What clamp and articulating arm can safely support a 1.5kg camera for an overhead food photography rig?

Asked 12/30/2018

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I’m building an overhead rig for food photography with a horizontal metal bar running across the table. I want to clamp an articulating arm to that bar and hang a camera pointing straight down using a ball head. My camera and lens together weigh about 1.5kg. I’ve looked at smaller articulating arms like the Neewer-style options, but I’m not confident they’ll safely support that weight. What clamp and arm setup would be suitable for this kind of overhead use?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

5

The Manfroto “Magic Arm” should work for you. It is much larger version of what you have shown, and it can handle loads up to about 6 lbs.

Each arm is about 10” long, and it is very easy to attach a Super Clamp or Quick Release Clamp to either end.

Manfroto Magic Arm

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Originally by user39427. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user39427

7y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

A commonly recommended option for this is the Manfrotto Magic Arm. It’s a heavier-duty articulating arm than the small monitor-style arms and is intended for photo/video support use.

Based on the community answer, it can handle roughly 6 lb, which is in the range of a 1.5kg camera-and-lens setup. It’s also designed to pair with clamps such as a Manfrotto Super Clamp or Quick Release Clamp, so it should be easier to mount securely to your horizontal bar.

For an overhead rig, stability and safety matter more than compact size. If you use a ball head, make sure the total load rating of the arm, clamp, and head all exceed your camera setup, and tighten everything carefully before suspending gear over a table or subject.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

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