Pixioo Photography: How to Make a DIY Leather Camera Harness For Under $70

Tuesday, 6 June 2017

How to Make a DIY Leather Camera Harness For Under $70

Leather harnesses look super stylish, but they can cost upwards of $200 retail. What’s a cash-strapped photographer to do? French photographer Duncan Dimanche has a DIY solution for you, and it’ll only cost $70.

Dimanche guides you through the process in this short walkthrough video, showing how you can use two cheap leather belts from H&M and a few other bits and pieces of leather that can be found on Amazon to create your own leather gear harness on the cheap.

Here’s the full list of the materials you’ll need, complete with links. Note: Dimanche warns that the Amazon pieces are poor quality, so whilst this list is good as a reference, you may want to seek out higher-quality parts.

2 leather belts
2 Quick release clips with strap screws
Single cap rivets and tools
2 Safety straps
Cutting board and hammer
An extra belt for the sliders (or buy a pre-made slider if you wish)
2 metal D rings (same size as the belts)
Pen and measuring tape

Once you have your materials, making the harness is simple. All you have to do is loop the belts to make a figure-8, trying it on for size and then make a hole through both belts where you will insert a rivet to hold them together.

The sliders are then added to hold your gear. These can be purchased pretty cheaply on their own, but if you want to make your own, Dimanche shows you how to do that, too.

To make sliders, use an extra belt (an old one will do). Cut it in half, then make two adjacent holes on either end, before adding a D ring to one side and a snap hook on the other. Rivets are used to hold everything in place.

Finally, attach the strap screws to the lens or the camera with which you want to use the harness. Attach the sliders to your belt, hook them up, and you’re done! (Don’t forget to attach the safety tethers to be on the safe side, especially if you chose to make your own sliders).

As easy as this build is, it’s even easier to follow the instructions by watching Dimanche’s video while you work, so check that out up top. And if you like this DIY tutorial, visit Dimanche’s YouTube channel for gear reviews and other tips.

(via DIYP)