David Browning and Mai Kato, owners of E3 Supply Co. come from two separate fields of business. David owns and operates a custom motorcycle shop, East Third Motorcycle Club, and prior to that he was shooting fashion and editing music. Mai was a graphic designer. These two minds came together and, using the inspirations found from the simplicity of vintage motorcycles, the recognition that simplicity is necessary and better in photography, and the knowledge of design in modern society, created E3 Supply Co.
The E3 Supply Co. is based and run in New York. They specialize in camera straps, building each piece by hand from high quality materials. Using their combined knowledge of the different aspects of design, David and Mai create high quality, simple, and functional products.
construction
The DSLR Wrist Strap is built simple, but strong. It is a half inch strip of leather bound together by hand waxed hemp cord. Seems simple enough.
The leather is a heavyweight cowhide, which is brushed on the underside for next-to-skin comfort. It is a thick and solid leather, one that will definitely stand up to the abuses of photo shoots and excursions into the forest.
E3 hand waxes the hemp used to bind this strap together, which is definitely cool. Hemp is a strong material and they wrap it heavily, so you need not worry about this thing coming apart. It is built to last. Another strap that we have reviewed from E3 Supply Co has been in service for a year now and shows little sign of degradation.
The connection between the camera and the strap is a simple steel keyring, one that will absolutely catch and hold the camera if it were to fall. I know because I have tested it. With a direct connection between the camera and the strap, you don’t need to worry about destroying your $3000 investment; once this strap is connected to your wrist, the camera is not going anywhere.
aesthetic
The strap is simple and does away with the needless bulk of a neck strap. It looks clean and it is definitely aesthetically pleasing, much more so than the stock nylon straps of DSLRs today.
function
To test the function of the strap, I attached my DSLR with one of the stock lenses to the strap, then to my wrist, then I let it go. There are two factors which play into the strength of this strap. The materials and the length.
Leather is a tough and durable material to be using, which is why I love it so much. It’s extremely difficult to tear and cut if you take care of it properly. Thus, dropping a few pounds onto it in a jarring motion isn’t going to cause the leather to break a sweat. And the hemp cord is extremely durable as well, especially in the way that E3 used it.
The camera only will fall a few inches before the strap catches it, so you really need not worry about your investment falling to its demise on the concrete.
There is a minimalist aspect to the function of this strap as well, which seems to be the case in a lot ventures with leather. Simple is always better. Taking away the bulk and constraints of a full neck strap, it creates much more versatility in shooting. For instance, you can easily get interesting shots from different distances and angles. The fact that you are not hindered by the length of a neck strap really frees you in photography, opening new avenues of artistic expression.
BestLeather Conclusion
Most DSLRs are sold with a neck strap, a piece of nylon which goes around your neck to secure the camera. I’ve been using the stock strap since I bought my camera and have always been a bit annoyed by the bulk of it and have always thought it was unnecessary.
The only constraint to your photography becomes the length of your arm; it opens up new ways to shoot. And for only $23. For that reason, if you are in the market for a new camera strap for your DSLR because you are annoyed with the lack of freedom a neck strap provides, you have stumbled upon the answer: The DSLR Wrist Strap from E3 Supply Co.. If you, however, would prefer a neck strap with the same aesthetic as the wrist strap, E3 also makes a neck strap, using similar design and construction.
Check out the E3 Supply Co Etsy page here.
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