Gordy's Camera Straps

Two of the important reasons I switched from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera were weight and size. After I swapped all of my my equipment, I was left with a bunch of over-sized accessories including camera bags, straps, accessory cases, etc. After a weekend of carrying around all my new kit in an over-sized bag with over-sized accessories, it was obvious I needed to make some more changes. The search for a new bag, wrist strap and neck strap began.

I did end up getting a new camera bag after trying out a half-dozen. However, the bag made the accessory problem even worse as you can see here:



One particular need was the ability to carry/shoot with one hand. Walking on city streets, a neck strap can actually be a nuisance. Since I really didn't want to use a sling for travel/street photography, a wrist strap was the answer. I already had one for my DSLR, but it was comical once attached to my new OM-D E-M1.The old Nikon also seemed to get heavier every hour I carried it with one hand. While I was shopping for a new bag at my favorite crack dealer's store, they recommended Gordy's Camera Straps.

The neck and wrist straps instantly reminded me of the leather ones my Dad had on his gear, which I still have with his original TLR. They were almost exactly what I was looking for. Almost, because I also wanted something that was quickly convertible from neck strap to wrist strap.Optech had parts I could cobble together something with, but it wasn't ideal. Gordy is a real person and makes every product by hand. Since he's a ferry ride away across Puget Sound, I contacted him. I asked if he would be willing to consider making me a custom, "quick change" solution. He responded:

I've been testing a quick release solution. It uses a small stainless steel caribiner style spring slip. A split ring and o-ring strap bumper are attached to the camera and the caribiner attaches to that split ring. I will try to have pictures and prices for you tomorrow (Thursday).

Once I saw the photos, I told him I'd be his first customer. A week later, I had my new straps. I was careful to specify the length from buckle-tip to buckle-tip since the hardware adds almost 7cm to the overall length. Here is a shot of both straps attached:



Since I'm creatively lazy, I wondered if I could just use the existing split rings on the lugs. I tried that out first, but it's pretty clear that's not a good idea since the OEM split rings are just too small and the buckles will abrade the camera body. With pliers and a few explicatives, I followed Gordy's instructions:



As you can see, the new split-ring provides enough clearance and the (included) O-ring provides extra protection. In summary now that I have swapped my accessories from this:



to this:



and this:



to this:



I am now enjoying more benefits of downsizing to the mirrorless world. If you decide to get your own Gordy's Strap, your camera bag will thank you! I hope the quick-release option won't be a special order for long. Now, if it were only so easy to downsize the waistline.