“A camera in hand is 60% more likely to be used than one that’s slung by its strap, 85% more likely than one in a shoulder bag, and 98% more likely than one in a backpack.” — Matthew Piers
This is probably why the iPhone has become the world’s most popular camera; a camera in your hand — or in your pocket, as is the case with the iPhone — is surely to capture the life in front of you.
A russet and white Gordy’s Camera Wrist Strap attached a black Olympus OM-D E-M10.
So, to that I say, why let your camera leave your hand at all?
And for that, I recommend a wrist strap.
Wrist straps are a dime a dozen on the internet these days. You can find all shapes and sizes to add to your camera. There are ergonomic straps, stylish straps, expensive straps, cheap straps. Anything.
A russet and red Gordy’s Camera Wrist Strap attached a silver Olympus OM-D E-M10.
Yet, Gordy’s Wrist Straps have found a way to become one of the most prevalent wrist straps you see. They are everywhere.
You guessed it: There’s a reason for that.
Gordy’s sells a few different straps with a couple customizable options. The team from Whidbey Island sells three different variations of its popular wrist strap, as well as six different variations of its shoulder straps. Each of these variations can be fine-tuned to your favourite colours and can be tailored to your preferences.
The lug mount wrist strap looks to be the most popular option, but you can also purchase a tripod mount strap instead.
I purchased the lug mount wrist strap after some consultation with some friends, and I’ve been pleased with the recommendation. From the cost of the strap, to its simplistic and minimalistic design, and to its surprising durability, the Gordy’s Wrist Strap has been nothing short of impressive. Let’s dig in.
Design
Gordy’s Wrist Strap has as minimal a design as one could hope for. A single strip of durable leather is tied together via a coloured cord. One end houses a ring to attach directly to your camera and the other slips around your wrist with ease.
Gordy’s Wrist Strap attaches to your camera’s lug mount via a key ring. The rubber ring beside the corded section slides up and down the strap to adjust to your wrist.
Adjusting the strap to your wrist is also a lesson in extreme simplicity. A rubber ring slides up and down the strap to tighten nicely to your wrist. The ring slides smoothly, especially considering the friction of the leather.
The strap can be optionally ordered with an octagonal strap bumper.
The only other major element of the standard Gordy’s Wrist Strap is the standout coloured cord. I chose the russet/white colour combination and I’m in love with it. There are many different combinations to choose from at the time of purchase. Just check out Gordy’s Colors page for all your choices.
The white corded section is very sturdy and will last a lifetime. The cord is tight and almost unbendable. This wrapping cord design stretches across all of Gordy’s straps.
The cording is sturdy and impeccably executed. I tried to bend the corded section, but the cord is very tightly wound and the strap hardly gives. The strength in the corded section of the strap is fairly impressive and it adds a truly unique style to all of Gordy’s straps.
All of Gordy’s straps have many options to choose from at the time of purchase aside from colour choices. You can add quick disconnect kits, o-ring bumpers, and wrist straps if you so please.
The octagonal strap bumper sits between the key ring and your camera, eliminating unwanted scratches and bruises.
Like the rest of the inexpensive package, the octagonal bumper is a mere $4. In hindsight, I should have spent the extra few dollars to protect the side of my camera.
The octagonal strap bumper helps protect the side of your camera from daily bumps and bruises. It’s made of the same leather as the rest of the wrist strap and shares the same strength qualities as well. For only four extra dollars, adding an extra bumper may help maintain some of your camera’s value in the long run.
From a design perspective, Gordy’s Wrist Strap is as simple as it gets. One piece of leather, one piece of cord, one rubber ring, and one metal ring combine to make as solid a strap as I could hope for.
Daily Use
The inside leather is softer than the outside, allowing for better comfort when on your wrist.
Much like its design, using Gordy’s Wrist Strap is simple and easy. It slides over your wrist and fits nicely between your thumb and index finger, yet doesn’t try to do much more than that.
You can carry the camera with the wrist strap running up the middle of your palm.
In contrast to the “palm method”, you can have the strap run through the webbing between your thumb and index finger. This is my preferred method as it allows a normal grip on the camera.
The inside leather finish is soft against your wrist and is comfortable for long periods of use. I haven’t seen any fraying or small pieces of leather wearing away from the underside of the leather, but this may happen after many years of use.
