This is the newest model of the best accessory of its kind I have used. It safely solves otherwise vexing positioning dilemmas inside and outside of the studio. It is flexible, as adaptable (as you are) and simple to use. The variable friction is a welcome addition making it a critically improved version to a solid, professional quality studio standby. Expensive? Yes, but you get what you pay for. There are lighter, cheaper arms best used for small gobos, flags, reflectors and diffusers. However, the 244N is a safe solution for securely mounting expensive cameras, lenses or lights, assuming you do not exceed the load it is engineered to support, depending where you read it, between 6.6 lbs (3kg) and 8 lbs (3.64 kg). And if you apply care and common sense, this easy to adjust, secure arm will serve you well for many years.

Amazon reviewers have done a great job so I will simply address a small issue that you will likely confront after opening what might be a beat up box: an unassembled arm consisting of ten parts.

Did I mention there are no instructions? Thankfully, it is straightforward and intuitive but this might help:
1. Place the orange washer in between the two modular arms.

2. Insert the bolt with the head fitting the arm facing you with all of the text and model number.

3. That leaves the knob and a series of washers. Select the two small metal washers with grooves on one side.

4. Enclose the washer with bearings inside the grooved washers like a sandwich. The bearings fit perfectly into the top and bottom set of grooved washers.

5. It is time to assemble what goes on the bolt: From the two parts left, begin by inserting the only thick, shiny washer onto the open end of the bolt, which you pushed through the arms and orange washer.

6. Add the little "washer sandwich" with the bearings in between the top and bottom grooved washers.

7. Add the black plastic pull tab to your stack of washers on the bolt.

8. Screw on black knob to hold everything together. You are done!

There are alternatives but the only ones that sound interesting to me are the less expensive ($87 at this time) Kupo G100211 Max Arm that has a heavier load rating at 8.8 lbs (4kg) compared with the 244N, Kupo Max Arm, KG100211 or possibly the more expensive, Rotolight 10 Inch articulated arm w/ Ballhead PlusSuperClamp & shoe adapter depending upon your needs and use. I have not used either one and have no preconceptions about either. I know and trust Manfrotto. You might be more adventurous and be rewarded -- possibly finding a deal in the Kupo.

Note: I already have the Manfrotto quick release and super clamp for the Magic Arm. The 244N does not include either.

packaging was bad. i ordered 3 and all their washers were loose in the box. punctures in the boxes meant i only had enough pieces to assemble 2 full arms of the 3 i wanted. little details matter cos i ended up sending the 3rd one back and then ordered from somewhere else. product itself is great of course. this is a standard piece of equipment. i like the variable friction arm better than the one with the lever because it feels more precise and seems to hold more weight. if you treat these things nice they last quite a long time.

This is not as fantastic as I had expected it would be at this price point. Compared to a three section, fully articulating monitor arm that I putchased about 10 years ago (by Ergotron, I think) it is absolutely clumsy. First, it's not intuitive. The knob doesn't just control the friction at the junction between the two sections, but it controls the friction at both ends. Second, because it controls the force needed to adjust at either end, it can be very difficult to adjust the device mounted to it because the friction at the mounting point (like a super clamp) must be much higher than is convenient at the other end. Third, because the friction must be so high, and the joints stick when trying to adjust the arm, it is frequently necessary to loosen the knob to release all the joints and reposition a device; that is, I have difficulty just pushing a device around when it's mounted because it requires so much force that I might knock over the tripod (for example). If I lived remotely close to a place that carried it, I would go see it before buying it.

Listen... I am very torn about this review. In general, when something is great, I give it 5 stars. This... is great. However, I don't know where the problem happened on this.... I ordered 3 of these, 2 were fine and the other did not include the knob. Be aware, if you need these for work, someone is manually adding the knob and perfection is not achieved. As a tool for professionals, this was a HUGE inconvenience and ended up costing me time and money (more money for a product from the local store plus the hour it took someone to run over for me). This gets 5 stars because it is absolutely essential in the studio and the review cannot discount that... I own about 20 of them, and that is still always a couple too few.

This arm is a life savor. I know the most common use for this arm is photography and videography but I have purchased many of these to help me with sensors used in manufacturing. When these lock into place they are so rigid they can hold quite a bit of weight. They've also helped me as a temporary alignment tool until something more permanent is fabricated. This is a must-have in my tool box. I run to this mainly because of it's adjustability and stability.