6 Best Leather Camera Strap in 2023

Looking for the best leather camera strap for your fancy new camera? Great – you’re in the right place!

Shotkit is well-known for its in-depth reviews, and introducing you to our favourite camera strap brands is something we take pride in.

Leather camera straps have surged in popularity alongside the release of several ‘retro-inspired’ DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

Then there are the film shooters, who always seem to opt for leather over nylon.

Remember – there are plenty of cheap and imitation leather camera straps available on Amazon and Etsy, but we strongly recommend against them!

Invest in the best leather strap for your precious camera – after all, it’s what’s holding it up!

Real leather can’t be beaten, and over time, it’ll look even more beautiful than the day you bought it.

Let’s jump into the recommendations.

Best Leather Camera Straps in 2023

Image	Product	Features
	Holdfast Gear Money MakerOUR #1 CHOICE	Extremely Durable Build Slick Design Great Value for Money Super Strong	View Price →
	Clever Supply Anchor StrapHIGHLY RECOMMENDED	High-quality Full-grain Leather Peak Design Anchors Comfortable Classy	View Price →
	Lucky Strap Simple 40POPULAR CHOICE	Comfortable Design Customizable High Quality Leather Durable Build	View Price →
	Gordy StrapBEST FOR WRIST	Stylish Design Handcrafted Material Durable Build Comfortable Design	View Price →
	ONA - The SahelGREAT VALUE	Premium Handcrafted Leather Custom Canvas Patch Comfortable Design Durable Build	View Price →

 

1. Holdfast Money Maker Leather Camera Strap

Quality leather camera straps are not just the property of street photographers wanting to glam up their Fuji X100V or Leica Q.

Many wedding and event photographers choose leather straps for a little bit of class to go with their good slacks and patent leather pointy shoes.

Aa a result, an incredibly popular leather camera strap is the Holdfast Money Maker Leather Camera Stap.

This is a great looking bit of gear thanks to the use of full-grain genuine leather and metal hardware. When worn over a shirt, it resembles an old-school TV-cop’s gun holster.

The Holdfast Money Maker is worn as a harness over both shoulders with cross support at the back. Two loops run under each arm and have trailing straps with connecting clasps on the end.

The beauty of this system is its ability to carry two camera bodies at the same time.

If you’re a wedding photographer, this is really useful as you may be using a wide lens on one body and a telephoto zoom on the other. You can literally let one camera hang by your side while you shoot with the other.

It’s very strong, durable and will easily hold a pair of bigger DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark IV with larger lenses.

The Holdfast Money Maker Leather Camera Strap comes in a range of sizes and also leather finishes. What’s more, it’s a comfortable strap system to use – even if you’re only using one camera.

The leather straps are broad and will soften with age. The camera attachment clips are durable and well-engineered, ensuring your gear is safe.

Keeping in mind that the Money Maker is two camera straps in one, at around US$200 (see the latest price here), you’re getting excellent value for money.

There’s also a very good chance that you’ll be more stylish than the wedding party! It really is one of the best leather camera straps out there, especially if you regularly work with two cameras.

2. Clever Supply Anchor Strap

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Looking for the practicality of Peak Design’s quick-release anchor fasteners, with the look of a classy leather strap? Read on to hear about the creative Clever Supply ‘Anchor Strap’, this may be a great option for you.

The leather is a high-quality full-grain which not only looks great, it also feels great. You’ll notice the ‘broken-in’ feel right out of the box which will just keep getting better with age making this a super comfy strap.

A great feature is this strap attaches to your camera using the Peak Design anchors, giving a quick-release function, classic and comfy design, that’s a win from us!

Tanned and hand-finished in the USA, this strap comes in three colours: black, chestnut and English tan.

The stylish design of this strap works perfectly with whichever colour you choose and whatever you’re wearing, making the Clever Supple strap ideal for photographers of all genres – formal to casual.

This strap is suitable for any camera, from mirrorless or DSLR to film. The Anchor strap comes in a range of sizes giving you the option to find a length that works best for you and your gear.

With this strap you’re hitting a trifecta – constructed to the highest quality, stylish and the best quick-release performance. This strap may not be the cheapest but it’s well worth the spend.

3. Lucky Straps Simple Leather Camera Strap

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Lucky Straps is an Australian company operating out of Bendigo, Victoria. They make exceptional leather products – from camera and guitar straps to passport wallets.

The Lucky Straps Simple Leather Camera Strap is a brilliant example of one of the best hand-made straps available.

