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Category: Support

  • Impact Double Ball Joint Head: any angle, locked solid

    The verdict

    Baby pins on both ends (one 3/8″, one 1/4″-20) and a ratcheting handle — an easy way to point a camera or light at an awkward angle, then lock it rock-solid.

    What’s good
    ✓  A baby pin on each side (3/8″ and 1/4″-20) mounts almost anything
    ✓  Ratcheting handle loosens and locks the joint
    ✓  Extremely strong once tightened — the pins don’t budge
    ✓  Works in super clamps
    Worth knowing
    ·  B&H sent these to test and review

    Worth keeping a couple in the kit for mounting a camera or light to a stand or clamp at any angle.

    Where to buy

    Impact Double Ball Joint Head

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Smallrig 4092 cage: one cage for every Lumix body

    The verdict

    A do-it-all cage that fits almost any Lumix body — S5 II, S5 IIX, S1 II, S1R II, S1 IIE — so useful I ended up buying three.

    What’s good
    ✓  Works across the whole Lumix lineup — buy the cage once, use it on every body
    ✓  NATO rails on top and side for handles
    ✓  Built-in Arca plate on the bottom, plus 1/4″-20 and 3/8″ threads throughout
    ✓  Integrated tool that stores on the bottom; still reach every knob and the record button
    Worth knowing
    ·  It’s a cage — adds a bit of size and weight, as any cage does

    It attaches with a bottom screw and locking side pieces, stays comfortable in the hand, and integrates cleanly with the Lumix grip.

    Where to buy

    Smallrig 4092 Cage for Lumix

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Leaplumin Arca clamp: an Arca dovetail on both ends

    The verdict

    A clever Arca clamp with an Arca dovetail on the bottom too — so you can re-orient a plate, adapt a gimbal, magic arm or tripod, and still trust it with a real camera.

    What’s good
    ✓  Arca clamp on top and an Arca dovetail on the bottom — redirect a plate’s orientation
    ✓  3/8″ screw, two 1/4″-20s, and a 1/4″-to-3/8″ adapter in the box
    ✓  Anti-drop safety so it won’t slide straight off
    ✓  Knurled knob tightens easily; feels sturdy and high quality
    Worth knowing
    ·  It’s an adapter — one more link in the chain if you don’t need the re-orientation

    I use these to hang cameras from the ceiling as well as on tripods, magic arms and other accessories — anywhere I want to standardize on Arca.

    Where to buy

    Leaplumin Arca-Swiss Clamp

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Impact Super Clamp with T-Handle: grip for tight spaces

    The verdict

    A super clamp with a T-handle that’s ideal in tight spaces — easy to torque down hard, and every bit as sturdy as the Manfrotto and Matthews clamps I’ve tested.

    What’s good
    ✓  T-handle torques down easily with a good grip
    ✓  Includes a hex brass stud (1/4″-20 one side, baby pin the other) that locks and won’t twist
    ✓  Doesn’t stick out as far as a ratcheting-style clamp
    ✓  Clamps to round pipes and stands, or flat surfaces like a desk with the right-angle adapter
    Worth knowing
    ·  B&H sent this to review

    Great for mounting lights, cameras or any accessory off a pipe, stand or desk edge.

    Where to buy

    Impact Super Clamp with T-Handle

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Impact 6″ extension arm: reach off a super clamp, no rotation

    The verdict

    A 6-inch extension arm that locks solidly into a super clamp and won’t rotate — a versatile way to reach an accessory out from a light stand.

    What’s good
    ✓  Spigot and hex head lock into a super clamp so it won’t rotate
    ✓  Clamp safety means it only pops out when you press the button
    ✓  Takes both hex-head and round accessories
    ✓  6″ of reach
    Worth knowing
    ·  B&H sent this to review

    Mount monitors, lights or cameras out from a stand, a clamp or a desktop surface.

    Where to buy

    Impact 6″ Extension Arm with Spigot

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Impact ME-108P: turn any VESA mount into a baby pin

    The verdict

    Converts any 75×75 or 100×100 VESA accessory into a baby-pin mount — perfect for putting a monitor, small TV or Roadcaster Video on a light stand.

    What’s good
    ✓  VESA (75 or 100) → baby-pin receiver
    ✓  Includes a ratcheting swivel adapter to lock it down tight
    ✓  Four screws for your monitor in the box; very sturdy
    ✓  Great with computer monitors and small TVs (plate adapter for bigger ones)
    Worth knowing
    ·  B&H sent this to review

    I used two of them to build a compact live-stream rig — a Roadcaster Video and its display, both on a single light stand.

    Where to buy

    Impact ME-108P Monitor Mount Adapter

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Smallrig Arca clamp (DBC2506): add Arca to anything

    The verdict

    A simple, well-made Arca clamp that adds an Arca mount to any plate or rig — ideal for dropping a cage with a built-in Arca plate onto any tripod.

    What’s good
    ✓  Adds an Arca clamp to any quick-release plate or piece of gear
    ✓  Knurled knob gets it good and tight
    ✓  Great with cages that have integrated Arca plates
    ✓  Precision markings for balancing — works on a gimbal plate too
    Worth knowing
    ·  Only 1/4″-20 threads on the bottom — a 3/8″ would be handy

    A cheap, quick way to standardize your whole kit on Arca.

    Where to buy

    Smallrig Arca Clamp DBC2506

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.

  • Impact LS-BHA: turn a light stand into a camera stand

    The verdict

    The little adapter that turns a light stand into a camera stand — 3/8″ on top, and baby-pin or junior-pin mounting below.

    What’s good
    ✓  3/8″ thread on top for a tripod head
    ✓  Bottom works as a baby-pin receiver
    ✓  Remove the side knob and it inserts into a junior stand
    ✓  Grub screws lock a tripod head down — even for panning
    Worth knowing
    ·  B&H sent this to review

    If you already own light stands, this is the cheapest way to press them into service as camera stands.

    Where to buy

    Impact LS-BHA Baby Ball Head Adapter

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    Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.