If you’ve purchased a lovely camera, shouldn’t you buy a lovely, luxurious camera strap for it? That’s a rhetorical question—of course you should! If your camera is your pride and joy—something you’ve aspired to own for a while—and you finally bit the bullet and treated yourself, it’s fitting to give it a beautiful handcrafted shoulder strap. I’ve done this for a couple of my indulgent camera purchases recently, after discovering a surprising number of options when it comes to skillfully crafted leather straps.
So Many Choices
The first thing that struck me when I started to search for a good quality strap was the number of brands making straps. It’s overwhelming. Most straps are mass-produced, made with cheap plastics and nylon, and aren’t that comfortable or long-lasting. This includes shoulder straps the camera manufacturers supply with many cameras, garishly emblazoned with brand logos and the camera model. You become a walking free advertisement for the camera company. The epitome of poor taste, methinks.
Why Leather?
My thinking is the nicer the camera you own, the nicer the strap should be to match it. If your camera is made of metal, the strap needs to be leather, keeping all the materials natural. If you have a vintage film camera, or a modern digital camera with retro styling, a classic leather strap makes more sense than an ugly modern plastic thing. Unless you wear running shoes with a nice suit. Then buy that colorful plastic strap, by all means.
Plastic straps gather dirt and start to look old and tired after a couple of years. A well-made leather strap improves with age. It softens, becomes more comfortable, and develops a lovely patina.
Camera straps appear to be growing in popularity, with people wanting to make a statement and buy something unique. For this reason, many manufacturers are offering custom options. But buyer beware, all straps are not created equal—even leather ones. I believe smaller manufacturers are where we should be looking. Their attention to detail, quality, and comfort cannot be matched by a big manufacturer. A small strap maker often makes your strap to order, by hand. Maybe I’m romanticizing things a little, or simply a camera strap snob. I would guess it’s a bit of both, and I make no apologies for this. It’s a lovely thought that the strap that holds my camera safely around me was handmade by a skilled craftsperson, using the finest materials. Supporting independent manufacturing businesses is a good thing.
My Top 5 Leather Camera Strap Manufacturers
I’ve spent a lot of time researching small manufacturers and have compiled a list below of my favorites. Of course, there will be companies you may know of that I’ve not included. It’s impossible to discover and review everyone, so feel free to list a brand in the comments that I didn’t include.
Fab’ — Canada
Owner Fabrice started Fab’ after failing to find a good quality leather camera strap in Canada. He figured he’d make his own, and soon he was taking orders and getting very positive reviews for his timeless designs that paid close attention to stitching detail. Fab’ offers a customization service too—you can have your name engraved on your strap.
Most Popular
The F4 is a bestseller. The F4 Slim, which I reviewed, is new to market and designed for smaller cameras.
For larger camera owners, their F11 is very popular. It features a wider neck section to help spread the weight of the camera.
Black is the most popular choice for all Fab’s leather straps.
Notes
I reviewed their 39-inch F4 Slim strap in brown.
This double-sided strap is made with two strips of leather stitched together. Colors include black, brown, and tan. All straps come with leather bumpers.
Three lengths are available: 28, 39, and 47 inches.
CDN $99.99
Hawkesmill – England
The Hawkesmill philosophy is simple: Create the finest camera straps available, regardless of cost.
In a world of disposable products, Hawkesmill is intent on making something that will last and you will keep forever—like a fine pair of bench-made brogues. Hawkesmill clients tend to care about the provenance and origin of their products.
Everything is made in England by hand. Fittings are made in Italy and England, while the leather is sourced from England, Belgium, Italy, and the USA.
Most Popular
The black 110 cm Westminster is their most popular strap. Most customers own rangefinders and film cameras and want to pair a quality strap with their high-quality camera.
This I can relate to. I purchased the black Westminster for my Leica Q2 Monochrom a couple of years ago, and they go so well together.
Notes
I reviewed their 110 cm Westminster in black.
I’ve used the Westminster on larger mirrorless Nikons, and it’s very comfortable. After time, the single strip of leather becomes very soft and molds perfectly to your neck.
It comes in two colors: Black with red stitching, or brown with orange stitching.
Lengths include 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 cm.
UK £115.00
Oberwerth – Germany
Oberwerth sources the finest leathers from tanneries in Germany, Italy, and France. Their philosophy is: Less, but better. Their products are made in Germany by hand in small specialized workshops by highly skilled and experienced craftsmen.
