Leica Wapiti Camera Strap

Duane Pandorf

Top Veteran
Location
Western NC
I've purchased a custom Wapiti Strap . I haven't received it yet but I'm looking forward to see how this one will perform.


I've been looking around at other strap options and most of the "standard" rangefinder straps are too short. I have my factory Leica strap extended full length so I can easily wear it across my chest. Lug - lug its 46". I'm on a waiting list for the latest ARTISAN & ARTIST* ACAM-E25R but I think it will be too wide at the lugs for me. I recently tried one of those silk type straps but it was too big around at the lugs and I had trouble holding the camera when taking a shot.


I really like the way the factory Leica strap attaches to the camera but I dislike the shoulder pad due to the nubs that are there to prevent sliding. Well, I need the strap to slide as I do carry the camera across my chest and when I go to take a photo the strap should not be a hinderance.


So that's where the Wapiti Strap comes in. The C1 has the same width nylon strap (1/2") that connects at the camera. And then it has a nice shoulder pad.


I sent an email last evening asking a few questions and was surprised to get an almost immediate response from David Grubbs who makes the straps. I explained what I was looking for and sent him some photos of the lugs of the camera along with a photo of the factory camera's fittings. Plus I remeasured my strap length to ensure I had the right size.


So what I've decided to do is remove the factory straps metal attachment rings and the plastic locking clasps and use them on the Wapiti C1 strap. David will size the strap so that once its configured it will be 46" lug - lug.


As soon as I sent the Paypal funds to him I got an email back saying he'd have it out in Monday's mail. I call that pretty good service.


This is all I could find on Youtube pertaining to his straps:

[video=youtube;CtenyNDRAmU]
 
The way he doubles back over the buckle is the same thing you do with rock climbing harnesses to "lock" the buckle and prevent any strap slipping when you take a fall - it should make for a very very secure camera strap.
 
My Wapiti Rut wrist strap arrived in 4 1/2 weeks; not bad for a journey from Montana to Western Australia. It came nicely packed in a strong tube with instructions on how to attach it.

I like it immensely for many reasons. The nylon webbing is thick and strong (much more so than manufacturer's straps), the leather has a beautiful moist and soft quality to it similar to suede, with a grip akin to rubber but with the comfort of leather. It is not as long as appears in the pictures on their website: www.wapitistraps.com and is perfectly proportionate to my DP2M. It brings immense order in the camera case because there isn't a length of strap sitting about waiting to be curled up and tucked away and getting in the way of things as you try to extract other paraphernalia. Going from a conventional strap to a wrist strap is another shift downwards to suit a compact. I don't need a conventional strap because its length is inconvenient and often a nusance.

I have never worn a digital camera around my neck for fear of scratching the screen. This wrist strap combined with a light bag (Millican Rob the Traveller) provides me with a perfect solution for carrying the camera securely while ensuring that it is easily accessible. Everything about the wrist strap speaks of quality and craftsmanship: materials, and stitching, proportions and physical 'grip'. The fact that the maker is a photographer shows through on every level. Recommended for serious compacts.
 
The way he doubles back over the buckle is the same thing you do with rock climbing harnesses to "lock" the buckle and prevent any strap slipping when you take a fall - it should make for a very very secure camera strap.

That's how I lock all my strap ends when I have that kind of strap. Grubbs should instruct how to tie shoes for children, dude is good at his simple instructional video. Some people really do get lost in trying to attach their straps.
 
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