3 Legged Thing Phil verdict
Summary
Smartphones are perfectly capable of serious photography or video work, but if you want to use them on a tripod, gimbal or grip then you’re going to need a phone clamp – and, given the cost of flagship smartphones and video gear, you’ll want to make sure it’s a good one. The 3 Legged Thing Phil ticks all the boxes, with a simple design and operation, first-rate materials and a grip of iron. It also has an Arca Swiss foot, two screw thread mounting points and two cold shoes. Given all that, it’s actually pretty good value too.
Pros
- Premium quality construction
- Choice of colors
- Simple operation
- Strong grip
- Easy landscape/portrait switching
Cons
- No integrated ball or tilt mechanism
- In vertical orientation the bottom of the phone can foul on wider tripod heads
If you’re going to use your smartphone on a tripod or a grip, then you need a clamp with a mounting point to hold it and fix it securely. There are lots of these on the market, including plenty of cheap Amazon specials, and you may even get some kind of phone clamp with a tripod or other camera support.
But phone clamps vary a lot in quality. Cheaper plastic clamps can be awkward to operate, flimsy and flexible. And if you’re trying to mount an expensive smartphone securely these are definitely not going to inspire confidence.
The 3 Legged Thing Phil is more expensive, though at around $30/£30 it’s hardly outrageous, especially when you use it for real, where its build quality and engineering is immediately obvious.
Features and design
Phil has a simple and effective design. The ‘foot’ at the base of the clamp slots straight into an Arca Swiss compatible head, but there’s also a 3/8” screw thread, with a removable 1/4” sleeve, for attaching it on to a regular screw mount ball head or grip. There’s another screw mount socket on the vertical part in case you want to mount the grip horizontally or attach it to an accessory arm, for example, for overhead shots.
If you’re serious about smartphone videography you’ll probably be working with an external mic and maybe a small video light. Phil has this covered, with cold shoe mounts on both the top and bottom of the clamp. If you’re shooting with the phone mounted horizontally, the tripod head might obstruct the lower cold shoe mount but you’ve still got the upper one. If you rotate the clamp to shoot vertical social video, then the clamp itself will be horizontal, so both cold shoes will be available.
Usability and performance
Attaching a phone is easy. A quarter turn of the wingnut at the back releases the spring-loaded clamp jaw, which you pull back to insert your phone then release to clamp it. You then turn the wingnut back the other way to lock it securely.
Rotating your phone is easy too. You slacken the large black knob under the wingnut and turn the phone – soft detents stop it at the vertical and horizontal positions. Then you tighten the knob again to secure it in that position.
Just be aware that there’s no ball movement or other angle adjustment built in. The clamp angle is fixed and any adjustment would need to be done with the tripod head or whatever device you’re mounting the clamp on to change the phone angle. That doesn’t bother me, but it’s just something you might like to be aware of.
There’s another thing. With your phone clamped vertically, its lower edge extends beyond the ‘foot’ of the clamp so it can foul on ‘fatter’ tripod heads. I did need to rummage through my tripod heads to find ones slim enough not to foul on the phone – my AirHed Pro and Trinity are fine, but I have other Arca Swiss heads where it’s a little trickier. This does only affect vertical shots.
Phil is quick and simple to use but has a really firm grip. If you have an expensive phone and it’s loaded up with add-ons like mics or lights, then this is exactly the kind of security you need. It only takes a few uses to figure out how to use it, too.
Verdict
I have a lot of phone clamps, and the 3 Legged Thing Phil is easily the best. Given the quality of the design and engineering, I think the price is pretty good – it’s also pretty insignificant compared to the cost of phones and other video accessories, and I would definitely rather pay extra for a strong and effective phone clamp like this than take a chance on a cheaper one.