As a society, we benefit dramatically by those folks who look to solve a problem for themselves and then see their solution blossom into a successful business. Often times this seems to occur with the simplest of items – items that seem to get overlooked because they solve a common problem and blend into life’s activities with ease. Such is the case with Gordy’s Camera Straps.
About Gordy’s Camera Straps
In his quest to find a camera strap he liked, Gordon Coale decided to make his own. The result? Gordy’s Camera Straps was launched in 2005. Gordy straps are now well known, highly respected accessories that can be found around the globe. His camera straps can be found in stores throughout Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia, and Norway.
Construction
All of the straps are made on Whidbey Island, just north of Seattle, Washington by a team of artisans. Each piece is hand crafted from Latigo belt leather, sourced from a supplier right in Seattle. Latigo is Gordy’s preferred choice since it is extremely tough, yet flexible and pliable enough to be easily handled daily. And, the leather will just continue to soften and gain a natural patina that improves with age and use.
Whether it is a wrist strap, Zoe combination strap or another strap style created by Gordy’s team they always feature heavy, .040” diameter waxed, polyester cord. Gordy’s also offers several different attachment options depending on the type of camera or piece of equipment that needs a strap.
Function
I received two very different straps from Gordy’s. The first is the best-selling Gordy’s Wrist Strap in the most popular color combination – black Latigo leather with a beautiful red cord wrap. The second strap is an innovative one called the Zoe Combination Strap. The Zoe Strap features an independent wrist strap and shoulder strap together. This strap is dark brown with black cording.
Both of my cameras are Canons, so the attachment system used is heavy-duty metal rings that attach to the camera strap posts.
I use the classic Gordy’s Wrist Strap on my heavier, older Canon 10D. This is a full size, heavy camera and the strap performs perfectly for me. I ordered the large size because my hands and wrists are large. The simplicity of the design is great. Previously, I struggled with a full strap on this camera as it seemed to consistently get in the way while shooting. The wrist strap eliminates this issue while still providing security for my camera should I lose grip.
The Zoe Combination Strap was sized intentionally for my wife. Our Canon Rebel T1i is the camera she uses primarily, so we made sure the strap was sized for her. She likes to carry the camera cross body, so the strap length was set to 44” (end to end). The wrist strap is the regular size as well. I can still slide my hand in and out of it, however it takes a little more work than the large wrist strap on my other camera. The Zoe strap is neither bulky nor heavy. It does just what it is designed to do – allowing for shoulder carry, around the neck carry, cross body carry, or just wrist carry. If you find yourself constantly wrapping your current neck strap around your wrist when you take it off and begin to shoot, you should definitely think about getting one of these great, innovative straps!
Aesthetic
Both of these straps are very appealing visually. I’ve never been a fan of wide, cloth camera straps, so to now have straps that are thin – yet strong AND made with great looking leather is awesome. When you add in a touch of color with the cording, it creates a very appealing combination. Gordy offers over a dozen different colors of cording and four different leather colors – so, you can easily personalize the look of your strap.
Other people notice this simple little accessory right away too. While attending a family wedding in Federal Way, WA a good friend of mine sat with my wife and I during the wedding and at the reception that followed. While at the reception he commented on the Zoe Strap (we only brought my wife’s camera to the wedding) and wanted to know where I got it. I told him about Gordy’s Camera Straps. While we sat at the reception, waiting for it to begin, he ordered a strap for his camera right off of his phone. When he received his strap, he took a picture of it on his camera and texted it to me. Robert’s strap looks fantastic on his little Olympus. As you can see, he used a tripod mount to secure it.
There are quite a few things to pay attention to when you go to order a strap for your camera. Please make sure you take your time on Gordy’s website to read about how to measure your strap and what type of strap end to order for your particular type of camera. The ordering process is a little time consuming – but, remember, you are ordering a hand made leather strap that is customized and personalized to your liking specifically for your camera.
Conclusion
The Gordy’s Wrist Strap and Zoe Combination Strap are both expertly crafted pieces that fulfill their task perfectly while looking great. The price points for these straps ($19 for the large wrist strap and $49 for the Zoe strap with neck pad) are well within reach. Given their hand made construction, attention to detail, and use of quality leather, you can expect these straps to last a very long time while maintaining their classy look.