The Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap is a stylish option that’s soft to the touch and incredibly practical.
For fashion-forward photographers in search of a new wrist strap for their cameras, Vi Vante’s Bengal Unleashed wrist strap may be just what they’re looking for. Made of ultra-soft lambskin leather, the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed camera wrist strap is one of the most comfortable wrist straps I’ve tried to date. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from the ho-hum camera strap included with your camera, or prefer the lower profile nature of wrist straps over traditional neck straps, the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap is worth considering.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Soft and comfortable leather
- Durable construction
- Low profile design
Cons
- Really only suitable with rangefinder-style cameras
- The split ring and protective leather tab limits the strap’s range of motion when attached to a camera body
Gear Used
We tested the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap with a Sony A7R III, a Leica M4, and a variety of different lenses.
Specs
Specs for the Vi Vante “Bengal Unleashed” Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap taken from Vi Vante’s official product page.
- The ultra soft Lambskin leather and the flat braid make it unparalleled in comfort; with a buttery smooth feel that is very gratifying to use.
- A lot of research and development went into the design. The strap not only looks unique but can safely support the weight of the camera entirely.
- Our braid is also the most stylish on the market and it looks like a bracelet when wearing. This is a wrist strap you will look forward to using, prepare yourself for the compliments.
- Total Length: 8.5 inches /21.5 cm
- This strap will only be offered in black.
Ergonomics
The Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap is seen here attached to a Leica M4. Made from ultra-soft lambskin leather, the main body of the wrist strap features a supple and smooth flat braid design. When worn around your wrist, the strap feels very comfortable.
The Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap attaches to your camera via a built-in split ring. A leather protective tab is integrated into the strap and designed to prevent the split ring from rubbing up against the camera body. We’ve used other straps that attach via split rings sans protective tabs and have never found them to scuff up camera bodies in any significant way. To be honest, these “battle scars” can add to the patina of a camera and give it a well-loved and well-used look. If anything, the leather protective tab actual limits the range of motion you have when wearing the strap around your wrist. Where other cameras would be able to swing freely, the combination of the split ring and leather tab makes it so that you are only able to move the strap up and down. It’s far from a deal-breaker, but may be annoying for some photographers depending on how they grip their cameras.
Build Quality
If you’ve used one of Vi Vante’s other leather camera straps before, the Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap features the same durable construction. Having used it with a Sony A7R III as well as a Leica M4 for the last few months, we didn’t notice any fraying or signs of wear. To be perfectly honest, well-worn leather tends to develop a beautiful patina to it anyway, so it’s best not to worry about babying the strap too much. As we continue to use this wrist strap we’re confident it will become even softer and develop a unique look that gives it even more character.
Ease of Use
As far as wrist straps go, the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap is straightforward to use. Once you’ve attached it to your camera body, feed your wrist through the braided leather loop, and you’re ready to go shooting. We found it to be the most comfortable when attached to smaller rangefinder-style camera bodies rather than larger SLR-style cameras with big lenses. While the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed doesn’t feature an adjustable cuff, the weight of your camera should keep it from slipping off your wrist.
The only thing remotely challenging about using the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed is the process of feeding the split ring through the attachment point on your camera body. The included leather protective tab is thick enough that it actually took us a few tries before we were able to successfully attach the strap onto a Leica M4. If you’re someone who doesn’t switch between camera bodies often, this is a minor inconvenience that you rarely have to deal with. For people like myself that shoot with a variety of cameras, a version of the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed that featured some sort of a quick attachment/detachment mechanism would certainly be appreciate. This would make switching the strap between different camera bodies less of a chore.
Conclusions
As far as camera wrist straps go, the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap leans toward the pricier side. As the old adage goes, though, you get what you pay for. And for US $112, what you’re getting with the Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed is a handsomely constructed, comfortable, and durable leather wrist strap. This is a stylish wrist strap that will look and feel right at home when paired with a vintage rangefinder camera. Of course, there are other wrist straps on the market that offer a better range of motion, but unless you’re one of those people who likes to swing your camera around like it’s a flail, this is far from a deal-breaker.
The Vi Vante Bengal Unleashed Lambskin Leather Camera Wrist Strap earns four out of five stars.
