Is there a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?

August 5, 2004 6:48 PM

I want to use my regular camcorder for videoconferencing, and for magnifying small print on my computer screen. Do any of the videographers out there know of a camcorder arm that clamps on to a desk and swivels around?
posted by josh to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

Wouldn't a software solution for screen magnification be wiser? It'll be more ergonomical, and the image quality will be better.
posted by fvw at 6:57 PM on August 5, 2004

i think you'd get that psychedelic feedback thing if you pointed the camcorder at the screen--like with tvs, no?
posted by amberglow at 7:03 PM on August 5, 2004

Would a StickyPod work?
posted by sexymofo at 7:34 PM on August 5, 2004

Jeez, people. Obviously, he doesn't want to magnify small print that's already on his computer screen. He wants to magnify small print onto his computer screen. You remember print, right? That stuff that's, you know, printed...

The question you should be asking is not whether there is a camcorder which clamps to a desk and swivels around, but whether there is a mount that does this. Virtually all camcorders have standard tripod mounts by which they can be attached to something like, say, the Bogen/Manfrotto Articulated Arm (note you also need the 2915 clamp listed under "Required/Recommended Accessories" to clamp it to a desk). A more versatile, heavier-duty, but more expensive option is Bogen/Manfrotto Magic Arm Kit (includes both a clamp and a stand).
posted by kindall at 9:05 PM on August 5, 2004

Whoops. Completely missed the "arm" after your "camcorder" in the original question! So elide my comment about asking the wrong question.
posted by kindall at 9:06 PM on August 5, 2004

Awesome, kindall! Those are exactly what I'm looking for!
posted by josh at 4:55 AM on August 6, 2004

Of course, I can't seem to find one online right now, but I have a "little bitty tripod" that uses a normal size tripod mount and sits nicely on a desk. I don't remember exactly how much it was, but I guarantee I wouldn't have spent more than US$30 on it. You might search around a bit, if those "arm" things kindall pointed out seem a little expensive to you (as they do to hobbyist vidoegrapher me)
posted by JollyWanker at 12:39 PM on August 6, 2004