# Canon Handstrap



## dstppy (Jan 9, 2012)

I bought this for my 60D and loved it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000C4G79/ref=wms_ohs_product

I bought another one (same link) but it shipped from another store for my 5D.

After a pain to install it (had to get a clearance bike helmet to get a long enough nylon strap to wrap to the tripod connector) it still felt uncomfortable.

That's when I noticed, it's not as wide as the one on my 60D and it's puffier (has stuffing).

Does anyone know where I can find a link to canon brand (both are embossed with the canon logo) hand straps that I can compare? I want to figure out which model this is so I can make sure I don't have a repeat problem.

Temporary fix was that I just scavenged the good one off the 60D 

Thanks Guys.


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## neuroanatomist (Jan 9, 2012)

The link is for the E1 strap, which requires a battery grip for attachment. There's also an E2 strap, which has its own tripod mount connector for a non-gripped/pro body. 

E1 at B&H

E2 at B&H


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## nebugeater (Jan 9, 2012)

Just out of curiosity, where they from two different third party sellers on Amazon. If it is not sold by Amazon but by a Third Party Amazon partner that would explain the difference. For the most part I only buy from Amazon direct. Look at you sales info and see if it says SOLD BY XXXX. I had this happen with some blackberry chargers. Bought the first set and they were OEM as detailed in the order. Bought additional ones from the same link knowing both times that they were third party partners but ended up getting generic ones from the second seller. Sent an email detailing my dislike since I knew I wanted OEM and the second seller sent me the ones that I wanted, and bought, along with a prepaid shipping label to send the first ones back. Each order was for 5 or 6 so it was worth it.


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## bigblue1ca (Jan 9, 2012)

That's not very good, I'd ship it back. Because if they are made by Canon they should be the same, unless the new one is a counterfeit Canon. I bought the E2 from B&H (linked above) a few months ago and love it.


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## neuroanatomist (Jan 9, 2012)

bigblue1ca said:


> I bought the E2 from B&H (linked above) a few months ago and love it.



Agreed. I use E1 straps on both my gripped bodies.


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## K-amps (Jan 9, 2012)

Why are they not popular in terms of shops having stock of Hand straps like these. My local shop has all kinds of straps but not hand/Palm straps. Amazon seems to be out, B&H says E1 is discontinued and E2 is out of stock... whats wrong here?


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## dstppy (Jan 9, 2012)

I'll take some pics later; the E1 shown from b&h is definitely what I was looking for that I have on my first. It works with the arca-swiss type baseplates.

First was received from Amazon, second was Cowboy Studio (3rd party vendor).

I think I tossed the packaging -- the wife's been on my case about leaving stuff dragging around but I think I recycled it, so I can dive into the 95-gallon bin when I get home 

I can't remember what it looked like to start with, so I'm wondering if it's just that my monster-sized paws have flattened it out over the process of a year. The E1 is so much of a "must have" for me that I'll preorder a baseplate and strap next time for sure.

Thanks guys.


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## kimloris (Jan 9, 2012)

Although not in the same price range and if you are not reluctant to have the Nikon brand attached to your Canon body, the Nikon AH-4 hand strap is really excellent.
The material is good leather and it feels really sturdy.
It comes with a plate (plastic) to screw to the tripod mount hole but if you have a Kirk camera plate, there is a loop to put a hand strap in. (just be sure of checking the loop design of the Nikon hand strap before trying to replace the "Nikon" plate with the Kirk one... I removed mine quickly and it took me a while to figure out if the loop should be inside or outside / reverse or direct)


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## DavidRiesenberg (Jan 9, 2012)

I have two E1 straps for my 5D and 7D. The first I bought is a Canon original from B&H and the second was some $6 knockoff from some chinese seller on eBay. Looking at them you can't tell the apart and only to touch, the material feels a bit different. Not better or worse, just different.


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## K-amps (Jan 9, 2012)

I have ordered one of these, will let you know how it sizes up. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120628939625?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

This works for me since I do not have the battery holder for my 5D. I can use the tripod mount to attach it, and it can then accept the tripod shoe on top of the holder so I don't lose any "holes" to mount the body if needed, after I have added the strap. Needs no additional hardware either. Also it has additional loop to connect a secondary shoulder strap if need be. Looks good on paper.


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## Harley (Jan 9, 2012)

I ordered this from Korea over the summer and it has been fantastic. Herringbone is the manufacturer. Padded, great materials, not hard to install, optional aluminum quick release plate (Manfrotto/Arca-Swiss compatible). Very secure.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Herringbone-Heritage-Hand-Grip-Camera-Strap-Black-Red-Stitch-Type1-w-Plate-/260926659761?pt=US_Camera_Straps_Hand_Grips&hash=item3cc070dcb1

Several colors available, but I opted for the black with red stitching. Looks great when I've got a L lens on the camera. Seems big enough to work with battery pack or larger body but I don't currently have a battery pack on my 7D.


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## dstppy (Jan 10, 2012)

I did some shots; did a dumpster-dive for the card attached to it; still have to find out if they'll take it back once it's opened and I don't have the bag.

Here's the shots; one more after this.


