Have You thought about how You carry a camera? Most carry their camera around their neck and the neck strap is usually already in the original delivery included. Whether You are buying a mirrorless camera or a DSLR, the neck strap is the most common way of carrying the camera. However, there are alternatives and especially when You are using a compact camera, or a point and shoot camera, then there are more comfortable ways than the neck strap.
Using a leather camera wrist strap has many advantages. You are able to carry the camera directly on Your wrist and whenever You see an interesting scene that You want to photograph, You can just raise the wrist and snap a picture right away. With a neck strap, You have to use both hands most of the time to comfortably take a picture.
With a wrist strap, You have more freedom. When You are using a camera like the RicohGR II, then a wrist strap will always be my favorite way of carrying the camera while walking through the streets. The camera is small and weighs very little, so it is very comfortable and makes photography a lot more pleasant for me.
A leather camera wrist strap has the advantage that it is very durable and of high quality. Such a strap will last You many years and develop a unique look. There are different variations of leather straps out there. Some have added cushioning, while others are more plain and simple.
Which leather camera wrist strap is the best for You and does work with Your camera?
Have a look at my top picks and decide for one of them. If instead, You are looking for a different leather strap, You can have a look at my leather camera strap guide, where I present the best overall leather camera straps and how to maintain them.
Tarion Handcrafted First Layer Leather
Overview
The leather camera wrist strap by Tarion may be the best choice for You if You are searching for a strap that does hold Your light camera. With a price of less than 15$, You get the choice between three different dimensions and multiple colors.
Overall, this strap does make a very vintage style appearance. It doesn’t have any padding, but rather has a round design. This may be good when using light and small cameras, but if You use heavier cameras, the strap may be getting uncomfortable on Your wrist.
You can choose between three different diameters. Ranging from 6mm to 15mm. Depending on the weight and size of Your camera, You can choose a 6mm diameter for a very small camera or a 15mm diameter for heavier compact cameras.
In addition, there are different color choices for the steel ring possible. Whether You want a more eye-catching red, or blue, or a more classic brown or coffee look is up to Your personal choice.
The strap is hand-crafted and made of Yak leather. To protect the camera from scratches of the strap, there is additional padding, that will secure Your camera body.
What is a special highlight is the small wooden box that the strap is delivered in. This is a great place to store the strap when You are not using it.
Recommendation
The Tarion Handmade leather camera wrist strap is a great choice for most cameras. It may not be the best when You are planning on using a heavy camera for the whole day with this strap, but for all other combinations, it works great.
You can use a small point and shoot camera, as well as heavier Fuji or Panasonic mirrorless cameras. Even a Sony A7R does work well with this strap.
For less than $15, You get to choose between different Diameters and colors. The vintage look suits a lot of mirrorless cameras very well and it is designed in a way that it doesn’t scratch the camera body.
At first, the strap may appear a little stiff and not very flexible. It may take some time to loosen up, but then this strap works wonderfully for You and the wooden box is a highlight as well.
Get The StrapMegagear Leather Woven Wrist Strap
Overview
The previous leather wrist straps were rather light and best to use for smaller cameras. If You are searching for a more sturdy strap, the Megagear Leather Woven Wrist Strap might be better for You.
At the basis, it may look very similar to the vintage style of the Tarion strap. But when You look closer, You see that strap is woven, which does give You a little bit more stability and the strap is the camera is more secure in Your hand.
Unlike other straps, this combination is very soft which can be comfortable for You, if You are carrying the camera for a whole day. For heavier cameras, this camera strap does also work very well.
It is available in three colors: black, brown and green. Only the woven parts are colored and the remainder of the strap does have its typical leather look.
The length of this strap can be easily adjusted to fit your own preferences. Whether You prefer a tighter fit or are fine with using the strap rather loosely, You can change the length very easily.
