Buying as a gift?

There is a lot to take into consideration when selecting a gift for a photographer or videographer..

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By Justin CastlesMar 25, 20240 comments

LEATHER CAMERA STRAP GIFT BUYING GUIDE

It probably seems that buying gifts for a photographer or videographer is near impossible! There is a lot to take into consideration and a lot of garbage to filter out when selecting a gift. Aside from avoiding an expensive purchase, you have to consider product specifications, work style, photo genre and personal preference.

Fortunately for you, we've done all the hard work in creating Lucky Straps leather camera straps. Not only do they fit all styles of camera on the market, but they are also ideal for vintage cameras too.

The best bit about Lucky Straps camera straps is they are a welcome upgrade to the camera straps that come bundled with a new camera. They are comfortable, safe, secure and incredibly stylish. What's more, Lucky Straps are available in a range of sizes, leather colours, styles, and you can personalise them to create a truly unique gift.

The levels of personalisation are what makes Lucky Straps an ideal gift for any photographer, videographer or classic film shooter. To make the gift-buying process simple, we've created this handy guide to ensure you only add the best possible leather camera strap to your cart.

Take a look at our YouTube video on the complete range of Lucky Straps comfortable and stylish leather camera straps featuring the Quick Release system.

Customise Your Strap For The Perfect Gift

After choosing the strap type and length of your strap, check out all the colours in the range and choose the one you think they will like the best. All of our leather is genuine and will get softer and more comfortable every time they are used.

Please keep in mind that leather varies as it is a natural product. This means that your strap could have marks including colour variations which are completely normal; in fact, we think they add to the unique character of every strap we sell!

Personalization

Personalization is the best present money can buy for a photographer or videographer. Our embossing service ensures the gift you give is unique and special. So examples of what we have done for clients include an inspiring quote, a business name or even a logo!

Custom Embossing

The price for the embossing service isn't much more. Starting from $20, you can select various personalisation options on the product page before you add the product to your cart. Some of these options include different fonts and finishes.

The embossing range extends to a subtle look to something that will make the wearer stand out. Below is a video that is a great overview of the personalisation available. Plus, you can visit the following page to see the extensive gallery of all embossing options.

Stitch Colours

To complete or frame the embossing finish you decide, have a think about the type of stitching you would like to incorporate. Stitching can be added to the strap of your choice in various options, including; black, brown, dark blue, gold, green, lime green, navy, orange, pink, red, teal (bright blue) and white.

When paired with your choice of leather colour, there are so many colour combinations available. Adding this extra element to your camera strap gift will make it way more unique.

Foil Infill

Did you know we also add colourful foil infills to your embossing?

This is where we can make a strap stand out from the crowd. A good example of this is the limited edition Canon EOS R5 strap, which we made for Canon Australia. In this example, we included an embossed red foil on the lettering.

Some other popular foil colours are gold, silver, copper, green and blue!

Recommended Camera Straps Gift Guide

Giving the gift of a camera strap is one of the best gift ideas for a photographer or videographer. The majority of these creatives will have all the gadgets and accessories but lack a comfortable strap. But they need much more than just comfort on a long day of shooting.

The best camera strap you can give a photographer must be comfortable, support your gear, be secure and stylish at the same time. Fortunately, Lucky Straps leather camera straps meet all of these criteria for the perfect gift!

In our gift guide below, we outline some of our most popular products based on the photo or video genre. This should help you narrow down your search when finding the ultimate present.

Compatibility

All of our straps use a standard 10mm wide webbing attachment, just like the stock straps that come with most new cameras. So there's no need to worry about whether the strap will fit the camera or not.

The camera you are buying for will either have one of two types of slots to install a strap. The first is usually found on Canon cameras. On the side of the camera, you will see a 10mm wide slot. Other brands such as Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm (and almost all others) have a triangular ring.

Once you have located the attachment type, we then use not one but two tri-glide buckles to secure the strap for ultimate security and minimal bulk. This is very different from the competition who uses giant metal clips that can damage or scratch the camera.

Who Are Our Straps For?

Our beautifully handmade products are designed for photographers, videographers and cinematographers. As creatives ourselves, we take photos and video using various DSLR, mirrorless and film cameras, so it was natural for us to make straps that fit all of our cameras. Plus we wanted to make a strap that could worn as a shoulder or neck strap and wrist strap. To give you a guide, below are some recommendations on our best sellers.

