10 Useful Grip Accessories You Should Know About

On this video, Ted from Indy Mogul (and Aputure) talks to pro-Gaffer Martin Torner who goes through 10 of his favorite grip accessories for hooking up gear for indy video shooters (plus one bonus gear that you can’t really go without on set).

Gaffers these days have tons of gear that they can work with to help them hook almost any type of light or other film-related gear to almost anything that you can imagine. Some tools are good for one type of task (or just a few) and some are really a multi-purpose jack of all trades that can do almost anything but knowing what exists can help you pick the right ones for your next shoot.

Most of the stuff on  Torner’s list is going to be very familiar to almost anybody who spent even a short time working on a professional set but if you are new and even if you are not but one to get some good ideas on how to use some of these tools – this is a video worth watching.

Here are the 10 (plus one) Grip Accessories Torner talks about in this video:

  • Spud Adapter – This simple plug can help you adapt big stands to smaller fixtures (convert Junior 1-1/2″ female to Baby 5/8″ male).
  • Nail on a Plate -Those Wall Plates as they are sometimes called are super useful (we have many in our studio and we will have a video about how we use them soon), and you can use it to hold anything that attaches to a baby pin to a wooden surface or event a wall. It comes in several lengths and there are even versions with a right angle and a heavy-duty ball (which is even more useful but more expensive).
  • Scissor Clip – similar concept but designed to attach to drop ceilings.
  • Mafer Clamp – Mafer clamps also known as super clamps are one of the most basic grip tools for both stills and video productions worldwide for decades, they can attach to round or rectangular surfaces (as long as they are not too thick) and can hold a baby pin with a 1/4″ 20 or 3/8″ 16 tips and even prevent it from spinning.
  • Cardellini Clamp – this is another very widely used grip with a male baby pin but a very large vice which can clamp too much thicker things. It comes in a center or an end jaw versions as well as several different lengths.
  • Duckbill – this funny named accessory (also known as Quaker or BeadBoard Holder) does exactly what its name implies – it can hold beadboards and other large (and not super heavy) foam reflectors, it is a little bit more expensive but still uses quite a lot.
  • Chain Vice Grip -This is a less common grip accessory but still useful in some situations. If you just want to grip something to an oddly shaped object you can use a regular version of this chain vice (not intended for the film industry without any baby pins).
  • Grid Clamp – If you are building a grid above your shoot to hang lights and other accessories you will need one of these – they come in different versions – male/female, baby pin a junior but they do the same work – help you connect lights (and other similar gear) to your grid in a secure way.
  • Cheeseboro – sometimes written Cheeseborough are another type of grid-related grip accessory – these are basically different connector types to build your grid, stright, 90 degrees or any angle.
  • C-Clamp – These robust c shaped clamps come typically with two baby pins and safety and they can attach to all sorts of different materials and come in several sizes.
  • Apple Box – This isn’t a grip accessory but it is an essential accessory on any production (we have one in our studio and even built an extra-large one ourselves). It is a wooden box with handles that comes in different sizes, you can sit or stand on it (on either side) and use it for anything really (making a short actor taller, helping the boom operator get above something, or even just sitting for a few moments between takes).

You can find many more helpful photography tips on our Photography tips section here on and  LensVid. If you like this short video you can check out more of Indy Mogul  videos, you can check them out here on LensVid.

Iddo Genuth
Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.

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