From the selection of strap makers included in this article, Oberwerth is the largest. They also make some very fine luggage and watch straps.
Most Popular
The Mosel strap is Oberwerth’s most popular strap, with black just edging out brown.
A large percentage of customers are street photographers, favoring Leica and Fujifilm cameras.
Notes
I reviewed the 100 cm Mosel Casual in black.
There are a number of options in black, cognac brown, muscat gold, or reporter green (a perfect match for a Leica Q2 Reporter), with a few stitching options.
Oberwerth is a popular brand with Leica owners in Europe, being a German company. A black Oberwerth Mosel strap is certainly a perfect choice for a Leica M11 in gloss black!
Mosel straps have a cut- and tear-resistant synthetic fiber core sandwiched between the leather for added security.
Lengths include 100, 125, and 155 cm.
US $149.00
Tap & Dye — USA
Justin Waldinger is the solo owner and craftsman at Tap & Dye. A professional product designer by trade, he was driven by a love of photography to set up a small studio space in Brooklyn, New York, with a desire to manufacture the finest leather products. Camera neck and wrist straps, film pouches, eyewear cases, and key fobs—all of the products made at Tap & Dye are crafted with the highest quality vegetable-dyed leather, with exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Justin says, “Each good is made to order to uphold the highest quality standards, so quality control begins and ends with me. And as no two goods are alike, they will age beautifully and uniquely for each owner.”
Most Popular
Tap & Dye’s bestseller is the classic LEGACY strap. It’s 3/4 inch wide and made of full-grain Horween Chromexcel leather, providing a soft, comfortable fit and feel for rangefinders, vintage film cameras, and heavier DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
Notes
I reviewed their LEGACY Classic Wide strap in safari olive with black thread.
Other colors include bourbon, brown, and black. Stitching choices include crimson, natural, and black.
There are a multitude of lengths from 28 to 48 inches.
The beautiful rustic packaging and level of detail and care in the product and its presentation is remarkable.
Each strap is handmade to order.
US $125
Wotancraft – Taiwan
Wotancraft was founded in Taiwan by designer Albert Yuan. The practical and functional nature of their products draws inspiration from Swiss military equipment.
What makes Wotancraft’s Premium straps so impressive is they’re cut from one length of leather. Finding a large enough piece of leather without imperfections is a big challenge, and therefore these straps are rare to find. Making a strap this way means less stitching—all hand-sewn—and more emphasis on the fine full-grain leather, which will age with a beautiful patina.
Most Popular
The Premium Series Double-Sided vegetable-tanned leather strap is Wotancraft’s top-selling strap. Black with red stitching takes the top spot for being the most sought after.
Notes
I reviewed the Premium Double-Sided Strap 002, with Japanese CURA plated brass split rings. There is also a Peak Design Anchor Link option.
It’s available in black with white stitching, black with red stitching, olive green, brown, and tan.
It comes in two lengths: 100 and 125 cm.
This strap is so soft!
US $99.00
Camera Strap Buying Tips
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Make sure that any camera strap you buy doesn’t have metal hardware that rubs against your camera body, causing long-term damage. All of the camera straps in this article have leather bumpers to avoid this.
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Make sure the neck section of a strap isn’t hard and won’t rub into your neck. This is more of an issue with larger, heavier cameras. Quality leather will soften and mold to your neck.
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Take care to consider the length of the strap. Do you want the strap to sit over your shoulder or around your neck? Do you favor the camera to be positioned under your arm, or are you keeping the camera at easy reach, forward-facing at chest height? It’s a personal choice, but for me, I favor a longer strap for traveling and a short strap sitting at chest height for street photography.
Final Thoughts
All of these camera strap makers are first-class and make the very finest camera straps you’ll find. A few things stand out, having lived with, used, and tested them for a while now.
I love the fact that Tap & Dye straps are handmade to order by the company owner, Justin. His attention to detail, and the care he puts into making and delivering the product to you, is remarkable. Receiving and opening a Tap & Dye strap is an experience unto itself.
Oberwerth also makes a point of providing a great experience when you receive their strap. The hard box with silky lining is luxurious. Where Tap & Dye has an appealing rustic aesthetic, Oberwerth has a more polished designer fashion brand feel.
I think Fab’ makes beautiful classic straps that suit retro-styled or vintage film cameras in particular. Their aesthetic is akin to a high-quality fashion brand and should be a top choice for discerning Canadian photographers. Like all the brands here though, they ship internationally.
