Visible crew/equipment: In the crushing room at the end of the film, Strahm is trying to open the box where Hoffman is. As it's descending into the ground, on the side of the box you can see the feet of a crew member with white sneakers moving around. It is not Strahm's feet: he's wearing black boots. No slow-mo is required.
Visible crew/equipment: When Strahm goes to get his gun in the crushing room at the end of the film, a boom mic is reflected on his jacket.
Visible crew/equipment: When the police cars arrive after Strahm's cube trap, there is a very quick shot of the black police car passing before the camera. When it does, a white screen and black stage light are reflected on its surface. This is just before it shows the SWAT going in. (00:10:45)
Visible crew/equipment: When Jill Tuck is talking to Agent Erikson in his office, there is a shot with a boom arm's shadow visible across a picture and bit of wall, behind Agent Erikson. (01:03:40)
Answer: The games of Jigsaw and his followers were always intended to be extremely difficult, but with a small chance for survival based on the actions of the player. Hoffman probably wouldn't have cared either day if anyone else survived, but likely anticipated that most of the others would die. (Strahm's line about everyone being supposed to die with Hoffman being the soul survivor was more conjecture than anything.) In terms of killing Jeff- both Jeff and Strahm were emotional hot-heads, so in all likelihood one or both was going to die if they encountered each other. Strahm's water cube was intended to be an execution tool for breaking the rules. That's why Hoffman seemed so shocked that he miraculously survived.