REVIEW – I’m always taking photos or video of something so when the chance to try out Sandmarc’s Film Rig came along, well I just had to try it out. There’s only one thing I like more than gadgets, and that’s camera gadgets!
What is it?
The Sandmarc Film Rig is a configurable mounting system for phones, action cameras, and DSLR cameras.
What’s in the box?
List contents – you can remove this heading and section if it doesn’t apply to your review.
- Sandmarc Film Rig
- Phone holder
- Allen Wrench
Design and features
The first thing that you notice when you unpack the Sandmarc Film Rig is that it’s mostly made out of aluminum. The only part that is not aluminum is the knobs on the thumbscrews. There’s just something to be said about a nice sturdy, well-machined piece of gear.
The Sandmarc Film Rig is not only designed to mount various components for filming, but it’s also designed to be ergonomic. The handgrips are plenty large enough for a good grip, even with my large hands. The wide stance of the rig allows for more stable hand-held video.
Each of the top and bottom cross mounts have four slots and three mounting screw holes allowing for an almost unlimited number of configuration options. There’s also a swing arm that also has a slot and a mounting hole in it.
The phone holder is just simply outstanding! Made of aluminum, it opens up to 3.5″ to hold just about any phone. It is spring-loaded so you can mount and unmount a phone one-handed. It has a 1/4″-20 threaded hole in the bottom and back of the mount so you could use it with other things such as on a tripod or monopod.
The mounting holes and slots are all designed for the standard 1/4″-20 screws that are common with most camera equipment.
Although Sandmarc advertises use with DSLR cameras, my Canon 5D Mark IV was too large to fit inside, but I was primarily interested in mounting my Canon M100, which fit very nicely. I can use my M100 to record looking forwards, and I have two action cameras that film both forwards and backwards so when I want to talk to the camera I don’t have to turn everything around.
The entire rig can also be disassembled easily by removing the four screws for the handles. This makes it easier to transport if needed.
The rig definitely makes it easier to get stabilized footage from your phone while keeping your fingers out of the shot.
What I like
- Sturdy!
- Endless configuration possibilities
What I’d change
- Would be nice to have some feet on it
Final thoughts
The Sandmarc Film Rig is a nice little piece of gear. It’s extremely well built and does just what it is designed to do.
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Sandmarc
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Sandmarc.