The Simple Leather Strap is actually a range of heavy leather straps in three different widths: Simple 20 (20 mm) for smaller cameras, Simple 30 (30 mm) for mirrorless cameras and the Simple 50 (50 mm) for DSLRs.

But the choices don’t stop there – oh no readers, we have only just begun!

Each size in the Simple neck strap range comes in various colours, all made from premium genuine leather. In the Simple 30 line-up, there’s even a strap with black leather on one side and red on the other.

If you think you’re done with your decisions, you are mistaken. You can also choose a regular length (81 cm – 136 cm / 35″ – 53″) or long (113 cm – 161 cm / 44″ – 63″). It’s fantastic that getting a longer strap doesn’t change the price.

Finally, being a handcrafted product, the Lucky Straps Simple Leather Camera Strap can have customised logos and text embossed into the leather. The options to make this a personalised strap are endless.

Whatever your camera, there’s a strap to suit it and this ensures optimal comfort.

If your camera is on the heavy side then you would opt for the Simple 50. Carrying a smaller point and shoot, then the Simple 20 is best.

As well as the shoulder/neck straps, there’s also a range of wrist straps available.

Aside from the premium leather, each end of the strap is adorned with nylon webbing (Australian Made) that has a buckle for adjustment.

This webbing ends with loops that can be attached to split rings on camera lugs.

The Lucky Straps Simple range are not dainty thin little things – they are hardy and could easily double as a belt to keep your trousers up!

Not only are these leather camera straps durable and stylish – with a tonne of personalisation – but they are also highly affordable. At around $70, you’re getting a smashing deal.

As a product, camera straps are intended to keep your gear safe, secure and carried with minimal discomfort. The Lucky Straps Simple Leather Camera Strap ticks all of those boxes… twice!

4. Gordy Leather Wrist Strap

So far we’ve covered a range of brilliant, longer neck-straps that clearly make the cut as the best leather camera straps available.

The last product on our list – though by no means the least – is a gorgeous leather wrist strap.

Much like the options available for the Lucky Straps Simple range, the Gordy Leather Wrist Strap is a product that has endless customisations available.

What I love most about this strap (well, one of the things I love most) is that you can get it with a range of camera attachments – lug-mount with a split ring, string attachment for small cameras and a screw thread to attach to a tripod mount.

Beyond that, the Gordy Leather Wrist Strap looks simple enough but there’s a lot going on in terms of its design.

There are three different strap lengths ranging from 15 cm (6″) to 20 cm (8″) – great for those with bigger hands.

The main strap is a single length of leather available in four colours (black, burgundy, light brown or dark brown leather).

The leather forms a large loop for your hand and wrist to pass through – as well as a smaller loop to hold the metal split ring.

To separate these two loops, Gordy has employed a waxed thread binding that’s available in no less than 16 colours. When matched with any of the four leather colours, you can make some great contrasting combinations.

The main wrist loop can be cinched closed thanks to a rubber o-ring that encircles the leather.

As for strength and durability – the leather loop is first stitched and stapled together and this is covered by the waxed cord. The Gordy Leather Wrist Strap is very strong and the metal o-ring would probably give out before the leather shows any sign of weakness.

To round out your Gordy’s experience, there’s a range of bumpers to attach to your camera lug to protect the camera from scratches.

You can also purchase a leather wrist pad and a titanium quick-attachment kit – the later allows you to unclip the strap from the camera in a matter of seconds.

Another part about the Gordy Strap that I love is the price. You get one of the most highly praised leather camera straps for around $20 (see the latest price here) – plus thanks to the customisation options, you get to make it to your liking.

If you’re on the lookout for a premium leather camera wrist strap then the Gordy Leather Wrist Strap is the perfect solution. This is quite clearly one of the best leather camera straps we’ve seen, and one of the most affordable too.

• What is the best hand grip camera strap?

5. ONA Sahel Leather Camera Strap

We’re huge fans of ONA camera bags and straps, and you can find reviews of most of them here on Shotkit. The use of handcrafting techniques and premium materials is exquisite.

The ONA Sahel Leather Camera Strap is no exception and is just one of their many premium strap designs.

This is a strap that can be fitted to a DSLR provided that the attachment points are the long flat type. The ends of the strap thread through the metal lugs on the camera body.

One concern is that you cannot attach this strap easily to cameras that have the smaller lugs with the round eye – the kind that fit split rings.

Including a couple of split-rings with the strap would broaden the number of cameras it could be fitted to.

The Sahel is handcrafted from premium genuine leather and has a wide, neoprene-padded neckline/shoulder pad. The neoprene makes a huge difference to the comfort level.

