barjohn
New member
The following I posted elsewhere but I think it reflects on the dilema we all face as to how best to carry a camera around, have it available when desired but not have it be so obtrusive we never want to carry it or use it.
[quote name='Jeff Charles' timestamp='1305006411' post='9669']
This hand strap looks interesting: Camdapter Camstrap. I like to hand carry my cameras, and a strap like this should make it possible to hold the camera without having to grip it tightly. There are some very good hand straps (i.e., that wrap around the hand, not wrist straps) for DSLRs, but they are too big for smaller cameras. The Camstrap is designed for point-and-shoot cameras and should be good for the X100. I have not found any reviews or user feedback yet, however.
Jeff
[/quote]
I purchased one of these and thought I would share my experience with you all.
I had one SLR hand strap and I had ordered another I saw on Amazon before I ordered this one. Here is what I learned:
Regular hand straps did not work very well becasue they are designed for a DSLR where the shutter button is out on the end of the hand grip and the hand grip protrudes substantially further than the X100 grip. Therefore, the hand strap that is usually attached to a bracket on the camera base attached to the tripod thread on one end and the camera lug on the other, uses the camera body/handgrip as one side of the sandwich created by the leather strap to hold the hand in place and to allow the camera to be carried hanging down and loosly held by curled finger tips and the sandwiching of the hand between the strap and the body. The problem with using such a strap on the X100 is that when the hand is held in close enough to be safely secured by the pressure between the body and the strap, one cannot then press the shutter with the index finger and it is just generally uncomfortable. If the strap is lose enough to allow the shutter to be activated then it is not secure enough to leave hanging down in hand when not being used as it will slip right past the fingers to the floor. I tried two dirrent straps, one wide and one narrow and the results were the same. Unfortunately, the simple solution Liecagoodies offered that worked will on the M8 which was basically a figure 8 ribbon in which one placed ones fingers, won't work on the X100 due to the high lug placement.
Fortunately I ordered the Camadpter Camstrap above. What is does is recognize that in smaller non-dslrs, the hand strap could not use the camera body as part of the strap enclosure but instead needed its own separate enclosure. However, it is still a two point connection. Further, the base connector is small enough that it doesn't interfere with the battery/SD card access door. This is important as it requires an allen wrench to remove it and it would be a monumental pain to have to remove it everytime you wanted to change the battery or SD card. The hand strap is adjustable on the part in which the hand is fed through and can be made very snug or lose as desired. More importantly, because of the design's flexibility at the anchor points it is still easy to reach the shutter or carry is securely with just the fingertips extending beyond the curl of the grip when not shooting. (Think of the hand grip on the Leica Titanium M9, it is closer to that.)
This handstrap has significant advantages over any wrist strap. The first is that it is secured at two attachment points, not just one lug. This places less strain on the lug and additional security in the event of a lug failure tha the camera won't suffer serious damage. The second is that with two attachment points instead of one, when the camera is just being carried hanging it will not twirl or swing thus more easily avoiding hitting another object. Anyone that has carried their camera on a wrist strap knows that you don't do it long because it will start winging as you move rapidly and you quickly find the need to hold onto it to prevent damage. With the camstrap this isn't a problem. One additional plus is the ability to attach a regular camera strap as well using two attachment points. The attachment base will accept a strap in a separate slot and the other caeram lug can be used creating a portrait orientation for the camera as it hangs from its strap. The hand strap is small enough and unobtrusive enough that it would qucily go unnoticed and one then has the flexibility to carry the camera with hand strap or shoulder strap and ease the load depending on the circumstances.
The quality, user guides and instructions were easy to follow and its quality was very god to excellent.
I hope this helps some of you in looking for the ideal/best solution based on your needs. In my case I wanted to be able to carry it over the shoulder or in the hand with minimum fuss or anxiety. So far thsi one seems to do it.
I'm sure we will get many other opinions here and I welcome other points of view. What do you think?
[quote name='Jeff Charles' timestamp='1305006411' post='9669']
This hand strap looks interesting: Camdapter Camstrap. I like to hand carry my cameras, and a strap like this should make it possible to hold the camera without having to grip it tightly. There are some very good hand straps (i.e., that wrap around the hand, not wrist straps) for DSLRs, but they are too big for smaller cameras. The Camstrap is designed for point-and-shoot cameras and should be good for the X100. I have not found any reviews or user feedback yet, however.
Jeff
[/quote]
I purchased one of these and thought I would share my experience with you all.
I had one SLR hand strap and I had ordered another I saw on Amazon before I ordered this one. Here is what I learned:
Regular hand straps did not work very well becasue they are designed for a DSLR where the shutter button is out on the end of the hand grip and the hand grip protrudes substantially further than the X100 grip. Therefore, the hand strap that is usually attached to a bracket on the camera base attached to the tripod thread on one end and the camera lug on the other, uses the camera body/handgrip as one side of the sandwich created by the leather strap to hold the hand in place and to allow the camera to be carried hanging down and loosly held by curled finger tips and the sandwiching of the hand between the strap and the body. The problem with using such a strap on the X100 is that when the hand is held in close enough to be safely secured by the pressure between the body and the strap, one cannot then press the shutter with the index finger and it is just generally uncomfortable. If the strap is lose enough to allow the shutter to be activated then it is not secure enough to leave hanging down in hand when not being used as it will slip right past the fingers to the floor. I tried two dirrent straps, one wide and one narrow and the results were the same. Unfortunately, the simple solution Liecagoodies offered that worked will on the M8 which was basically a figure 8 ribbon in which one placed ones fingers, won't work on the X100 due to the high lug placement.
Fortunately I ordered the Camadpter Camstrap above. What is does is recognize that in smaller non-dslrs, the hand strap could not use the camera body as part of the strap enclosure but instead needed its own separate enclosure. However, it is still a two point connection. Further, the base connector is small enough that it doesn't interfere with the battery/SD card access door. This is important as it requires an allen wrench to remove it and it would be a monumental pain to have to remove it everytime you wanted to change the battery or SD card. The hand strap is adjustable on the part in which the hand is fed through and can be made very snug or lose as desired. More importantly, because of the design's flexibility at the anchor points it is still easy to reach the shutter or carry is securely with just the fingertips extending beyond the curl of the grip when not shooting. (Think of the hand grip on the Leica Titanium M9, it is closer to that.)
This handstrap has significant advantages over any wrist strap. The first is that it is secured at two attachment points, not just one lug. This places less strain on the lug and additional security in the event of a lug failure tha the camera won't suffer serious damage. The second is that with two attachment points instead of one, when the camera is just being carried hanging it will not twirl or swing thus more easily avoiding hitting another object. Anyone that has carried their camera on a wrist strap knows that you don't do it long because it will start winging as you move rapidly and you quickly find the need to hold onto it to prevent damage. With the camstrap this isn't a problem. One additional plus is the ability to attach a regular camera strap as well using two attachment points. The attachment base will accept a strap in a separate slot and the other caeram lug can be used creating a portrait orientation for the camera as it hangs from its strap. The hand strap is small enough and unobtrusive enough that it would qucily go unnoticed and one then has the flexibility to carry the camera with hand strap or shoulder strap and ease the load depending on the circumstances.
The quality, user guides and instructions were easy to follow and its quality was very god to excellent.
I hope this helps some of you in looking for the ideal/best solution based on your needs. In my case I wanted to be able to carry it over the shoulder or in the hand with minimum fuss or anxiety. So far thsi one seems to do it.
I'm sure we will get many other opinions here and I welcome other points of view. What do you think?