If you’ve been following along at home for a while now, you’ll no doubt have heard me talk about my choice of Lucky Straps leather camera straps. In fact, if you dig through the Lucky Straps blog articles, you’ll come across an older piece where I emphatically denounce all other straps in favour of the Lucky Straps Deluxe Leather Wrist Strap. I’m not saying that any of the other Lucky Straps' options are irrelevant - and there are a lot to choose from. There’s a perfect strap for every style of camera and photographer. As we like to say, connecting with your craft is just as important as connecting the right strap to your camera. But on a recent trip to the Alpine Region of Victoria (Australia), I discovered an even better carrying solution for my everyday carry camera kit. In this article, I am going to showcase the Lucky Straps Slim 30 Leather Camera Strap and detail why it’s the best EDC camera strap around.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I still love those gorgeous, buttery soft leather Deluxe Wrist Straps, and my reasoning for using them hasn’t changed. While you can check out the full article here, in essence, I identified three reasons why the Deluxe Leather Wrist Strap was the champion of my smaller Fujifilm mirrorless kit. Those reasons include comfort, creative freedom, and, of course, security. As it turns out, the three key elements are the standout features of the entire Lucky Straps range. The soft yet durable leather wrist strap provided superior comfort during photowalks. Having a camera in my hand at all times elevated my creative freedom and ensured that I was ‘switched on’ to hunt the light. Plus, the leather's durability, combined with the slash-proof webbing and Quick Release System, ensured I had absolute control over the security of my gear. As I said, those reasons still stand, but on a recent trip away with the Lucky Straps team, I discovered a better way for me to connect to my craft (and camera).
Every year, hundreds of photographers, workshop instructors, and vendors flock to the Alpine Region of Victoria for a photography festival like no other. Last year, Justin (Lucky Straps Founder) and I attended the Bright Festival of Photography (BFOP) 2024 to get a feel for the festival and dive into a crazy, fun, and creative weekend. We had such a great time that Justin, Jim (Lucky Straps Customer Experience), and I headed back to Bright for BFOP 2025 to represent Lucky Straps and The Camera Life Podcast and have a blast with our creative community. What an incredible weekend!
Every festival morning, we got up early and hosted The Camera Life BFOP podcast live from our accommodation. Once finished, we headed to the BFOP HQ to support our customers with selecting Lucky Straps leather camera straps, merchandise purchases, and enquiries. It was a crazy experience as it had been decades since I had worked in any retail capacity. To say that we were overwhelmed and humbled by the brand’s popularity is an understatement. Plus, the number of people who came up to us and thanked us for the BFOP podcast episodes was uplifting. As part of my role, I supported customers with product enquiries and helped them choose the best strap for their camera kit. Over the course of three action-packed days, Justin, Jim and I were flat out talking about Lucky Straps leather camera straps, leather belts, hoodies, T-shirts, and, of course, Valleret winter photography gloves. The latter came in super handy for anyone heading up the mountains to shoot the sunrise or sunsets. It turned out to be one of the best weekends of my life.
Given that I was so hands-on helping customers fit their cameras with Lucky straps, I needed both hands free at all times. But since we were at a photography festival, I also wanted to have my camera with me at all times so I could document everything that was happening. Plus, carrying a camera with a Lucky Straps camera strap made sense for promoting what we do. I was proudly carrying my brand-new Fujifilm X-E5, fitted with the Fujinon XF 27mmF2.8 pancake prime. It’s an incredibly compact combo weighing just 539g, ideal for everyday carry, whether for street shooting, family events, or photojournalism. Released in August 2025, Fujifilm’s X-E5 is the latest in the X-E series (I took the X-E4 to BFOP 2024) that packs a flagship-level 40MP X Trans CMOS 5 HR image sensor and X Processor 5. It's a super fun combo that meets my everyday needs while delivering sharp, rich images. And while I packed a bunch of other Fujifilm prime lenses (I’m more of a prime guy!), I don’t think I took any other lens out of my camera bag. I was having a lot of fun working with such a lightweight and straightforward kit. The big question was, how was I going to carry it!
Enter the Lucky Straps Slim 30 Leather Camera Strap! For BFOP 2024, the Lucky Straps team created and offered BFOPers a special-edition leather camera strap, complete with the BFOP logo embossed in the soft, rich leather of a range of camera straps. I was lucky (pardon the pun) to grab a Slim 30 neck/shoulder strap in Desert Tan, complete with black foil-embossed BFOP logo. It is beautiful, and I was so grateful for it. However, at the time, I was still rocking my Deluxe Wrist Strap and had no interest in a neck or shoulder variant. So it didn’t get much of a showing at BFOP 2024. Fast forward to BFOP 2025, and I needed to carry my camera while still having both hands free. The Slim 30 Leather Camera Strap was the answer. It features two layers of ethically sourced leather, glued and stitched together to create an incredibly durable strap. At each end, our unique slash-proof nylon webbing is fitted with the ingenious Quick Release System, featuring a buckle and locking mechanism in one. All Lucky Straps are Australian Made in Bendigo, Victoria, with hands-on customer experience proudly provided by Justin, Jim, and Yelana (Customer Experience).