From each end of the pad, thin leather adjustable straps extend the length up to 160 cm (63″). Here, metal buckles secure the strap length.

Having an adjustable strap is perfect as it allows the size to suit the photographer (we all have different body shapes and sizes, after all).

These thinner straps are attached to the shoulder pad via metal rivets ensuring a (stylish) secure connection.

The back of the shoulder pad has a canvas patch – this adds to the vintage look of the ONA Sahel Leather Camera Strap.

If you’re looking for a premium and very durable leather camera strap, I highly recommend the ONA Sahel. Not only will you and your gear look stylish, but at around US$109 you will be making a solid investment.

ONA gear is well regarded for a reason: they make the kind of gear that will last a lifetime and it only gets better with age.

ONA leather straps are no different and, as a result, they are some of the best available.

6. ONA Presidio Leather Camera Strap

There’s a very good reason why there are two ONA leather camera straps in this guide – as we stated with the ONA Sahel, this brand makes awesome vintage-style leather gear.

The ONA Presidio Leather Camera Strap is a brilliant example of what to look for in the best leather camera strap.

It’s made from handcrafted full-grain leather, waxed canvas and a soft neoprene insert in the neck/shoulder pad.

Combined with the use of durable, colour-matched stitching and all-metal hardware, it’s the kind of accessory that will never need replacing. Also, it’s rated to carry almost 3kg (6lbs) of camera gear.

The ONA Presidio neck strap comes in three real leather finishes and all have the same root-beer-stained thin connector straps.

This strap is designed to fit larger, full-frame cameras and lenses, and as a result, it’s built tough. Around half of the strap is a wide and well-padded shoulder/neck pad, which is accentuated by the use of stitching.

From each end of the pad, thinner leather straps are secured with metal rivets. These thin straps also have two sets of adjustable chrome buckles to allow for comfort.

The ONA Presidio extends to 160 cm (63″) making it perfect for any photographer. Personally, I love having the option to bring the camera up closer or have it hang lower.

True to the ONA brand, this strap is incredibly well constructed and comfortable to use. Once again though, it’s only designed to fit larger camera bodies that feature the long flat anchor lugs.

It would be great if it could be adapted to work with other camera lug types.

The ONA Presidio Leather Camera Strap is fantastic value for money at just over US$100 (see here for the latest price). For that price, you’re getting a vintage-style leather strap that’s incredibly strong and beautiful to behold.

The level of comfort experienced is priceless and, being a high-quality leather product, it will only get softer with time.

Do yourself a favour and check out the ONA Presidio or the ONA Sahel as two of the best leather camera straps we recommend.

How to Choose a Leather Camera Strap

To select a leather camera strap, it’s important to consider certain factors:

• Type – wrist or neck strap
• Number of cameras – single or dual
• Mount – tripod hole or side clips; standard or quick-release
• Safety catch – present or not
• Width – narrow or wide (typically for mirrorless/small cameras or DSLR/larger cameras)

As long as you opt for a 100% genuine leather camera strap, there’s not a whole lot of differentiators between the best brands when it comes to choosing a strap for your camera.

Some purveyors of the finest real leather will want a product that’s sourced from the USA, Australia, or any cattle-rearing country. This tends to assure the highest quality and longevity of your strap.

The better the leather quality, the better your strap will age and acquire that beautiful and distinctive look that’s impossible to recreate with cheaper leathers.

Our guide to the best leather camera strap is based on brands we know and trust for their high-quality products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do professional photographers use camera straps?

Yes. Many professional photographers use camera straps as they are often carrying more than one camera. For example, wedding photographers often use the Holdfast Money Maker as it’s stylish, comfortable and carries two cameras.

Are leather camera straps comfortable?

Good quality leather is an incredibly comfortable material. It’s naturally soft and only gets softer with age without losing its shape or stability. For cameras, a leather strap can be comfortably worn as a neck strap or over the shoulder.

What is a good camera strap length?

Camera strap length can be a personal choice. As a general rule, getting a leather camera strap with an adjustable length is best. A perfect example of this is the ONA Sahel Leather Camera Strap – it can adjust up to 160 cm (63″).

Final Words

Leather camera straps have long held a stigma as being too expensive and fancy for everyday photographers.

However, this is certainly not the case – especially when you look at our recommended range of premium leather camera straps at affordable prices.

There’s a broad range of quality leather straps with endless sizes, styles and customisation options. I love that more and more leather strap manufacturers are offering ways to personalise a product.

At the end of the day, a camera strap is designed to protect your gear and keep you comfortable while carrying it. There’s certainly no harm in doing both in style!