Doing The Stock Order - Strap Me Up

We're doing the order today for Op/Tec, which makes me happy. The firm makes straps, pouches, containers, and all sorts of little storage ideas for cameras and lenses. They are prolific and imaginative, and the products are excellent.

I can say that because several of my cameras hang off or nestle in their products, and I will probably equip all my stuff with Op/Tec eventually. I am starting to value lightness in carriage more as I get older and Op/Tec lets me protect the gear but pare down the weight.

I can particularly recommend several things:

1. Straps with loop connectors.

 Most of the cameras that we carried in the 60's and 70's had D or triangle rings hanging from metal posts at the sides of the bodies - many of today's cameras follow suit. These in turn captured heavy leather or nylon straps with belt loos and buckles to allow for adjustment. In some cases we had the equivalent of a rifle sling on either end of the camera...which regularly scratched either the camera body or our hands and faces as we used the camera. The cameras brassed and we bled.

Op/Tec make some of their straps and connectors with loop ends - see the image - and these can suspend heavy bodies while getting out of the way of our hands and faces during fast shooting. They are ever so much more comfortable than the bulky rigs.

2. Hood Hats.

Neoprene cups that pop over your lens or lens hood. I keep them on Nikon 35mm and 50mm lenses because they have round lens hoods. They protect the lens as it scootches around inside the camera bag - they also protect it as I stroll around in a crowd. Much better than a lens cap.

The order goes off this week and we'll keep you in touch with when the goods arrive.

Do It In STYLE....

If you are going to use a Leica camera you are going to pay money out. A lot of money. There is no doubt about this - it is one of the givens of the situation. As a Leica person, you might complain about it to us and try to get things cheaper, but you secretly love it. It marks you as different from the people who don't have enough money for Leica cameras.

If you are going to do it, you might as well do it in style. If your style is gaffer tape over the red dot and a piece of binder twine for a strap, go ahead. I can only imagine that you are doing it so that you won't stand out in the crowd...of people who have their shoes tied on with binder twine. Your photo essay will be fascinating.

If you would like to be seen as a little more sophisticated, may I suggest you look at a few of the offerings from Artist & Artisan and Leica themselves - the A&A cloth straps are superbly stitched and as you can see come in red or black. the Leica straps are leather and come in all shades. Note the cute little Thumbs Up button for the shutter release.

Finally, please note the classic style of the Leica ball head - generally paired with the folding tabel-top tripod legs. Solid heavy chromed casting and look at the speed lines turned into the ball portion to allow it to work even in grubby conditions. That is style!