Reviewing HEIPI’s Super Clamp & NEW Camera Backpack Clip

I’ve been a fan of HEIPI’s products ever since they launched their original travel tripod through Kickstarter. Their gear has always struck me as innovative and surprisingly underrated, especially considering how well it fits the needs of travel and outdoor photographers like me, at a fraction of the price of the big brands.

Recently, I was invited to do some early testing of two of their latest releases: the HEIPI Camera Backpack Clip K10 and the HEIPI Super Clamp – Sabertooth C100. I’ve been putting them through their paces over the past two months—both on my travels and during a few shoots out in the field.

Below, I’ll share my honest take on these two new HEIPI products, what makes them stand out (or not), and how they compare to other options out there for travel photographers.

Product Overviews

HEIPI have a knack for taking great ideas from the big brands and making them even better. Here's an overview of what these new products are all about.

Camera Backpack Clip K10: The Camera Backpack Clip K10 is HEIPI’s take on the classic quick-release camera clip, designed for lightweight portability and easy one-handed operation. It features a dual-wing design for lanyard or strap attachment, a secure locking system, and promises to hold up to 20 kg—more than enough for most setups. Compatible with Arca-Swiss plates, it’s meant to keep your camera locked to your backpack strap when hiking.

Sabertooth C100 Super Clamp: The Sabertooth C100 Super Clamp is a brand new innovation from HEIPI, designed to clamp onto just about anything—poles, tabletops, railings, you name it. Its 4-segment wrap-around design and adjustable front arm promise a super secure grip, even in tough shooting conditions. Weighing only 272 grams, it also doubles as a mini tripod alternative or handheld grip—perfect for travel photographers who want to keep things light.

Reviewing HEIPI's K10 Camera Backpack Clip

I used the K10 Camera Backpack Clip on my Atlas Adventure Camera Backpack during a few hikes and some shoots in the Queensland Wet Tropics rainforest. I’ve been using Peak Design’s capture clip for the past five years, so I’m pretty familiar with these kinds of products.

Here’s a breakdown of how to use the K10 and my honest experience to help you decide if it’s right for you.

Overall Design

The first thing I noticed about the K10 is that it’s a lot more “visually bold” than the Peak Design clip I’m used to. It features stylish wings on the sides that also serve as anchor points for thin camera straps, letting you hang your camera from your neck or shoulder.

The build quality—aluminium and rubber—feels solid, and I can see it lasting for years.

Personally, I prefer a more minimal design, but I do like the added functionality, though those wing “holes” are really only good for thinner camera straps, not the beefier ones you’d use with a big mirrorless rig.

Functionally, the K10 is also quite different from the Peak Design clip. Instead of sliding in and down to lock in, the camera plate locks straight in with a simple push. And it has a separate twist-locking mechanism that ensures your camera stays put.

I especially liked that it’s compatible with the Arca-Swiss standard, which meant I didn’t even have to swap out my usual baseplate to start using it.

How to Attach the Camera Clip

Unlike some other options that use bolt screws, the K10 uses a buckle-style design, making it easy to attach or remove without tools. I was a bit skeptical at first, but after trying it out, I can confirm it really does lock in tight and doesn’t budge.

You start by removing the little magnetic buckle (which is magnetic to the base plate for storage, though I could definitely see myself losing it, to be honest). Then, you slide the entire clip plate over your backpack strap and insert the locking buckle on the other side.

There are two locking positions to choose from, depending on the thickness of your strap.

My travel & hiking camera backpack has pretty thick, padded straps, so it took a bit of effort to get the plate on, but the larger setting did the trick.

Overall, it was straightforward to install, and I liked that no tools were needed to get it on or off. That said, for my setup, I’d probably just leave it on my backpack permanently and never really need to remove it anyway.

Testing HEIPI's Camera Clip

After using it for the past few months, I can say it does exactly what I need it to: keep my camera secure on my backpack strap and let me quickly grab it for a shot opportunity. It took a bit of time to get used to the unique locking and release mechanism, but once I figured it out, it felt natural and smooth—I was able to get the camera on and off very easily.

When I compare it to Peak Design’s Capture Clip, I’d say they perform pretty much the same. Both clips would take A LOT of force to tear off and are equally easy to disconnect when needed. They’re similarly priced, although I think HEIPI’s is slightly cheaper. Overall, I’m pretty impressed, and if you’re after a camera backpack clip for your travels, adventures, or hikes, I’d definitely recommend it.

