Equipment Review: "The Brick" Extendable Selfie Stand UPDATE

Whether you are teaching a technique live or filming ahead, you will need some way to hold your phone so your hands can be free to work your magic.

I thought an update was warranted after I've used this thing for a year, both in studio and on the road during in-person teaching gigs.

I'd still give it a fairly high rating as a sleek phone/camera holder for simple straight on and overhead shots.

Pros:

Sleek and clean looking, love the compactness for storage.
The remote works with my phone's camera, one of the few I've tried that connected easily.
The charge for the lights lasts about an hour.
When I travel, it's one compact piece of equipment, replacing the little tripod, light, cable, and phone holder that I've used before.
The base is heavy enough that it doesn't tip over.

Cons:

The extendable arm is thin enough that it gets a little bouncy and won't actually hold my phone parallel to the table for overhead shots.
The joint in the extendable arm for overhead shots doesn't extend far. It's close enough that the base is often in the shot.
Shots with and angled view are limited. You get a 45 degree angle and the higher you raise the arm, the more likely the camera is to sag. Make sure your phone is as far down on the holder as it can get without covering the camera to help it stay stable. You also must have the base facing the same direction as the phone or the whole thing will tip over.
The sticky strips on the bottom of the base worked really well to keep the equipment in place, until they tore off the base.
Travel - it's heavy. It has to be to be in order to be stable. But I carry all of my AV equipment in a carry-on and I often feel every ounce.

Conclusion - it's fine if you want a tabletop stand that doesn't take up space when it isn't in use. If you need to film overhead or angled shots without the base in frame, you might be better off with something else.

Categories: : Equipment Review