Check the price:

• Check price for the Manfrotto Super Clamp 035 in the Amazon store
• Check price for the Manfrotto Super Clamp 035 in the B&H photo

• Check the price for the Manfrotto 155RC Double ball head in Amazon store
• Check the price for the Manfrotto 155RC Double ball head in B&H photo

Attach your camera almost everywhere

This review is mostly about the Manfrotto Super Clamp 035, but I will also include my thoughts on the Manfrotto 155RC Double Ball Joint Head as I use them together.

So what is it? The Manfrotto clamp is a great way to attach your camera or light to railings, signs or anything that fits in between it’s teeth. And once it’s closed you won’t be able to move it until you loosen it. You probably first break whatever its connected to, before you get the clamp loose.

Clamps like this are mostly used for attaching lights in studio photography. But as a landscape photographer you will also find a use for it. As there are many places, where tripods are not allowed, or they would just not be stable, you can use a clap to hold your camera. Or even in situations, where there is a heavy wind, the clamp can hold your camera much more stable than a tripod.

Clamp fully opened

Clamp fully closed

In my experiences, the Manfrotton Clamp holds very well. It can hold to a lot of things and you can’t move it at all while its tightened. I had my Canon 5D mark II on it, with the Canon 70-200 F2.8 lens, while it was hanging from a railing on top of a bridge and it didn’t move at all. You can see the size of it on one of the photos, compared to a double A battery.

Inside of the teeth

Clamp with the 037 stud

The clamp comes with a plastic part, you can place into the teeth, if you trying to attach it onto a straight surface, like a plank or a table. If you remove it, you can easily attach it to pipes. Based on how you order it (alone or in a set), it can come with a way to attach your camera, but can happen that you will need at least a stud for that. I got the Manfrotto 037 Reversible Short Stud. There are two ways you can attach it to the clamp. You either can screw it in directly into the clamp, or use the hexagonal quick release socket. Both work fine, but using the quick release socket is more secure, as the whole stud is inside the clamp. Of course you can attach a tripod head onto the clamp and then connect the camera to that.

Double ball joint head

Head with both balls in 90 degree orientation

You can also, as I, use the Manfrotto 155RC Double Ball Joint Head (there are also others). This one is made specially to be used with the clamp, and fits nicely into the quick release socket. It can be also bought together with a quick release plate. You of course can attach any quick release plate on top. As it is a double ball joint, it can be moved into multiple arrangements and it nicely works if you want the camera to be 90 degree to the clamp. The tightening handle is a little big on it, same as on the clamp, which makes the tightening easy, but it’s sometimes in the way. The ball joints hold together very tightly. It’s even hard to move them when there is no camera attached. This is great mostly, but sometimes it makes it hard to compose with the attached camera.

As I said, the clamp is mostly for special situation. It’s easier to just use the tripod, but when that’s not possible, the clap will give you the stability you need. With the 15kg payload it can carry, you can hang a lot from it, and it will be secure. Just take good care about what you connect it to.

Clamp attached to a balcony railing

Clamp attached to a railing on top of a bridge

Overall this is a good addition for any landscape and especially cityscape photographer. The only thing that stops me from having it all the time with me, is the weight. The clamp, together with the head weights almost 1kg, and that is something I don’t want to carry all the time with me. This is of course due to the material used. Almost everything is metal. Still, If you find yourself a lot of times in the situations where you could use a stable place for you camera, I suggest you give this a try.

You can find more information on the Manfrotto website.

View all my other reviews here.