Reviewing HEIPI's Sabertooth C100 Super Clamp

I tested the Sabertooth C100 Super Clamp during the same shoots and hikes in the Queensland Wet Tropics rainforest. Having used a range of clamps, arms, and mini tripods over the years, I was really curious to see how this new design would hold up.

Here’s my honest review and some insights to help you decide if it’s a good fit for your travel photography kit.

Overall Design

At first glance, the Sabertooth C100 looks pretty strange—I wasn’t even sure how to use it at first! But after flipping through the manual, it all made sense. It’s a solid little clamp that can wrap around or lock onto a huge variety of surfaces and promises to hold my heavy camera up.

The first thing I noticed about the Sabertooth C100 is that it’s way more compact than any mini tripod or clamp I’ve used before. Its four-segment wrap-around design with an adjustable front arm lets it clamp onto just about anything—poles, tabletops, railings, wet rainforest trees, you name it.

The build quality feels excellent. Solid, but not heavy, with the twisting and clamping mechanisms having no budge or looseness to them despite weighing just 272 grams (0.6 lb). There’s also an adjustable front arm to handle widths from 0.2 inches to 3.14 inches for flat surfaces, and 0.43 inches to 3.93 inches for round tubes, trees, or poles.

Using HEIPI's Sabertooth Super Clamp

The twist mechanism opens and closes the clamp, and there are four contact points that really lock it down for a super secure mount. The first time I tried it was on a wet, mossy tree—definitely a good test to see if the clamp would hold or slide off. At first, I didn’t set the foot in the right position and it was a bit loose, but once I checked the manual and adjusted the foot’s pad onto the tree properly, it was rock solid.

I really like how long the twist knob is—it gives you plenty of leverage for tightening down the clamp securely. Once I had it locked down, it was clear this thing wasn’t moving!

Next, I tried out the phone mount. I didn’t use the adjustable arm yet (I saved that for later with my camera), just screwed the phone mount straight into one of the three threaded holes (two 1/4” and one 3/8”, plus a 1/4” adapter included—very thoughtful!). It worked well, but without the adjustable arm, it was tricky to get the angle right. I’d say the adjustable arm is pretty much essential if you’re going to use this with your phone.

Since I mainly use this for travel and adventure photography, I quickly swapped out the phone mount for my HEIPI tripod head. I had to use the adapter screw, but it went on without any issues, and I reckon any brand’s tripod head would work fine as long as it’s got the standard threads.

I tested it with my Canon RP and a wide-aperture zoom lens—surprisingly sturdy. Then, I tested it with the adjustable arm, which puts more leverage on the clamp, but it still held firm and let me get some great slow-shutter shots of an epic waterfall up here in Far North Queensland without dragging out a huge tripod.

I did push it to the max by testing with my heavy 100-500mm lens—way above the recommended 10 lb limit—and yeah, it wasn’t stable enough for that. But for a mirrorless camera with a standard zoom lens and tripod head, it held up perfectly on multiple shoots, even when I was pushing the weight limit a bit.

Lastly, I clamped it to a flat table in the rainforest—an old, thick, uneven mossy table—another great test for the Sabertooth’s versatility. I had to flare out the feet a bit to get a secure grip on the uneven edge, but once I tightened it down, it was just as solid as the tree test. This camera wasn’t going anywhere!

Final Review

After a few months of real-world use, I’d say both of these HEIPI products have a place in a travel photographer’s kit—depending on what you’re after.

The K10 Backpack Clip is a well-built option for those who want quick camera access, especially if you’re already familiar with this type of system. I’m not completely sold on the buckle lock design myself, but the build quality and ease of use once you have the hang of it is great. I wouldn't say it outperforms the Peak Design Camera Clip, but it offers pretty much the same functionality and build quality at a cheaper price.

The Sabertooth C100 Super Clamp, though, has become a genuinely useful tool for me on the road that is turning a lot of heads. It’s an impressively versatile piece of gear that handled almost everything I threw at it—trees, tables, even rocky overhangs—giving me stable shots without hauling out a tripod on every hiking trail. It’s definitely something I’ll keep around for those times when a tripod isn’t practical, and will probably take it on some upcoming expeditions to give it a test in the high mountains.

Ultimately, these are two different tools for two different jobs, and if you’re traveling light or shooting on the go, both are worth checking out.