Wedding Photographers

No doubt, these photographers and videographers are some of the hardest working in the industry. If you are buying a gift to suit their camera, it better be strong. Not only that, it has to be comfortable as a sling and super fast to remove and swap to a new camera body.

For these very reasons, we recommend the Lucky Standard 53. These straps can be embossed with either a logo or quote to ensure they reflect the user's identity.

Street Photographers

For photographers on the go, we would recommend a Wrist Strap. If you know the photographer has a smaller camera like the Fujifilm X100 series; then our advice is to use a Simple 20 Wrist Strap. Or if a bigger mirrorless camera/DSLR is in use, the Wrist Strap a variety of colours is the best bet.

Vloggers

For those travelling sharing their world daily or weekly, their everyday camera strap needs to be lightweight and supportive. A Wrist Strap is ideal in this case, or if a larger camera is in operation, we highly recommend the Standard 53.

Cinematographers

Cinematographers are renowned for using the best cameras to record in 4K and 8K. Due to the high quality, their cameras are often quite large as this is the case, we wanted to design a strap that would cater for these expensive items. So if this is someone you are buying for, then look no further than our Standard 53, which is designed for the true professionals.

Wildlife Photographers

If you are into bird photography or planning a safari, then a sturdy strap is a must-have. Handling the larger 400mm to 600mm lenses requires strength. For this very reason, we highly recommend you obtain a Standard 53.

These straps are available in both leather and rich cotton to ensure the person you are buying gets the most comfortable strap. The strap is our broadest and can distribute the load either over the shoulder, as a cross body strap or around the neck.

Film Photographers

Film photographers tend to carry vintage, classic or at the very least retro-inspired film cameras. To match this aesthetic, a film camera needs a classic looking leather camera strap. By far, the choice of the best camera strap featuring the quick release system is the Lucky Straps Slim 30. Film photographers can also use the Slim 30 as a shoulder or neck strap.

The Slim 30 is available in a range of leather finishes and colours, including the classic Desert Tan, Antique Brown and Classic Chestnut. Designed to be worn across your body, the strap is 30mm wide and available with the quick release attachment system.

Travelling

Do you know someone who travels all the time?

Then chances are they don't have a good strap to keep their camera secure. For travellers, we endorse the Simple 40 or the Slim 30. Choosing one of the two depends on the camera. If the photographer in question has a new mirrorless camera (or vintage film camera), then the Slim 30 is ideal. Otherwise, if the camera is bigger, then the wider-broader Simple 40 is the best choice.

Studio Photographers

Studio work can be busy and hectic, with many elements coming together to take the shot. By far, the most important element is having your camera on-hand at all times (so you need fast access) so when the time is right, you can take the shot. Long hours in a studio demands a comfortable strap, and that's why we recommend the Lucky Straps Simple 40.

With the Lucky Straps Quick Release system, a studio photographer can quickly remove and attach their mirrorless or DSLR camera from the strap. This is important for photographers needing to attach the camera to a tripod mount but go handheld at a moment's notice.

Why Do You Need a Camera Strap?

Despite what you hear online, every photographer and videographer needs a camera strap. But, it's also important to know why they need a camera strap even when carrying a small, lightweight digital or film camera.

Camera straps are not just about supporting the weight of a camera - although that plays a big part in it. Camera straps serve a range of purposes to support those shooting photo and video while using their camera.

Comfort and Support

As mentioned, a camera strap is important as it supports the weight of the camera and will save your back from strain. Camera wielding visual creatives often carry their camera and lens for hours at a time. Regardless of shooting street photography, a wedding, or exploring the outback, a camera strap carries the camera's weight.

Even the smallest and lightest camera becomes heavy after hours of carrying. Having a comfortable camera strap that you can sling across your shoulder is a key part of this equation.

The best leather camera strap is the one that is suited to the size of your camera gear. A large camera requires a broad camera strap to evenly distribute the weight of the gear. With the weight distributed across a board surface, the strap won't dig into you and cause discomfort or sharp pain.

Another key element of the comfort a camera straps provides is how it reacts to your skin. Many camera straps lack breathability and feature materials that are harsh against bare skin. A leather camera strap allows natural material to sit against the skin. It won't cause you to sweat, and it won't irritate or cause abrasions.

