Not so long ago, people like myself were DIYing our own iPad holders and clamping them to tripods, to take advantage of the stop motion apps, for kids workshops and such… but now this gap in the market has been firmly filled with a plethora of products that do a great job.

There are actually lots of phone and tablet holders on the market now, as smart phones have become better at photography, so more photography apps have arrived at the app stores to take advantage of the new features and capacitates. Many people are enjoying the benefits of long exposures, time-lapse, and of course stop motion animation.

They have various names, such as tripod adapters, phone clamps and phone holders. So it can take a bit of searching for if you don’t know what you are looking for. Some adapter/clamps will have a turn screw to tighten the holder to the phone/tablet. The universal size spring clamps will have a spring mechanism. Some holders will also hold your phone but not firmly, these are not meant for photography but more for holding your phone for you whilst you drive, or work. They will probably bounce a bit each time you touch the phone, and that is no good for stop motion animation. We will need the camera to be held firm with not movement between frames.

You will also find that the prices and quality range widely. You can pay anything from £5 to £35, and the quality can be anything from very breakable thin plastic, to aluminium. Price does not always guarantee quality. That’s why I have put together this review, so you can see what you get at the expensive end of the range, what you can get at the lower end of the range and what you get in the middle.

The most important thing is that the adapter should securely mount the phone or tablet to a tripod. Don’t get a mount or holder that wobbles or is attached to a springy or bouncy arm, it will be no good for stop motion.

Interestingly, for the phone holders/clamps the best one I’ve found is also one of the cheapest! You don’t always get more when you pay more either, but sometimes an attractive feature can add a lot to the price. (These are affiliate links, I haven’t been asked to review them, some I recommend, some I don’t. I use affiliate links as one of the ways to pay for the running of this site, and I always review and offer products that I think would be genuinely interesting or useful for my readers.)

Smart Phone Adapters/Clamps

These are specifically for smart phones.

 

MeFOTO Sidekick 360 Plus Adapter for Smartphone

Key Features:

• Rock solid holder, aluminium, well made, lovely to use.
• This has a proper 360 ball and socket joint that offers not only a swivel but side to side and up and down, so it will allow you to position your phone just how you need it. This is particularly useful if you don’t use it with a tripod, you may just want to clamp it to a shelf, or simply let it sit on its own base plate. In these cases the full rotation ball and socket joint will really help you to frame your shot correctly.
• It comes in 12 different colours! But they are not always in stock.
• The base plate has two sizes of female threads so that it can be mounted on a variety of quick release plates, monopods and handles.  There are three of the smaller threads (0.63 – 50.8cm) and one larger thread (0.95 – 40.64cm).

Down Side:

• It’s expensive, but not the most expensive.
• Also it comes in two sizes, which is a little annoying as you have to measure your phone and make sure you get the right one:

MeFOTO Sidekick 360 is for smaller phones, for which the clamp range is: 57 to 73mm
<< MeFOTO Sidekick 360 best prices on Amazon >>
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MeFOTO Sidekick 360 Plus is for larger phones, for which the clamp range is: 2.99-3.58″ or 76 to 91mm
<< MeFOTO Sidekick 360 PLUS best prices on Amazon >>
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Zacro 360 Degree Rotation Mount Holder

Key Features:

• This is a far cheaper option, and its good quality, solid plastic, and well made. This is one of the cheapest on the market, and probably the best of the cheapest.
• It has a swivel joint that allows you to film in landscape or portrait. But be careful not to confuse the 360 of the name with the item above! It doesn’t have the ball and socket joint even though its called a 360 degree – its only for the rotation. This doesn’t matter too much as most good tripods will have a set of joints that will give you full angle manipulation, so you don’t need more than the swivel that this gives you.
• You can detach the clamp from the mount, if you don’t need the swivel, making it very small and portable.
• Also this fits all phones, even in a case, which is very handy. The clamp range is 58mm- 101mm.

Downsides:

• Only has one size thread for attaching to mounts and tripods, but this is unlikely to be a problem as it’s a pretty universal size.

Otherwise, hard to fault.

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Manfrotto Universal Smartphone Clamp

Key Features:

• The main benefits are that it’s small, so you can keep it in your pocket.
• It also has silicone rubber pads to protect your phone.
• It’s a universal size spring clamp so it will fit any size phone up to 84mm.
• You also have a thread on the bottom and a thread at the back, so you can mount it from two different points which might help.
• Its plastic, but well made.

The downsides:

• It doesn’t have any kind of swivel joint or ball and socket joint. However this is OK if you have a tripod that can compensate.
• This is a mid range price, and I don’t think you are getting much more than the Zacro above. However in this price range you also get holders of very thin plastic that will break easily, so for the midrange this is one of the better ones.

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Tablet Clamps

These have the capacity to take various size tablets, but most will be good for phones too. Two in one, much better value if you have a tablet, and most stop motion apps will work on a tablet as well as a phone.

Ulanzi iPad Tablet Tripod Mount Adapter

Flexible Adjustable Clamp Tablet Holder for iPad Air Pro,Microsoft Surface and Most Tablets (5inch-12inch Screen)

Key Features:

• Universal size, fits phones and tablets from 3 to 14 inches.
• Friction pads and lock button to hold them securely.
• Made of plastic but is quite sturdy.
• The is a mount thread at the back and on the bottom, but the one on the bottom will give you a firmer hold.
• Very good value for the price.

Downsides:

• Make sure you use it with a tripod that has a ball and socket joint or multi angle function, as there is no angle adjustment on this.
• Not suitable for use with tablets in their cases (depending on their case)

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Ulanzi Metal Aluminum Tripod Mount Adapter

Tablet Clamp Holder for iPad Pro Mini 1/4″-20 thread Cold Shoe Mount Light Mic

Key Features:

• Same as above but made in Aluminium, which means it also heavier. Very well engineered, and sturdy.
• Also has a cold shoe mount on the top for mounting a light or microphone (not included).
• Has an arca-style quick release plate on the bottom.
• Compatible with any tripod with a ¼ inch mounting screw.
• The largest size it will open to is 253mm (the iPad 12.9 Pro in portrait is about 305mm), but for animation I’d always recommend using it in landscape anyway.
• As expected it costs more, but I think its still good value.

Downsides:

• Make sure you use it with a tripod that has a ball and socket joint or multi angle function, as there is no angle adjustment on this.
• Not suitable for use with tablets in their cases (depending on their case)

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Universal Tablet Tripod Mount Adapter

Key Features:

• Sturdy plastic, and great value.
• Compatable with most tablets and phablets, but not the iPad Pro.

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So as you can see there are a range out there, find one that suits your needs and budget, and you’ll find this is a vital bit of kit for taking advantage of the free or cheap stop motion apps.

Leave a comment if you have any questions, or would like to share which holders you find the best.