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Ask many photographers what would make their photography work or casual experience less stressful and tiring and more enjoyable and rewarding and many would say, “If only my hands were free when I’m not shooting, with no strap around my neck or over my shoulder.” The alternatives were few until Spider Holsters were brought to the marketplace. Read real customer reviews of the Spider Holster here.
Pros shooting weddings, fashion, nature and many other types of assignments would love to have their hands free to manage a shoot quicker and easier. Casual photographers strolling through entertainment venues with the family or hiking the trails of a national park want to eliminate the burden of carrying a camera all day with their hands, or dangling from their neck. Enter Spider Holsters.
As David Beckstead, known throughout the world as one of the best wedding photographers and a Spider Ambassador, said, “The Spider Holster allows me to keep my mind on the shoot without being concerned that my cameras straps or bags are going to impede my flexibility.”
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As you might expect from its name, the Spider Holster is a convenient, very secure system that puts your camera on your hip instead of around your neck. For serious amateurs and professionals, who shoot with a mid-size to high-end, full-frame DSLR, there are the SpiderPro Single or Dual Camera systems. The Black Widow kit is for casual photographers with compact cameras or new hobbyists with a lighter, entry-level DSLR.
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The Spider Holster concept is quite simple, which is also why it is so ingenious. You strap on the belt that comes with any of the kits, which is securely attached with heavy Velcro fasteners. The SpiderPro kit includes the bigger holster, which is made from stainless steel and cast in hardened aluminum. It slides onto the belt. You then attach the plate of cast aluminum alloy to your camera with a solid stainless steel pin. It screws into the bottom of your camera or the tripod mount on a lens. The exposed end of the pin is a tough, thick knob that slides into the appropriate slot on the plate.
Your camera hangs at your side and your hands are free. Easily release your camera with a small red thumb switch. Shoot your photos and then slide it back into position.
The Black Widow kit is a smaller version of the SpiderPro. You can add the Black Widow Belt Pad, so your camera is not pressing directly against your body. Plus, it has an elastic/Velcro loop that wraps around the lens to keep your gear even more secure if you’re walking much longer distances between shots.
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The Spider Holster was designed to be so versatile that you can use your own belt and just purchase the holster, plate and pin. Spider recommends that you only use a standard trouser belt if your gear weighs 2 lbs. (1kg) or less. For a camera/lens that weighs 2 to 4 lbs. (1 to 2kg), then the Black Widow belt, or the complete kit and the pad, is your best option. Equipment that weighs more than 5 lbs. (2.25kg) or more needs the SpiderPro Kit.
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Maybe, the best reason to strap on a Spider Holster, partner, is that it will make you quick on the trigger like a Wild West, six-gun shooter. You will be less likely to miss many of the photos that escaped whenever you’re fumbling with your camera around your neck or over your shoulder or in a camera bag. Plus, it simply looks cool. Many pros say walking into a wedding or other shoot with two cameras strap to their hips attracts plenty of attention.
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All of the Spider Holster kits and products can be ordered directly from the company’s Web site, spiderholster.com. The SpiderPro Single Camera System is $135; the Dual System, $235; and the Black Widow Kit, $65.99.
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