As an editor for a leather blog, you start to think about the accessories you use on a daily basis that aren’t leather but should be. This led to my hunt for the perfect camera strap. I found a pretty good one that I’d like to tell you about—4V Design’s Classic Neck Strap.
About 4V Design
4V Design is a seriously classy company.
They’re from Italy. And they’re passionate about photography, so they design accessories for photographers. Stylish, Italian accessories. They’re sort of anti-establishment too, “just love and passion,” as their creed says. They’re about quality and individuality. And that philosophy echoes in the details of this product.
Construction
This camera strap is made from vegetable-tanned Italian leather, or Tuscany cuoio, as the natives say.
Two pieces of 14mm-wide leather are layered and then stitched together. The edges are then hand-painted for an elegant finish. The tips have a 10mm a synthetic strap sewn into them (a military-grade polyamide, light but resistant to wear and tear). You use these to connect the strap to your camera. You also have the option to add the quick-release clips in between the strap and your camera, which makes it super easy to detach the leather strap.
Function
I was surprised when I actually put the strap on. The padding for your neck feels pretty good (I hadn’t realized I would care about the ergonomics, but it’s kind of nice). They say it’s made of suede, though the neck part seems to have a plastic covering of sorts with the 4V logo printed across it. Not sure how it’ll feel through the hot summer months, but I like it so far.
The strap comes in two widths: large (20mm) and medium (14mm). The thicker width fits best with a full-sized SLR. I got the medium which matches my smaller MILC.
Aesthetic
I only have one gripe about this camera strap. I’m a lightweight, 5’11” with a shorter torso. With my build, I had to cinch all the straps to their shortest settings to get the camera to fall above my beltline. Don’t get me wrong—it fits, but you have a lot of extra leather and polyamide hanging out. I remedied this by removing the quick-release clips, which saved about 3″ on each side. I was bummed to lose the quick-release feature—it’s cool to detach the strap so fast—but I never actually used it anyway.
That said, this really is a beautiful piece of equipment. One of my favorite parts is actually the fastener—I love the look of the ring over leather. I ordered the “brown,” but they also sell black and “natural,” which is lighter, more of a sand color.
This is rare for me to say, but the photos on 4V’s site are actually more awesome than mine. (No, they’re not kidding when they say they care about photography.) If you’re not awed by their aesthetic, go peruse their site. You will be.
BestLeather Conclusion
The 4V Design Classic Neck Strap costs €94,90. They take orders through PayPal, so don’t worry about converting currencies. They also offer free worldwide shipping, which is not a bad little perk. Your total will be around $106 in US dollars right now.
If you’re a professional photographer, this a home-run investment. It’s comfortable, sturdy, and stylish, and I guarantee it’ll boost your style points with clients.