ULANZI ST-02S Aluminum Phone Tripod Mount w Cold Shoe Mount, Support Vertical and Horizontal, Universal Metal Adjustable Clamp for iPhone 12 11 Pro Xs X Max 8 7 Plus Samsung Android Smartphones

If you are serious about getting the right phone tripod mount you should read this. For such a simple device I have more to say than can fit in one review so I will keep it to the essentials, the stuff you came here to know.PREFACEI don’t usually start reviews like a book with a preface but if you are to know if this is the right mount to get there are some things that I would like to explain. First I am a career photographer who has traveled the world, anything from fashion to photo news. My job has nothing to do with this product but decades of using tripods with cameras has taught me how valuable they are as well as how cumbersome they are to use and the value of minimalism if you want to be good at your trade. I will talk more about the minimal design later but it is very important and shopping for one of these ended up being made a bit frustrating by the companies who sell these insisting on illustrating them with all kinds of weird microphones, humungous lights and other accessories just to make the point that they have a cold shoe. Okay, point made, it has a cold shoe. So let’s get into it in more detail.WHAT YOU GETWhat you get is simple, a surprisingly solid, almost all metal, clamp that has zero frills. If it fits your phone then it will work. It is assembled and never needs to be disassembled. There are no instructions and you don’t need any.HOW IT IS USEDThere are several schools of thought about spring load vs screw-down vs ratchet. It all boils down to the fact you are buying this to hold a phone in position on a tripod while you take pictures. You’re off to a great start because any time you have the slightest inclination that you might need to brace your phone against shaking your decision is 100% correct that you should be using a tripod. What makes this a good design is that you can use any tripod in any way you would mount a DSLR or other traditional camera. There are no swivels or tilts or anything else that moves, in fact the beauty of this mount is there are no moving parts at all other than the fastener that holds your phone in place. You attach this mount using one of two threaded holes in the metal. That’s not not sound ideal but this is a very hard metsl and the weight it needs to support is minimal so I can accept that there are no brass bushings for the threads as not being a negative. If you want to shoot landscape you use one hole and if you want to shoot portrait you use the other - all adjustments from there are made on your tripod, where they should be. I say tripod but this mount is equally at home attached to almost anything you can think of that has a standard quarter inch screw, and that’s a lot of things.WHAT I LOVE1. It is simple, I’m confident my thousand buck phone will stay put for any normal situation whether I orient it horizontally or vertically, no other mount is as secure as one that I know I have tightened it enough to not fall out2. I don’t have to think about any adjustments, I either attach it one way or the other for landscape or portrait pictures.3. The part that grips the phone is relatively soft rubber so it will squish against my phone without leaving deep marks in my eighty buck leather magsafe case. This is important because I haven’t met a spring loaded mount yet that doesn’t squeeze my phone too much, and to reiterate the point, I would never trust any ratchet design - not only don’t they grip tightly enough to keep it from slipping out, especially in vertical position, all it would take is one accidental swipe against the release button and my phone would smash to the floor.4. If you are looking for a mount that doubles as a tripod, handgrip, selfie stick, quasi-SLR camera grip or one that will hold a dozen accessories this isn’t it and from my experience that is not the way to shop for one of these. All those things add complexity, weight, security concerns and at some point will limit you - there is never the perfect accessory gadget so why try getting a mount that locks you in to only what works with it? The one thing that attracts me on some other mounts is a removable remote shutter release but after thinking it over I decided to make my own using my favorite remote button and attaching it to a lightweight plastic cold shoe plate so I could always keep it where I can find it and if I am using my phone’s self timer I can just leave it in the mount to press the button - which is how I would most likely use it anyway.WHAT COULD BE IMPROVEDI wrote some things about the shape of the rubber clamps then I deleted what I wrote. It’s true they seem to favor phones with rounded edges like most android phones and older iphones but the are cut in such a way that they have a firm, but not too tight, on my iPhone 14 Pro with or without the leather magsafe case. I am very sensitive about messing that case up and it is a very rare mount that doesn’t do that. This one doesn’t.YES OR NOYou wouldn’t expect me to not give five stars to the mount that I spent weeks researching until I finally chose this one, would you? I left price entirely out of the equation since the range for various mounts is from about ten to about forty bucks. I could have spent more and in the fifteen buck range there are many other fancier options. But this is the one I will carry with me, because I trust it and that makes it the final winner.

This is my second Ulanzi tripod phone holder, and for good reason—it's solid, made of metal, and does exactly what I need it to do.Because of my phone’s width, I had to open it all the way, and over time, it came apart several times in my camera bag. Eventually, I lost the springs that hold it in place. That said, I still used it for years before replacing it. Most phone clamps aren’t deep enough to accommodate an iPhone with a battery case, but this one has the perfect amount of space.A couple of small downsides:The pads on the top and bottom are great, but in hot conditions, the glue can start to slide. I’ve had to re-glue them a few times. I wish it had a built-in tilt adjustment, but I added another piece of equipment to handle that.The new version now has a 1/4-20 hole on the side, which would be great—except that it's useless with a phone in the holder.The cold shoe mount on top is a smart addition, but if you're mounting something like a Rode mic receiver, the screw that holds the phone gets in the way. I found a workaround, but it’s something to note.No vertical shooting option, which is a bit limiting.Despite these quirks, I bought it again, and I’d still recommend it. It’s inexpensive, durable, and works well for most setups. Thumbs up! 👍

Easy to use, a good grip, it works well if your iPhone has a regular, not too chubby cover. Of course, it's not a professional sturdy tripod. It's something great to take with you for a hike, around on a weekend, and the like.

Fair quality. A little snug if using with a phone case, but It serves its intended purpose. Very useful on the go.

I love this selfie stick tripod! It fits perfectly in my small and large purses, making it super portable. Plus, the Bluetooth connection was quick and easy. Taking the battery tab off is not as easy.

El producto es útil cómodo y bueno para extender o acomodar el celular para tomar fotos y más con su mando a distancia puedes ver como estamos dentro del cuadro y con un solo clip quedo la foto sin tener tanto rodeo

This product is very sturdy, stylish, etc, but the only thing I don't like it is too short, only have 15 inches included handle and phone holder. For this reason I had to return it

The ULANZI aluminum adjustable phone clamp is awesome!Things I like:1) It works like a gentle vise to grip and hold your phone in place.2) This thing will hold large phones like the iPhone Pro Max.3) You don't have to take your phone out of the case to use it.4) If you do put your phone in it without a case, it has protective rubber strips to hold and protect the phone.5) The construction is rock solid.6) It has a slim and sleek design.7) It works with all my tripods.I own two of these. I recently ordered an additional one as my first one has been loaned out to my family a few times!Great product!