Last Updated on 08/11/2017 by Chris Gampat
It's been a while since the Peak Design Leash and Cuff were released, and besides putting out a number of camera bags, the company has been focusing on trying to revamp these two straps. Peak Design, who first got famous off of the idea that you don't really need a camera strap if you use their Capture Clip, created the Peak Design Leash and Peak Design Cuff in response to their customers asking for straps. So with that in mind, it's no surprise the camera straps are still designed to work with their lineup of other products including their camera bags. Today, Peak Design is announcing their new camera straps on Kickstarter, and I've had a number of weeks to play with the new straps.
Tech Specs and Features
Leash
- New all aluminum anodized hardware
- New low-profile dual aluminum/Hypalon quick-adjustment system
- Anchor connectors revamped – more secure, fast, and lower profile than ever
- New low-profile Anchor Mount for varying your strap configuration
- New ultra-smooth twist-resistant nylon webbing with tighter, more durable weave
- Premium materials and refined aesthetics for touch/stress point
- Choose from new Black and Ash color-ways
Cuff
- New all aluminum anodized hardware
- New 1-handed adjusting design
- Adjuster locks in open wrist loop position
- Magnetic wrist lock for storing as a bracelet
- Anchor connectors revamped – more secure, fast, lower profile than ever
- New ultra-smooth twist resistant nylon webbing with tighter, more durable weave
- Premium materials and refined aesthetics
- Choose from new Black and Ash color-ways
Ergonomics
Let's start with the Peak Design Cuff: it's a wrist strap that has a very nice aesthetic upgrade with the addition of leather and the overall look. It's almost night and day as this strap actually looks like something I'd want to use. But not only is it not so terrible on the eyes, but it's rated to be able to hold 200lbs–even if your hand can't. Part of this has to do with the materials used. The Peak Design dots have been improved to use a material that only becomes tougher as wear and tear occur. And they still connect to the strap using the slip-disc utility.
See that silver part? That's how you can adjust the strap. You can do this easily by squeezing it just a bit. There's also a magnet on the strap to attach itself to the bottom component.
The bottom of your camera, or the tripod shoe, will be where the Peak Design Cuff attaches to. It affixes itself using a Hex Key. Amazingly, it doesn't really come loose easily.
So now let's move onto the Peak Design Leash. This strap is also rated to hold 200lbs; and during my testing I didn't only use it with the Lomography Lomo'Instant but the Canon 6D Mk II. For the most part, it will look like a very standard strap. And for the most part (purposefully repeating myself) it sort of is. The Peak Design Leash uses the same dot system as the Cuff and adjusts using a similar system to many other camera straps.
Here's where you'll connect the Leash. These dots come aplenty in every box.
Using these two latches, you'll be able to adjust the length of the camera strap. They do a great job of holding it in place where it needs to be.
What I found pretty amazing was using this strap with the Canon 6D Mk II and a 70-200mm lens and the Sony a7r II with the 100-400mm lens.
Build Quality
Both straps are built very well. They're durable in every single way and they're also pretty comfortable when you use them with film cameras, point and shoots, or mirrorless cameras. But the heavier the cameras get the more uncomfortable they can become. The reason for this has to do with their lack of padding. Why Peak Design decided not to give these straps any sort of padding is beyond me. A shoulder pad or even cushier material would have been greatly appreciated for the heavier cameras and lenses. If Peak Design included some sort of extra padding for these straps that would drive their value over the top and be an absolute no brainer. But again, this really has to do with using full frame and high end APS-C DSLR cameras or medium format mirrorless cameras like the Fujifilm GFX 50s. If you're using a Fujifilm X Pro 2, Sony a7r II, Canon Rebel T7i or other cameras with very little weight and a small, equally lightweight lens, then you won't face any sort of trouble. In a situation like that, these straps are easily likable and will most likely remain permanently tethered to your camera.
Ease of Use
The Peak Design Leash and the Peak Design Cuff are both fantastic camera straps and pretty simple to use if you simply read the directions clearly printed on the packaging. Peak Design uses a lot of magnets in the packaging and the inside insert tells you all about the strap and how to use them. They're much unlike many of the other more traditional camera straps that use split rings, buckles, looping and threading, and instead go for connection systems, magnets, hex keys, and an overall system that requires more turning and twisting than the snappiness of the otherwise industry standard camera straps.
With that said, these straps are designed to give more of an emphasis on functionality than many other straps out there. But at the same time, they're also trying to be stylish. Peak Design does a good job with style when it comes to most folks, but for those us who adore much more canvas, leather, nickel, etc. (and there are tons of you who adore this classic look) you may only be satiated by the Peak Design Cuff due to the inclusion of leather.
Conclusions
The Peak Design Leash and Peak Design Cuff are nice enough for most folks. The Cuff will appeal more to those with a discerning taste while both will have really big appeal to those who use mirrorless cameras mostly. If you like big, heavy, medium format cameras, then consider using the Leash with some sort of padding that you can probably rip off of a Think Tank bag or something.
But otherwise, Peak Design has done a solid job with these two straps overall. We give them four out of five stars.