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Lightweight camera arm

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DaveT1963

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Dec 2, 2014
Messages
3,511
Anyone know of a good light weight camera arm. I was looking at one from another site but I think it weights 6 pounds? Sorry, but that is more then my climbing sticks weigh. I am looking for a light weight aluminum arm that will work for saddle hunting - I don't need real long arms like traditional stand camera arms need. Any idea from you more experienced filmers?
 
What kind of cam you running Dave? I just haven't been able to lighten my arm/fluid head set up at all and I have sure thought about it a lot! I use the Muddy Outfitter arm and it can be a pain to carry. My problem is the arm and base has to have leveling in both directions and I have to use a good fluid head with the slightly bigger Canon G30 I use. Over the last few years I've just accepted that if I want to film, I will be carrying the weight! :lol: If someone could make one from carbon fiber and keep the price down I would be all over it!
 
I have the same setup as flinginairos. Its tough to get much lighter if you want to use a good fluid head and a lanc protocol remote. If you can stomach not so smooth footage, I'd consider the the hunting beast arm or the lone wolf arm. Dropping one of the 3 arms will cut the weight a bit more. You will find you need less camera arm length when using a saddle vs conventional tree stands.
 
Not a full camera arm, and it is screw in, but depending on what you want to do you can make it work. I don't really film much but I've used it in the past because it is so small and light. I would just set it up on the side of the tree where I expect the action to be.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/ez-aim-c ... mera+mount
 
Guys, I saw a new arm today that looked pretty good. Check out FourthArrow camera arms. I like the base design a lot and it looks like it will pack down nice.


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Thanks Flingin - that looks like exactly what I want. So I need to ask you - is trying to document your hunt worth the additional weight and effort? I don't plan on trying to make videos - I am more interested in just making movies for myself and for a few buddies/family and to make some youtube videos to show how I setup and hunt.. I am such a nutcase for not carrying a lot of things/weight into the woods. What does all your camera gear weigh?
 
DaveT1963 said:
Thanks Flingin - that looks like exactly what I want. So I need to ask you - is trying to document your hunt worth the additional weight and effort? I don't plan on trying to make videos - I am more interested in just making movies for myself and for a few buddies/family and to make some youtube videos to show how I setup and hunt.. I am such a nutcase for not carrying a lot of things/weight into the woods. What does all your camera gear weigh?
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Hard question to answer lol. Everyone does it for different reasons. Myself I really enjoy photography and videography and I feel lost without a camera in the woods. I really enjoy being able to show friends/family different animals I've seen and it's nice to be able to film a buck from a distance and look at him later. I use a muddy outfitter arm which is 5.5lbs, manfrotto fluid head which is 2lb, Canon g30 that's maybe 1.5lb, a GoPro and a few mounts and a small sound recorder. All together I'd say I have 10lbs of camera gear that all packs down small enough to fit in a regular sized pack. Some days I really question why I carry the extra weight lol, but after all the hard work and I finally get that perfect kill shot on video the addiction starts all over again!
 
I think you may have fat fingered your arm weight. Should be a touch over 4.5. I have the muddy pro arm plus a manfrotto 128 and the entire setup is at 6 lbs. I still carry 10 lbs of other crap. I enjoy it. I'm casual about it though. I'm not trying to produce a show. Just a few kills a season for the memoirs
 
BassBoysLLP said:
I think you may have fat fingered your arm weight. Should be a touch over 4.5. I have the muddy pro arm plus a manfrotto 128 and the entire setup is at 6 lbs. I still carry 10 lbs of other crap. I enjoy it. I'm casual about it though. I'm not trying to produce a show. Just a few kills a season for the memoirs
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It's 5.5 with the giant silent strap with it. Stupid thing weighs a pound alone lol. I need to get a boat buckle for it. Would work the same and be lighter. But I also may sell that rig and try the Fourth Arrow arm.
 
flinginairos said:
Guys, I saw a new arm today that looked pretty good. Check out FourthArrow camera arms. I like the base design a lot and it looks like it will pack down nice.