As the name suggests, the Slim 30 is 30mm (1 and 3/16") wide and is available in two lengths - Regular 104.5-117cm (41-46”) or Long 129.5-142cm (51-56”). I’m not overly tall, but I am a big guy, so I opted for the longer strap to make the most of the extra 25cm. I wore the Slim 30 wth my Fujifilm X-E5 across my body with the strap sitting comfortably on my left shoulder. With the strap worn this way, my camera comfortably sat on my right hip without any sign of bouncing around. Given the leather's texture, there was just the right amount of grip so that when I bent forward, the camera didn't swing around or get in my way. But the sensation of the camera sitting against my hip provided constant feedback on its position at all times. And, when I wanted to take a shot, I simply reached down, grabbed the camera, and swung it forward and up to my eye. The extra length of the strap also ensured that my range of movement wasn’t restricted when using the camera. Finally, if I wanted to showcase the features and benefits of Lucky Straps leather camera straps, I could simply refer to the one I wore and demonstrate its features. And for the folks looking for a wrist strap, I also had my Fujifilm X70 with a Deluxe Wrist Strap on display on one of our trade tables.
So how does the Lucky Straps Slim 30 stand up to my three key criteria of comfort, creative freedom, and security? In truth, not only did it meet those expectations, but it exceeded them and changed my mind about which Lucky Straps leather camera strap is best for me. I find the Slim 30 to be incredibly comfortable to wear all day and (as the partying continued long into the night) all night! Granted, I was only carrying a compact, lightweight system, but the leather strap sat comfortably on my shoulder without digging in or causing discomfort. Plus, as I had it cross-body, it placed no pressure on my neck. I have a history of neck issues, and since my cervical fusion surgery, I avoid things impacting my neck like the plague! But the Slim 30 made little to no problems for my neck. That’s a tick for comfort.
As for creative freedom, I wore the Fujifilm X-E5 and 27mm pancake prime at all times throughout the festival. I wore it during the day when we were selling straps. I wore it all night as we partook in the BFOP shenanigans and festivities. And I wore it wherever we went, from the Bright Brewery to the local burger joints. I even took it out with me when I went on a walk to shoot some macro and check out the Alpine Light Gallery. Having a camera with me at all times means that I am always hunting light, compositions, and subjects. With the camera sitting on my hip, it took no time to cement the muscle memory of reaching down with my right hand to grab the camera and quickly bringing it up to my eye. I believe that an EDCC (Everyday Carry Camera) must be ready to take a shot at a moment's notice. That’s also a tick for creative comfort.
While security at BFOP wasn’t a big issue, it was reassuring to know my camera was always on my hip. I could feel it sitting against my hip, and that provided me great peace of mind. Since returning from BFOP, I have used this Slim 30 setup extensively on street walks around my hometown of Melbourne (Australia). I love that while wearing the strap cross-body, the camera sits (on my hip) right where my hand naturally falls. So if I am in a crowded, busy, or precarious situation, I can comfortably rest my right hand on my camera for added security and protection. And if it gets especially hectic, I can slide the camera to the front of my body while keeping it securely in my hand. That’s tick number three!
I found that the Lucky Straps Slim 30 Leather Camera Strap is the (new) best everyday carry solution, allowing me to connect with my craft in meaningful ways. Since discovering the joy of carrying my new Fujifilm X-E5 with a premium leather shoulder strap, I’ve been out and about on countless walks. In fact, I’ve found that this new carry solution encourages me to take my camera with me wherever I go. I’ve taken my Fujifilm with Slim 30 (recently upgraded to all black) to photography talks, gallery visits, shopping trips, family events, and on numerous street walks in town. Plus, as an EDC nerd (Everyday Carry), I love walking out the door with my Fujifilm X-E5 and 27mm prime on the Slim 30, plus a small Bellroy 2.5L Venture Ready sling containing only the essentials: iPhone, earbuds, wallet, keys, cleaning cloth, spare SD, and two spare batteries. I have everything I need for a day of hunting the light without overpacking my pockets, all while keeping both hands free. I’m thrilled to finally find a neck/shoulder strap that not only surpasses the short, cheap in-box straps packed with cameras (Fujifilm is just as bad as the other brands with this) but also has zero impact on my bad neck. Plus, what’s not to love about soft and supple, yet highly durable leather handcrafted into a gorgeous premium camera strap right here in Australia! That’s yet another tick from me. G
