Fstoppers Reviews the SpiderLight Backpacker Kit: Ditch That Camera Strap Once and for All

Camera straps: can’t live with them, can’t live without them. The SpiderLight Backpacker Kit may be the answer to break free.

I use camera straps because I need to, not necessarily because I’d like to. With straps, they keep my camera out of the bag I’m always carrying and ready for action, and allow much more comfort for long shoots than handholding the camera body the entire time. What I don’t like is they always seem to be in the way when I’m actually using the camera, either uncomfortably sticking way too much or sliding off my shoulder while hiking, and they add vibrations and generally are annoying when on a tripod in windy conditions. Turns out, Spider has a product that was made for people like me.

The SpiderLight Backpacker Kit can lock on to any backpack or messenger shoulder strap, and allow the camera to hook into it securely via a specialized tripod mount. This means I can ditch the strap and still retain all its benefits.

How the Backpacker Kit arrives in the box is ready to use for most cameras. The good news is that they also designed everything with a little bit of extra attention so that one can get the product to work with the few cameras that may be a bit different from the norm. The instruction booklet inside the box has a couple easy modification to check out if struggling with getting things to align on the camera.

For example, the Sony a7R III is compatible with the SpiderLight right out of the box, however my Fujifilm X-T1 required I remove the tripod screw, rotate the mounting piece 180 degrees, and then screw the plate into the camera. This is not completely necessary, but with a camera like the X-T1, the tripod mount is located very close to the battery door, so otherwise I’d have to remove the plate every time I wanted to open the battery door. The simple modification only takes about a minute.

To get the mount attached to the backpack strap, it’s slightly more involved. After I did it once though, it all makes sense and I could do it easily thereafter without any instructions.

I tested the mount on four different camera bags with varying width shoulder straps, and all of them worked with the SpiderLight Backpacker. My favorite bag, the Tamrac G26 backpack, had the widest straps and it was a tight fit to get locked on, but it was manageable. One thing to note is that in order for the product to securely hold a camera, it uses deep teeth-looking notches and a tight clasping sandwich of plastic to grip the shoulder strap. Because of that, I wasn’t comfortable using the Backpacker Kit with my leather-strapped ONA bag fearing it would make a stamped imprint into the material.

Once the plate is fastened to the camera and the mount is on the backpack strap, the experience of using the Backpacker Kit is really quite good. I found it to be as comfortable to wear for the same duration as I’d have a strap slung on my shoulder. There’s a stretchy Velcro strap on the padded mount that can wrap around the camera lens to help stabilize the gear while skipping about.

The SpiderLight is designed with mirrorless or lightweight DSLRs in mind, so that is something to be aware of before purchasing. As you can imagine, the more weight added, the less comfortable it is to wear. I wore the SpiderLight with an a7R III and 100-400mm lens attached, and that was definitely at the limit in terms of weight and size for this product. In any case, having some gear left inside the backpack actually helps distribute the weight to be more comfortable with the camera strapped on the frontside.

There’s also a couple different “modes” that can be toggled with a switch. One way allows the camera to slide in and out of the holster with no lock, and the other will lock the camera in once inserted. To remove the camera, I just hold the release while sliding the camera back out and let go.

Another trick up the Backpacker Kit’s sleeve is that while holding a separate button, I can release the actual holster out from the strap mount. The holster has its own belt clip on the backside; very nice.

Price

On one hand, I would never spend $125 on a camera strap. So does that mean spending $125 on a system that replaces the camera strap should be out of the question as well?

On the other hand, this is cleverly designed and seems to be a high-quality product. With the Backpacker Kit, that long, annoying, dangling piece of material is finally gone. It also completely frees up my hand that would be used to help stabilize my camera down at my side while walking with a strap. It can even do a little more than a strap by turning into a GoPro POV mount or a temporary belt clip holster as well.

What I Liked

• Has not jammed trying to take my camera out.
• The holster pad blends in well with backpack straps.
• Arca Swiss-style tripod plate built in. This one is huge for me.
• Camera plate is versatile in its positioning on the camera body.
• D-ring tripod screw. No tools necessary.
• Can be mounted to a variety of strap widths, although wider straps do get difficult.
• The SpiderLight Holster can come off and be fixed to a belt in seconds.
• Comes with a GoPro adapter, although I didn’t test it out.

What I Didn’t Like

• The protruding ball bearing on the camera mount, while definitely functional, isn’t exactly svelte. Setting the camera down on a flat surface is the design at its most awkward.
• I wouldn’t be comfortable using this on my leather strapped bags because of the chance of leaving markings.

Conclusion

While the SpiderLight Backpacker Kit is priced more than most camera straps, the added benefits are worth it to me. I’m always photographing with a backpack on anyway, and I’ve spent a lot of time hiking around thinking of a way to better design a strap that worked in conjunction with my bag’s shoulder straps. Turns out, I needed to think more outside the box and remove the strap altogether.