I bought a used camera recently and needed a camera strap, which led me to do a little on-line research about the better quality straps. I wasn't interested in the "best", the fanciest or one that "made a statement". I did want one that would hold the camera and that I could adjust to a comfortable length.
I found one at Wal-Mart for under ten dollars with a brand name "Coby" that wan't bad - it had the usual braided nylon straps that actually attached to the camera and a larger synthetic leather strap to actually go around my neck. That part wasn't too bad, although I suspect it would have taken a long time to get the creases out where it had been folded for store display.
Choosing a Strap is Just the Beginning
The Domke camera strap I recently bought for my used camera
In any event I had already ordered a strap made by camera bag manufacturer Domke from Amazon. I wouldn't have bothered with the fake leather strap except that the used camera actually arrived before the Domke strap and I wanted to have something on the camera for safety's sake. It made me regret having sold my Think Tank strap along with some other gear a while back. I'd have bought another Think Tank strap, but the Domke was cheaper and wider.
While I was looking for a strap and before deciding on the Domke, I read some of the user reviews on Amazon and noticed that some were complaining that the nylon ends were slipping during the course of a day's shooting. I also noticed that some of the manufacturer's images showed straps that were not correctly (that is to say securely) attached to the camera.
There's a Right Way and a Wrong Way to Attach a Strap
Don't do this!
Here's an example of how NOT to secure the strap.
There's also a really nice YouTube video that demonstrates not only the "right" way to put on the strap, but why the "wrong" way can fail.
Even though most cameras either come with a manual that shows the correct way to attach a strap or have one available for download, I thought I'd take a moment to show the correct way to do so and save you the time of locating your manual or trying to find it online. Actually, there are two options that I'm going to show you, one of which I prefer because it does away with the problem of "loose ends".
Two "Correct" Options to Consider
An example of a "loose end" on a Ona strap
The first option is the way most manuals show the strap being attached, including the manual for my Fuji and Canon cameras. What you do is thread the nylon strap through the eyelet on the camera, then take the part of the strap that's already in the buckle and pull a part of it through to make a loop that will give you enough slack to push the end of the strap through the "inside" of the buckle rather than the "outside". In this first alternative, you push the end through the side closest to the camera, into the loop you've made, and then back through the part of the buckle furthest from the camera . . .
Let's Try Some Illustrations
A picture may help you understand better than this post or even the well done YouTube video. The screen shot I've included here is from the manual for the Fujifilm X-T2 and shows this particular "correct" method, which is perfectly acceptable, except that the little plastic "holder" that is supposed to keep the loose end from sticking out inevitably slides off and allows the end to stick out (see the screen shot above that I captured from a review of one of the Ona Camera Straps).
At least when using the "correct" method the loose end winds up on the "inside" rather than the "outside" of the strap.
Still, while I'm not the sort to let that bother me . . . much, there is a better way.
The "Better" Way Eliminates Loose Ends
The Olympus Pen manuals demonstrate the alternative method that practically eliminates the problem of the loose end. I've pulled the illustration from the manual for the Olympus Pen F camera (which I'd love to have if I could justify yet another camera system), but Olympus has been using this method since at least the E-P5 and it's also the method used in the manuals for the Olympus OM-D system. Basically, instead of proceeding from the camera side of the buckle to the strap side, you go in the reverse direction. This results in the end of the strap being "trapped" between the "inbound" and "outbound" legs of the strap. This post from Wired Magazine attempts to explain the process - although I wasn't sure at first which option was being described. Again, the image above from the Olympus Pen F manual may help you understand this method.
An example of the "no loose ends" solution
Confused? If you follow the diagrams that I've "borrowed" from the Fuji and Olympus manuals and practice a little, you'll be able to manage it and you'll end up with a nice, neat and safe connection with your camera (or with your binoculars or other similar items).