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Review on πŸ“· Universal Mini Stinger Handle Grip with 3/8” ARRI Locating Pins & Cold Shoe Adapter for Camera Cage - PA28M-BK by Loren Schmidt

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Great NATO top grip! Updated - Downgraded to 4 Stars

Update: Downgraded from 5 Stars to 4 Stars The nato and nato clamp on this monitor mount will not snap onto the included nato rail a top one Handle. When fully closed, it slides back and forth; if you look closely you can see the gap. That makes the track pretty much useless to me. I never thought I would have to worry about this when using clamps and guides from the same manufacturer. I still love the pen. Just remember. First review: I have multiple cages, top grips, and accessories from SmallRig, Camvate, NiceyRig, and more for multiple cameras. My go-to top grip is the SmallRig MD2393 as it was small and had a 3/8" Arri hole for a quick monitor mount. It's tiny and ergonomic compared to all the other round and square top grips I own. The two things I didn't like were that it didn't have a NATO clamp (uses 1/4"-20 screws) and the Arri 3/8" hole was on one side, making the handle difficult to use it was limited. Even if I wanted to change direction, I had to break out the Allen key; It was actually put in the handle which was smooth but still took time to change. The 3/8" hole was still on one side, although one was added at the top, but that would have made it difficult to hold. SmallRig then announced the 2950 model, which features a female connection for 360-degree rotation of the handle. Big! It might work, and it's a bit long, and the big problem is that it won't be released until the end of October 2020. Maybe. Then I see it on Revain, a Nitze Mini Stinger pen. Arri holes 3/8" on both sides and two on top; NATO quick release with no spring screw (which slows things down), lots of 1/4"-20 holes and small. Sale! It's much larger than MD2393, but who cares. This pen works! And it works fine. My hand fits the handle anyway. I can mount the monitor on either side. The bonus is that it comes with a cold shoe mount and a NATO rail. I have several SmallRig 2172 mini NATO rails on my cages and this handle's NATO clip sits flush with those rails. Looks solid! It remains with Nitze's NATO guides, but the grip approach increases. The functionality is not affected by this; how it looks. I connect the monitor to a Smallrig 2903 monitor mount with Arri pins and that's it. For running and shooting situations, this top grip is perfect for me. Install and break down easily and quickly. I can't stop admiring this. I've been looking at other Nitze products, particularly the monitor cage, but the prices have gone up about 33% in a matter of days so I immediately ordered another one in case they raise the price. . At $60, this top grip is definitely worth the money. Definitely 5 stars!

Pros
  • Camera and Photo
Cons
  • Can't remember but there was something