SIRUI AM-223 Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod Mini Travel Compact Tripod with 360 B-00K Ball Head Arca Swiss Quick

This (AM-223) is a very short tripod, not a full sized tripod, not something you will use to take family pictures, not something you will use to sit on the ground and take pictures of fireworks, or pics of the sunset. Well ... unless you want to bend over a lot. However, I'm SOOOOOO glad someone finally made a ROCK SOLID small tripod!!! I like to hike, backpack, and shoot nature - flowers, animals, waterfalls, etc.. My full sized tripods (Benro, Manfrotto, etc) have great stability ... total pain to heft those guys some of the places I go. So I don't. I've got a several Al and carbon travel tripods from similar level manufacturers. They are good, but still a bit bulky/long and really, I never extend the legs beyond maybe one segment as extending more they cross that line of adequate stability IMHO. And I have to rework them and/or remove the center column so they can go low. Then there are those table-top versions that are compact and light but are flimsy even from decent brands. And the heads on those ... can we even call those "heads"...?? Makes me want to cry. That's where this guy comes in. Even though it's far more compact than my travel tripods, it's more stable d/t larger leg diameter and overall beefier construction. Finally, a short/small/compact tripod that is rock solid. It holds a FF DSLR (ie Nikon D750) with a decent sized lens (ie 70-200F2.8 using the collar mount of course, 105F2.8 micro, even my 135mmF2DF... etc.) without any problem. For mirrorless, I shoot SONY and use MFT when I'm going light; for those it's more than solid, no problem with anything I've got for those including fast telephotos. Works with my dozens of different brands (some cheap-o no-names) Arca plates - locks them all down tight. Ball head is solid and smooth (not RRS or Kirk, or such, but on par with similar brands/price). No creep, even with heavier setup and in vertical. Legs flatten out so goes as low as any other tripod I have, and is very stable with legs 'flat.' I've used it for 4-5 months (I typically wait to write reviews until I've really put an item through it's paces...) and it's holding up and functioning great. No concerns about quality, durability, or function. Fantastic compact tripod. If you need elevation to sitting/standing position, then go with the typical carbon or Al travel tripod - there are lots of those, including larger models in this line. If you don't need much elevation AND you want compact BUY THIS ONE! I've been looking for/ waiting for this guy for 30 years!! Read more

The tripod is what you would expect for the price, well built, light, and functional. The ball head is surprisingly good for the price, fluid movement and good lockup for heavier gear. Read more

Excellent build quality, and they really put thought into the whole product down to the carrying bag. Easy to use with the different height settings and amazing to have something actually work, and one of the best things I’ve bought on Amazon. Read more

If you're not familiar with Sirui (pronounced "SUE-ray", believe it or not), they are a high quality Chinese tripod brand. I use two other Sirui tripods and they are well built, reliable, smooth to operate, and use quality parts. The AM-223 is no exception. It is a nice set of legs that is robust and easy to use. I was particularly impressed with the excellent angle adjustment mechanism on each leg and the fact that the feet are removable. The tripod comes with a set of rubber feet for indoor use and a set of spikes which use a 3/8" thread just like full size tripods. If you've got rock claw feet for your full size sticks, they will work on the AM-223 as well. The AM-223 also features a metric scale on the lower leg segments. I'm not sure why it is there. Maybe to make it easier to adjust the lower leg segments to the same length? Or perhaps it is intended as a sort of ruler to provide scale when shooting macro subjects. Either way, nice to have but I don't know that I'd ever use it. In use, the AM-223 performs well although when I mounted my R5 and RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO on it using the included B-00K ball head tilted into portrait orientation, the system would get tippy in certain configurations (e.g., legs open to first detent only with no additional segments extended). Of course, this is just physics. Extending the leg directly under the camera and changing its angle will solve the problem, as would using an L-bracket and not tilting the small ball head to the side. So far, I've described a five-star product. Where this combo really suffers is the B-00K ball head. Normally, a separate panning knob and a safety mechanism built into the clamp of a ball head would be advantages. In this case, both just interfere with the operation of the head. The red safety release on the clamp can make contact with the body of the head and gouge it. My experience with the B-00K was frustrating enough that I returned this set in favor of a different model that I would recommend instead. What model would I recommend instead? The Leofoto LS-223C with LH-25 ball head. Note the similar model number of the legs. The Leofoto legs are identical to the Sirui except for a couple minor cosmetic differences. The Leofoto angle adjusters on the legs are silver instead of blue, something I prefer. And the Leofoto lacks the printed metric scale on the lowest leg segment. The Sirui version comes with a thin nylon bag that is closed with a drawstring. The Leofoto version comes with a better, padded, zippered case with a pocket inside to store accessories. And, speaking of accessories, the Leofoto comes with a special multi-tool that can be attached to your pack straps, your keychain, or kept in the pocket of the tripod case. Best of all, the Leofoto LH-25 ball head has a single control positioned opposite of its notch that assures it will stay out of the way. (As an aside, normally the knob that opens and closes an Arca clamp is positioned out of the way under the lens. With either of these tripod heads, Sirui or Leofoto, this knob should be positioned behind the camera to avoid interfering with the tripod legs.) The bottom line is that you can't go wrong with the Sirui AM-223 leg set though the Leofoto LS-223C offers a superior accessory package. It is the Sirui B-00K ball head that is problematic and makes the Leofoto LS-223C + LH25 package a far better choice than the Sirui AM-223 + B-00K ball head. Read more

I was really trying to avoid paying $300 for a low profile, heavy duty tripod. I didn't need a fluid head because at this height, I'm locking my shots off, so the ball head is completely sufficient. Aside from height... Stability, portability, adjustability and weight are my priorities. This carbon fiber SIRUI AM-223 ticks all of those boxes, and saved me some money. Not sure about everyone else -- while tri-pods are one of the most important pieces of gear when shooting from a fixed position, they're usually the least exciting purchases to make. At the $100 price point, I didn't feel that pain, and even felt a bit of excitement as it revealed itself when I pulled it out from it's included travel satchel. $100, sturdy, portable, adjustable and carbon fiber. My built out FX3 looks pretty substantial on it, and it f its into the water bottle holders in my bags. Not a bad setup for anyone who shares the same sentiment and goals as me. Worth a try! Read more

Excellent medium tripod, all their products are top notch. Just add their ballhead. Read more