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## dstppy (Jan 10, 2012)

Last shots -- really good fake or just a crappy run?


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## neuroanatomist (Jan 10, 2012)

dstppy said:


> Last shots -- really good fake or just a crappy run?



I notice a few differences between the two. First, the cut is different (the one actually on the camera has an inward curve at the lower left, the free strap is straight). Second, the stitching is different - the one on the camera is 'coarser' and closer to the center of the folded-over portion, while the free one has finer stitching that's closer to the free edge. Finally, the leather of the one on the camera has more obvious texture.

I got two of them from B&H about several months apart, and both are identical and match the one attached to the camera.

Unfortunately, I think it's probably a fake. If you didn't have two of them, you'd probably never notice... I suppose it's also possible that Canon changed the style of the strap slightly.


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## bvukich (Jan 10, 2012)

dstppy said:


> Last shots -- really good fake or just a crappy run?



The one on the right, looks exactly like mine. The other one looks like a cheap fake.


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## waving_odd (Jan 10, 2012)

kimloris said:


> Although not in the same price range and if you are not reluctant to have the Nikon brand attached to your Canon body, the Nikon AH-4 hand strap is really excellent.
> The material is good leather and it feels really sturdy.
> It comes with a plate (plastic) to screw to the tripod mount hole but if you have a Kirk camera plate, there is a loop to put a hand strap in. (just be sure of checking the loop design of the Nikon hand strap before trying to replace the "Nikon" plate with the Kirk one... I removed mine quickly and it took me a while to figure out if the loop should be inside or outside / reverse or direct)



Had Nikon AH-4 too on my Canon's. It's in much better quality and design than the Canon E1. Its leather pad wraps around the dorsum of hand nicely and fits better (I let couple other people try it) than the E1. Its unique loop around the thumb side is the key to the 3-point stability that E1 is missing. But I also figure that the extra stability can also mean the more cumbersome when you want to put down the camera. Nikon's AH-4 reminds me of the good old one from Minolta...

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Nikon-AH-4-Leather-Hand-Grip-Review.aspx


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## bvukich (Jan 10, 2012)

Since we're (somewhat) on the topic, and I'm curious... How many people keep their index finger out of the handstrap, like in the attached picture?

My hands aren't exactly huge, but that's the only way mine fit comfortably, plus then I can still operate all the buttons.


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## bobthebrick (Jan 10, 2012)

I keep my finger out. Can't seem to workout where the shutter button is without it out. Really weird 

Thomas.


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## dstppy (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks for the replies guys; the package card looked genuine though. I'm going to see if I can return it. The "C" on the Canon logo is also not properly pressed into it.

I had the opteka one, then added the E1 strap because it was nicer, then ditched the bottom plate in lieu of the arca-swiss baseplate which was an excellent combination.

As for finger-out, I have pretty big hands so I like the strap actually further back on my hand, so it would be super loose (useless) for my wife or someone smaller to use it. This actually gives me enough control of the camera that I (occasionally) don't feel the need for the BlackRapid around my neck/shoulder.

I'll let you know how the return goes; "cowboystudio" gets great reviews for their no-name products on amazon like studio lighting, so I figured I'd give them a whirl. I'm a Prime subscriber, so I usually don't bother with 3rd party  Too impatient. Canon's website is even out of stock of the E1.

Thanks again for all the helpful posts.


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## awinphoto (Jan 10, 2012)

I have the E1 on my 7d... I dont have a grip on my 7d... I bought one of those cheapie ebay ones that comes with the mounting plate on the bottom of the camera and removed the ebay strap, added the E1... took some finesse because the plates want the nylon straps to bend in almost a 90 degree angle and when new... good luck. Anyways I got it to work and has served me well... I dont like the rubber inside feel of the ebay grips... and even the E2 that neuro posted, while nice, appears to be more narrow than the E1, and isn't quite the same...


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## dstppy (Jan 10, 2012)

Battery life on the 60D has been phenomenal and the 5D hasn't got much use, but I can see it's indicating drain already. At this point I have 4 batteries between the two from this last deal so I'm going to forego the grip until it's absolutely necessary.

I have one of these for each and they are ROCK solid for the handstrap; like part of the camera:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PC5D2-Canon-5d-mark-II-5dmkii-DSLR-Arca-Swiss-Plate-/120535560341?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c107ab095

neuroanatomist actually gave me some great suggestions when buying a tripod and I was able to modify the Manfrotto 468MG ballhead to accept arca-swiss and it's actually made using a tripod a pleasure rather than a "do I really want to go through that" experience.


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## dstppy (Jan 25, 2012)

Some follow-up; vendor always _seems_ willing to help, but after $4.75 to ship it back priority, they said they never got it. 

After sending them the tracking, I was told I would get a refund (surprise surprise) only the purchase price, not original shipping came back.

I'm done with Cowboy Studio; I filed an A-to-Z guarantee, but it serves me right for dealing with a 3rd party vendor. 

Looks like all of the big boys are still OOS for the E1  I'm sort of hung up on that grip since it's the one I'm used to.


