BEST TIPS AND HOW-TO'S FOR LEATHER CAMERA STRAPS & BAGS

How to clean my 4V leather strap and bag?

Dear Customers, Photographers and Friends,

 

We receive many questions and inquiries about how to take care of our beautiful 4V leather accessories.

A while ago we started a project to offer our own cleaning and maintenance kit.

It is our style to always look for something special and perfect. We are never fully satisfied with standard products and solutions.

We are working with a company leader in cleaning and maintenance products for leather goods. Hopefully we will be able to create our own exclusive product and share it with you.

 

In the meanwhile we offer you some suggestions about how to take care of your precious strap and bag.

 

It is very important to understand that 4V Design straps are made of natural Tuscany Lather, vegatable tanned and treated with no chemicals.

This leather used by 4V Design is very rich in natural greases. For this reason it is important not to treat our products with too much or too rich greases

This is very different from the usual leather normally used in the industry, treated with Chrome and other strong chemicals, that dries out all the natural grease of the leather.

 

In any case the leather we use if very strong and robust. The Tuscany Leather has a very long history that covers many centuries. It was initially used for working tools and it is the most durable and strong leather known. So do not be afraid of using it.

 

SMALL SCRATCHES 

A good way to gently polish and recover the strap from small scratches or dirt is to gently rub it with your hands and fingers.

It is important that your hands are somehow “soft” with no dry skin that may cause extra scratches to it.

A workable practice it also to gently soften your hands with a very small quantity of hand cream, better if  made with natural ingredients like glycerin or Vaseline

Make sure the cream is absorbed and then gently “massage” the strap.

Very little oil, cream, grease is required, due to fact our leather is already rich in natural grease.

 

DEEPER CLEANING/REFRESHING FOR A SHINY LEATHER AND DEEPER COLORS

It is possible to use specific products for leather goods. Better to use creams/wax and not liquids. Better if based on natural ingredients like beeswax

Never apply the cream directly on the strap, but always first apply the cream on a cloth or a sponge. Clean the excess off the sponge-cloth, and then gently massage-apply to the strap/bag.

Leave it for a very short amount of time, around 30 sec, and then dry, clean and polish with a very soft and thin microfiber cloth, like the ones used to clear glasses, LCD screens or camera lenses.

The Tuscany leather will shine so beautifully after this treatment.

 

Hope this suggestion can be useful.

 

In case you have any other question or doubt you are welcome to write to us at info@4vdesign.it



How to: The Heavy-Duty camera connection

4V Design straps have a very safe and strong connection system, thanks to the materials used and the special design.

The Universal attachment is designed to be attached using different connecting methods.

For more details the standard attachment method please take a look at this video. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YONWLeWWMs

For heavier pro equipment we recommend a special “Heavy Duty” way to connect the metal buckle on the attachment strap. This loop solution together with our special materials will make the strap absolutely super safe.

This “Heavy Duty” attachment method is also very useful in case you need to get a shorter length setting on the trap, especially for the ERGO and CLASSIC straps

For more details please take a look at the enclosed PDF


Download attachment




FAQ


4V Desinged developed this beautiful leather especially for Leather Camera Straps

This leather is exclusive to 4V Deisgn and it is made through a unique process.

It is based on a full grain leather on the top of which it is laminated a very thin layer of a special polymer. The leather so treated is then pressed under a hot steel panel that transfers onto the leather the carbon fiber 3D patter. The uniqueness about this leather is that the final result is not glossy but matt, and the feel of it exactly identical to the one of the real carbon fiber. The surface is not flat, but it is identical to the 3D effect of the woven carbon fiber textile. The steel plate 3D carbon patter is identical to the carbon fiber used by Ferrari and Lamborghini. This why it looks so beautiful and unique. The 4V carbon leather is very soft, like the original leather, and offers the same feel of the woven carbon fiber.

This special leather offers an extremely high abrasion resistance. The special polymer is deeply melted into the leather porosities so there is not any danger of peeling.

