I ordered the above hands free desk mount yesterday. At first it surprised me that it’s so small so using it in bed was not an option and decided to settle for my kitchen table instead. After setting it up I could just pivot the Handy to the position I wanted. I did had to turn the Handy backwards though (with the buttons facing the back) otherwise I couldn’t get the angle to be (almost) straight. This is the only small disadvantage I found until now.
The difference between hands-free and normal use is freaking insane btw. The only previous experience I had with hands-free is balancing it under a blanket but I always had to adjust it every now and them. With this set you don’t have to at all, because it remains stable even at the highest speed. Maybe it was the angle or the fact that I was harder than normal, but I could feel the texture of the sleeve way better than ever before. I can’t imagine using it without the desk mount ever again.
Yep I haven’t used my Handy without my homemade hands-free mount a single time since I built it years ago. It’s a hassle to set up, but there’s absolutely no comparison
You have to be kidding me. Is this new? Either it is or I am blind because I literally ordered handy a couple of weeks ago and I would definitely include this. I only knew about cup holder and I got that 3d printed for myself because the original has a bit steep price for my taste.
Thanks for sharing! I’ll probably get one for myself.
It’s an okay price I guess. the pieces are just a standard camera c clamp (~ $10), magic arm (~$25), and lens mount ring (~$20). You could save some money buying the pieces separately, but it is nice to see them finally offering something! These are the same pieces I use for my setup, but I also have a manual macro rail attached to the magic arm so I can adjust The Handy up and down during a script without having to pause.
I think after the sales pricing is over, I would consider it overpriced. $94 for 3 pieces which you can easily snag for $20 a piece is a bit much.
I have had the handy for 1.5 years now and I can tell you that a hands free for this device is a MUST HAVE. I used it like once or twice by holding it which was super annoying because of the external parts and it felt really clunky. Went out the next day and found an iPad table arm thing and have used it hands free with that ever since.
After 1.5 years It’s starting to not work as well anymore so I did order the official one after I got a mail about it. Sure it’s probably rebranded parts but I don’t see that as a bad thing, why make something brand new when experts have already created good solutions that you can mix and mash to fit your own needs. Price seems reasonable to me, specially the handy cup and arm bundle which is what I ordered.
The arm is simply one of a whole slew of these things you can find on amazon [at 1/3-1/2 the price.] There are plenty of options, and lots of choice of arm length, joints, clamps etc etc. In fact there are professional versions of these things which are very strong, much higher quality than the handy device, made by manfrotto among others. Look up manfrotto 2 or 3 section articulated arm or super clamp etc etc.
I think what’s most important is the rated strength. I’ve used magic arms extensively in the photography scene and not all are rated for the weight of the handy- 579 grams (1.3 lbs). The Manfrotto ones are amazing, but kind of overkill for the price and what people here would be using them for. I’ve been using the CAMVATE 11" (~$17) and it has had no issues holding The Handy. Honestly though, magic arms are amazing; it’s worth having a few for how useful and versatile they are!
That’s great, but I think most people just want a out of the box solution for which they gladly pay a little extra. I for one am happy it’s finally here.
Depends where you live, I looked at amazon stuff and a $28 dollar arm alone would be $52 for me after shipping and customs, way more expensive than the handy solution for me. I also like having an easy solution and not having to tinker with it like I have done before. The official one also seems to store very nicely compared to my current setup.
Does anyone know how the ball swivels on both ends are tightened? I have this desk mount arm but as you can see the ball swivel at the top is tightened with a screw. It is very loose and doesn’t stay in place like I want it. Does the official handy desk mount have similar tighteners for the ball swivel? Thanks!
The arm they use is known as a magic arm; there is a single knob which tightens all movement points. They are super handy tools!. I’m surprised your ball head is having issues seeing as they have images of it holding a camera and lens which are heavier than The Handy- hopefully you can return it if it’s not working for you.
So i’ve had the handy desk mount for about a week now, and i have to say its great. Can handle all content i’ve tried so far without a problem, long fast strokes, big vibrations etc etc Its very solid and sturdy either on a desk or how i use it hahah
So personally I like laying down on my bed with a VR headset connected while high on weed edibles to get off. So instead of a desk, i’ve combined it with my old handsfree setup ( Stanley multi angle vice ) by connecting the two with a small piece of wood.
Then the stanley vice is clamped onto an unused skateboard deck i had laying around.
Slide your legs ontop of the deck, one each side and strap in, angle the handy to your liking and slip into a comfortable bliss
I’m not sure how easy they are to fix. I would recommend either contacting them as they’ll probably send you a replacement arm, or buying a new magic arm off Amazon. How was everything oriented when it broke?