Hawkesmill is very British, and their brand oozes a timeless English gentleman vibe. I find this very relatable and appealing. A trip to Jermyn Street in London for a tweed jacket and fine brogues is next, once you’ve purchased one of their straps! There is no other brand quite like them.
Wotancraft’s Premium Double-Sided strap is the softest of the bunch tested. The double-sided stitched leather is incredibly comfy and feels incredibly high-end.
From what I’ve observed over the past couple of years, the quality leather strap resurgence is due to the renewed popularity of vintage film cameras and the growing interest in Leica cameras. If you’re spending a lot of money for a luxury camera—which for many is a fashion statement—then it makes sense you’ll want an equally luxurious strap. No surprise then, that black straps with red stitching are the most popular option across all the brands featured here and beyond.
21 Comments
Simon Burn asked (rhetorically):
"If you’ve purchased a lovely camera, shouldn’t you buy a lovely, luxurious camera strap for it?"
The answer is a quick, definitive "no".
I am far more into experiences than I am into material things.
For the price of the straps you have shown, I can buy 2 tanks of gas and pay for three nights of tent camping at Mount Rainier National Park. So that would be 3 days of photographing Pika, Mountain Goats, Hoary Marmots, Blacktail Deer, Sooty Grouse, and other alpine wildlife.
Or, it could buy me three tanks of gas and plenty of car snacks, and I could use that to spend 5 full days exploring the forest service roads that penetrate high into the subalpine wilderness region that lies in the northern part of my county. There I can search for, and hopefully find and photograph, Spruce Grouse, Dusky Grouse, Pika, Moose, Mule Deer, Hoary Marmot, Coyote, Cascades Frogs, Pine Marten, Long-tailed Weasel, and a number of passerines.
I have plenty of free time, so money is the true limiting factor for what I do and what I have. If I use money for one thing, it means that there is no longer any money left for another thing. So, for me, if I have extra money, and spend it on a camera strap, that I will then have to spend my free days at home instead of spending them traversing the alpine and subalpine areas that I love, searching for and photographing alpine wildlife species.
I mean I spend so many days at home, wishing that I had enough money for a tank of gas so I can go up into the mountains for a day or two. And then when something lucky happens to me that results in an "extra" $150 or so, I am going to spend it on a mail order leather strap? Hmmmmm. That sounds off. If I did that then I would still just be stuck at home, wishing that I could drive up to the mountains, but not having the money for the tank of gasoline to get myself there.
I am surprised that anyone would choose to buy a camera strap instead of spending several days adventuring into the mountains on a photo trip. But some people are just a bit "off", so I guess it shouldn't surprise me that they make such choices. I've made some regrettable choices myself, so I can't really be too judgmental toward those who value material things more than life experiences and adventures.
"Some people are just a bit "off", so I guess it shouldn't surprise me that they make such choices. "
Off? No, they just have a different view of things than you do Tom. Just because you don't like something, doesn't means others shouldn't, or there is something wrong with them.
Just because you have an opinion, that doesn't make you right.
Not all of us head to the mountains to shoot wildlife, or have a hard time affording a tank of gas. The majority of people who buy a nice luxury strap are shooting street and travel photography, where a strap plays a more important role.
Or maybe there are people who have more money than they actually need. So there could be some people who could buy a leather strap and still have money to do the photography outings that they like to do. I know some folks who inherited a lot of money and a couple who had highfalutin corporate careers, and they could buy great cameras, expensive straps, and still have loads of money left over for whatever they want. I guess to some extent these kinds of straps are made for those who are in that high privilege category.
Simon wrote,
"Just because you don't like something, doesn't means others shouldn't, or there is something wrong with them."
I don't understand why you wrote this sentence. I did not say that I didn't like something. I did not say, or imply, that I don't like the straps that you wrote about. They look like very nice straps to me, ones that I would want for myself if I were a millionaire (or even a thousandaire).
Methinks that if you are going to write such a reply to me, you should first read my comment more carefully, to see exactly what I did say and what I didn't say.
You stated some people are a bit "off" for wanting a nice strap. That's judgmental and rude.
Right. But you implied that I think that people shouldn't like things if I don't like those things. I never wrote anything criticizing what people like or what they want. I criticized the choices that people make in response to their likes and wants.