The properties of this unique leather make it a perfect material to produce leather camera straps. It ensures durability, abrasion resistance, splash proof properties, all ideal for a high quality camera strap.

 


Camera strap market is divided in two: Professional/Technical camera straps on one side and Luxury/Fashion camera straps on the other.

Professional/Technical straps are dedicated to large professional equipment. They are large and not suitable to mirrorless cameras. They offer some padding, usually neoprene, are all made of the same black material. Most of the differentiation is based on the hardware and different camera attachment solutions.

On the other hand luxury/fashion camera straps offer all a very similar look. They are made of leather, or leather and textile, are usually smaller and designed for compact, mirrorless and film cameras. They look very nice but lack of comfort and functionality. They hardly come with any padding, have a limited length adjustment, and completely lack of any high-tech material and camera attachment solutions. Camera leather straps are usually made of too tender a leather, with limited durability, and manufactured with a very basic design, usually hold together by rivets instead of stitching. The soft lather is used to try to offer some kind of comfort, at the expenses of durability.

The lack of technology in leather camera straps depends on the manufacturer background. Fashion/luxury camera accessories brands have little or no experience in developing metal or plastic hardware.

4V Design straps are the only ones able to combine a top quality luxury leather manufacturing with high-tech solutions and materials that surpass professional straps. 4V straps are the ideal accessory to complement not only the latest generation of advanced mirrorless cameras, but also for professional DSLR’s and Medium Format equipment.

4V Design camera straps combine the best of the two worlds: style, beauty, luxury, design are combined to comfort, durability, high-tech solutions, advanced camera attachments and the quality of the best Italian craftsmanship.

This is achieved by a complex design and development process. 4V Design staff has a long track record in camera supports and digital cameras development for the industry top leading brands. The manufacturing model is also unique: All technical materials are researched, developed and sourced directly by 4V Design R&D and then shipped to small artisan laboratories around Florence for production. These laboratories offer an incredible level of quality and are highly skilled in traditional leather craftsmanship.

4V straps offer a rich memory foam padding, Ultra-Grip technology, hand painted edges for extra comfort, high strength camera attachments, unique patent pending solutions and much more.

This is why 4V Design camera straps are so unique, innovative and able to offer a tangible improvement of the shooting experience.


It is true, in the market there are several nice leather camera bags available.

All of them are mostly derived from fashion-luxury leather bag designs adapted to photographic use.

All full leather bags available in the market, when compared to textile professional bags, they share the same common drawbacks.

- First problem is the weight: camera leather bags are very heavy, most of the times heavier than the camera kit they carry.

- Second problem is equipment safety: camera leather bags do not use zippers, or use them in few pockets only. Pockets and compartments mostly do not have a closing system, are usually open or closed with snap buttons. This is not adequate for photography as small and precious accessories can be easily lost (filters, memory cards, caps, cleaning accessories, cables etc.)

- Third problem is storage capacity: camera leather bags maintain the same size ratio of fashion bags. The inner space is not used efficiently. The equipment needs to be squeezed in and the bags tend to take an unnatural shape. When loaded with photo equipment no space is left for personal belongings. This forces the photographers to carry a second bag or compromise in the equipment carried.

- Fourth problem is bottom protection: all textile camera pro bags offer a great protection of the bag bottom part, by means of special anti-abrasion materials and plastic inserts. It is extremely surprising that camera leather bags have a very basic full leather bottom with no protection against abrasion and wet surfaces. The floor construction is indeed the weakest point of current camera leather bags.

4V Design camera leather bags are not derived from fashion leather bags, but are specifically developed for photo application to address the common issues of the other camera leather bags.

4V bags are much lighter thanks to the unique “Superleggera” construction, all compartments are sealed with YKK zippers for extra safety, the size ratio allows for a more efficient storage of the photo equipment and leave plenty of room for personal belongings. The floor offers a highly reinforced construction with metal feet that keep the leather off the ground, even with the bag fully loaded. This ensures an exceptional durability, also on wet surfaces.

