Spider Black Widow Holster

I swear this is not something that I got at the spur of the moment kind of thing.. I notice something during photo shoot, especially when you are using tripod outdoor in the dirt and in the open, where do you put your camera as you set up the tripod? I carry my "portable chair" which I use to put my camera on while I fiddle with the tripod. However I forsee that I cannot be lugging my backpack with the tripod and my "portable chair" all the time, so have to crack my head for the solution.

Part of the solution is to have the camera on with the strap, neck strap is a bit clumsy as you will have to bend down to close up or open the tripod and the camera on the neck strap will tend to swing to and fro. You can wear the strap across you body for more secure handling or even get on of those quick draw strap (which I already have). The draw back of these quick draw strap is that it need a solid anchor point on your camera and uses thick plate utilizing the tripod mount screw. This will add more bulk and weight to your camera setup.

Did some finger work on the internet, and came across the Spider camera holster system. They have two models out there, one for the heavyweight pro and the other is for the entry level dSLR camera. I also discovered that they do have an authorised dealer here, Cathay Photo, and I also did a price check and getting it locally will cost about the same on the internet, without the waiting time.

So off I went to Cathay Photo, the first opportunity that I can find and got the entry model the Black Widow Camera Holster system


Top picture the Black Widow holster with the thin plate for use with tripod mount. Each item sold separately and the Black Widow comes with holster, washer and the ball screw. It quite easy to see how the system work from the pictures, anyway all one have to do is to loop the belt ( can be your own belt or the belt from Spider) through the holster as such:-



Next is to fix the ball screw on the tripod mount as such:-


This is how the camera will end up:-


That's how you use it, the Black Widow strike me as something functional. The holster is shape in a contour to fit your hip and everything about the holster from the design to the finishing tell you it's good quality stuff and it's also light and not intrusive on your belt. The camera simply drop into the groove for the ball screw to slide in lock in place. The design is such that that camera will hang to you body and it will move with your movement, personally this give me a reassuring feel that your camera is by your side

The problem that lead me to the Black Widow is to move off/on the tripod and while doing this to secure the camera safely but the basic model will mean that I will need to remove the ball screw and replace that with my tripod quick release plate which mean more fiddling... fortunately the Black Widow has the accessories to overcome this,


the thin plate to be used with your tripod quick release plate! No more fiddling, just simply remove the camera from the tripod, slide it into the holster to free both your hand to fold up or expand your tripod or do whatever you want to do with both your hands!


The Black Widow also incorporate a clever fail safe design, that once you have slide in the holster it will lock, you will need to flick the red release switch to release the camera. This will prevent the camera from popping out of the holster.


As in any product or accessories that you use, there's limitation as to what the item can be use for. Although the design and usage is practical, however caution should also be taken, the equipment is expose therefore in extreme condition when hiking in rough terrain especially if the camera is not it use it should be stored in a safe place, otherwise if you experience a fall, the expose camera will be subject to the all bumps, rattle and etc, this is not only for the Black Widow but also for camera on the neck stray or even on the quick draw system. On a final note, the Black Widow is also ideal for those who have preference for hand strap when shooting, now you can rest your handle while the camera is in the holster.

Most important of all that I forgot to mentioned is the pricing!

The Black Widow Holster is retailed at $72 include GST. The thin plate is $23.

The item can also be purchased from ebay at $60 plus shipping $11.66 and the waiting time.

Here is the link for the product pricing from Cathay Photo [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] but it would be wise to call them up first to check if the product is still available, I pick up what seem to be the last second last piece of the Black Widow, I was also looking for the Black Widow Pad, but didn't see any displayed there.

Wow! Some poison you have there.. But does seem a bit clumsy having something so bulky at your waist. Anyway, if it works for you, then great! As for me, don't think i'll be comfortable with this. I'll stick to the traditional neck strap or hand grip.

Yes this is not meant for everyone, for me I'm using this so that I can have the use of both my hands. You may prefer neck strap to this not a problem, but hand strap? Your camera is still attached to you hand, you'll only have use of one hand and I don't see how you going to pack up your tripod or do anything else without putting down the camera, I rather get use to the bulk then putting my dSLR somewhere at the risk of the camera rolling down or toppling over.

I'm still trying out what's available out there to settle on the system to most suited to my photography. I kind like the use of the "portable chair", which can have many uses which include setting my butt down when I'm tired, but carrying so many equipment during photo shoot kind of wear you down.

good barang barang though.......