Lucky escape...

Ben, and anyone interested, my wrist strap for APS-C is very simple but effective, strong, and comfortable. It is made from a 3/4 inch wide nylon webbing strap and buckle, cut from another case or bag. (Wider webbing might be better for FF.) I can't remember exactly where it came from, but you might already have something you can re-purpose at home, or you might find something suitable in a charity shop (when they open again). The only sewing was done by me by hand, to secure the ends of the strap - I can't sew but it's not difficult through webbing. The buckle allows the loop to be adjustable. The ring is also for the attachment of a neck strap when needed.

Philip

Just to add my preference. I use a Black Rapid shoulder strap for my DSLRs and a Black Rapid wrist strap for the GR. First discovered by me several years ago. I find both excellent items.

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Just passing thru

A lucky escape indeed.

One of the things I always used to hate when getting a new camera was putting on the strap. It is very annoyingly fiddly and there's no need for it - Rolleiflex TLR cameras had fantastic clip on straps in the 1950s. It could be done.

However, when I started doing lens reviews and I realised that straps also made product shots look untidy I did the obvious and ditched the straps altogether. My irritation level is now vastly reduced!

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Best regards, John

I dislike the modular straps, I've heard stories of them separating unexpectedly. I cable tied the halves of the plastic buckles of my OpTech when I used it on the P67 - before removing it for an OEM strap.

Worth a look: https://m.dpreview.com/news/0303883162/peak-design-anchor-connector-issue-replac...

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PPG Flickr

I have used a Jobi 'across the body' strap for years (and recently bought another when it appeared on Ebay). Being screwed tightly into the tripod mount, the obvious way to pick up the camera is to grip the entire strap just at the mounting point. It can't swing and even if the rest of it snags, you can't drop it. It's comfortable to wear and across-body doesn't get in the way at all - and I have lots of body for it to go round!

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Both the *istDS and the K5 are incurably addicted to old glass

My page on Photocrowd - link

I know what you mean John about fiddly straps, I spent a fruitless hour trying to attach the strap to a Leica and just gave up, buying a wrist strap instead.

I mentioned earlier the Peak Design system which I have found very flexible. Two clips are fixed on the camera for easily attaching and removing the standard neck strap or one can be used for a wrist strap. A third is attached to the foot of a 150-450mm lens via a PD Arca Swiss plate so one end of a strap is clipped on the camera and the other on the lens, I use the more heavy duty PD strap for this and can sling it over my shoulder. The plate is neat and compact allowing the lens to be mounted on a tripod at any time. This means the weight of the lens isn’t all taken by the mount and with the lens foot rotated 90 degrees it hangs quite snugly against my body.

Thanks all for the comments - it's somewhat reassuring that it's not just me (John, I'm sure that LX drop haunts you to this day )!
Seeing a reasonable amount of love for the OP/Tech and Peak Design stuff. Thanks also in particular to JohnHa for the direction to the 2018 Peak Design attachment issues. I think I'll be getting the 'Cuff' from them, but getting it direct from source, so it'll come with the newest iteration (and in theory removing the issue of the clips prematurely wearing).

Thanks everyone for the comments!

+1 for the Peak Design system.

I have their connectors on the end of three Pentax neck straps and the attachment gubbins on all my bodies. I also use their wrist strap, called The Cuff, mainly on my MX-1, but sometimes on other bodies.

If anyone wants to try an Optech strap, I have a couple spare somewhere. I only stopped using them because I found the neoprene made my neck uncomfortably hot. No issues with the security of the system. PM me if interested.

Only of use with a backpack, but by adding a couple of carabiners I've transferred the weight from the neck to the shoulders.

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Barrie
Too Old To Die Young

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/barrieforbes
https://www.flickr.com/photos/189482630@N03/

Over the years, quite a few "accidents" with the K-5, K-R, K-30 (IIRC) and lately the K-70 - all survived undamaged although a couple of filters "bit the dust".

Latest "accident" was last year on the river cruise on the Rhone - the K-70 had the old Sigma 17-70 on it and was in the zipped small top compartment on my LowePro Flipside backpack. Whilst still on the boat (luckily!) I turned around rather sharply - and the camera and lens flew out of the backpack and hit the carpeted floor about 2m away because the I hadn't done the zipper up completely.

A couple of "sweating" minutes and several experimental frames later, I concluded that everything seemed to be fine, as has been confirmed over the following few months

Pentax make tough camera bodies, and Sigma make (or at least used to make) tough lenses

As for straps: all my bodies have "Zing" "Action Straps" fitted (OTOH, one of those straps is a knock-off, but probably from the same Chinese factory as the genuine ones as it looks identical! ). Most of the time when walking around, the camera is in my right hand with that firmly inside the "Action Strap" and around the grip part of the body - very secure and never really had an issue with that side of things as I don't really like cameras hanging around my neck or off my shoulders.

Only downside to those Zing straps (which have now been discontinued unfortunately) is that BBF is almost impossible when you have hands the size of mine, and somewhat arthitic.

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K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)

Well that worked well!!!!!! Just Google BlackRapid Camera straps.

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Just passing thru

Well, It was quite a few years ago with my Super-A. I had the A-50mm f1.4 mounted.
Coming up the stairs from a subway station i tripped and fell flat pn to my favce. this didn;t worry me , howeve the camera hit the concret at an angle that the lens hot first,
But, I had a lens hood and this definitely saved the front of the lens.
Everything was OK , except the lens hood and my Ego.

Regards, Horst

One reason I don't use camera straps anymore. I once had a Sony NEX6 with a camera strap, whilst on honeymoon in Greece and my wife was driving me to a local dentist (long story) and she pulled up by the kerb, I opened my door to clamber out of the car, my camera was in the footwell, as I stepped out, my foot got tangled in the camera strap and was catapulted out of the car and onto the pavement! I was gutted, it was a new camera and the electronics did not appreciate the pavement, so I had no camera to use apart from my mobile phone I am sure had I had a Pentax camera at that time, it would have took such a small impact in it's stride.

Wiltshireborn, I think the lesson isn't about the strap but the wisdom of putting your camera in the footwell! Camera straps can get in the way sometimes and perhaps don't look cool, but I have found changing lenses much easier with one round my neck when not using a tripod.

Pentax cameras are, fortunately, pretty sturdy. Years ago, on holiday in Crete, I had my Spotmatic on a strap over my shoulder. One of the spring clips that held the strap to the camera came apart and Spotmatic hit the pavement, lens first. Lens hood took most of the impact and became unusable, UV filter cracked, but otherwise no apparent damage to camera or 50mm lens. We still have that old Spotmatic and it continued to behave perfectly until we retired it in favour of digital: a K-S2 that does all I need.

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A few of my photographs in flickr.
Lizars 1910 "Challenge" quarter-plate camera; and some more recent stuff.