SmallRig NATO Top Handle Quick Release Handgrip, Built-in Cold Shoe Mount, 1/4''-20 and 3/8''-16 Thread Holes, Locating Holes for ARRI Standard, Back/Forward Adjustable - 1955

The media could not be loaded.  Hey everyone, this is really a quick review about Smallrig Top Nato Universal Handle, they sell it with number 1955. They did update this model but there is only one minor change, that I will discuss in a moment.The handle is designed for the top orientation with the NATO adapter and has quick release knob on the bottom. I have this Small rig camera cage, which has two NATO rails to attach, but I can only use one of them won’t make sense and you can’t change the orientation of the handle itself. There could be if you want to attach by buying a separate NATO rail and attach it to the sides.The best thing about this handle is it is easily removable without any tools means I can keep my accessories attached to it and then just remove the handle for packing the gear in a smaller package.As far as the mounting options, on one side, it has several different style of screw option and it has three different built in shoe mounts, one on the top, and tow on each side of the handle. They did replace the one in the front with ARRI compatible extenstion blocks iin the newer version but everything else remains the same.It also comes with this quarter inch spanner on the side, which attaches via magnet inside the handle. Now, you can use it for different purposes but the main reason they gave it is, you can loosen this screws on the other side and can change front to back orientation according to your need. So that makes it very easy to use for balancing the camera for handheld use since since you can balance it on all four sides depending on the lenght of your NATO rail and other accessories attached to your rig.This knob is similar to what Manfrotto uses in their QR plates, means you can pull it outside if you don’t have a space to rotate.Surprisingly, so far I don’t see any downside of owning this handle, I do see some chipping in paint because of rough use but besides that, it is very strong and very useful while transferring or moving your rig.

I have to say at first I was not feeling comfortable putting it on my very expensive camera but as I start using it it just feels it belongs there. You will not be disappointed it is great quality easy to use. Also very easy to take apart and very Secure.

Everything exceeded expectations! Great product great brand!

The one thing I look for in a cage handle, is the ability to quickly breakdown and build my rig depending on what I am shooting next. This cage handle has a Nato rail mount that gives me that versatility that I need. To be able to quickly remove the handle, and place the camera on a gimbal is a huge time saver. And as everyone knows, time is money. Being able to quickly prepare from shot to shot, situation to situation is extremely important when shooting a film. I have three cameras now. I just recently got the third camera, which was when I ordered another one of these cage handles. So, if you want to be able to shoot quickly, this cage handle is a must have.

I love this handle and have gotten 2+ years out of it. The NATO connection is really secure and I've used it with quite heavy rigs (20-25lbs) with no problem.But I recently took this thing on a run-and-gun shoot that required walking around quite a bit from location to location. After about 3-4 hours of holding the camera, I noticed my hand started to develop what looked like blisters, and was getting uncomfortable so I put on gloves for the remainder of the day.Basically, this handle is great, but put on gloves if you plan to hold it for extended periods of time. The semi-rough edges and grooves on this handle won't be kind to your hands after a while.

4 5/8” length x 2 5/8” height x 1”x1” handle. I only took it out of the box for a few minutes to get the feel of the handle. So in no way is this a comprehensive opinion or review. It was in a 3 way elimination series. the vertical post thickness that attaches the handle, it seemed a tad thick. However there’s not as much room on the handle to adequately hold it to the rear of the post. I think it’s meant to have your finger(s] splay around the center post. The GH5 cage I got has a fixed position nato rail, so without having a top cheese plate moving the handle forward to give you a grip in front of the post is impractical due to lack of space. So it compact and has nato, but my cage does not have a nato rail and I opted not to screw the baseplate on bun24268b, which would then only give me a fixed balance point at the cage left and right instead of front to rear? More of the fault of the default GH5 mounting cage without the addition of mounting (cheese) plates on top of the cage. For reference XL the grease monkey gloves and large size in Home Depot orange gloves.

The quick release is key. It would be better if they had the option of bundling the nano plate with this though.Having the Allen key and the ability to manipulate where the handle goes post too cold to mounts all those extras are great to have.

I wear a women's medium or men's small glove, and these handles are the perfect size for me. My only wish is that they had some kind of grip material rather than plain metal for shooting in the winter, but I far prefer the black aesthetic to the wooden ones that often are too large for my hands. I'm glad I splurged for the NATO rail style, or it would have gotten old really fast to take these on and off my cage for travel.

I use it mostly for low shots, also convenient to carry the camera on longer shoots, always love smallrig included allen key, i also recommend getting the quick snap on rails with it

Works perfectly with my Canon R5. great weight (lack of it), sturdy, lots of options when used with Small Rig cage

Exactly what you would expect from SmallRig. High Quality, sturdy and super functional.

Low costSolidQuick and easy to use !Really happy with it

It’s great, if the base could be rotated 90degrees you could convert it to a side handle. I thinks some top handles do this so something to consider which I learned afterwards.