Shoulder Straps

By far, the most popular way to carry a camera is around the neck or slung across one shoulder. For this, you'll need a long neck or shoulder strap to provide the necessary length to reach around the neck or as a cross body strap. The length of the strap needs to cater to different body sizes and still allow enough strap to hold the camera out in a comfortable position.

At Lucky Straps, we are big fans of our shoulder straps worn across the body or slung from one shoulder. Straps worn around the neck can cause discomfort over longer durations. As a neck strap, the camera's weight and lens pulls the neck forward and down - this leads to unnecessary neck strain.

When buying a long camera strap for a photographer, notice how they like to wear and carry their existing camera. If they wear it around their neck but prefer the camera to sit high on their chest, choose a neck strap. If a larger person prefers to carry their camera slung across their body, select a longer shoulder strap.

What's even better is if the camera strap features an adjustable length thanks to buckles at each end of the strap. This way, they can wear the strap in various ways to find their most comfortable fit.

Wrist Straps

The alternative to a neck strap is to use a wrist strap - especially if you are without a tripod. Wrist straps are much shorter and only connect to the camera with a single connection point. Neck and shoulder straps connect to a camera at a point on either side of the camera body.

A wrist strap connects securely to the side of the camera and forms a loop. The photographer passes their hand and wrist through the loop. The loop can then be pulled tight to form a secure connection between your wrist and the camera.

Many photographers like to handhold their cameras rather than hang them from a neck or shoulder strap. They like having total control over the camera with one hand always on the camera body.

Street photographers often use wrist straps (over a neck strap) to have the camera in hand and ready to take a shot as soon as they see the right composition. Wrist straps are also ideal for those that dislike the feeling of carrying weight on their shoulders or necks. If the photographer you are buying for doesn't like carrying backpacks, a wrist strap is probably best.

Best Camera Strap Security

Another big reason that photographers carry their camera gear on a camera strap is for security. Camera gear is very expensive, and the last thing any photographer wants is for that gear to be damaged or go missing. A camera strap gives you greater control over the fate of your favourite camera and lens. They keep your camera gear close to your body with a shoulder strap or in your hand with a wrist strap.

When travelling, many photographers choose to carry their camera on a neck or shoulder strap. That way, the camera is part of a loop that sits around the photographer's neck or across their body. It's highly unlikely that your camera can be dropped or stolen from your body in those positions.

Some camera straps are at risk of being cut from the photographer's body by slashing the thinnest part of the strap. The best way to combat such an outcome is to ensure your strap features slash-proof materials.

Professional Or Stylish?

One of the most important reasons for using a camera strap is how it looks. While you have to feel comfortable and secure while carrying your gear, there's no reason you cannot look stylish too! A camera strap is a very personal choice for this reason.

Most of the camera straps that come included in the box with a new camera don't tick the boxes for comfort, support, security and style. In fact, they don't hit the mark on style in any way at all!

When you have spent a small fortune on your dream camera and lens combo, the last thing you want is the wrong strap. To accentuate the quality of your camera gear, videography kit or film camera, a stylish strap is essential. Film photographers especially love the look of a high-quality leather camera strap with their retro film camera.

Professional photographers that shoot weddings, commercial products and corporate promotions should look professional too. With a stylish camera strap, they look the part and build confidence in their clients.

No kit camera strap has ever inspired confidence in a high paid job. And, if you can add an element of personalisation to your strap, even better. Having your brand, signature or logo printed or embossed on your strap elevates your professionalism ten-fold.

Selecting The Perfect Camera Strap Fit

Deciding which strap is right is easy with our detailed guide. For instance, if you are looking to buy or give a wrist strap, don't worry about figuring out if it will fit. All our wrist straps are one-size-fits-all so you can filter them from your search.

Shoulder straps extend to various lengths and widths. The Simple 40, Slim 30 and Standard 53 all come in the same two lengths, Regular and Long. The Slim 20 has an additional short length option.

There are three different lengths and four widths to choose from. Below is a simple guide on each product in the range:

Simple 20

These adjustable length straps are available in three lengths - short, regular and long. You'll find these are the thinnest straps in our entire range.

Simple 40

This is the most versatile strap suitable for most creators. You will find a home for a Simple 40 on a huge DSLR, vintage film camera or mirrorless camera setup. Minimalistic design, it's about the same width as a stock Canon/Nikon strap but comes in longer and more comfortable lengths. Regardless of the adjustable length, you can set the strap to suit your body height.

