Hey everybody it’s Alex here,
ever since I got on board the mirrorless camera „movement“ I started to care about how my camera looks like. It is nothing I could explain but all of the sudden it mattered what bag I used and that the branded standard straps most cameras come with are kinda ugly. I’m actually a big fan of wrist straps since I find usual straps a little distracting and bulky of some sorts. So I used a matblac wriststrap for quite a while (read our review here) but at the end of last year I stumbled upon the instragram profile of a new strap brand that caught my eye. The name was 4V Design and these guys are putting together some beautiful straps with a unique twist to them.
Since Marie and my anual trip to cape town was coming at that time I was asking 4V if we could test some straps in real world conditions and they have been kind enough to provide two of their newest models for our mirrorless cameras.
is the companies go-to strap for bigger cameras like DSLRs, heavier mirrorless cameras and they even rate it for the use with medium format cameras. It is made out of leather with the companies signature lining and a carbon fiber top. They told me that the top is actually made out of real leather and then processed to feel and look like carbon fiber. I don’t know how these guys did it but it looks and feels amazing. The lining (the part that actually connects with your body) is made out of memory foam with some kind of silicon plastic cover. It is the most comfortable experience I had with a strap to this day. They also say it is peel resistant and in the past 3 months of heavy usage (most of it in hot country with a lot of sweat involved) this seems to be true. The strap is also „preformed“ to match your body and fits on your shoulder by itself. All the stitches, metal parts and especially the bits that connect to your camera are top-notch and the strap assures quality at every end which is a very good thing when you use it to transport your expensive gear with it.
comes in different sizes which makes it easy to pick one that fits your camera. Marie got the smallest available to accompany her Nikon 1. If you are like us and have a weak spot for well-made leather goods this is the strap to go. It just looks insanely stylish with the metal buckle above the actual padding piece. The leather just feels amazing and after 3 months of usage it starting to show the signs of usage which really makes that strap yours. Since the strap is made out of 2 different parts (the strap and the padding) 4V is able to offer some subtle color variations that should satisfy your fashion needs. The padding part is made of a top leather part and the actual padding which is build the same way as in the ALA-strap. 4V attention to details shows in this one with the stitching being in the same color as is the companies logo giving it that little extra bit of premium you would expect in such a high-value product.
4V Design is offering a lot more than these two straps and if they are all that well executed these will definitely not been the last straps we purchased. If you’re a looking for a high-quality strap to go along with your camera and value premium materials and a different approach than the rest of the industry make sure to give these guys a chance!
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Best,
Alex&Marie