'Official' Nikon Hand Strap II Review

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I was in the market for a hand-strap. Nikon offers a AH-4 hand-strap for their cameras, but that accessory is over $70 USD. Not something you buy without knowing if it 'suits' you. Sure, I could get the official AH-4, and find out after a couple of days that it's not my cup of tea. Chances are slim that the store will get it back with a full refund, since it's used.

So I started to look around for a cheaper option, and I found one (well, several) on eBay. This Nikon Hand-Strap II is supposed to be official in/from Korea, but even the Korean Nikon website only shows the original AH-4. So it's a (cheap) knock-off, but that didn't keep me from getting one.

Nikon Hand-Strap II

Nikon Hand-Strap II

I got the imitation at around $15USD (incl. shipping etc.), andit was delivered in an envelope with bubble-foil without a box or anything else. The manual was in Korean (or something), but had all the Nikon logos to make it more genuine (which shows that logos don't mean anything).

I removed the supplied Arca-Style lens-plate, since I have an L-plate which luckily can be used with a hand-strap. After I got everything in place I noticed that the strap for securing the contraption around the wrist loosened easily (no friction). It turned out that they (the manufacturer) didn't attach the plastic buckle correctly.

After removing the buckle (which needed a little scissor action), and attaching it correctly the wristband stayed put.

Initial experiences with the strap are positive. Will use it in a couple of shoots, and when it really works for me, I'll be getting the real deal. If I do, I'll post a comparison between the two (knock-off versus the real-thing).

Posted on August 16, 2010 and filed under Photography, Review.