Slim 30

Our Slim 30 is designed primarily for the mirrorless models from companies like Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus, along with film cameras from brands like Leica. Don't be worried, though; they can definitely handle the weight of a pro-sized DSLR and heavy lens if required!

Standard 53

Our original and still most popular strap by far due to it's perfect size and adjustable length! The most comfortable for long shoots and heavy loads, you'll certainly turn heads when wearing this awesome strap!

Choose The Right Size

Photographers come in all different shapes and sizes - so it can be a little tricky picking the right length of the strap. We've made the process super simple by dedicating a whole page of our site to choosing the best Lucky Straps camera strap.

This handy guide provides in-depth comparisons of every Lucky Straps leather camera strap and how to take into account different body sizes. We've even included size comparisons with straps on different members of the Lucky Straps team. Check out the Lucky Straps camera strap size guide or compare all of the camera strap specifications.

Quick Release Camera Straps For Added Security

All of our leather straps are equipped with a quick-release mechanism to ensure rapid attaching and detaching. Unlike our competitors (Peak Design, Blackrapid, Manfrotto) that utilise lugs on the camera, we hav thought it through and have developed an elegant design that complements your camera.

Void of attachments, all you need to do is slide the end of the strap through the metal holder on the camera and then clip the loop back onto the Lucky Strap.

Slash-Proof, Cut-Proof Webbing

Incorporated into our revolutionary design, we've added splash-proof, cut-proof nylon webbing. In the industry, it's known as cut and abrasion-resistant Dyneema® Webbing. This anti-theft device not only stops thieves from cutting your straps on the go but holds up the design integrity of the strap when in contact with water.

Now, obviously, no one intends for their camera to get wet, but in the likes of snow, rain or hail - our bespoke straps will hold up! Thus making them the perfect choice for travellers, outdoor adventurers and travellers.

Quick-release clips with added security lock

If you have one or more camera bodies, then give yourself the ultimate gift of one or more Lucky Straps. Many of our straps include a camera straps quick release system you can easily swap out one body with another. Wedding, sport and wildlife photographers and cinematographers love us for this exact reason.

No more do they have to fumble with lugs or dongles to swap out a lens or camera body. A Lucky strap is an ultimate system that never requires you to purchase an extra item to make the strap functional. With security that's unmatched in our industry, you're bound to keep hold of your strap forever.

Great for travel or holidays

Forget the manufacturer's strap. Uncomfortable, cheap and nasty, you're instead going to need the perfect strap that balances uncertainly, style and comfort. If you are packing your camera in your backpack or case, including a strap while it's on your camera can be painful. Most of the time, you're going to be short on room.

That's where the ability to remove your strap quickly comes into play. Plus, with multiple colours available, you can avoid losing your strap in the depths of your bag. Instead, let your strap stand out from the black so you can rapidly connect it to your camera without missing a shot.

How To Attach Your Camera Strap

Step 1: Once you have your custom camera strap in front of you, remove the manufacturer's straps from your camera.

Step 2: You should see two metal triangles where you anchor the strap to your camera. Once you have located these, pass the looped ends of the Lucky Strap through. Ensure the logos on the straps are positioned on the outward-facing side of the strap.

Step 3: Then, once the loop is through, grab hold and position the loop into the metal release. The eyelet of the loop should easily click into place, falling securely into position at the bottom of the quick release. Once you have completed both sides, you are ready to go!

Step 4: To remove the strap from the quick release, open the metal gate and slide the eye of the strap out from the release. Follow this by pulling the strap through the camera attachment triangle that connects with the camera. Once you get into a rhythm, it should only take less than a second to free or secure your camera.

The Best Quality Leather Camera Straps

Have you ever considered changing the look of your everyday carry to reflect your style and camera?

At Lucky Straps, we hear so much feedback from photographers and videographers who love their new look. Pimping out your camera is the ultimate gift to yourself or a loved one. If you are starting out looking to change up your strap style, you should know a few things between us and the competition.

Leather Colour

We know everyone is different when it comes to expressing their personality. So if you are looking for a gift or a present for yourself, we have a range of leather colours available. Choose from black, brown, cream, green, tan or wine red. Whichever material you choose to go with, ensure you keep in mind the combining of the stitching colour.