4V Design bags offer other key advantages, like the padded carry strap with “Ultra-Grip” technology for a great comfort, the amazing Tuscany leather and the top quality Italian craftsmanship. 4V Bags also include a removable padded photo insert with a clever pocket system for extra accessories. Thanks to this removable insert 4V bags can be used as an everyday luxury bag for leisure, business and commuting.


4V Design is a privately own and independent company, highly specialized in desing, development and production of leather camera accessories, like leather camera straps and leather camera bags.

It does not belong to any business or investing group and it is self-funded.

This ensures that the main stake holders of 4V Design are its customers.

We are very proud to say that customer satisfaction drives the decisions and remains the main mission and goal of the company.

All 4V Design camera bags and camera straps are designed, developed and handmade in Italy using ethically surced and enviromenthal friendly materials.

Especially the leather used for camera straps and bags is very unique. It is the original Tuscany Leather, handmade in the area around Florence following a very ancient process. This process is based on vegetable origin treatments, and does not use any chemicals, like for insance the highly poisoning Chrome.

The result is a soft, rich and long lasting fantastic leather, that doesn't harm to the skin, doesn't generate allergic reactions, and will last a lifetime. It is the ideal leather for camera straps and camera bags.

For more examples take a look at:

ALA TOP CAMERA STRAP

SELLA CAMERA STRAP

VERSIS SYSTEM MODULAR CAMERA STRAP


Great care is invested in using durable and environmental/user friendly materials.

4V uses the original Tuscany leather only, produced by hand accordingly to an ancient process. No harmful chemicals are used, but substances derived from natural vegetables only. This leather is rich in natural grease, with a wonderful unique scent, and will last forever. Very gentle on the human skin, it doesn’t generate any allergic reaction.

All metal accessories are nickel-free in order to avoid any possible allergenic reaction and to be environmental friendly.

All raw materials used by 4V Design are mostly manufactured in Italy or in Germany. This ensures a higher degree of environmental protection compared to industrial activities carried out in lower cost countries.


4V Design is the new kid on the block of the camera accessory industry. It is an independent privately own company, that despite its young age, has a strong experience in product development, especially in the photo and leather goods industry.

All about 4V is unique and different, company background, design philosophy, manufacturing model and products, of course.

4V products are definitely out of any standard and not comparable to others. Materials, design, technical solutions are unique and exceed customers’ expectations.

The secret is a unique cocktail of experience, location and philosophy.

4V products are handcrafted in Italy by small artisanal laboratories that also collaborate with the major luxury and fashion Italian Brands. The traditional Italian old-school leather craftsmanship is absolutely state of the art in strong opposition to the low-cost country manufacturing style.

The state of the art Italian craftsmanship is matched to an incredible set of precious, innovative and high-tech materials. No other brand has the ability to combine into the same product the legendary Vegetable Tanned Tuscany Leather with high-tech technology like the Exclusive Ultra-Grip, Carbon Fiber finishing, the Superleggera bag concept, memory foam and Polyamide webbings.

The combination of old-school manufacturing and high-tech materials represents the unique soul of the Italian Design culture: rooted in a glorious past, and at the same time able to develop technological excellence. 4V Design is based in the northeast of Italy, the most lively industrial district of the Country, where all the major sport goods brands are based: Dainese, Alpinestars, Nordica, Benetton Sport System, Salewa, Geox among the others.

Raw materials and components used are also made in Italy. They are researched, developed and purchased directly by 4V Design. Most of them are custom made to 4V specifications. Materials are then stocked in 4V warehouse and distributed to the artisan laboratories for assembly and stitching. This unusual business model offers indisputable advantages in terms of design freedom, product development and performance excellence. It also helps protecting the unicity of 4V products, making them impossible to imitate.

Great care is invested in using durable and environmental/user friendly materials. 4V uses the original Tuscany leather only, produced by hand accordingly to an ancient process. No harmful chemicals are used, but substances derived from natural vegetables only. This leather is rich in natural grease, with a wonderful unique scent, and will last forever. Very gentle on the human skin, it doesn’t generate any allergic reaction.

