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Mafer vs. Cardellini


Toby Orzano

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Mafers and cardellinis have similar intended functions, except it seems to me that cardellinis do more and can do it better. I think everyone that I've worked with will go to a cardellini over a mafer in most situations. Actually, the only times I can recall seeing mafers used is if we've run out of cardellinis, or clamped on the end of dolly track because we don't want to waste a cardellini for a non-critical application. So my question is whether cardellinis have made mafers obsolete, or is there some specific niche that mafers fill that I have failed to come up with?

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Mafers and cardellinis have similar intended functions, except it seems to me that cardellinis do more and can do it better. I think everyone that I've worked with will go to a cardellini over a mafer in most situations. Actually, the only times I can recall seeing mafers used is if we've run out of cardellinis, or clamped on the end of dolly track because we don't want to waste a cardellini for a non-critical application. So my question is whether cardellinis have made mafers obsolete, or is there some specific niche that mafers fill that I have failed to come up with?

 

Mafers are great in department stores holding signs. they are fantastic for that photo studio at the mall, you know the one with glamour in its name. they are great for those guys who wont spend the extra $15 for a cardellini.

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Mafers are great in department stores holding signs. they are fantastic for that photo studio at the mall, you know the one with glamour in its name. they are great for those guys who wont spend the extra $15 for a cardellini.

 

Mafers (or super clamps outside the US) can be very effective on set. I had only ever used them as track emergency stops when I had track set up high with a big drop off the end. I never really thought of using them for anything else. I recently finished work on a movie where we shot in Bangkok, Samos (greece) and Istanbul, and in all 3 places, they had never seen or heard of a Cardellini, and used Superclamps exclusively. I was very sceptical, but hugely impressed nonetheless. They are very versatile, and in the hands of a grip who knows how to use them well, to its strengths and away from its weaknesses, can be as effective as a cardellini and sometimes better (sorry Steve). They cant do some of the things cardellinis are good for, but then maybe having both in your toolbag is a good thing.

Am I a convert? No. Too used to Cardellinis.

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Mafers (or super clamps outside the US) can be very effective on set. I had only ever used them as track emergency stops when I had track set up high with a big drop off the end. I never really thought of using them for anything else. I recently finished work on a movie where we shot in Bangkok, Samos (greece) and Istanbul, and in all 3 places, they had never seen or heard of a Cardellini, and used Superclamps exclusively. I was very sceptical, but hugely impressed nonetheless. They are very versatile, and in the hands of a grip who knows how to use them well, to its strengths and away from its weaknesses, can be as effective as a cardellini and sometimes better (sorry Steve). They cant do some of the things cardellinis are good for, but then maybe having both in your toolbag is a good thing.

Am I a convert? No. Too used to Cardellinis.

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The only weakness to a Cardellini is that over tightening of the clamp can bend the acme screw/distort the casting. This makes it difficult to get the clamp to release even when the threaded handle is backed off completely.

Edited by JD Hartman
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Oops. Totally off topic and not to offend but........IFC is replaying Freaks and Geeks and I've always been curious if the actress Linda Cardellini is of any relation?

She's of no relation -- I once asked Rob Cardellini the inventor.

 

I love Cardellini clamps but there is one feature of the Mafer that it does not share. The Mafer allows the in to be pulled and then it can be mounted to the end of a baby stud. This means that Mafers can be mounted together like a kinda cheeseboro, or stuck onto the end of a stand or various other rigging. I used to stick one on the top of a lightstand and hold a boom pole for talking head interviews. Good for grabbing speedrail for a simple overhead rig as well.

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The Mafer allows the in to be pulled and then it can be mounted to the end of a baby stud. This means that Mafers can be mounted together like a kinda cheeseboro, or stuck onto the end of a stand or various other rigging.

 

Thank you Mitch, this is exactly what I was looking for. I knew about the removable pins but I hadn't made the conceptual jump to the possibilities that this unlocks. Very good to have in the arsenal.

 

 

 

Freaks and Geeks is a phenomenal show and I'm so glad so see it running on IFC. As a young adolescent male when the show first aired, I had a huge crush on Linda Cardellini's character...

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I keep em both with me, tending to use the Carts because I can open them wider than a Maf; other than that, though, for grabbing the top of a door, or what have you, might as well use the Maf. Good call on the removable pin... never though to try something like that (also I'll pull a maff pin and throw it in a Knuckle if I run out of other pins).

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She's of no relation -- I once asked Rob Cardellini the inventor.

 

Isn't it Steve who invented them?

 

This is a fun question though...I've become so attached to cardellini's that I usually never think to grab a mafer. Good idea with being able to stick them on stands easily though, I'll have to keep that in mind.

Edited by Ryan Thomas
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She's of no relation -- I once asked Rob Cardellini the inventor.

 

I love Cardellini clamps but there is one feature of the Mafer that it does not share. The Mafer allows the in to be pulled and then it can be mounted to the end of a baby stud. This means that Mafers can be mounted together like a kinda cheeseboro, or stuck onto the end of a stand or various other rigging. I used to stick one on the top of a lightstand and hold a boom pole for talking head interviews. Good for grabbing speedrail for a simple overhead rig as well.

