Local gear shop just got these in last week, and I had to have a few. Already owning a set of PowerCams, I know that I am partial to the smaller sizes with Metolius cams and tend to use the #1, 2, and 3 sizes quite often. Thus, I purchased one Master Cam in each of these sizes.

The cams themselves are what you should expect from Metolius - excellently made items that reek of quality. They are built solidly with no unnecessary frills, keeping the weight down. The heads on the #1 and #2 have noticeably thinner lobes, and thus noticeably thinner overall head widths. The cam ranges are the same as PowerCams and TCUs, as the lobes are of the same shape.

While I found the stem length to be a bit on the short side in the PowerCams, this isn't a problem with Master Cams, and as such, they place a bit more easily in bottoming or narrow vertical cracks.

Overall, they're wonderful cams. I recommend adding them to your rack as part of a mix - my rack currently has PowerCams, Master Cams, and C4s in use, and I'm looking to add some Tech Friends in the larger sizes. Different brands and styles have different advantages...mix 'em up, and don't hesitate to include Master Cams in the mix.

I only own a #3 Master cam so this review is only for that particular piece(the smaller sizes function slightly different). I have place the piece several times and every time it has given me all the confidence a piece of pro can. The piece will go in shallow cracks with ease and hold a fall like it's nothing, but can be a little difficult to remove if the stem is tweaked in the crack due to the trigger mechanism. The trigger bar is made aluminum and rides directly on the steel stem cable and creates a lot of friction when the cable isn't perfectly strait, so removing can be a little frustrating. The trigger wires are made out of Kevlar and seem to be very burly although I haven't been using the cam enough to judge them. Overall it is a very burly alternative to Aliens if you have trust issues from all the forums. My advice is don't rely on this review when purchasing gear because for all you know I may just be writing this review based on pictures that I've seen.