The Manfrotto 244 Variable Friction Magic Arm comes close to being a jack of all trades: umbrella bracket, hair light, back light, camera mount, mic stand, monitor/iPad mount, etc. I mainly use it with a Super Clamp, allowing it to be securely attached almost anywhere. The ends are male light stand tips and fit standard 5/8" female light stand sockets. It makes an excellent light stand when used with the Manfrotto 003 Backlight Base.The friction wheel controls arm and ball joint tension simultaneously. So you always need two hands for adjustment: one hand on your gear to keep it from flopping and the other to control the wheel. With moderate fiction, movements are smooth but, once locked down, it holds a medium sized DSLR or light head without budging.I tried a friend's Magic Arm with the cam-lever. Same excellent build quality but the lever is more difficult to adjust than a friction wheel. You need to really muscle it too! However, I was surprised my Magic Arm arrived without the wheel installed. Probably Manfrotto wanted to reduce bulk and use a smaller box. No biggie, just spin the wheel on and you're golden. No assembly instructions provided or needed.I didn't find the camera bracket terribly useful and should have bought the Magic Arm without the bracket. I use a ball head (Sunwayfoto) to mount LED lights, mics or cameras: the Magic Arm has a little settle with heavy loads and a ball head allows fine adjustments after lockdown. To attach a ball head, screw a 1/4 to 3/8" male stud adapter, e.g., Manfrotto 118 Male Spigot into the arm's baby stud and screw the head on it. You could also mount the ball head directly on the bracket if you don't mind the extra weight and bulk.The Magic Arm is well designed, built like a bazooka and my most useful Super Clamp accessory. I'm often in cramped quarters and it works where light stands and tripods dare not tread.