There is a tradition common to automotive photographers, filmmakers and anyone who has ever tried to fix a camera outside of a car. You press the suction cup down, work the blade, pull it out, tell yourself it feels solid, and then spend the next 20 minutes in a state of perpetual fear. “Is it still there? Was that bump too much? How attached am I to this lens?”
In fact, although mountains have been the center of space photography for decades, the technology has changed very little. You stick with it, hoping you’ll find the camera still there, or sometimes you don’t. Now, the manufacturer of Allen bicycles has decided that trust should not be a product.
Borrowed from bicycle technology
The company’s Smart Suction platform was originally designed for bike racks for cars, where a failed mount means a lost bike rather than a lost camera. The system uses a Bluetooth pressure sensor embedded in the suction cup itself, monitoring whether the seal is holding. If the pressure drops, Allen’s app pushes an alert to your phone. It’s a straightforward idea, and in a way, it’s surprising that no one has done it sooner.
It’s new Smart Suction Snap (SB-03) brings the same technology to camera mounting, in a compact one-cup unit aimed directly at photographers, filmmakers and content creators. At $69 / £69, it sits at the affordable end of the accessory market: less than a good filter, much less than the camera you’re trying to protect.
Alex Allen, Allen’s managing director, says: “Suction-based mounts have long been popular with photographers and filmmakers, but reliability has been lacking. Snap, he says, provides real-time confirmation instead of crossing fingers.
How it works
The six-inch cup adheres to smooth, non-porous surfaces, including painted metal, car windshields, motorcycle windshields, boat hulls and skateboards. A precise ball head assembly sits on top, compatible with DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, camcorders and GoPro-style action cameras. Installation is tool-free; Spacing between shots takes seconds. Recommended size is 6.6lbs or 3kg.
The side monitor is compatible with the Allen app, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. For filmmakers filming from a moving vehicle, that combination is essential: you can keep an eye on the typing situation on the screen without having to reach for your car phone (very dangerous, illegal in many places).
The design is deliberately compact. The entire unit fits in a camera bag, jacket pocket or glove compartment, which is important when you’re quickly moving between locations or changing angles to shoot.
Worries, solved
The importance is mental as much as mechanical. Automotive and travel photography often involves expensive equipment in situations that would make many insurance brokers sweat. Even when the standard draw mount is completely safe, instability is a hindrance: it draws your attention from the composition, time and the real work of creating beautiful images.
Knowing that the sensor is actively monitoring the seal, and that your phone will tell you if something changes, is the kind of confidence that allows you to get on with the job. It’s a little more difficult to define a specific page than copy width or load weight, but it’s probably the most reliable description of what Allen is actually selling.
For photographers and filmmakers who have wanted to use a suction mount but don’t trust it, the Smart Suction Snap is a more compelling argument than any number of load ratings. Sometimes the most important part of the kit is the one that stops you from worrying.
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