CobraCrane BackPacker Reviews
Poor setup instructions.
By Ara
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2022-09-08
I was hoping for a quick and easy setup but it's fairly complicated. Using the extension would make you tear your hair out because after that getting it back to its original form is going to be a hassle. The company doesn't have a single video showing how it's done. All you'll find is jib shots, not assembly/disassembly.
Which sort of defeats the purpose given that at 5 feet you could easily get the shot with a gimbal and call it a day. Adding the extension shouldn't be puzzle.
I would not recommend this jib at all.
Best Thing Yet
By Simon Says
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2015-06-14
Very smooth, fits snugly on my Manfrotto tripod. I really love this thing. Four easy steps to setup: 1. Mount on tripod, 2. Extend the crane out, 3. Screw in weights, 4. Mount camera. 10-12lbs for a 5D DSLR. Way quicker if it had a quick release plate. If you mount it on a fluid head, just tilt the tripod head, and the camera mounted on the crane will tilt too. It comes with a 501 Manfrotto plate (Compatible with some Benro heads) already attached, but you could remove it and mount a different kind of plate to screw into the two 3/8 holes or the one 1/4 hole. Used to own a cheap carbon fiber jib which fell apart with my camera on it, it cannot compare to the CobraCrane! 100x better! Solid piece. Felt strange mounted on a 502HDV Manfrotto head due to the position of the crane's mount slightly blocking the plate lock and the tilt lock. But it is there for a reason. Don't try to disassemble the jib to change the direction it's facing, because it won't fit on the head otherwise (Tilt tension knob blocking the crane from mounting on the left side of the head if crane's position switched) Only wish it came with a bag, which sells separately.
CobraCrane Works Like A Charm
By Tom Capture Cinematic Weddings
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2015-02-26
I use this for wedding and commercial work, more so for commercial work. It's great because it comes assembled (just put it on a tripod), gives a ton of reach, and is durable. I've never had a problem with it and it totally exceeded my expectations. Great work CobraCrane.
Great design and sturdy product.
By Ninja_Idoko
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2015-02-17
Lightweight, strong, and smooth product. Does the job that I need it to do and works flawlessly with manfotto 500 series tripod heads
Sturdy & Affordable
By Jake
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2015-01-12
Using this for a small DSLR for video production. I'm happy with the fairly solid build, especially keeping the price in mind. Was glad to learn that you can use your tripod's tilt and the camera mount adjusts accordingly. (Make sure to use a heavy, fluid head video tripod). The only thing I don't like is that the jib does not have panning function linked to your tripod handle. However, I knew this going into the purchase, so I'd still recommend it. Just be aware going into it.
Excellent product
By Bruce
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2015-01-02
I use the CobraCrane Backpacker with a Panasonic GH4 camera to shoot 4K video, and it works really well. The camera with a 10-20mm wide angle Sigma lens requires about 8.5 lbs. of counter weights (not included). When properly balanced, the Backpacker provides very smooth motion, making great shots for the money spent on this item.
Sturdy jib for its size
By CollingsMedia
Rated 4 out of 5
Date: 2016-06-21
This jib offers lots of flexibility for location shooting. Easy to set up, mounts to the tripod head and can be controlled by both the jib arm and tripod head. With a fully rigged DSLR or small pro video camera, we found we needed 10 lbs of weight on the jib to balance the load. This puts a lot of pressure on the tripod head, so this jib is best suited to a heavier heads. We mounted it to a Manfrotto 501, which I would say would be the lightest head you should use. Excellent jib, sturdy for its size.
GREAT PRODUCT!!!
By Johnny
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2015-09-28
The Backpacker is so easy to use. The value it adds to each production is amazing.