Recommendation
Do You want a highly fashionable leather strap, that can be adjusted very easily? Then this camera strap by Megagear works well with most cameras. Whether You are using a small point and shoot camera, or a heavier DSLR, both types of cameras seem to work very well with this strap.
It is ideal for traveling and using the camera all day without leaving any marks on Your skin and feeling comfortable all around.
In the long run, You have to check if the strap is durable enough, but it seems that for a few weeks of very intense shooting, this strap doesn’t face any problems.
Get the Strap hereHenri by Eric Kim
Overview
If You are in the Street Photography scene, I probably don’t need to explain who Eric Kim is. For anyone else, he is one of the most notable and also polarizing Street Photographer. Having one of the oldest and most active Street Photography Blog out there, he shares regularly his experience in Street Photography.
To make life easier, he also has started to produce a few accessories for cameras. One is the “Henri” leather wrist strap that is named after Henri Cartier-Bresson, which is one of his most famous role-models.
Eric’s goal was to produce a leather wrist strap, that You could use all day and that fits for typical Street Photography cameras very well.
The leather is handcrafted and the strap is produced in Saigon, which is one of the global centers of leather production. Although I have not witnessed the production of this strap myself while visiting Saigon, I can assess that there are a lot of small shops producing leather wear and it is great to see that this kind of high quality is now available to purchase worldwide.
The strap does fit all Fuji cameras, micro-four-third cameras, Leica cameras, and most film cameras. Although, the only pre-requisite is that Your camera has lungs on the side of the body, so it should be compatible with most cameras.
The look and appeal of this strap are very minimalistic and may not be the most fashionable. But when using a small street photography camera, You don’t need a big wrist strap and this strap is great for traveling or street photography.
Recommendation
Are You looking for a simple wrist strap for Your small Street Photography camera and want a leather wrist strap that is of high-quality and where You support a fellow photographer, as well as a small shop in Saigon, rather than big anonymous manufacturers?
This strap has been designed with the experience of years of photography on the street in mind. The reviews are great and the best-rated strap in my overview.
One critical point is that it does not fit the RicohGR though. So if You are photographing with this popular camera, You might want to look for a different wrist strap.
Other than that, this wrist strap is highly recommended.
Get the Strap hereONA – The Kyoto – Camera Strap
Overview
Usually, camera wrist straps are not really made for heavy cameras. They are designed and best used with light compact cameras. One exception in design is the leather wrist strap by ONA.
This strap is designed not only for light mirrorless cameras but also for big DSLRs. The strap can carry cameras that weigh more than 3 kilograms. Though, the strap has been tested and does hold more than 4 kilograms when put under stress. This should be enough for most DSLRs including their lens.
Carrying such heavy cameras on Your wrist is not really an easy task. It does put a lot of strain on Your wrist and this is something that You want to avoid. You should be aware, that the wrist is at constant risk of facing long-term health risks.
To prevent any injuries or long-term health risks, the ONA does have a padded area where most of the force does meet Your wrist.
ONA is already very popular for their premium camera bags and this leather wrist strap does fit very well in their product line. To prevent any damage to the camera, there is a scratch guard on the end of the strap.
Recommendation
Are You looking for a premium leather camera wrist strap that does hold a lot of weight and doesn’t become tiring for Your wrist?
Then this Ona wrist strap is one of the few solutions for You. Most wrist straps are very plain and simple, but when it comes to heavy gear, they are not very usable.
Thanks to the padded area on this strap, it does work very well even for DSLRs and most mirrorless cameras.
The price is a little above the very simple straps, but if You are looking for a premium product, You will definitely make a good choice with the ONA and when it comes to securing an expensive Fuji X100F for example, I wouldn’t make savings at the wrong places.
Check the StrapHandmade Genuine Leather Camera Strap
Overview
A leather camera wrist strap doesn’t have to be very complex. If You are just using a small camera and are looking for a very simple leather strap, then this strap from Bestview is a good choice.
