A startup company is aiming to create a more comfortable way to carry a camera — and with a “click” almost as satisfying as the sound of the shutter. SnapSnap isn’t the first camera strap to use a backpack to help keep the brunt of the weight off the photographer’s neck, but it uses a unique magnet system that easily attaches and then loosens the strap for shooting.
The SnapSnap attaches to front of the backpack’s shoulder straps. Magnets on the side of the camera strap secure it to the backpack, lifting the strap high enough that it sits off the neck, allowing the backpack to support most of the camera’s weight.
Since the system uses magnets, pulling the camera up to shooting level releases the system, offering the same mobility of a regular camera strap. When the shot is finished, the magnets click back into place with a quick lift of the straps, SnapSnap says.
SnapSnap, a new company based in Munich, Germany, aims to get the unique camera strap to market using a Kickstarter page expected to launch sometime this fall. Despite being in the early stages of development, SnapSnap has already won a Red-Dot Design Concept Award.
Unlike other straps designed to take the weight off by using a backpack, the SnapSnap attaches to the front of the camera, so there’s no awkward reaching for a clip on the back handle of the bag. The system is also a bit different because it’s not designed to hold the camera there during the entirety of the shoot, but releases with magnets for more range of motion.
The strap system is expected to list for $79 if the company is successful in launching with a Kickstarter, which is expected to go live later this month. Until then, photographers can sign-up to receive updates — and a free SnapSnap beta design — via email.