TARION Overhead Camera Arm: One Year Clamped to My Desk

This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.

Quick take

For overhead (top-down) shots of my desk, I use a clamp-on TARION camera arm. It has held a mirrorless camera of roughly 1 kg for about a year without slipping or breaking, and it takes up far less space than a tripod or a two-pole crossbar rig. For desk use, the small (S) size is enough.

Mirrorless camera mounted at the end of the TARION camera arm — The camera mounted at the end of the arm

What I tested

TARION overhead camera arm, size S (rated for 2 kg)
A mirrorless camera of roughly 1 kg, left mounted for about a year
A second arm clamped to my kitchen range hood for cooking shots

What I found

One clamp and a single pole — that is the whole footprint. Two poles with a bar, or a tall tripod, both get in the way.
The joints rotate, so I can swing the arm out of the way and fine-tune the angle.
In a year of being left in place, the clamp has never come loose and nothing has broken.
The neck is made of removable segments. My desk arm has four (it ships with three) because I moved one over from the kitchen arm.
Size S is rated for 2 kg; M and L for 3 kg. The arm cost under ¥4,000 at the time of recording.

TARION camera arm clamped to a desk — Clamped to the edge of my desk

As a precaution, I also hang the camera from a lighting track above the desk with a hook and a thin wire. I am not sure it is necessary, but it gives me peace of mind. It is simply my own setup, not a tested safety method, so check the load rating of any rail or hook before copying it.

Safety wire attached to a lighting track — A safety wire hooked to the lighting track

Who it's for

People who film hands, products or cooking from directly above and want a small footprint.
Size S is enough for most desks and looks the tidiest. If the arm would show up in your front-facing camera, or your desk sits low, consider M or L for more height.
Not for cameras heavier than 2 kg on the S size, or for places with nothing to clamp onto.

Watch the review

【YouTuber必見？！】俯瞰撮影が劇的にラクになる！カメラアームを１年間使ってみたら最高だった。

The video is in Japanese. The safety wire appears at about 1:50, size advice around 3:00 and 6:00, and the kitchen setup around 4:40.

Limitations

This is one person's long-term use with a camera of about 1 kg, not a load test. I have not tested two S arms joined together at the full 2 kg. The price is what I saw on Amazon Japan at the time of recording.

Products

TARION overhead camera arm (clamp-on camera stand): on Amazon Japan

The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.

More reviews in English