Make your own Camera Straps!
When a professional pap photographer buys a new camera, the first thing they do is to replace the strap. Why? Because they carry their cameras around so much that the regular strap is a pain. More padding and wider strap means that it becomes at least a little more comfortable to lug around.
Although, of course, you don’t have to be a professional to want to replace your camera strap. In fact, it’s quite easy to make your own!
There are no rules for what a camera strap should look like. A length of your favourite leather belt that has become too small can be recycled into a camera strap. You can use a length of rope, if you want. In fact, there’s nothing to stop you from using a bungie-cord either, apart from the fact that it wouldn’t be very useful.
So get creative, and make your camera stand out from the masses, by making your own! To attach it to the camera, get creative: Many cameras have eyelets, so a simple keyring could hold the strap on to the camera. The cameras that need actual straps attached to the camera can be conquered by using… a short length of the strap that actually came with your camera!
Whatever you decide to make, make it creative, and make it stand out. Also, if your camera is expensive, you may want to make sure that your strap is strong enough – you don’t want to break it!
If you can’t be bothered to make your own straps, luckily there are a few people out there who will do it for you. Heyday Fashion do their Snazzy Camera Strap, the Epic store sell Hippie Camera Straps, and even high street shops have an array of replacement straps available.
What are you waiting for? You can be the coolest photographer on the block!
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Insights, suggestions and comments
this might seem silly but i just wrap some wetsuit material around my old one, works a charm
I bought a “Snazzy Camera Strap” and am IN LOVE! Best purchase I made in a long time!
I just wanted to let you know I weave custom camera straps. They very comfortable! Please check them out on my site. I would love to be added to your list of strap makers.
Thank you for your time.
Kat
I just bought a camera strap from a handmade boutique. It was made of recycled seatbelt and vintage fabrics made by Souldier. Stronger than any wetsuit or fabric strap I own. Go to their site, Souldier Straps , you can build your own from hundreds of fabrics and lots of colors of seatbelt. They have a 50 year old Jimi Hendrix style one I am obsessing about, my dad had one just like it, but this is on seatbelt to keep my $3000 camera safe.
i wish i could find a place that makes Vinatage Hippie tapestry camera straps, seem like you look and can not get in touch with any one. so can some one help me thanks
Hey Duane,
Did you try building you own vintage hippie tapestry camera strap at http://www.souldier.us They have all those vintage 60’s fabrics us old photogs remember. Use the contact page to get a hold of them. It’s not on their site, but I custom ordered one with orange ends on recycled purple seatbelt with a trippy orange and purple Hendrix pattern for my Nikon. Super psychadelic and everybody asks me where I got it. Coolest strap I own by far.
Probably where the name comes from then. I got sick of the pain with my canon strap so bought myself the aptly named Pap Strap. Guess they are what the paps use then? I’ll post this link with the shop but maybe it’ll go in the trash so I’ll post after without the link. http://www.papstrap.co.uk
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