I’m not too fond of neck straps and the one which comes with the NEX doesn’t fill me with much joy. In general, I find the problems are:
- that it places all the weight around your neck (admittedly, not a problem with the NEX)
- they tend to get in the way particularly if you bend down and the camera swings out
- and they make the camera obvious to everyone.
You can mitigate #1 by replacing the standard strap with a softer neoprene one which has a little bounce in it but really neck straps don’t suit me. In general I think wrist straps are the way to go for the NEX as they won’t limit your shooting options like a hand strap does (particularly, when shooting at low-level or above head height). The NEX has a slightly unusual vertically-mounted lug on the side so you’ll need to ensure that you’re strap can connect to these (see the end of the post for 2 straps which I was going to recommend but can’t because of these issues). In general, thin cord, small straps or small rings should fit… large split rings are out though.
So, I’ve done some research and come up with a selection of straps that I think are perfect for NEX owners:
Camdapter CamStrap
For my SLR I use a hand strap from Camdapter which attaches to the tripod mount but also serves as a quick-release plate for my Manfrotto tripod – an ideal combination. I can’t recommend these straps highly enough for SLRs but for the NEX, I think they are just way too big and restrictive. Luckily, Camdapter have a smaller version aimed at point & shoot cameras which I think would work well for the NEX. It consists of a small plate that fits on the bottom of the camera using the tripod screw, and a strap which wraps around your hand connected to the side of the camera. My only hesitation is that the strap will need connect to the NEX’s lugs which are half-way down the body rather than at the top. If this handstrap is too restrictive, you can choose the more flexible CoolStrap using the same bottom plate.
Gordy’s Wrist straps
Gordy’s wrist straps are small, simple, well-made and customisable leather straps. You can choose from different lengths, leather colour, thread colour etc. They are also very strong and he has pictures of the strap supporting a 15lb monitor… I think my little NEX will be in good hands! The straps are very reasonably priced and include worldwide shipping (a nice touch).
OpTech Cam Strap
This wrist strap is constructed from neoprene which makes it soft and flexible. There’s also a small slide adjustment to ensure it doesn’t slip off your wrist. It’s also cheap!
Handmade Funky Wrist Straps
Etsy is a marketplace for handmade crafts and it’s the perfect place to go for a funky-looking, fashionable wrist strap that will compliment your NEX.
CoolLanyard VEL Celtic Wrist Strap
CoolLanyard have a large range of strap available but I’ve chosen this one which consists of a neoprene wrist protector attached to a nylon cord. There’s even a bit of kevlar in there to stop the neoprene “bouncing” too much! The cord can be adjusted by means of a slidelock to maintain a solid grip on your wrist.
Luigi’s Leica Straps
There are two things you need to know about Luigi’s straps: 1) everyone seems to rave about them and 2) the website is a shocking mess straight from 1995. The straps themselves are handmade Italian leather and are available if a range of sizes, styles and colours. They don’t come cheap though!
Highkey Camera Straps
Ok, so I gave out about neck straps but if you really like them it’s worth looking at Highkey where you can get your own design printed on the strap! Or you can go for the WTD strap (What the Duck? It’s required reading for all photographers)
The Y-Strap*
The Y-strap is ideal for carrying small cameras unobtrusively. It is constructed as a loop of webbing which is worn over the shoulder and across the chest. The camera attaches to this webbing via a split-ring and is free to move. When it’s not in use, the camera hangs down at your hip, out of sight and out of the way. When you need to shoot, you just raise the camera up and it slides along the strap, making it very quick to get into a shooting position.
My only concern is that the split ring which attaches to the camera to the strap may be too big to fit the lug on the side of the NEX.
The Wrist Wonder*
The Wrist wonder is from the same person as the Y-strap and it constructed from the same webbing material. Probably the greatest asset of this strap is the slide lock which lets you easily change the size of the strap, ensuring it remains useful even in the depths of winter with thick coats and gloves!
* unfortunately, after some correspondance with the designer, the Y-strap and Wrist Wonder probably won’t be suitable for the NEX cameras. It looks as if the split ring will be too big to fit the lugs on the side of the NEX. However, I’ve left these here as bonus straps because I really love the concept and you might find a way around the attachment issue.