[DeadJohn]

...The enclosed strap is attached to a new camera immediately and either looped around the left hand or over the neck when shooting...

Is there a benefit to the left that I'm not recognizing, or is it just your habit? Are you left- or right-handed?

I'm a righty and I've always used my right wrist for looping the neck strap. That keeps my hand on the grip and fingers near controls. It also gives me the option (rarely used) to shoot one-handed. My left hand gets used to stabilize the camera and for lens changes.

[monochrome]

Is there a benefit to the left that I'm not recognizing, or is it just your habit? Are you left- or right-handed?

I'm a righty and I've always used my right wrist for looping the neck strap. That keeps my hand on the grip and fingers near controls. It also gives me the option (rarely used) to shoot one-handed. My left hand gets used to stabilize the camera and for lens changes.

I never shoot one handed. The left palm always cradles the base with fingers on the lens.

I wrap the strap twice around my left wrist when shooting with the strap off my neck, mostly to brace the camera. I also have a hand free (right) to catch the camera if bumped and the other (left) to catch it by the strap. I never hold the camera unprotected in only my right hand, by the grip. It either goes back in the bag or around my neck.

If using LiveView I brace the strap against the back of my neck for stability.

If I put the camera down on a table it goes away from the edge and I flip the strap over the camera toward the center of the table. No crawling babies or curious pets pulling the strap.

Crazy, but I’ve never dropped a camera.

[aslyfox]

I never shoot one handed. The left palm always cradles the base with fingers on the lens.

I wrap the strap twice around my left wrist when shooting with the strap off my neck, mostly to brace the camera. I also have a hand free (right) to catch the camera if bumped and the other (left) to catch it by the strap. I never hold the camera unprotected in only my right hand, by the grip. It either goes back in the bag or around my neck.

If using LiveView I brace the strap against the back of my neck for stability.

If I put the camera down on a table it goes away from the edge and I flip the strap over the camera toward the center of the table. No crawling babies or curious pets pulling the strap.

Crazy, but I’ve never dropped a camera.

my dad always said

" you paid for that strap, use it . . . " [ you can imagine the rest of the quote ]

so I do, but it isn't the strap that came with the camera but the over the shoulder sling

[ccc_]

The funny thing is the wrist strap I want is basically the one that comes with all the point and shoot cameras--just a simple loop--I just want it slightly heavier duty to deal with the larger camera. Basically something like this, but upgraded for a heavier camera:



Next time I buy something from B&H I may buy that too to see if it's heavy duty enough ( Olympus Adjustable Wrist Strap 202315 B&H Photo Video )

i'd be surprised if the loop would survive a dslr and lens for long
even on my q I sewed a wrist strap from a narrow dog leash

for my k01 and dslrs I've used climbing rope with a polyester loop and harness leather like the gordy's (stiff initially, supple over time)
paracord works as well (I just prefer a larger diameter line)

all of my "neck" straps are long enough to sling crossbody (old tamracs)

[Munki]

For my K-5, I mostly went strapless. I much prefer no dangling bits whilst taking pictures...Plus it was a perfect fit for my hands so I had a really good grip on it.

For the K-1 now, I've just gone and purchased an ONA neck strap and a wrist strap. Waxed canvas for the neck strap, leather for the wrist. Wrist strap when I'm by myself, and a neck strap when I've got the kids as well.

[gaweidert]

I got a BlackRapid Sport Breathe shoulder strap earlier this year. I used it at an airshow and it was a HUGE improvement over the traditional camera strap. Very comfortable. I got mine at Best Buy for the same price as B&H Photo.

[pentaxfall]

Few times I carried camera and lenses outside. Camera was easily accessible but it was getting exposed to wind and rain. I did not like that as these are expensive stuff. Then I decided to keep both body and lens inside the bag pack. I hang Tripod, Zacuto Lupe, Pano clamps to backpack. Following stays inside the bag. Tamron 28-75 f2.8, Pentax 70-200mm f2.8 and Sigma 180mm f3,5 Macro, and K1.

[lesmore49]

I always use the neck strap around my neck. I then also carry the camera in my hand(s). I have found the Pentax supplied straps with my different Pentax bodies to work well.

I also have a Canon G 12 and the Canon strap came loose a couple of times. Fortunately when it fell there was no damage to the G12, but I was lucky. I replaced my Canon strap with an Optech. It's easily detachable, secure and has a bit of a padding to it. I like it very much.

With my film SLRs I use Leica straps. They were excellent and they were on sale about 35 years ago at the very unLeica price of $ 9.95 CAD.

[Munki]

I recently bought an ONA Presidio neck strap as well as an ONA Kyoto wrist strap. I personally prefer wrist straps, but the neck strap is handy when I've got the kids out with me and need to use my hands all of a sudden.

Also purchased the Pentax denim strap just for fun. It's quite cool. Will post up some pics later.

[stevebrot]

"neck strap around your neck, camera in your hand"

It is amazing how well that works. No swinging...camera is in hand. No neck strain...camera is in hand. Slip and fall off cliff...camera flies from hand and conks me on the head. That last was just joking. If I need cross-body, the strap accommodates by slipping an arm through. I can brace against it when shooting live view or video too.

As for type and brand...I am partial to the cotton web Gripper straps from Domke. They come in 1" and 1.5" widths, come with split ring and leather body guard, are comfortable against the skin (no foam "padding" or neoprene), don't bounce, and don't slip off the shoulder if used that way. I use the 1" with my more compact film cameras and the 1.5" on everything else.


Steve

(...the 1.5" straps have a quick release...have never used it, though the swivel fitting is sort of nice...)

[stevebrot]

If I put the camera down on a table it goes away from the edge and I flip the strap over the camera toward the center of the table. No crawling babies or curious pets pulling the strap.

...or errant hands of old men. It has been years since I last accidentally snagged a strap, but once is generally enough.

Crazy, but I’ve never dropped a camera.

Me neither. I did drop a lens once (did a "foot catch") with no damage and almost lost my Kiev 4A to a rotten leather neck strap. That last was very strange. I was walking along with the Kiev around my neck and part of the strap, by chance, between my thumb and forefinger. I felt the material moving fast against my skin and reflexively pinched down on it with my thumb just before the camera hit the pavement with only about 2" of strap to spare. Word to the wise...Even though the old straps with your vintage gear look and feel fine, that is no guarantee they are sound. Everything in my working kit has new straps.


Steve

(...yes, @normhead, I did break the camera-in-hand rule... )

[DeadJohn]

... I did drop a lens once (did a "foot catch") ...

The only lens drop in memory was when I forgot to close my backpack. Stupid of me, lucky that it landed on spongy soil.

Those foot catches can be dangerous. I reflexively do it any time something is falling, including knives and heavy objects. My worst foot catch was in a train station. Foot cushioned my smartphone but sent it ricocheting, sliding 20 feet across tile and onto train tracks.

[Ron Boggs]

No strap for me due to my situations: refuse to deal with snags while afield--my norm (and I'm talking bushwhacking not public trails); not good dangling from camera on back of footed lenses on tripod--also my norm and typically carried connected to tripod (200 macro, 80-200, 600/4, 300/4); bad for dirty knee closeup work and low to ground wide angle work--dipping in salt water or swamp water or shorelines or other gooey stuff I like shooting in and around. My groundcloth is one of my most used accessories.

If I was doing walk-around, people work or handheld shooting regularly, I might like a strap.

[Kerrowdown]

Wrist strap. I wrap the neck strap around my right wrist to take many photos while walking. No risk of dropping the camera

This is the way I always work, the exception being... its more wrapped around the hand than the wrist and that I use the thin black plain LX straps.