All metal accessories are nickel-free.


4V Design products are not made out of plastic material or stamped from a tooling.

They are handmade with natural leather. The leather, the stitching and  the hand painting have some natural variations. This is the essence and beauty of artisan hand-made products.

In the store the customer may take a look at the straps and she-he may prefer one strap over the other one. The same happens when people buy a pair of handmade leather shoes or expensive leather garments. Some people like to choose various pairs until they find the one with the grain of leather they prefer the most.

This doesn’t mean that the other shoes or jackets are defective. Just the grain of the leather, the color or the stitching is a little bit different.

Some small marks, veins, color differences, fading area etc are inherent of the natural leather used and are the beauty of our products.

All our straps and bags are quality inspected twice before being shipped: when we receive from our artisan laboratories and when we pack them before shipping.

All items are inspected, cleaned, greased and small leather marks due to workmanship are smoothened out.

The beauty of our leather is that any small mark can be easily polished just with a small massage of the fingers.


Depending on the model and size, 4V Design straps may include in the packaging a small polybag that contains some optional attachment and accessories.

The name we give to this accessory kit is "Fit Kit".

At 4V Design we prefer to offer our straps with all the available accessories included in the price of the strap to offer a better service and higher value. Other strap brands do not include the optional accessories with the strap, and the accessory kit is sold separately.

The component of this "Fit Kit" come in the polybag and are not installed on the camera strap.

The reason fo this are the following:

1 – If the optional accessories are in a separate polybag as a kit, it is easier to understand which accessories are incuded in the packaging.

2 – In case a customer wants to test the strap on his-her camera before purchasing it, in most of the cases the fit kit is not used, but the strap is installed on the original split rings or directly on the camera (especially in the case of a Canon camera for 4V straps with the Universal Attachment). If the the accessories were already installed on the strap, then the dealer and/or customers have to remove the parts from the strap. In this case there is the danger of losing the parts of the fit kit.

3 – Some kits include optional attachments that cannot be used all at the same time. In these cases the customer has to decide which one she-he wants to use and leave the others in the bag. It is more efficient and tidy to keep all the accessories together and leave up to the customer to decide which one fits her-him better.

 

 


Dear Customers, Photographers and Friends,

 

We receive many questions and inquiries about how to take care of our beautiful 4V leather accessories.

A while ago we started a project to offer our own cleaning and maintenance kit.

It is our style to always look for something special and perfect. We are never fully satisfied with standard products and solutions.

We are working with a company leader in cleaning and maintenance products for leather goods. Hopefully we will be able to create our own exclusive product and share it with you.

 

In the meanwhile we offer you some suggestions about how to take care of your precious strap and bag.

 

It is very important to understand that 4V Design straps are made of natural Tuscany Lather, vegatable tanned and treated with no chemicals.

This leather used by 4V Design is very rich in natural greases. For this reason it is important not to treat our products with too much or too rich greases

This is very different from the usual leather normally used in the industry, treated with Chrome and other strong chemicals, that dries out all the natural grease of the leather.

 

In any case the leather we use if very strong and robust. The Tuscany Leather has a very long history that covers many centuries. It was initially used for working tools and it is the most durable and strong leather known. So do not be afraid of using it.

 

SMALL SCRATCHES 

A good way to gently polish and recover the strap from small scratches or dirt is to gently rub it with your hands and fingers.

It is important that your hands are somehow “soft” with no dry skin that may cause extra scratches to it.

A workable practice it also to gently soften your hands with a very small quantity of hand cream, better if  made with natural ingredients like glycerin or Vaseline

Make sure the cream is absorbed and then gently “massage” the strap.

Very little oil, cream, grease is required, due to fact our leather is already rich in natural grease.