The outside leather finish is shinier and harder and requires some minor breaking in before the strap is at its peak. I pinched the leather together for a few minutes before attaching it to my camera and found the leather broke in quickly.
The ring attachment provides plenty of strength and handles mirrorless cameras with ease.
After viewing the Gordy’s “How Strong Are They?” page, I’ll never worry about my camera crashing to the ground from a broken strap ring.
After the strap has slid over your wrist, you don’t need to worry about your camera crashing to the ground. The metal ring attached to the camera is more than capable of handling the heaviest of DSLRs. Just glimpsing the photos on Gordy’s “How Strong Are They?” page should give you a good idea of the strap’s strength. Holding a mirrorless camera, like the Olympus OM-D E-M10, is a walk in the park for Gordy’s Strap.
When it’s time to bring the camera to your eye to shoot, Gordy’s Strap nicely stays out of the way. The rubber ring and corded section sit nicely in the webbing between your thumb and index finger and allow you to get a comfortable grip of the camera. You can also flip the strap around and have it rest in your palm, between your hand and the camera’s grip. I personally don’t like the strap in this position, as it takes away from your control of the camera itself.
Using Gordy’s Strap is as easy and as simple as its design. What you see is what you get. The strap fits nicely on your wrist, nicely between my thumb and index finger, and nicely at my waist when I’m not shooting. Adding the strap’s strength only makes using it that much easier.
Flaws
Since the strap is extremely simple, there’s little in the way to complain about.
Gordy’s Wrist Strap’s biggest flaw is the difficulty in removing the strap once it has been attached. The mounting ring is extremely strong, but this creates extreme difficulty in removing the strap. I essentially view this strap as a permanent fixture on my camera.
However, the single biggest flaw lies in the difficulty to remove the strap once it’s been attached. The strap attaches to the camera via a sturdy ring, and due to its incredible strength, requires some equally sturdy fingernails to pry the ring open for removal. I am extremely stubborn with key rings, and the moment I secure a key — or, in this case, a camera — via a key ring, I realize I am securing something for life. I have an incredibly hard time removing anything attached with a key ring, so Gordy’s Camera Strap is never coming off my E-M10.
You can purchase a quick disconnect kit at the time of purchase to improve the removal process, but I feel the kit takes away from the strap’s appeal. The strap is meant to look simple and minimal, so adding the quick disconnect kit obtrudes on the overall design.
Aside from the removal process, there’s next to nothing to complain about.
Especially considering the strap’s cost.
Cost and Alternatives
This is where my mind is blown each time I think about my Gordy’s Wrist Strap. It costs $18.
$18.
I understand the strap doesn’t have any excess material or high end pieces of leather, but an $18 camera accessory is comfortably in the “impulse buy” range. At $18, you can buy multiple straps with different colours for all your cameras.
The octagonal strap bumper and the quick disconnect kit push the cost of Gordy’s Wrist Strap a little higher, but the standard $18 strap is a phenomenal deal.
There are a few other options out there which may warrant the extra money.
- Tap & Dye’s beautiful Legacy Wrist Strap is gorgeous. It’s thicker than Gordy’s Wrist Strap and takes considerably longer to break in. Though, at $48, the Legacy Wrist Strap is considerably more expensive than Gordy’s Wrist Strap.
- DSPTCH’s shoulder and wrist strap system is also a great option for shooters looking to quickly interchange their shoulder and wrist straps. DSPTCH is great for its added flexibility, but the entire system will run about $80 altogether, or $32 for a wrist strap.
Considering the overall design, the simple usefulness, and the fairly durable materials, the cost of a Gordy’s Wrist Strap makes it an incredible value.
Wrap Up
Looking back at my first full year of camera ownership, I realize the importance of not skimping on great lenses. I certainly don’t regret spending the bulk of my time, effort, and money on great glass.
At a mere $18, Gordy’s Wrist Strap is an undeniably great buy and provides great value. There may be other options on the market, but this simple wrist strap looks to provide a fantastic combination of simplicity, usability, durability, and price.
Luckily, I’ve never had to spend large amounts of money to accessorize my camera gear. Once I had a lens or two I liked, Gordy’s Wrist Strap and its incredibly inexpensive cost seemed like a no-brainer.
I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about camera gear, but the Gordy’s Wrist Strap was the easiest decision I’ve made yet.