 

Steve Cardellini is the inventor. And I've seen it used effectively in the applications you mention.

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You can also snap a grip head into a mafer clamp. A grip head stuck on the pin or a Cardeliini doesn't work quite as well. If the mafer clamp was a thing of the past, the Chinese wouldn't be counterfeiting them.

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I believe mafer clamps are a thing of the past , or should be .

 

You need to learn how to use them. If you do, you would never make a claim like that. They do things (one of which JD pointed out) that you cannot do with a Cardellini. There is a company in Taiwan called Kupo, that makes knock off Cardellinis. Their hottest selling fake "Cardellini" is a Cardellini / Mafer Hybrid. It has the baby pin reciever like the Mafer mounted on the end jaw of an end jaw fake "Cardellini".

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I believe mafer clamps are a thing of the past , or should be . Other than on a magic arm (which we never use) there really is no reason to use a mafer . I also like big byte baby's they grab a bit better than cardellins . They both have their own spot .

 

Anyone have a photo of a "big byte baby" or as I've heard "baby big bite" from Modern? I really like Modern's stuff and I have heard about this clamp twice in one week now. Of course, nothing on Modern's site and I can't find it anywhere else on the net.

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Sanjay, do you mean these: http://www.newyorkfilmgear.com/4magicarmclamp.aspx

"baby big bite" by Modern? Is it shaped like a cast Mafer, but larger and made of formed steel instead? I think you are referring to a clamp that is or was made by Manfrotto under the Avenger line. It has a junior receiver and provisions for a snap in pin. I have two of them, but can't find them in the current catalog (paper or web).

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JD - Exactly ! Not sure who makes the one in the link you sent me, but that looks exactly like the one Kupo makes. Never used one myself. I own two (The Kupo reps gave them to me at the Broadcast expo in Mumbai) and have never found a need to use them, because i either use a superclamp (avenger made Mafer)or a cardellini.

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Anyone have a photo of a "big byte baby" or as I've heard "baby big bite" from Modern? I really like Modern's stuff and I have heard about this clamp twice in one week now. Of course, nothing on Modern's site and I can't find it anywhere else on the net.

 

Not one of these?

Edited by JD Hartman
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Big bytes are the same style of clamp as a rhino . Don't know if you've ever heard of those before but they've been around for a good decade or a bit now . If you guys are really interested I'll take some pics of my stuff and post em' up . As far as the mafer debate goes , they are inferior to the two I mentioned before also the rhino and any other clamp I use . I didn't even like them 20 years ago when they were kinda the only type of clamp that size . I believe there are superior devices these days and I wouldn't trust them with much more than a practical bulb over someone's head(especially when they are being made in china) I have seen ones that were originally manufactured in I believe Italy - Fail due to cracked cast pieces . Anyone who endorses the use of that clamp does not have a very good understanding of the basic physics principles involved with what these things do for us . Not trying to personally insult anyone , maybe the reason you still use mafers is financial or you don't have access to the tools I have the privilege to use on a daily basis .

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Big bytes are the same style of clamp as a rhino . Don't know if you've ever heard of those before but they've been around for a good decade or a bit now . If you guys are really interested I'll take some pics of my stuff and post em' up . As far as the mafer debate goes , they are inferior to the two I mentioned before also the rhino and any other clamp I use . I didn't even like them 20 years ago when they were kinda the only type of clamp that size . I believe there are superior devices these days and I wouldn't trust them with much more than a practical bulb over someone's head(especially when they are being made in china) I have seen ones that were originally manufactured in I believe Italy - Fail due to cracked cast pieces . Anyone who endorses the use of that clamp does not have a very good understanding of the basic physics principles involved with what these things do for us . Not trying to personally insult anyone , maybe the reason you still use mafers is financial or you don't have access to the tools I have the privilege to use on a daily basis .

 

Rhinos are made by Doggicam. I had the "privilege" of first using them when I was key grip on "The Bourne Supremacy". We used them extensively to rig cameras off motorcycles, and to rig the sparrowhead. I used them again rigging motorcyles on second unit for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". They are very good, but their application is not always standard in studio applications.

 

The superclamp - predecessor of the Mafer was made by Manfrotto/ Avenger in Italy. They started being called Mafers after Matthews bought the patent - like Mathellinis. If the clamp cracked while being used, I suspect the clamp was being abused. I have never seen one of the Avenger clamps crack.

 

No doubt you have an awesome understanding of the physics of clamp design, but I am sure the designers at Manfrotto and Matthews do as well.

 

As far as your priviliged life goes ... I guess you are lucky to have access to all that great equipment. Not everyone does. I've worked with Jackie Chans rigging team ... they have no cardellinis, no Mafers ... very underpriviliged.

 

But what awesome riggers...

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... No doubt you have an awesome understanding of the physics of clamp design, but I am sure the designers at Manfrotto and Matthews do as well.

 

As far as your priviliged life goes ... I guess you are lucky to have access to all that great equipment. Not everyone does. I've worked with Jackie Chans rigging team ... they have no cardellinis, no Mafers ... very underpriviliged.

No need to be facetious or bring up your credits . You are the most supreme grip ! I still wouldn't use a mafer clamp .

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