| Author: | | Veteran Member Registered: November, 2014 Location: Newfoundland Posts: 501 | | Review Date: October 10, 2016 | Not Recommended | Price: $38.00
| Rating: 6 |
| Pros: | Price, Build Quality | | Cons: | Couldn't access all camera controls when using it | |
I picked up this strap to travel light. When I got home and put it on my K-5II - I found I couldn't easily access all of the buttons/controls that I usually work with my right hand. Build quality and feel was superb but I returned it as it impacted functionality.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2011 Location: 12822 Posts: 459 | | Review Date: February 19, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $16.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Well made, fits nice | | Cons: | Little to big for my hand, covers battery door | |
I just got one of these when pentax had them as the deal of the week. It was pretty easy and straightforward to install. No issues there. The strap is a little big for my hands though. (I'm rather small at 5'6"). It definitely held my hand securely though, that wasn't the problem. There was a funny gap at the bottom, and my thumb was too short to reach all the buttons on the back. Basically everything below the 4 way was just out of reach. Not the straps fault, I realize. It's my thumbs fault.
The mounting plate was definitely solid, it's a steel plate with a thumbscrew for the tripod mount, that's wrapped in plastic, and has a pice of rubber between the mount and the camera.
Now for the big negative, because everything so far I think could have been adapted around. On my k-30 and *istDS (and I'm assuming similar sized cameras) the bottom plate blocks the battery door. I realize, I can unscrew it to change batteries, but for me, this was a deal killer. Bummer, because I liked it otherwise.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2010 Location: California Posts: 962 | | Review Date: April 11, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $23.88
| Rating: N/A |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, durable, secure, fits like a glove, visualy unobtrusive. | | Cons: | Moves tripod socket, have to remove plate to change batteries. | |
I've been using the same one on my K2000 for about four years and just purchased another for my K30. Once fitted correctly it fits like a glove; slip your hand into it, pull the adjustment strap and your solid. After becoming accustomed to it the camera begins to feel like an extension of you arm. The controls become second nature from always being in contact with you; it becomes like a bionic attachment ("I'll switch out my 'hand' attachment for the "camera" one today, please.").
That is until it's time to change batteries but it's just not that big of a deal to me.
So it's stands the test of time and doesn't break the bank. Also, I know some folks like to get fancy with natural tanned leather as opposed to black but I prefer something that doesn't attract attention. The straps are leather and nylon and there is more than enough leather in the mix for it to look high quality (because it is) whilst remaining understated. The overall vibe simply conveys its quality utilitarian purpose.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: November, 2010 Location: Lynchburg, VA Posts: 57
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 12, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Secure, well-made | | Cons: | no instructions, problems with battery grip (see below) | |
I recently purchased the Pentax hand strap because I hate using neck straps. It is well made and really "welds" the camera to my hand. However, there were two problems that needed fixing before I would really use it.
1) There are no instructions that come with the strap. This is unacceptable, since you practically have to be a boy scout to work the thing. Thankfully, if you search here on the forums, you can find some good threads on how to attach it.
2) The anti-rotation tab doesn't align correctly on the K-5's battery grip. Another issue is that the base plate moves the tripod socket toward the shooting hand. Since the battery grip already has the tripod socket offset to that side, this makes it practically unusable with a tripod.
So, what to do...buy another adapter plate from Camadapter ($44 delivered). The Standard Neoprene Adapter (or one of the others for specific tripods) works well on the battery grip. As a bonus, since the adapter is reversible, you can move the tripod socket back to (near) the center of the camera.
Next step was to detach the Pentax strap from its base plate and attach it to the Camadapter base plate. Although I had to play with it a little to get it on, it eventually went on well. Now I have a very secure strap that I am satisfied with. A little trouble and extra expense (still less than the Nikon hand strap), but overall I'm satisfied.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,054 | | Review Date: August 20, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $28.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | very secure, seems well-made | | Cons: | hard/slow to get in and out of | |
If you hate neck straps as much as I do, then you will at some point consider a hand strap. And if you're after the most secure hand/wrist strap available, this is probably it. The camera will not slip out of your hand when you're using this. The flip-side of that, however, is that it takes a little more effort to get in or out of this. It wraps around the back of your thumb and secures with a velcro strap. The strap itself seems well-made, but the bottom mount adapter that screws into the tripod socket is quite plasticky. It would probably hold up fine but I replaced it with a camdapter.com adapter that is metal, has an arca-type mount, and feels much stronger. There are several other brands of these adapters that will also work. You just need a strap lug on one end.
The only other downside to this strap is that it can be quite bulky. This may or may not be important to you depending on how much space you have allotted in your bag for the camera.
In the end, the bulkiness and "clumsiness" of this strap led me to try the camdapter.com strap. I'll post a review of that one after I've used it for a while, but so far, I really like it (though it's not quite as secure). Again, though, if security is your #1 criteria, then this is your strap.
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