 

DEEPER CLEANING/REFRESHING FOR A SHINY LEATHER AND DEEPER COLORS

It is possible to use specific products for leather goods. Better to use creams/wax and not liquids. Better if based on natural ingredients like beeswax

Never apply the cream directly on the strap, but always first apply the cream on a cloth or a sponge. Clean the excess off the sponge-cloth, and then gently massage-apply to the strap/bag.

Leave it for a very short amount of time, around 30 sec, and then dry, clean and polish with a very soft and thin microfiber cloth, like the ones used to clear glasses, LCD screens or camera lenses.

The Tuscany leather will shine so beautifully after this treatment.

 

Hope this suggestion can be useful.

 

In case you have any other question or doubt you are welcome to write to us at info@4vdesign.it


4V Design Sella Strap Adjstment

The lenght of the Sella Strap is adjusted by means of the buckle on the pad.

To acheve the maximum lenght the buckle must be inserted on the last hole as for the above image.


The Lusso Large and Classic Large have the same width of the strap (20mm) and the same size and shape of the shoulder pad.

The differences are the following:

Shoulder pad foam

  • The Lusso features a special memory foam. This foam offers a superior comfort and durability. It adapts to any surface. It is close cells type, so taht it does not absorb water. It is faster to retur to its original shape and thus it offers more stability to the strap
  • The Classic features a high-performance quality foam, made in Italy. It is not a memory foam and it is not close cell.

Shoulder Pad Lining (the inside part of the pad facing toward the skin-body)

  • The Lusso feature the exclusive 4V "Ultra-Grip" Technolog. This technology offers a long list of great advantages.
    • Safety and Stability: the "Ultra-Grip" offers a great grip on every surface (skin, clothing, furniture etc.) under any conditions (wet or dry). No more worries about dropping your camera frm the shoulder
    • Durability: the "ultra-Grip" is washable and wil last for very long time. It is cooked at high temperature and it will never peel-off
    • Higiene: the "ultra-Grip" does not absorb water, dirt and sweat. It cannot be colonized by microbes
    • Anti-allergic: it is made by a special silicon based material that is doesn't cause any allergy
  • The Classic strap features a more traditional soft suede lining. It is made by a hig-performance suede coming from sport goods applications. It guarantees a long life and a very high comfort tahnksto the ultr-soft fibers.

Strap construction

  • The Lusso strap is made by a 20mm wide high quality cotton band. This cotton band is made in Italy by a renowed manufacturer. It offers a very soft yet firm stable support. The strap ends are made in Tuscany lather and beautifully stitched
  • The Classic strap is made of one layer of thick Tuscany saddle leather band, 20mm wide. This leather is very strong and durable. Compared to competitors straps, it offer a superior stability over time since it doesn't stretch. Over time it gets softer and softer and more beaitiful.

Lenght Adjustability

  • The Lusso large offers a wide adjustabilty range by means of one buckle-slider. Lenght can be adjusted from 100 to 132cm. Thanks to this lenght range it is a very versatyle strap that can be used in the traditional way around the neck or across the chest. It is very conveninet to be carried on one shoulder thanks to the "ultra-Grip"Technology that makes it very safe indeed.
  • The Classic Large is designed to be mostly carried in the traditional way as a neck strap. It can also be used on the shoulder and across the chest. The lenght is adjustable at both strap ends by means of the two camera attachment buckles. The lenght adjustment range is 100-115cm

The Sella is our latest development and it is really a great strap.

It got a softer and longer pad than the Lusso Collection. It offers a unique and very distinctive design with the large brass buckle. The ingenious length adjustment system works very well and offer a very wide length adjustment range making it extremely versatyle.

In terms of size, it is a “more substantial” strap compared to the Lusso Medium and Slim, but for sure it’d look not too big and it'd really look great on your beautiful Fuji X Pro2.

We used it on our Old Canon Canonet and old Olympus OM, which got a very similar size of the X Pro 2. It works very well and looks great.

The Carbon/Black Sella features gun-metal finishing metal buckles that 100% matches the finishing of the Fuji metal strap attachment.

Here below the size comparison between Lusso Slim, Medium and Sella.

