I always use the strap. When I drop the camera - which I don't do often but it happens - the camera is secure. When I give my camera to someone else to take a shot, I put the strap around their neck. It does get in the way a little, but a broken camera would be far more of a pain.Greg.

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Winner of the South West Rural section of the BBC's Picture of Britain Competition...

I use a strap (I'm talking DSLR here) all the time, but you do have to be careful. On the one hand, having a strap around your neck means that if you do accidentally drop $3000 worth of body and lens it won't hit the ground and suffer catastrophic damage. On the other hand, there are times when I've picked up the camera and the dangling strap has hooked something and nearly yanked the camera out of my hands, something that obviously wouldn't happen if the strap wasn't there in the first place..

My advice is to use a strap but be alert to the possibilty of it getting hooked on things if it's not around your neck .

Steve H.

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I've managed to raise four kids without dropping them....

I like shooting without a neckstrap, because it makes the camera feel like an extension of my hand (since I am always holding it), and not something dangling from my neck..

I do use this strap for a tad-extra protection:.

Http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...EG/Sunpak_620740_Contoured_Hand_Strap_for.html.

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And when I am not shooting, I holster it here:.

Http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...738-REG/Tamrac_568401_5684_Digital_Zoom_4.html.

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Warm regards,DOF..

I made a hand strap for my Canon 400d DSLR, out of an old neck strap. I find it more comfortable and secure with that..

MATT..

(Waves to Steve H from Adelaide).

I NEVER use the camera withtout the strap either around my neck, or wrapped over my wrist when shooting..

My wife and children have developed a reflex stoop whenever I hand them the camera!.

When walking around with the camera and it's not in a case, I usually hold it by the grip, even when the strap is over neck or shoulder. I really don't fell comfortable with the camera swinging where it could hit something as I walk past..

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Arrowman wrote:.

(Waves to Steve H from Adelaide).

(Waves back .

Steve H.

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Pretzelb wrote:.

Just curious if others use a strap or prefer not to and why..

I'll consider straps optional when I can do the same for gravity. Until then, using the strap is mandatory and was among the very first thing I taught my wife & kid about camera/binoc/guitar handling. On the very infrequent occassions I hand a camera to another I do so strap out and I don't let go until it's around that individual's neck..

Henry PosnerB&H Photo-Video, Inc...

Strap is virtually always on my neck when shooting (unless I'm lying sideways on the ground, etc.).

Like already mentioned, I always put the strap on someone's neck first before letting them shoot the camera... takes care of 'what if'...

Teila K. Day..

I think I'm convinced I need to keep the strap but I think my problem is that I'd like to have a system that would allow for quick changes. I never bought a comfort strap but that would be nice to have. But with my new Kata bag it would also be nice to use the built in straps it has to hang it from the bag in front of me. Then, I'd like to have something like the hand strap someone posted to go with my small Tamrac camera bag which has a strap of it's own..

I can find some of what I want but the big problem is the way you loop the strap in to the camera. I need to browse some more at the stores. Hopefully I can find something that won't require too much changing..

Thanks for the advice everyone..

Misc equip : Canon 610, Canon 400D, Canon 10D (about to sell), EF 50mm f/1.8 II, EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, EF 24mm f/2.8 (not so sure about)..