Long-term reviews of budget photo & video gear.

KIT PLAN RECOMMENDATION:
Gerber Gear Suspension 12-in-1 EDC Multi-Plier Multitool
This image is 100% REAL, and no A.I. (or Photoshop compositing) were used to make it, and I know because I took it myself.
Quality?
LIGHT USE OK
Yes
MEDIUM USE OK
Yes
HEAVY USE OK
?
Portable?
Yes
CAMERA BAG
Yes
Yes
Common?
ON AMAZON
Yes
ON EBAY
?
Easy To Use?
SKILL LEVEL
DIFFICULT
OVERVIEW:
This is the Gerber Gear Suspension pocket-sized multi tool, the modern equivalent of a pocket knife, and as far as I can tell, it has everything a regular multitool should have...but just not everything I need for photo & video creation (so, I'm hoping to get some SmallRig tools).
MAIN POINTS:
PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?
PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?
PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
To some, the answer might be yes, but as I've been trying to cut out everything I don't need (to save weight) out of my camera backpack, I've omitted this piece, because it's heavy.
PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
Yes, compared to the competition, it's a good deal...and I don't consider cheaper multi tools as competitors (only good ones).
PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
Yes, it's pretty common on Amazon, but the version I have may have been updated (so this exact one may not be as common).
PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
No complaints here. The quality is good, actually great. In fact, it's so heavy-duty and well-built that my only complaint was how heavy it is.
PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
No, but I think that's a good thing for a knife (you don't want people using it as a quick-draw weapon or something). The good thing is it has locks on most of the tools, and the locks work well, yet they aren't easy to unlock, which is a good thing.
PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?
No, it comes with a belt-loop case, and that's all it really needs (the newer version may not include this, so I would check on that).
PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?
I bought mine on Amazon.
RECOMMENDATION:
I don't need a knife, so I'd rather get a tool that is specifically made for filmmaking (& content creation) like the Film Riot ones from SmallRig. So, if you do need a knife, and saw, and don't mind carrying a tool that is pretty heavy, this seems like it should survive on-location use. However, I leave mine at home because it's too heavy to justify adding to my already heavy camera pack.
These reviews are just my opinion and are focused on my Q.P.A.C.E. packing method, so they're not comprehensive. I wrote these mostly to help me remember what items worked for my KIT PLANS (and which didn't). If I said anything negative I apologize, as these products still may work well for you in your situation, but they were not Q.P.A.C.E (Quality, Portable, Affordable, Common, Easy-to-Use) enough for my budget filmmaking KIT PLANS.