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I have one of the Fourth Arrow carbon arms on order, so soon I should be able to post some thoughts on it. Like Bass said, two arm segments has always seemed about right for camera control while facing a tree.
 
bowhunter15 said:
flinginairos said:
Guys, I saw a new arm today that looked pretty good. Check out FourthArrow camera arms. I like the base design a lot and it looks like it will pack down nice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I have one of the Fourth Arrow carbon arms on order, so soon I should be able to post some thoughts on it. Like Bass said, two arm segments has always seemed about right for camera control while facing a tree.
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I was just looking at their site about to preorder mine as well! Should be a really nice arm.
 
Sweet. Looking forward to the (video) review! My biggest concern is the leveling system. It is by far the number one reason I like the Muddy arm with the OCB and dislike the LW/beast arms.
 
BassBoysLLP said:
Sweet. Looking forward to the (video) review! My biggest concern is the leveling system. It is by far the number one reason I like the Muddy arm with the OCB and dislike the LW/beast arms.
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All of the ones I've owned or made have had the same leveling systems as the LW/Beast. On certain trees there's a little extra monkeying around because the strap tension and vertical leveling work synchronously. On the 4th, the base it completely independent, which should be nice. And unlike Muddy, the base isn't gigantic.

I'll try the arm with the included ratchet, but also with the BoatBuckle straps. I've tried the Muddy OCB and wasn't a fan of how easily it rattled while setting up. One more thing I want to do it try and mitigate the risk of dropping the wingnut or forgetting the shoulder locking wrench at the truck.
 
Hey all,

I do the marketing for Fourth Arrow and wanted to jump in here to answer any questions you may have.

I saw some of you asking about the tool for adjusting the shoulder to level the arm. The tool comes on a short lanyard of sorts that keeps it attached to the shoulder so it can never be lost or forgotten. If you have the shoulder, you have the tool!

As far as packability, I have been filming hunts for 3 years and this is by far the most packable arm I have ever used.

I will try to jump back here and check on any additional questions you may have! If I take to long, just shoot me a message to the Fourth Arrow Camera Arm Facebook page :)

Thanks to those who preordered! We are sending all Carbon Arms out today and tomorrow!
 
For documenting primarily for yourself, would you consider something like this...?
http://solvidsystems.com/
The videos they have on YouTube are AMAZING looking. I am probably 2 or 3 years away from filming, but am really considering using this method.


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IKeman i had one of these and it is very hard to get it adjusted right. Most of the zooming in is done all through editing software. I ended up going with a fuse tactacam which works way better for a pov/weapon camera.
 
Fourth Arrow carbon arm arrived yesterday. This thing is great! Packs down small and is rock solid on the tree. I have been filming ten years and used the Muddy for the last 4-5 years and this thing blows the Muddy away.
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Hey all,

I'm a newb here, John Eberhart recommended this forum to me. I have Saddle hunted almost exclusively since 2003, like you, I am a photographer / videographer as well, and have been filming hunts for several years on and off. I currently run a muddy arm with a manfrotto 501 head. MY cameras vary from a Canon XA20 / Canon 70D/ (and on rare occasions) Canon 5D mkiii. I have been noticing some hype with the carbon fiber arms that 4th arrow makes. https://fourtharrowcameraarms.com/about ... mera-arms/

They have some promo videos on their facebook page, and on Youtube.
 
flinginairos said:
Fourth Arrow carbon arm arrived yesterday. This thing is great! Packs down small and is rock solid on the tree. I have been filming ten years and used the Muddy for the last 4-5 years and this thing blows the Muddy away.
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My first impressions on the arm I just received are VERY good as well.
 
bowhunter15 said:
flinginairos said:
Fourth Arrow carbon arm arrived yesterday. This thing is great! Packs down small and is rock solid on the tree. I have been filming ten years and used the Muddy for the last 4-5 years and this thing blows the Muddy away.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

My first impressions on the arm I just received are VERY good as well.
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Good to hear! You using the ratchet strap it came with or your own strap? I'm gonna sew up a custom strap with OCB buckle for mine. I tried it last night and it worked great. I think the arm will perform great!
 
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