One of the must have items you need for your camera is some sort of secure way to hold it. Some people like using neck straps to keep their cameras secure while others prefer using some sort of wrist or hand strap instead. These are must have accessories because they prevent you from accidentally dropping your camera and causing some serious damage to your equipment. In my case, I am more of a wrist strap kind of person as I find neck straps to be really uncomfortable sometimes and I just find that it’s easier to handle my cameras with a wrist strap as opposed to a neck strap. The problem with wrist straps though is that it’s really hard to find one that actually looks good and doesn’t just look like a piece of string attached to your camera. This is where the Holdfast Camera Leash swoops in to save the day.
Unlike most wrist straps you find that are made out of nylon string or some kind of synthetic material, the Holdfast Gear Camera Leash is made out of leather. To be exact, it’s made of either American Bison leather or Water Buffalo leather. The one I was sent is the American Bison version in black. The difference is that the American Bison one is textured while the American Buffalo version is smoother in finish and a little bit thicker. The Holdfast Camera Strap also contains ZERO plastic parts and instead opts for some heavy duty metal bits.
Construction
When I received the Camera Leash, I was at first a bit surprised by just how wide this thing actually is. At almost an inch wide, this is the widest wrist strap I had ever seen or used. Not only that, the metal clasp for it is also just as massive. After the initial reaction however, I started to see the real beauty and detail of the the design. First off, the width of the Camera Leash works with the American Bison leather. It’s quite comfortable when worn around your wrist and the leather is quite soft and doesn’t need to be broken in. As for the clasp, it is seriously heavy duty. The spring mechanism in it feels very strong and doesn’t feel like it’ll ever break. There is some weight to it but that combined with the feel of the leather gives the Camera Leash a real feeling of strength to it. All the other parts of hardware attached to the Camera Leash like the rivets used and the ring also feel quite heavy duty. Again, lots of small details that show lots of care in the design. The rivets use an extra washer bit at the ends to keep them from slipping through the leather over time and the metal ring is welded closed to keep the leather strap from separating from it.
Usage
The most obvious use for the Camera Leash is to use it on a camera. It includes a tiny keyring that you can attach to the eyelet on a camera so that you can use it as a point in which the clasp can attach. There are some cameras where this isn’t possible however, but in those instances, you would use the Camera Holdfast (which we’ll talk about in another post) and attach the Camera Leash to that instead. Once on, it is very secure and there is more than enough tension from the spring in the clasp to keep it locked in place. On your wrist, the Camera Leash is very comfortable and because of the softness and width of it, it doesn’t cut into your wrist like a string would. The design of the Camera Leash also means that it will fit on any wrist no matter the size.
The Camera Leash does have other uses too, you just need to be creative enough to figure them out. It’s possible really for you to hold almost anything with the Camera Leash once you figure out how to secure it.
Final Thoughts
I am very happy with the Holdfast Gear Camera Leash. It’s strong, the construction is top notch, and the materials used are above and beyond what I’ve seen on other straps. Holdfast Gear has built something that is infinitely useful while also being quite beautiful and eye catching. The price might put some people off as it seems a bit high for a leather strap, but when you see it and feel it in your hands, the quality and durability of the Camera Leash far outweighs the cost.
The Holdfast Gear Camera Leash can be purchased on their website here. From personal experience, I can tell you that the owner, Matthew Swaggart treats all of his customers with the utmost respect and does everything in his power to make you happy. He even takes the time to personally handle and ship each item to you and it shows with each package you receive. (See out unboxing post here)
