Recently my handy handsfree mount broke and was wondering what the consensus was for a non official durable handsfree option. I think the thing that broke it was me constantly screwing and unscrewing the mount to put it away when I was done so the whole thing is loose now. Was wondering if there is a different style of mount or at least a more durable brand that won’t have this issue that anyone could recommend.
You really have to be more specific with how you use it and your preferences because some really popular setups are only useful under very narrow circumstances.
Q: How is your body positioned? Laying on your back? Standing? Seated? On all fours? Or do you mix it up?
Q: What mounting surfaces are nearby? Desk in front of you? Nightstand? Movable frame/platform?
Q: How tolerant are you of “shimmy”? Do you prefer it to be rock solid all the time?
Q: Do you want the buttons facing you or the sleeve?
If you sit in a chair with a desk in front of you, then something like I use may serve. For a few years I’ve been using the ringmount/C-clamp setup championed by a few here.
Ringmount: Amazon.com : Runshuangyu Metal Tripod Collar Mount Ring 1/4", for Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG Macro HSM - Ring Diameter (71mm) : Electronics
Very solid–been in use for 4 years now.
C-clamp: Amazon.com: NEEWER Heavy Duty C Clamp with Mounting Column for Light Stand, Adjustable Metal Desk Clamp with 1/4" 3/8" Screws for Ring Light LED Video Light Camera, Max Load 44lb/20kg, ST-CCD1 : Tools & Home Improvement
This one is a beast that I switched up to after the original C-clamp had too much wiggle when attached to the desk. 2 years with this one.
Articulating arm: Amazon.com: Rigdance Articulating Magic Arm Camera Field Monitor Mount Friction Cine Arm with 1/4-20 Ballheads (4.9 inch) : Electronics
Definitely the weakest point in my setup. It does what I want it to but periodically the knurled knobs will loosen.
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Which part of the handy mount broke the arm or the clamp?
My clamp broke so I replaced it with a new clamp I got on amazon.
It was the screw part of the clamp, like it won’t tighten all the way anymore and kinda just slips off
I use it seated at my desk. Would the C clamp be compatible with the arm that comes with the official setup?
Short answer: 95% chance yes.
It comes with an assortment of industry-standard holes and thread sizes. The Handy armature appears to use standard 1/4" and threads. On the Amazon C-clamp, there are 3 holes that will fit that for a horizontal attachment using the vertical plate. For a vertical attachment, you can flip the C-clamp and attach the armature using any of the 5 matching holes on the “bottom” plate.
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That’s what happened to me.
The clamp hole is too soft in comparison to the bolt and it strips the screw.
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That’s what happened to me too. The screw just stripped out. I bough a new clamp and it has been way better. I still use the original arm and cup. They work fine with it.
Same, is there a quality steel clamp? Did not find one on Amazon.
Same here, original clamp only lasted around 3 months. I got this one as a replacement:
It is a common camera accessory that can be found in many photo stores in addition to on amazon. It works very well with the original arm and cup, and the fact that you can angle the clamp itself during use does wonders for positioning. Please note that you need a round surface to attach it to, I clamp it to the end of my bed and have never been happier 
But thats not a table clamp, its for fixing to some tubing or pipe. There is really no steel cable clamp with a 1/4 inch camera screwhole? Cant find any.
I’ve tried a table mount, a camera tripod + 71mm ring and Hands3 and never went back to the first 2.
It’s a 3D printable .stl file library made by @Abdulis, that you can print with a local 3D printing service (like CraftCloud3D) for like 30-40$ + 2x5cm wide belts from Amazon and you’re done. The freedom of movement increases immersion for me, hence only using that from now on
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Yeah, that is correct. I encountered the same issue with not finding a good clamp for my desk, so I thought I just buy this one at the local camera store and attach it to my bed while I searched for a permanent solution. But it worked so well I stopped looking for a desk clamp. Of course, if you don’t have like a round metal bed post like me it doesn’t work.
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The smallrig 10" magic arm comes with that clamp. One could design a very complicated tube clamp to desk adapter
I don’t get it, how would you do that? Anyway, I got the cheapest version w no magic arm so I will have to keep to the bed clamping
like this:
this is the stl for a 25mm thickness table if you add two 2mm silicon sheets or one may be enough or whatever layer so you do not damage the table but sticks to it with pressure from the clamp.
rename .txt to .step
Clamp Adapter.txt (45.7 KB)
I got curious and tried attaching the clamp to my desk, and it worked fine. Granted, my desk has a kind of curved edge which makes it easier to fit. I could definitely see it working like a normal desk clamp with something like this, however I don’t have a 3d printer so I can’t try it. The clamps themselves are pretty cheap, please let me know how it works out if you decide to get them and make an adapter
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No the clamp adapter is not working, the pressure of it is too punctual the clamp turns. Tried different versions of the clamp.
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Here is a good solution. Mic clamp
and a spigot