Advantages of Leather over Neoprene

Leather material offers many advantages over neoprene and cotton straps. One of the stand out features is its durability. Unlike neoprene that is subject to tearing or fraying, leather maintains shape long into its use. Plus, if you are looking for a more comfortable gift, our leather straps conform to a body shape.

If you find yourself working long hours in humid temperatures, leather is also better at absorbing sweat. You won't end up with a wire or piece of material digging into your neck, causing you pain at the end of the day or shooting. It's by far the best option for full time and enthusiast photographers who use their cameras often.

Australian Made

Australia is a land of rich beauty and high-quality products. We try our best to put all of Australia's unique qualities into our craft. That's why when you pick up one of our straps and compare it to others, like Peak Design/Blackrapid, you'll straight away understand the high level of workmanship and durability.

Our Manufacturing Process

We're based in Bendigo, located nearly two hours from the world's most livable city, Melbourne. Our workshop is full of interesting tools to work leather materials into the products you search and filter on our site. Each product is made by hand, ensuring you get the highest quality finish and attention to detail it deserves.

So, if you are giving the special gift of a personalised strap, know that it will last. It's not an 'off-the-shelf sort of purchase. Many hours and work will have gone into the product you select, so it lasts the use test.

Strap Availability For The Holidays

If you are writing a shopping list for a photographer or videographer, it can be hard. Understanding what the best gadget is that will work with their camera can be difficult. That's why we highly recommend buying the key item every creative needs - a comfortable carry strap for their camera!

Whether it is for a Christmas, Mothers Day, Fathers Day or Valentines Day gift, Lucky Straps offers all the options to ensure your gift is personalised. Our gorgeous leather camera straps are available to suit a whole range of digital and film cameras.

Plus, we offer the ability to emboss initials or your loved one's business name on the strap. You will make your friend or family members day by including this personal touch (along with your choice of coloured stitching)! Don’t be left with an empty cart - order now!

Lucky Gift Vouchers

Our Gift Cards are the easiest way to ensure the person you are buying a gift for, gets the perfect match for their camera body. We offer a range of gift cards for photographers and videographers ranging from $25 to $200. Be sure to filter the search options to select the desired amount.

If you are located overseas, we even cater to you; simply make your purchase, and the gift card's value will be shown in your local currency. Now there's no excuse - a gift card is the ultimate gift!

Delivery and Support

As a manufacturer of quality leather items, we take pride in the speed of delivery when you place your order. Across our website, you'll clearly see the items we have in stock and which products are out of stock.

If you are ever unsure of an item, send us a quick message, and we'll get back to you ASAP. To give you a good time frame of how quickly you will receive your order to your specified address, below are our handling times.

Handling Times

• In stock, straps are dispatched in 1-3 business days.
• In stock straps with text, embossing are dispatched in 1-3 business days.
• Custom Logo straps can take 4-6 weeks before they are dispatched (please take into account weekends), so please contact us before ordering if you have a specific date you require the product to arrive.

Has COVID-19 Affected Shipping?

Currently, we are able to dispatch orders as normal at the moment. Please be aware that unforeseen shipping and customs delays may occur on international orders due to the lack of flights at the moment. Please choose the express shipping option where possible to save time and minimise the chance of larger delays.

In addition to considering our COVID-19 update, if you are planning to place your order and you are located outside of Australia, there's no need to worry. Using our shipping partners, you can expect to pay the minimum amount for an overseas package.

To give you an idea, if you are currently located in New Zealand, we use Australia Post Standard and Express Services to fulfil your order. Whereas all other international orders are sent via DHL, and outside of COVID rules and delays, we expect 2-5 business days for delivery. To break down our customer's shipping further, here's a general guide for both express and standard shipping, excluding any customs delays:

Country	Standard Shipping Time	Express Shipping Time
Australia	2-5 Business Days	1-3 Business Days
USA and Canada	1-3 Weeks	2-5 Business Days
New Zealand	2-6 Business Days	2-4 Business Days
UK and Europe	2-4 Weeks	5-8 Business Days
Other Countries	2-4 Weeks	6-10 Business Days

If you are planning on buying a Lucky Camera Strap for a present we always recommend getting in early to avoid any delays or disappointment. If you ever have a doubt about availability please get in contact with us before ordering.