Re: [Leica] Strap Length

[Anders Nygren <txmanyg@txm.ericsson.se>]

Doug Cooper wrote:
> 
> This may seem trivial, but I'm interested in what kind of strap length
> Leica users generally prefer.  The Magnum photographers all seem to wear
> their cameras just above the belt, and this strikes me as ergonomically
> peculiar.  I keep the strap as short as possible, so the that the camera
> doesn't swing about when I'm running, and the distance from chest to eye
> is minimal.  (It sits on my solar plexus, approximately.)
> 
> Rollei TLRs are similar:  I've never understood why anyone would want the
> camera hanging at waist level, when you have to lift it to your face to
> focus.

I normally carry my F3HP+MD4 at approx waistlevel. I carry it over my
right 
shoulder lens against my body. This way the camera and lens especially 
longer lenses like 180/2,8 is out of the way. And I can just reach
behind me 
with my right hand to grap the camera and bring it up to eyelevel with
the
strap still around/over my shoulder. With the proper lenght of the strap
I
can get some tension on the strap and get some support to steady the
camera.

(I hereby predict that this tread will derail into a discussion on the
advantages/disadvatanges of strap support for shooting rifles.)

This works very well for big/heavy cameras that I dont like to carry
around
my neck.

As for how to carry a Leica I have not worked that out yet. Currently I
have
a very short strap so the camera rests on my chest, (or maybe
solarplexus I 
dont have the camera here so I cant check), and I am just about able
to turn it for portrait format without strangling myself with the strap.
The disadvantage is that when carried over the shoulder it is not
possible 
to lift the camera to the eye.

To carry a Leica on a long strap, as described above, feel very strange
to me.
It is to light, I only have 35/2.0 and 50/2.8, I guess it would feel
better if
I add a Noctilust and winder :-)

/Anders Nygren