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## K-amps (Jan 26, 2012)

awinphoto said:


> I have the E1 on my 7d... I dont have a grip on my 7d... I bought one of those cheapie ebay ones that comes with the mounting plate on the bottom of the camera and removed the ebay strap, added the E1... took some finesse because the plates want the nylon straps to bend in almost a 90 degree angle and when new... good luck. Anyways I got it to work and has served me well... I dont like the rubber inside feel of the ebay grips... and even the E2 that neuro posted, while nice, appears to be more narrow than the E1, and isn't quite the same...



Got my ebay grip.... works as advertized, however I wish I could feel more secure, it seems like something will give and my 5d will crash to the ground with the 70-200ii attached :'(


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## dstppy (Jan 26, 2012)

K-amps said:


> awinphoto said:
> 
> 
> > I have the E1 on my 7d... I dont have a grip on my 7d... I bought one of those cheapie ebay ones that comes with the mounting plate on the bottom of the camera and removed the ebay strap, added the E1... took some finesse because the plates want the nylon straps to bend in almost a 90 degree angle and when new... good luck. Anyways I got it to work and has served me well... I dont like the rubber inside feel of the ebay grips... and even the E2 that neuro posted, while nice, appears to be more narrow than the E1, and isn't quite the same...
> ...



Is it secured with a plastic piece? I love the arca-swiss plates that I have on both, they even have threading for a strap/other tripod mount but are secured so tight it feels like part of the camera.


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## K-amps (Jan 27, 2012)

dstppy said:


> Is it secured with a plastic piece? I love the arca-swiss plates that I have on both, they even have threading for a strap/other tripod mount but are secured so tight it feels like part of the camera.



Yes it is, but it does not inspire a lot of confidence, maybe it is my first time with such a strap.


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## dstppy (Jan 30, 2012)

K-amps said:


> Yes it is, but it does not inspire a lot of confidence, maybe it is my first time with such a strap.



You may consider trading out for one of the aluminum plates, I'd feel confident of those I'm using on the cameras now as much as the default socket.

One last update, checking basically ALL markets, it looks like these knock-offs are totally flooding 3rd party vendors at this point. Sort of stinks since I successfully was using both bodies for 2-different things at an event last weekend and was so glad I brought my 60D on top of shooting with the 5DmkII (one on the tripod the other on a sling) -- can't wait to secure another genuine hand strap.


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## neuroanatomist (Jan 30, 2012)

dstppy said:


> One last update, checking basically ALL markets, it looks like these knock-offs are totally flooding 3rd party vendors at this point. Sort of stinks since I successfully was using both bodies for 2-different things at an event last weekend and was so glad I brought my 60D on top of shooting with the 5DmkII (one on the tripod the other on a sling) -- can't wait to secure another genuine hand strap.



Interesting. B&H indicates that the E-1 Hand Strap has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available. 

I surmise that the E1 has been replaced by the E2 (the former only works with gripped/pro bodies, the latter with any body). Although B&H and Adorama list the E2 as out of stock, it's available directly from Canon USA. The tripod mount is removeable, meaning you can attach it to the top/bottom lugs on a gripped/pro body just like the E1. FWIW, Nikon's handstrap comes with a removeable body plate like the newer Canon E2. 

The E1 looks like a nicer strap - I'm glad I already have two of them...


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## Ryusui (Jan 30, 2012)

FWIW, the E1 is still on Canon's dealer pricelist, which was apparently updated 2012-01-09.


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## Michael_pfh (Jan 31, 2012)

Half of the 'n' is missing on the left one - definitely a fake!


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## dstppy (Jan 31, 2012)

neuroanatomist said:


> Interesting. B&H indicates that the E-1 Hand Strap has been discontinued by the manufacturer and is no longer available.
> 
> I surmise that the E1 has been replaced by the E2 (the former only works with gripped/pro bodies, the latter with any body). Although B&H and Adorama list the E2 as out of stock, it's available directly from Canon USA. The tripod mount is removeable, meaning you can attach it to the top/bottom lugs on a gripped/pro body just like the E1. FWIW, Nikon's handstrap comes with a removeable body plate like the newer Canon E2.
> 
> The E1 looks like a nicer strap - I'm glad I already have two of them...



I just got a used one from B&H, let's see how this turns out; it arrives today.


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## andy1983 (Feb 2, 2012)

Hi all I just received an E1 strap from a ebay seller, as soon a I opened it I could feel that it is a counterfeit  It is clearly inferior quality than the usual Canon accessories, the pad on the underside feels like tissue paper. I will be sending it back for a refund and trying to get hold of a genuine item, anybody know a trustworthy shop that might stock them?


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## dstppy (Feb 2, 2012)

andy1983 said:


> Hi all I just received an E1 strap from a ebay seller, as soon a I opened it I could feel that it is a counterfeit  It is clearly inferior quality than the usual Canon accessories, the pad on the underside feels like tissue paper. I will be sending it back for a refund and trying to get hold of a genuine item, anybody know a trustworthy shop that might stock them?


I think used will be your best bet. The B&H used one I got was just right. You can tell by the photos; the knockoffs aren't as wide and has a more curved shape.

I'm glad I got another one.


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