For anyone who self-films their hunts, having the right camera arm can make or break your hunt; in addition to the quality of your footage. The ideal arm ensures stability, ease of use, and the ability to capture dynamic shots – all while being lightweight and compact. In this article we compare four lightweight camera arms: the Capture, Clutch, and Clutch Pro from Elevate, and the SaddleLite Arm with Minimalist Base from Fourth Arrow. The last three are brand-new for 2025. We’ll examine them based on overall reach, weight rating, weight, compactness/design, and cost.
With the Clutch Pro’s larger tubing, it bests the Clutch in overall weight rating at 8 lbs. The Clutch and the Capture both follow with a matching 6 lb rating, while the SaddleLite Arm is close on their heels at 5 lbs. While one may think that weight rating would be a very objective measure – it’s usually the most subjective of the measures you’ll find on a camera arm. You’ll often experience issues capturing footage well before you get to any sort of design limit of the arm. The amount of “acceptable” bounce depends on a lot of factors, so I’m inclined to say the three lighter options are all roughly the same.
Typically I would expect that the weight category would simply follow from shortest reach to longest. This is somewhat true in this case. However, the Capture (on paper) comes in slightly lighter than the SaddleLite with Minimalist base at 1.75 lbs vs. 1.8 lbs. I’d call that a wash. The lack of additional articulation gets you a little extra reach for roughly the same weight. Even with the extra reach the Clutch is surprisingly close at 1.9 lbs, with the Clutch Pro weighing in at 2.2 lbs.
What sets all four of these arms from similar arms on the market is the integrated tee bracket. All of these arms should withstand a bit more side-loading without pivoting on the tree.
Along those lines, the SaddleLite, and both Clutch versions are roughly the same design concept – a three part arm attached to a base. In this case, the base for Elevate’s Clutch models is integrated to the arm. It also have a bit more adjustability than the Minimalist. However, you don’t have the ability to level your base separately and then attach your arm like you can do with the SaddleLite. While you technically could do that with both Clutch models, I’d be afraid of losing small components in the field. In practice I typically use a camera arm as a sort of lever when tightening the knob. So for me the detachable base only really helps in making the arm fit in smaller pockets. Even with the detachable base on the SaddleLite, the Clutch and Clutch Pro seem to be more compact (albeit longer).
Without a doubt, the most compact of the four is the Capture. The way that the arm folds into the main base/arm is pretty cool – similar to Fourth Arrow’s Baton arm design. That fixed section can be a drawback in certain situations. If you are saddle hunting you may have issues filming the opposite side of the tree with this longer, fixed section.
All four of these arms are competitively priced. The Clutch Pro, SaddleLite with Minimalist Base, and Clutch are all within $10 of each other: $189.99, $179.99, and $174.99, respectively. The Capture is most economical of the four at $149.99. With such little difference in price, it ultimately comes down to which best fits your needs.
Each of these camera arms offers unique benefits tailored to different filming needs. If I’m going to sit in a traditional hang-on stand and light and compact gear are my main concern – without a doubt I’m taking the Capture. However, if I’m going to be using a saddle in that same situation I may opt for the SaddleLite with the Minimalist Base.
If you want the flexibility of a triple arm, and the small weight penalty of the Clutch isn’t going to make or break you then the extra reach is worth a look. I personally can make due without the added weight capacity of the Clutch Pro. In the last 12 months I’ve been on a similar weight crunch for my fluid head, camera, and microphone. However, if you want a rock-solid foundation for your footage it is only an few ounces different between the two. As both Elevate‘s and Fourth Arrow‘s new offerings used 3D printed components, I could tell they weren’t done innovating. I’m really excited to see more iterations in 2025.
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