Manfrotto 143RC Magic Arm w/ 3299 Quick Release (#2930QR)

I used the Manfrotto 143RC Magic Arm with Quick Release Plate the other day when we went to a petting zoo with my daughter (who is 28 years old and still enjoys this). I have Parkinson's disease and use a wheelchair because of my balance problems. I still have reasonable on strength and sufficient coordination to maneuver the Magic Arm into position and lock it. It does take a reasonable amount of force to lock and unlock the lever. I gave this four stars and not five because of that issue. I purchased this Manfrotto Super Clamp, which I clamp to my wheelchair and use to support the magic arm. For someone without physical issues looking to use this in lieu of a tripod you could not find a better product. The combination of the super clamp and magic arm makes any stable surface and impromptu tripod. I am very happy with the purchase but would not recommend this for someone with reduced arm strength or coordination. I believe they make a similar arm with a screw type locking mechanism which would be better suited for someone with these types of impairments. However, I believe that it supports less weight and I have a Canon 5D Mark II, which I purchased when I was feeling better, and wanted something strong enough to support the weight of the camera and a heavy lens.

Pros: - Heavy duty and feels well built - Holds a Nikon D600 just fine - Release plate seems very durableCons: - Takes a strong arm to lock the lever into place - A little difficult to adjust because the joints are either all loose or locked at the same time - Using the release mechanism on the quick release plate takes a little getting used toOther: - Much larger than I expected, about the size of two road flares tied together

Works great

It's really not helpful when people give one star reviews because they have a gripe with a company they bought from as opposed to the actual product offered for sale here on Amazon... I would urge anybody reading this to keep their reviews product specific for the benefit of us all. Hopefully this quick review will go some way to rebalancing the negative review score for this particular version of Manfrotto's Magic Arm.I own three of these and use them on professional shoots both on location and in studio setups. They are first class products; very sturdy and well designed. The 143RC ball head is one of Manfrotto's most proven tripod head products for middle weight camera's. I've used this particular model of Magic Arm with a Canon 5D mk2, 7D and XA10. My larger camera's (1D mk3 and XHA1s) are a little too heavy.My only slight criticism would be that the release arm is a little on the stiff side to operate, but this is probably necessary given the weight it's designed to deal with. Having said that, the clamping pressure is adjustable for lighter weight cameras which makes the locking arm easier to use.Definitely a 5 Star product! And, useful in so many situations.

Je possède les deux versions du magic arm manfrotto, celui avec une roue pour serrer le mécanisme et celui ci qui utilise un levier. Je n'ai jamais eu aucun soucis avec le premier, par contre avec système le bras ne tiens juste pas, j'ai tout essayé, je l'ai resserré le plus possible avec une clé allen mais rien n'y fait, il ne reste pas fixe et je peux facilement le déplier avec la force de mes bras, chose impossible avec l'autre version du magic arm. Donc je ne vous recommande pas ce produit, surtout qu'il se trouve être plus cher que l'autre.

Good

Der Magic Arm hält gut an jedem Ort. Die Verstellmöglichkeiten sind sehr gut. Kann ich nur weiterempfehlen, eine super Sache.

execellent bras en complément de la pince 035 permettant la fixation du camescope sur toute structure avoisinante. Très stable et rapide à mettre en place