I actually like the camera straps that this article is about. But I think it is foolish, when funds are so limited, to buy one of them at retail price, in light of the other things one could use that money for.
The context of your article is a photography website, and you are writing to photographers. Therefore, it stands to reason that the primary goal of the readership would be to create satisfying photographs. That that objective would be what every purchase is based on ..... "how can spending $150 be best used to enable me to create more satisfying photographs." So, if one spends that money on a strap, and then that money is no longer available to buy the things that are necessary to create photos in one's genre, it would, by definition, be a foolish purchase, because it would not be in accordance with the photographer's objective.
So don't think that I think everyone should like the same things I do, because that is not at all what my comment was stating. But everyone should employ logic and reason when making financial decisions, and those decisions should always be made within the context of one's overarching objective.
For me, as someone with a few nice cameras, having a nice strap makes me feel good. I know this is the case for many others too. If I feel good about my gear, I want to use it and shoot more. Quite frankly, if I've spent $5,000 on my little street photography camera, a $150 handmade strap is not a big deal.
"But everyone should employ logic and reason when making financial decisions"
No, they shouldn't! You might need to, but that doesn't work for me. I don't employ logic and reason, it's an emotional decision. And there's nothing wrong with that. Photography for me, is about emotion and feeling. But I get the impression this is alien to you. Each to their own, but let's not judge.
I'm sorry to hear your funds are such that this is not something that is an option for you. But please don't call people "off" who can afford a little luxury.
"Therefore, it stands to reason that the primary goal of the readership would be to create satisfying photographs."
I agree, and a nice strap is going to help me make satisfying photographs. As are a good pair of shoes, considering I can be walking with my camera for 14-16 hours a day. Maybe photography footwear should be an upcoming article?
Actually, Simon, it occurs to me that for some, perhaps even yourself, that creating satisfying images may not be the primary, or only, objective.
It seems that to some, the photography experience is just as important as the results.
If one's objective is to enjoy the act of photography, then using a certain type of gear can indeed help to accomplish that objective. But there are times when using expensive gear actually keeps people from taking the best photos possible, because after buying the gear, then money is more limited and they can not afford to travel to the places that provide the best photo opportunities. So the way I see it is that it is foolish to get gear simply for a luxury feeling if doing so limits what places one can photograph at, or limits how many days one can spend afield taking photos.
I don't take photography trips because I want to have a fun exciting time somewhere. I take photography trips because I want more high quality photos. A trip is measured by the images it yielded, not by how much "fun" I had. But actually, fun and great photos are kinda synonymous ...... no matter what I am doing, if I am not getting really good photos, I am not having fun. If I am getting great photos, then I am having a blast!
All of life is measured by the quality of the photos I can get. That is how my existence is evaluated and judged. How I feel about myself as a person is all wrapped up in how many good wildlife photos I am creating at any given time. If I can't get up to the mountains to get more photos, because I blew my money on a luxury strap, then the way I feel about my life and the way I feel about myself takes a huge hit.
Simon Burn wrote:
" ..... a nice strap is going to help me make satisfying photographs. As are a good pair of shoes, considering I can be walking with my camera for 14-16 hours a day. Maybe photography footwear should be an upcoming article?"
That would be a great article!
I also spend a LOT of time walking for photography. And most of the walking is not on trails, it is off-trail, through heavy brush, through shallow streams, in soggy wetland soil that tries to suck my boots down into it, through substantial depths of snow, and across rockslides in the mountains. I think this is normal until I take someone with me on a photo outing, and they just aren't willing to go where I go, so I have to either go ahead to get the photos I want (selfish) or give up on going where I want to go and pivot to areas that are easier to traverse, so that we can photograph together (unselfish). I hate being unselfish in these instances because the photos I come back with are not as good as the ones I would get if I had just gone on ahead and left my guest behind. Ugh.
So yeah, footwear means a lot. But just like camera straps, every dollar I spend on footwear is a dollar that I no longer have to travel to where the good photos are. So I need good footwear, but I need it at the lowest possible price.
So maybe your article can be about finding high quality footwear at a bargain. How to source it at reasonable prices. This means no affiliate links in the article, because we will be buying it used, at Goodwill stores (or other low-end 2nd hand clothing stores) or used on eBay.
So the article that would be most helpful to readers would actually not help Fstoppers get more money, because of the absence of affiliate links.
