Sticking Your Neck In

If you were a photographer in 1857 you had no problems with the neck strap; there were no neck straps. Cameras were on stands or tripods and big enough to have their own magnetic fields.

Reel forward through the 20th century and the portable camera blossomed - so did neck pain. Now we are in the 21st century and the necks are digital, but still hurting.

Most of the camera makers provide buyers with a proprietary strap. These are thin, with sharp edges coated in ground glass, and can saw through a neck in twenty minutes. They are often embroidered with the name of the maker as either and advertisement or a jeer. Wise shooters leave them in the camera box and buy an after-market product.

CE has any number of these, though some are still made by the camera makers. You can have style, comfort, or practicality, but sometimes not at the same time. Fortunately it is a field where people can make their own judgements about as sensibly as the makers.

The first type has a leather strap with a rolled edge. It will be moderately comfortable but wear out in a few years. The camera will not brass up as the strap protects it.

Another type from the same maker looks cooler but may not be as comfortable.

Or you can have the nylon rope effect. I am not sure what statement this makes. Beware what the attachment rings can do to the camera body.

Should you prefer an aftermarket strap that hangs a camera like a dragoon’s carbine, be aware that it can become a deadly flail and reach to parts of you that you don’t want bashed into. It is also harder to get into or out of than other types.

The double-suspension type looks very professional but you may wish to consider which profession you wish to portray.

 There are compromises, and these may help you if you are carrying cameras in high-risk tourist areas. Be aware that the cool-looking advertising images of people with cameras plastered to their right wrists  forget that they have to open doors, drink cups of tea, and flush things with those same hands and it takes an age to get in and out of the gear.

Cool has a price.

All Images and text by Richard Stan