 

  Pad Lenght cm Pad width cm
Lusso Slim 18,5 2,7
Lusso Medium 18,5 3,5
Sella 24 4-4,5

 You can get an idea of the look and size by the following images:

 


For heavier pro equipment we recommend a special “Heavy Duty” way to connect the metal buckle on the attachment strap. This loop solution together with our special materials will make the strap absolutely super safe.

This “Heavy Duty” attachment method is also very useful in case you need to get a shorter length setting on the trap, especially for the ERGO and CLASSIC straps

Do not forget that 4V Design straps can take a max load of more than 20Kg (44lbs).

For more details please take a look at the HOW-TO section of our web site.

For more details the standard attachment method please take a look at this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YONWLeWWMs

 

 


Padding

Both ALA TOP and ALA feature the same overall design. The Pre-curved design makes them unique and exceptionally comfortable.

Versatility is at the top thanks to a very wide length adjustment, the unique folding loop and the tow options of Universal Fit or Ring fit.

They should be the favorite for long shooting sessions due to the longest padding.

Foam

ALA TOP is more comfortable compared to ALA thanks to the memory foam padding. ALA feature a high performance foam, thick and rich, that offers a very good comfort, much better than the other straps available in the market.

With Ultra-grip

ALA TOP is super safe tanks to the Ultra-Grip.

95% of people love the ultra-grip and are absolutely delighted by the feeling it provides.

It is perfect for people on the move. Wherever you place the camera it will stay regardless of how you wear it: on the neck, on one shoulder, across the chest.

Ultra-grip is also more durable and hygienic

Without Ultra-Grip

ALA doesn’t feature the Ultra-Grip, but a technical microfiber.

The reason we developed the ALA is that the 5% of the users still likes to have a strap that slides on the shoulder when used as a fast sling strap.

You can do the same with the ultra-grip, but it takes a little bit of time to get used to it.

Look

ALA TOP are fully made of leather. The Carbon version offers a beautiful carbon fiber look leather, specifically developed for photographic applications, being non-reflective. Leather, especially the carbon look one, offers a higher resistance to dump shooting conditions

ALA are made of leather and cotton canvas and offer a more classic look, perfect to match the leather-canvas bags and any other classic photo equipment

Please take a look at this video too for some more info about the ALA and ALA TOP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4E0S91Af0w


4V Design straps feature a unique attachment band. It derives from military applications and it is made of 100% Polyamide.

The band is thin, soft and comfortable, and yet very strong and resistant to tear, wear and cut like no others.

It also features a special custom herringbone design and a very compact fibers configurations.

The stitching does work very well and holds much better than on standard bands.

The thread is high tensile strength, made in Italy, the same used in top quality trekking boots.

Thanks to the above each single 4V Design camera attachments can hold more than 15Kg (33lbs).

A neck strap (with two attachments) can hold over 30Kg (66lbs) of max load.

Such a max load is clearly much higher than any professional equipment a photographer would reasonably carry on the neck, shoulder or on the wrist. For this reason we usually declare 10kg max loaf for each attachment and 20kg for straps with two attachments.


Nikon's are more versatile than Canon as far as straps attachment is concerned.

On your Nikon you can use both Universal and Ring fit.

Canon users can use Universal fit only.

 Universal VS Ring

 The choice between Ring and Universal attachment is very personal.

In our opinion Ring looks more classic and beautiful, while Universal can be more functional and versatile, depending on the use.

On my DSLR I personally use the Ring. It works perfectly and it looks great.

The Universal offers a little bit more length adjustment and it is probably more comfortable in long shooting sessions.

The universal comes also with free fit-kit with metal rings and leather protectors. Thanks to the included fit-kit the universal attachment can be a very convenient solution that almost combines the best of the two systems.

 Considering the “sporty look” of your D4 we would recommend you the Universal attachment.

In any case the final choice is all yours.

To see more please take a look at this video about how to install a universal attachment strap + fit-kit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YONWLeWWMs



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