD quattro w/ 18-300 lens. YMMV
Thx
Yuri

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Very good point about the base plate strength. The original E-M5 had a very weak tripod bush that could easily pull free from the surrounding baseplate just by over-tightening (been there, done that), apparently fixed in the E-M5 II design. Unfortunately the major design change in the E-M5 III (and OM-5) to make it cheaper… erm, I mean lighter by replacing a lot of metal with plastic seems to have brought the problem back.

Good advice not to use it with this kind of clip, especially if the attached lens is fairly heavy.

I do worry a little about the tripod mount… the clip is very similar to this one: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BW-Camera-Belt-Holster-Cameras/dp/B00SE2B9FG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=AN5NAPNOAEDG&keywords=camera+belt+clip&qid=1683965708&sprefix=camera+belt+clip%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-3 My understanding is that the tripod mount has been improved in the OM5, though OM Systems don’t seem to have been forthcoming with the technical details. If I do use a shoulder strap, that also uses the tripod mount - the ones that attach on either side of the camera really don’t work for quick-draw.

But I only use lightweight lenses - the 60mm and the ‘plastic fantastic’ 50-150, both under 200g - so I tell myself that I’m probably OK, as long as I’m careful not to overtighten (or undertighten for that matter!) I do have another lens which is 423g but I probably wouldn’t trust the baseplate with that.

That type belt clip will not put as much bending stress on the base plate as the PD so is much better. Your call, I became very conservative after replacing my first EM-5iii.

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I never liked using a tripod socket for anything except to mount on a tripod. The tripod socket is often a weak point and failures have been reported with several camera brands and models besides the E-M5III. I attach a strap, whether wrist strap or cross body strap, to the strap lugs if the lens is small or to a tripod foot if one is available.

For my E-M5iii, I use an OpTech wrist strap (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542422-REG/OP_TECH_USA_6701062_SLR_Wrist_Strap_Black.html). I don’t know if Amazon UK carries it.

For my OM1 I use an OpTech cross body strap attached to a QR plate on the foot of the 300mm Pro, which is almost always the lens I use with the OM1. Quick connectors make it easy to disconnect when desired. Safety loops are optional if it makes you feel more secure.

I have no relationship of any kind with OpTech but have used their straps and connectors for probably more than a decade on several different cameras and never had a failure of any component. They are as well-made but much less expensive than comparable products from the likes of PD or RRS.

In your case, a waist/fanny pack and wrist strap sounds like a good solution.

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I have a wrist strap but rarely use it, actually never now. They are great as a security device when doing a lot of photography but a PITA as soon as you need two hands. I prefer to use a light across the chest strap. When not actually photographing, the camera sits out of the way on top of my left bum cheek.

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Of course there are occasional situations when you need both hands and a camera dangling from the wrist of one of them is awkward. However, there are also situations when a camera dangling from a shoulder strap or the appearance isn’t desirable. When touring I often wear a man-purse with a cross body strap that serves as a camera bag in disguise for my little 5 or 10 series cameras so it’s easy to simply slip it off my wrist and put it in the bag if the situation really calls for it. The OP could do the same if she uses something like a belt pack instead of a shoulder strap because of her shoulder problems.

I actually prefer a neck strap because it could help me to swap lens faster. I swap lenses a lot.

However when I am shooting, I would not like to have the strap over my neck. Also while I am walking around I prefer to hold the camera in my hand. To this end, a waist strap will be very useful.

Therefore, I recently DIY my strap, a combination of neck strap, having weight reduction (balance sharing) built in, and a waist strap.

Just to share…

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I’ve used a hand-strap on all of my cameras, m43 and FF both. Specifically, a Camdapter leather one to a A-S plate on bottom of camera to its top lug. With my hand in it, I can swing camera on a tripod from landscape to portrait mode and not fear me dropping the thing since it is secured by my hand in doing the move. I just grab it to pull camera out of the bag too as it is a secure grip.

I did install it wrong for a while as it’s better with smaller end up. Gives easier access to shutter button and controls than with the wide end up.