Peak Design Leash Camera Strap Review - A budget no-nonsense strap for light cameras
A new camera strap
After using a rope camera strap for years, I started to run into a couple of issues. I mainly wear the camera during trips, where I also carry a backpack. My backpack has a side access compartment where I reach for my other camera, which is digital, while I wear my analog camera around my neck. The problem is that my neck ends up carrying the full weight, and after walking around the entire day, hiking and visiting spots, it just gets tiring.
I didn’t want to get rid of the backpack or start buying straps in different lengths, so I began looking for something that was easily adjustable. At that point I didn’t have a big budget either, and that’s when I came across the Peak Design Leash, available for around 50 USD or EUR.
I had never used Peak Design products before, but I decided to give it a try and ordered the Leash in the Sage color to test both the functionality and the build quality. The strap uses a “Slider” design, which means you can adjust the length quickly depending on how you want to carry the camera. It comes with a pair of PD anchors, and those work really well. Removing the strap only takes a few seconds.
It’s a sleek product and very easy to use. On each side there’s a small leather tab you can pull to adjust the length, and I found that to be very intuitive. This can be an one-handed operation which is a small but important detail. Another thing I liked, which often gets overlooked, is how little space it takes up in your bag. You can just stuff it in there without thinking about it. That’s actually something I really appreciate.
I recently met a wedding photographer who was using this strap with a Sony A7IV and a large 70-200mm lens. She was also a fan of it. She could quickly adjust the length when switching between her main and secondary cameras. One stayed short around her neck while the other was worn on a longer strap over her shoulder. For heavier cameras though, I think the Peak Design Slide or Slide Lite would be more suitable, since those distribute the weight a bit better.
Feeling of material
Soft material. It feels pretty much like a seatbelt. Cuts a little bit in neck skin after prolonged use, so adjust your t-shirt where needed so the strap goes over your t-shirt.
Longevity
The Peak Design anchors are very reliable. Strap lugs feel good as well as the adjustment clips. This actually feels very high quality and I’m sure this will last me for years. A great design decision is that if the anchor’s wire becomes yellow after years of use, it’s recommended to replace it as that’s the inner core.
Use with different cameras
Thanks to the anchors it’s easy to swap the strap to another camera. Honestly I haven’t done it as much, as my other camera just has a wrist strap. Perhaps I should grab the PD wrist strap some day… Another upside is that you can easily connect other PD products. (like the Slide or Slide Lite)
The Leash also comes with a small bracket that you can screw in your tripod mount, in which you loop a PD anchor through. This might give your camera a downward position which might be more comfortable for specific cameras. For my Leica M2 I’d prefer it to stay upright, so I haven’t used this bracket yet.
Possible improvements
If there’s something I’d have to “complain” about, that is if you put your camera away on a shelf, there is no real nice way to fold the strap or something like that. I’m wondering if there could be some smartness with the PD anchors or some kind of folding clip where we can fold up the strap nicely. Perhaps something for the next version?
I do wonder if it would be possible to combine the aesthetics of a rope strap with the kind of adjustment system this one uses. Personally, I think rope straps, like the ones from Artisan and Artist, or a nice leather strap, just look better on Leica M bodies. This strap feels a bit more like tech gear rather than something classic. But maybe that’s not really the market Peak Design is focused on… ;)
