Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I can't believe that this is a thread, and that it's such a lonnnnnngggggg thread...however... About a week back I was in NYC and sitting - on a low window sill - in front of The Greek Kitchen at the corner of 58th and 10th Ave. waiting for an old friend with whom I was to have dinner. I was fiddling around with my M6, and a nicely dressed gent, whom I would guess was about 10 years my senior, walked up to me, asked which model I was holding, and said, "have you seen a Canon VT?" and thrust his camera into my hand!:-)...A Canon VT in gorgeous shape, mounting an old collapsible Elmar...anyway...we got chatting, and he told me he had been a salesguy at Peerless in the 60's! (I wonder if I bought my first IIIc from him). I know, I know, what does this have to do with straps?....Well....he had a really neat strap on his Canon...black leather, a buckle on each side for adjustment, padded non-slip shoulder pad...a very retro looking strap...certainly not great quality leather, but what the heck....anyway, he said he had bought it at Oldens, at 32nd and Broadway...that they currently sell them, for less than $20, and he seems to think it has a pretty common brand name on it, like Vivitar maybe. Anyway, I haven't had a chanc to get there yet, but this particular strap is calling out to me as it is as close as I've seen to the straps I used in the 60s.... So much for straps....Why is it that a discussion about straps seems about as rediculous as a discussion about underpants? Perhaps because each protects delicate equipment,each is a utilitarian item we take for granted, and neither is really worth more than a moment's discussion....;-) B. D. "John R. Fulton Jr." wrote: > > A survey on straps. > Hmmmm. > I've been using Leicas for a while. When I bought my first M2, Bensor > cases were popular, Leicavits were cheap ($25.00) and there was > something called a Remo-clip. The Remo-clip was a big (duh) clip that > screwed into the tripod mount. You could then carry the Leica on your > belt. I never completely trusted it so I usually stuck the neckstrap > thru the belt, too, or something (kinda like the guy who wears a belt > with his suspenders, I suppose). > Over the years I've tried a bunch of neckstraps--Strap-a-teers, plain > leather, Leica straps, non-Leica such as the "gripper" (which doesn't > "grip" all that well) and am now using the Upstrap (which does grip > extremely well). > I like straps for many of the reasons mentioned plus other reasons. > Hanging the M from your neck while loading is great. I suppose in a > fast-moving situation (without a strap) you could fumble your way > thru the film change but it doesn't seem very safe. 'Seems like you > have to stop and put the camera down. OTH, I have very small hands so > it's hard to hold on to all that plus change film, too. > I'm from the "wrap the strap around your wrist" school of street > photography. Walking down the street with the neckstrap wrapped > around your wrist is great. The camera is easily accessible--in an > instant you pick it up and shoot. No fumbling. One of the other > things I like--in questionable neighborhoods--is the appearance. With > your arm swinging as you walk you appear as somebody with "something" > in their hand and wrapped around your wrist. Believe me, I am not a > tough lookin guy. But there's something about "what's that black > thing in his hand" the black M6 that just doesn't look right. And > it's true. It's a potent defensive tool if you need. Since it's > wrapped around your wrist and gripped in your hand--it isn't going > anywhere. > On the more subtle side there's nothing like the M6 with a smallish > lens on your shoulder under a coat. You can whip it and photograph > and tuck it back in your jacket in an instant. Again--on the > street--it almost looks like you're packing "heat" under the jacket > from the bulge. > I understand the non-strap carriers. How many cameras have gotten > pulled off tables when the strap was hanging off the table. It can > and does get in the way at times. > Never thought I'd write this much about "straps". > best, > John Fulton > Fort Worth > PS--re: the strapless Leica in the pocket, Danny Lyon (I believe it > was he) one time said that having a Leica in the pocket had a similar > feeling to having a gun in his pocket. [Enough of the Leica as a > weapon--sorry.] > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html