Customer Reviews

BARSKA Accu Grip Handheld Tripod System

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I purchased the Accu-Grip to use with my Canon Vixia HF S100 camcorder. There are a few things you should know about this handle and additionally how to simply customize it so it will work with your camera. A previous reviewer noted that about 1/2" behind the threaded screw mount is another, small sharp screw tip protruding up into the deck of the handle. This is indeed problematic in that it prevents the camera from sitting flush against the deck of the handle when attempting to tighten it down. Also, it's been mentioned that the threads do not line up properly with some cameras. I had the same situation and problems with the handle, however here are a couple tips that will solve the problems. There just aren't other items like this on the market, so it may be worth your while to do a simple customization of the handle. First, you'll need a simple metal file. It takes just a few minutes to carefully file down the sharp, protruding screw tip on the deck of the handle. If you do it carefully, you won't damage the rubber grip on the deck. Once filed down, that screw tip is no longer an issue. Second, I also found that at first attempts, the threads on the handle did not line up with the mounting threads on the camera. I finally found that if you hold the handle perpendicular to the camera as opposed to the proper parallel position, the threads line up fine. In this position, you can just make a half-turn to start the threading process, then turn the handle into its proper parallel alignment and the handle will tighten to the camera just fine. All in all, it works great. It was worth taking some time with it. I hope this is of some help to others.

Length:: 1:36 Mins

This is the perfect grip for my Kodak Zi8 and works well for all my small cameras, but as soon as I step up to the DSLRs --- fogetaboutit.

I've seen a lot of complaints that there is a little, sharp screw coming out of the top as well (you can see it on Amazon's picture of the product). THIS HAS BEEN FIXED by Barska, and the one I got for Christmas has just the 1/4" screw coming out of the top. It fit perfectly fine on my Canon 7D (it is long enough and didn't strip any threading), and it is exactly what I was expecting. Great product for it's price, and I am perfectly satisfied!

So close.

When Amazon suggested this might be an item I'd be interested in, they were right! I figured I probably wouldn't use it often, but for the price, I couldn't resist. I figured it would be good for handheld home movies, at least, when I'm not getting paid to carry my tripod around.

Like another reviewer mentioned, there's no longer a little "spike" on the mounting surface to keep your camera from rotating...just a hole there. That's good, because who wants a spike sticking into their camera?

Yeah, it's plastic, it's hollow, and it's light. Toy-like? No. Would you really want this to be a heavy iron handle attached to your camera? It has a really nice plastic finish...the exact same finish as my Lumix GH1...which is the main camera I'll probably use it with. The rectangle spot on the back of the handle is a rubberized area, making it even more comfortable to hold.

I have average sized man hands, I guess, and I like the fit. Larger hands might have a problem with this, however.

But, they still didn't get it perfect. As others mentioned, the 1/4-20 threaded stud is too long for some cameras. It needs to be shortened by about two threads. It fits my Lumix GH1 and my Lumix ZS3, but not my Fujifilm W3 or my 35mm Olympus OMG SLR...or it's auto winder grip...the stud bottoms out in the mounts before getting tight.

Removing the existing foam rubber mounting surface and replacing it with a thicker piece of foam rubber would probably fix it, but aside from the fact I shouldn't HAVE to do this to a brand new product, and don't want it to look "hacked" if I don't do a good job of it. Putting a rubber or metal washer on it as a spacer would fall into the "hacked" category IMHO...I'm not doing that.

If they will make one with a shorter stud on it, I'd be happy to purchase another one!

I found the grip a tad to small for my hand, and mounted on the Olympus SP560UZ did NOT work as the mounting screw was not long enough for the threads to grib the camera body sufficently - so the threads in the camera stripped out - camera's fault I guess. Now, in my Nikon D-50 it works perfectly, therefore I'd give it good marks there. Do wish there was enough room to store additional batteries in the hollow handle.

I use this with "SnapMount Tripod Mount for iPhone 4" and I couldn't be happier. It's light (probably hollow) but strong and well built. Not sure I'd use it for a 5dMII but maybe for a panasonic g3 or something small like that. Tightens snug and stays tight throughout use. A good buy.

I was skeptical at first but for $15 you get what you pay for and more. I'm gonna keep this short but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the grip was rubberized and not some cheap plastic mold with a mounting screw. I have somewhat large hands and wish it were a tad bigger but it's still very comfortable to hold. The base around the screw is also rubberized and has grip so it won't scratch your camera. If you're aching for the good ol' Bolex days and you have a Panasonic GH2 like me this works great!

I love, love, love this product and I just ordered two more. I am a professional videographer and we have two very small Sony camcorders which are a little hard to hand-hold. Using this grip, we get very steady hand-held shots every time. Additionally, we attach the camcorder with this grip to our Manfrotto 595B Fig Rig Video Camera Stabilizer Support and for a very small fraction of the price of steadi-tracker gizmos, we get great fluid motion shots. I could NOT do without this product !!!!

Recieved the handle. I purchased it for my Canon 60D. Looks good and feels good. The problem is that the screw to attach the handle on to the camera is too long. This leaves the handle unsecured and useless! The screw is only partially threaded so fileing it down isn't an option. Buyer be ware.

This is a great product for the price. Most of the other reviews left so far have described the basic features well. However I wanted to point out a few things for anyone who is wondering:

- I ordered my grip on 10/2010, and the unit I received did NOT have the aforementioned metal nub in front of the set screw. One reviewer mentioned that they needed to file it down, etc. However, I did not have to take any such action. I simply screwed it into my video camera.
- The actual size of the handle is smaller than the picture makes it seem. It is just fine for normal size hands and works well with my Vixia S200 and Nikon D200. However, note that this is not a large grip.
- There is no "safety" mechanism to prevent the set screw from coming loose. The dial that tightens the screw into the camera cannot lock into place, and although it stayed secure while I have used it so far, I would not trust it entirely to protect my $1000 investment in my camera. I recommend to use a wrist cable in addition to this grip for maximum protection.

All in all however, for the price, a great deal and very useful camera accessory.