Need some input from this BB...
Thinking about the
Peak Design Leash (the smallest of the three Peak Design straps) as an X-Mas suggestion. In fact, I'm looking for a better strap for my Olympus OMD EM5 II than the factory-provided one (don't like the huge white lettering and black/blue colouring).
So, what do You think of this PD Leash?
I have the PD Slide I (black?), Slide Lite mark II (one black, one silver), Leash mark I (black), and the Cuff mark I (black) with the Ash Leash mark II and Ash Cuff mark II coming on Monday. Which one I use depends on the gear.
One of the things that I find myself doing is removing straps and putting them back on. The anchor system is nice for doing that. If you do use the anchor without the strap attached, you have the little red part dangling down (I've heard some people calling them earrings), but I find in practice it doesn't interfere with shooting (unlike some other camera quick release systems, where the attachment on the camera is big enough that it gets in the way).
The original full size Slide strap did not pack well because it didn't roll up and was too stiff. I also tend to think the strap was too wide, even when I was shooting with the Olympus E-5 and 50-200mm lens. I haven't used it in years. The new Slide mark II now does roll up, and they made some other improvements, but if I wanted a wider strap, the Slide Lite is wide enough for me. If I carried full size DSLR gear with f/2.8 lens, I might go back to the Slide.
The mark II Slide Lite (current version) is better IMHO, when you want to carry micro 4/3rds gear with somewhat heavier lenses. I tend to like it when I'm carrying my G85 or E-m1 with heavier lenses (i.e. Olympus 12-40mm, Panasonic 35-100mm mark II, Panasonic 100-300mm mark II, Olympus 50-200mm with MMF-3 adapter), particularly if I have either camera gripped. It just feels better with the thicker strap on my neck. However, if my shoulder bag is tightly packed, the Slide Lite II might stay home, since while it rolls up, it still takes some amount of room to pack (almost as much as a Panasonic 20mm lens). One side of the strap is smooth and the other is grippy, so you have options on how to wear it.
The Leash (both mark I and II) are thinner, and I tend to like it for my smaller cameras (LX10, FZ300, micro 4/3rds with lighter lens). It can be packed in a rather small case, and I find I usually have it in the shoulder bag because it is so small. The Leash is not grippy at all, which is why I tend to switch with the Domke 1" gripper quick release strap.
The Cuff mark I (and soon, mark II) also almost always find their way in my shoulder bag, and can be easily swapped for one of the other PD straps, when I get tired of a neck strap, and want to use a hand strap. The mark II version redid the way the buckle works to tighten the strap around your wrist, going from a plastic slider to a metal magnetic clasp. When it came out, I thought it might scratch the rear LCD, but in the last Peak Design kickstarter campaign (which just ended), I couldn't resist adding the Ash Cuff to the rewards order (primarily the small camera cube), so we'll see whether it gets used or not. I particularly prefer using the Cuff on smaller cameras (LX10, Stylus1, etc.).
One other thing I occasionally use the cuff for is when I'm using the PD capture clip to hold the camera onto a belt or shoulder strap system is to put the cuff through the belt or strap, so if the capture clip doesn't hold (often due to the 1/4-20" thread not being tightened), I have some protection against the camera falling off down to the ground.
I dislike grip straps, so I've never gotten the Clutch. In fact, I generally dislike grips, but I use them when I'm going to be shooting a long time, particularly video.
The one minor thing I don't like about the PD anchor system for quick release, is it doesn't have a swivel and I find myself having to unwind the strap every so often. Also, the newest anchor straps are problematical to get through the smaller lug holes in the camera. This means on cameras like the E-m1 mark I, you might not be able to remove the little triangle that fits in the strap lug to allow you to attach normal webbed straps. The version III of the strap was thinner, but unfortunately it could fray, and PD replaced all of the mark III anchor links with the mark IV (free of charge). If you are patient, you can probably snake it through, or just keep the strap triangle on the camera.
Note, in terms of the PD design straps, if you are strictly vegan, you want the black straps as the Ash straps have a little bit of leather trim on the straps. I on the other hand, have started disliking boring black straps, and I find myself gravitating towards the Ash straps.
I alternate in terms of straps between the Domke quick release gripper straps with swivel and the PD straps. Like the PD straps, the Domke straps come in two sizes (1" and 1.5"). I tend to like the 1.5" straps for the DSLRs, and the 1" straps for the micro 4/3rds cameras. However, the 1" straps seem to have become harder to find recently. For the Domke strap, I reverse the webbing so that the hook with the swivel attaches to the camera. This is so when I remove the strap, you don't have a long piece of webbing still on the camera.
