GyroVu Heavy-Duty Dual 7' Articulated Arms with Adjustable Clamp

After much research, I chose this GyroVu Dual 7 inch Arm over the Manfrotto 244 Micro Friction Arm (which I really liked) for several reasons - and now Im so glad I did. First, I felt Manfrottos 6 inch arm might be too limited in some uses and wanted to have as much angular adjustment as possible. Second, I wanted length but not at the expense of real load-bearing. Third, I wanted heavy-duty all-metal construction throughout. Finally, I didnt want to pay a lot for an item I might not use very often. While the quality of the Manfrotto arm was excellent (as usual) the GyroVu bested it in all my other requirements. Pre-purchase, my only concern was in how the articulated joints tightened and whether theyd hold up under load. I was surprised to find that as you tighten the red knobs at the central joints, the arms internally lock the balls in their sockets. This allows maximum freedom of flex and rotation along the entire length of the arm. Coupled with its heavy-duty all-metal clamp, which can open and grip a surface up to 1-1/2 inches, I can use this outdoors on a fence or railing or inside on a light stand or shelf to hold an off-camera flash or a large translucent diffuser without needing an assistant. Loosened up and folded compactly, the GyroVu arm is pretty easy to pack although it does weigh a bit. In the end, I got the quality and versatility I was looking for and saved .50 over the cost of the Manfrotto arm. Im very happy with this product and highly recommend it!