It is hand-made and if You have a special request, You can send the seller a message and they might be able to customize the leather strap for You. So if You want to have a custom color and don’t like the standard brown, You can ask for a different version.
The camera is made of genuine leather. As with all real leather products, the appearance may differ slightly and over time the camera strap may also look a bit differently depending on the way You handle it.
If You are using the strap very often, there will some changes in appearance, but to me, this is not a bad sign. The leather camera wrist strap does get a more “vintage” look.
The padding does look very well and not excessive. It is good when You are using a small camera, but does also hold bigger models like a Fuji XE-2.
Recommendation
This leather wrist strap is very straightforward and simple. It does very well for smaller cameras and can hold heavier mirrorless cameras as well. For bulkier DSLRs, it may not be the best choice and after some time this strap may get a bit uncomfortable since it doesn’t have any cushioning.
When wearing this strap, make sure that the lugs stay tight and don’t loosen up. You may have to glue the lugs for additional safety if You are using this strap very often.
Other than that, with these safety measures, You are presented with a very basic leather camera wrist strap that does work well for compact cameras.
Check the current PriceWhat are the benefits of a wrist strap
The standard way of carrying a camera is by having it on a neck strap. The neck strap is great if You are carrying a heavy camera and want to use it for the whole day. But for Street Photography I find that necks straps aren’t that much useful and also when traveling I am enjoying having a wrist strap for most of the times.
With a wrist strap, You are much more flexible and it is a lot easier to move around. When I have a neck strap, I am often forced to take care of the camera very thoroughly. Let’s say I found something and want to move very quickly then I have to carry the camera in my hand, otherwise, it would just swing from side to side, which is not only uncomfortable but also dangerous. With a wrist strap, I can move however I want and I know that the camera is save in my hand. The wrist strap allows me to be very agile but gives me the much-needed safety at the same time.
When carrying the camera around the neck there is the risk that I am getting complacent when taking pictures. I will photograph from the eye-level more often and that will create the same boring style. If I use the wrist strap I am much more likely to use a different perspective, shooting from below the eye-level and even getting close to people. Through the much easier use of the wrist strap, I have the feeling that I am getting more close and be inside the action more often.
In summer, the neck strap can be quite uncomfortable when You are sweating a lot. Not only doesn’t it feel good, but having a soaked neck strap can influence Your work negatively. When the damped neck strap touches the camera it can be more difficult to use and in general, it is not the best feeling.
To sum it up, a wrist strap allows me to be much more agile and I am able to create much more action-filled images while being in the center of the action.
Taking care of the leather wrist strap
Genuine leather is a lot different from textile and does require some extra effort. Otherwise, the leather might not be very flexible very quickly and can pose a burden. On the other hand, if You take care of the leather wrist strap very well then it can last You for decades. This piece of equipment can be Your partner in crime throughout Your photography career. The leather does represent where You traveled to and what You have photographed. It does tell a story of its own.
To enjoy the leather strap You should follow the simple process of maintaining the leather wrist strap.
In the first step, You should clean the leather strap with pure water. That starts off the complete process and gives a good foundation. Simply use a clean paper towel and clean Your leather strap with pure water.
After that comes the fine-tuning and the maintenance that will make Your leather strap durable for a long time. Apply some oil to the leather. Use a paper towel to rub the oil into the leather. Use some oil that is made specifically for oil and make sure to apply some pressure so that the oil will be rubbed into the leather very well.
To make the strap very sturdy now You should apply some wax. Don’t use too much wax and if You are new to handle a leather product, make sure just to use a tiny amount. A tiny amount of wax can go a long way. To dry the wax You can either use a blow-dryer or a candle. The blow-dryer is the safer option but may not be as much fun. For safety reasons, I would recommend the blow-dryer and both ways yield excellent results. Smoothen the surface by running Your finger through the wax.
After the wax is dry apply some oil again. And now You have a wrist strap that can last You decades and You don’t even need to worry about rain or other outside influences.
