SLIK Creator's Clamp

Well made, but some design weaknesses

It seems no one else makes anything quite like this, and its usefulness for video podcasting and zoom meetings was immediately obvious to me. I've been hacking together something similar to avoid having to dedicate space for a tripod in front of my desk. It is well made, with great fit and finish. The clamp body is nicely cast metal. The column moves smoothly and locks positively. Once mounted, it is very rigid. I suspect it can exceed its rated capacity quite a bit. The column isn't quite long enough for my purposes. It elevates about 14.5 inches (37 cm) above the surface of a table or desk, which doesn't make it over my monitor. Maybe if I used a taller head. It comes with two rubber pads to protect the surface of whatever you are clamping to, and to provide friction to keep it from slipping. They work well, but they are not attached to anything. You're just supposed to keep track of them and use them when needed. Finally, it uses a 1/4-20 threaded stud to attach to a tripod head. I realize this is targeting a mostly consumer market, and I realize it comes with an adapter, but it seems like a poor design choice.