Some brick-and-mortar sporting goods stores have really good prices on new footwear (or slightly worn returns) in their Bargain Bin area or Clearance area. By "really good" prices, I mean no more than 30 cents on the dollar ..... like if you can get a pair of boots that normally sells for $200 for $60 or less, then that is a "really good" price. It is not a "great" price, because "great would be 20 cents on the dollar or less. But still really good.
It is amazing just how little money you can pay for really excellent footwear, if you are willing to source it from alternative sellers and willing to wear used shoes and boots.
Here is a pic of one of my favorite areas for photographing alpine wildlife. It is only half a tank of gas away from where I live and I go there often. Of course there are no trails, so if one wants to get where the animals are, then one must walk over the rocky terrain and up the steep rocky slopes and across the stream. My Goodwill store shoes that I got for $12 U.S. dollars work wonderfully in this habitat, and my feet and ankles still feel good at the end of a hard day of shooting. I am 57 years old with chronic, incurable knee and back problems, and my camera/lens/monopod combine to weigh 12 pounds, and I carry 2 quarts of water and a meal and extra clothes in a backpack, so if these shoes are good enough for my old broken body with that much weight, then they are plenty good enough for just about anyone else, too.
Simon wrote:
"The majority of people who buy a nice luxury strap are shooting street and travel photography, where a strap plays a more important role."
Camera straps are actually VERY important to me, and quite necessary for the wildlife photography that I do. I always have a strap on my camera. Many of my friends who also shoot wildlife shoot without a strap, and when I see them out there in the field with no strap on their camera, it makes me cringe and think, "I would hate to be out here with no strap - that would suck".
However, the straps that Canon includes with every camera have always served me quite well. I have never had one fail in any way, despite using them hard for years and years and years.
There is only one thing that the included-with-purchase straps lack; there is no built-in storage.
So I did actually buy a strap from B&H about 4 years ago. I bought a strap that had two zippered pouches that ran along the length of the padded section. These did not make the strap much wider at all, yet they provide a secure place for me to carry a spare camera battery and a spare CF card and an Allen wrench. So now I can be sure to have all of the necessities with me when shooting because they are always right there with my camera, in the strap. And the best part is that the strap is extremely tough and durable and only cost $17 in United States dollars!
But that 60£ Hawkesmill strap I bought for my Zfc, make it look so good. And It make my camera feel more expensive. And when I get that Billingham bag I have always dremt of, I will feel like Edmund Hillary, standing on top of Mount Everest, every time I go out to take pictures.
Buying expensive accessories is part of the experience, especially when you don't buy expencive cameras ;-)
Your tank of gas will give you a nice trip. My strap put a smile on my face, every time I grab my camera. Different people, different tasts.
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It isn't about having a "nice trip". Such things are bulls___.
My tank of gas will get me photographs that I can not take without that gasoline. That is the entire point of photography - the photographs that we create. If that were not so, then it would be called cameraography instead of photography.
If the strap somehow enables you to get photos that you would never be able to get with a less expensive strap, then getting that luxury strap makes sense.
Creating good photos is what puts a smile on my face, and if you are a photographer, it should be what puts a smile on your face, too. True happiness, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction come from doing something and doing it well, not from having some product that someone else made.
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Why are you getting so worked up over such trivial things? If someone wants to spend money on expensive accessories for their camera, so what. People should be free to do or buy whatever they like without being unnecessarily judged and berated for it. Someone else buying an expensive camera strap doesn’t affect me or my photography in any way.
I just get worked up whenever someone challenges what I say, or contests what I say. If you want to get me super pissed off, just speak to me as if my word is not the final authority, and I will get all full of adrenaline and go into attack mode. Hahaha!
Newsflash: your word is never ‘the final authority’. Everyone here has an equal right to an opinion and no one person is above everyone else.
The current global moment has me reflexively avoiding luxuries of all types, even if I can technically afford them at present. I wonder if things will ever turn around enough that I’ll feel comfortable splurging on something like this again.
That's a really interesting thought.
Don’t mean to be a bummer 😅
Gordy's straps are a great choice for quality which doesn't break some bank accounts.
One good reason I can think of for buying an expensive camera strap is that 'you get what you pay for’. I have cheap straps on my cameras. They cost me £10 each. After just a few years of use they are already falling apart.
A well made, quality strap could last you a lifetime. Although it might cost you £100, you only need to buy it once. When you buy your next camera, you remove the strap and transfer it to the new one.
That's my thinking too. 🙂