If you haven’t heard of the company Spider, perhaps you’re not deeply entrenched in the photography world. If you are a “photog”, no doubt you’re aware that Spider holsters are the “go to” for camera carrying systems intended to create a more innovative method for carrying your camera while on the job.
The company’s carry systems are designed to offer a comfortable and easy-to-access way of carrying your shooter while still protecting it. The SpiderLight Holster is their latest, and is designed specifically for those who carry an SLR or mirrorless camera setup.
SpiderLight Design
As the name suggests, SpiderLight is light, and adds little additional weight or bulk to your camera. The SpiderLight hooks directly to your belt, not your hip, and again because of its design and balance, you can barely feel the weight of your holstered camera.
The holster consists of two parts, the belt clip and the base plate. The construction of the SpiderLight is all stainless steel and aluminum, with a matte finish. The holster itself is constructed of aluminum with a stainless steel insert. The camera plate is crafted from heavy aluminum as well.
The belt clip is pretty self explanatory. It mounts to a belt or an additional backpack mount. There’s a release lever that allows for 2 separate positions, a secure position, which locks the camera in until you press the release lever, or the quick-draw position, which makes it easy to pull your camera out, but doesn’t secure it as well as the secure position. Traveling in the secure position, even on rough terrain, keeps your camera super tight on your person, and you can barely feel it.
The base plate is adjustable and strong, and you can adjust it using its two axes for a custom fit. Spider constructed the plate so it coule provide an ergonomic hanging advantage and still allow access to the battery door. The answer is a smart sliding attachment that can be flipped around to accommodate cameras with tripod mounts that are close to the battery door.
SpiderLight Operation
Operation-wise, the SpiderLight is so easy to use. The steel peg slides into a groove on the holster in such a way that the camera hangs inverted from the holster. A two-stage locking switch secures the camera in one of two ways: It locks the camera in place until you disengages it with a flick. Or, as mentioned, it can be completely disengaged to quickly retrieve your camera.
Incidentally, Spider also offers an adapter called the SpiderLight Backpacker that lets you put your SpiderHolster on your backpack’s shoulder straps for a better carrying option. Additionally, the SpiderLight also allows for the attachment of a tripod’s quick-release plate, if you use a tripod.
Bottom Line
The SpiderLight is a winner. It’s a very useful option for those with the mirrorless camera systems or smaller SLRs. Spider took everything it learned from its predecessor, the SpiderPro, and scaled it down for a more populated market. The SpiderLight is exceptionally well built, functional versatile, and the engineers thought of every little mechanical and ergonomic detail, especially for those using it in the field. Anyone seeking an alternative to the neck strap, this is your new camera accessory.
The SpiderLight Camera Holster sells for around $95, and you can purchase it Click Here.
