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Sarah Tew/CNET
Spider Holster wants to give you a better grip on your digital SLR.
If you’ve ever used a hand strap, you may have noticed that it has a tendency to get in the way. Whether it’s when you’re trying to swap batteries or memory cards or when you pick up the camera for a quick shot without slipping your hand in.
Spider Holster, maker of Spider Camera Holsters and accessories, decided this was no way to live and redesigned the common hand strap to eliminate these pain points while making a universal, comfortable and secure strap.
The SpiderPro Hand Strap addresses most of these problems by going with an S-shaped design that curves back away from your camera’s hand grip. This puts the strap out of the way of the battery door (assuming you’re not using a plate that blocks it) and card compartment and, since it leaves the grip open at the front, you can just pick up the camera and shoot.
Spider Holster SpiderPro Hand Strap helps you get a grip (pictures)
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Its curve also puts the memory-foam-lined strap toward the bottom of your hand and closer to your wrist for better support. You can also snap on a second strap for added support.
A flat loop of thin but extremely durable proprietary material lets you connect the strap to your camera body between any quick-release plate you use on the bottom of your camera. Or you can opt to use the included 1/4-20 screw, one of Spider Holster’s pins for its holsters or a sling camera strap. Basically, it means you don’t need a special plate or connector to use the SpiderPro.
The top of the strap gets fed through the neck-strap connectors built into the camera or a strap eyelet (Spider includes one just in case you need it). You have to force a small tab into the eyelet along with a nylon strap to attach it. It’s not the easiest procedure and the instructions are a little unclear, but once attached it’s secure and can be quickly loosened and tightened.
I shot with one for several days and found it very comfortable and easy to slip in and out of. Also, with the secondary support strap attached, you can securely relax your grip when your camera is at your side, which is really nice.
The Spider Holster SpiderPro Hand Strap is available now in black for $65 (about £45 or AU$85), with red, cream and kodiak colors coming soon for $75 (about £50 or AU$95). If you’re just looking for a little extra support, there are definitely cheaper options out there. But, between the design and quality materials here, for anyone spending hours with a camera in their hand it’s money well spent.
