DIY - compact ergonomic wrist strap for camera

When the weather is cold or it’s rainy I often wear camera with a small lens in a jacket pocket. Neck strap is too long for that and I’m switching to more compact wrist strap. In this article I’m sharing DIY guide on one of my favorite wrist strap design.




However, if you are looking for a good custom neck camera strap option - check this DIY guide on custom leather camera strap.


Materials needed for this DIY:

  • durable leather strap of about 1ft x 1/3″
  • copper/steel ring that fits camera eyelet and has 1/3″ inner diameter
  • durable double cap rivet



Tools required:

  • leather punch pliers
  • small pliers, ruler, cutter utility knife

First step is to create loop by folding one strap end, then marking position of rivet. Use puncher tool to make accurate holes. Then cut thin line to the right from hole to fit the rivet.



Now connect the loop with rivet.



Insert another end of strap into the loop. Then use puncher tool to create few holes close to each other to match the shape of camera eyelet.



Connect the strap to camera and secure with ring.



This strap has very simple design and is very reliable. I’m using them for many years with small lens, though sometimes also putting quite heavy lens up to 3 pounds on camera. Strap is self-securing and once put on wrist – camera can not fall even if I don’t hold it.


Two wearing options

Friends often asking what is the benefit of twisted loop I’ve used for DIY custom wrist camera strap. That decision is based on designing and daily using different wrist straps since 2013. In my opinion it feels most comfy when strap is repeating hand surface curves. I’m showing in this article how this strap can be used.


Typical purpose of using wrist strap is preventing camera from accidental drop damage. Or sometimes you may want to grab something else letting camera just hang on the wrist, especially if it’s not very heavy.



Twisted loop allows two most comfortable way of positioning the strap around around the wrist. First one is most intuitive:






Strap is gently touching wrist skin with flat surface everywhere. It allows quite loose loop, however it’s not possible to drop the camera because loop diameter is smaller than the wrist (you have to put camera on surface to loosen the loop and take out your wrist).


Second position is more discrete. You just need to flip the loop and insert wrist from the bottom:






Again, strap flat surface is smoothly repeating contours of your wrist allowing comfy loose loop. In this way strap is not visible at all if you are wearing long sleeves.