Got to hand it to SmallRig.. and Potato Jet. This is a clever tripod, and the convenience is amazing. I got the non-video head version so I can't speak on that head, but the tripod itself is what shines. I'm a full time real estate photographer, I run my own business in WNC and this just drastically simplified everything I do. No more having to bend over and crouch down to unlock each leg individually just to even the out the legs on the ground, stairs, or inside of the properties with uneven flooring, or those awkward angles that require weird positioning to capture the rooms. It really is amazing that I can instantly shift the legs in any direction at different heights/angles without much effort. Couple interesting things to note. The feet are LARGE, looks like AT-AT feet from Star Wars. It was unexpected and I wasn't sure of them. After using it they made sense, the stability is MUCH higher because of it and keep more traction, I'll take the larger feet as a trade off - it can seem strange at first but give them a chance. - The Clutch itself is well done, and thankfully it can move towards (under) or away from the tripod legs otherwise it would have been a huge issue for hugging corners and/or using my 360 camera for scans. Smart design. - Sometimes a leg won't fly out as smooth as the other legs, I think it's just catching on itself a little, maybe I can oil it to fix it, but it's super minor and a tiny shake of the tripod instantly resolves it while on the move. Almost not worth mentioning. - When the legs come out and you have the tripod in the air, they can wobble a bit, but I think this is the nature of having a lightweight carbon fiber tripod, but when it's on the ground it's super sturdy no wobble. - Two things they don't mention much. First, the little feet pop off with a simple button on each foot which exposes the metal spikes for outside terrain (really nice). Second, they have another version of this tripod on SmallRig's website which is the more traditional tripod with normal feet, but with the hydraulic clutch if someone would prefer that - it's also $100 cheaper and has a cool hexagonal design on it. 9.5/10, would buy again. I only take .5 points off for some of the tiny quirks I mentioned, and some thoughts. I would have liked to see maybe an attachment included for the bottom of the feet that allowed for the more traditional tripod feet to be attached as an option -- or instead of exposing metal spikes when you take off the feet, it would expose normal/smaller feet, and the metal spikes clip on feet would be the extra included option. However you have to purchase the other tripod instead which is a permanent unchangeable option. Amazing tripod, completely changed my workflow! Read more
Game changer tripod. Very sturdy, holds my full cine rig with ease. Locks easily and is very versatile in regards to what you can run on it. 1/4 threads on the sides to mount whatever u need. Adjusts height so fast it’s insane and really will make a difference in front of clients. A quick setup looks like you planned for it. Read more
Honestly I would save your money for the normal Tribex as it’s lighter and has better quality of life improvements over this one. For instance the fact that the clutch can’t lock in the diagonal position is a bummer as carrying it is more awkward either by squishing or your fingers against the legs or sticking out too far. Also the handle/clutch doesn’t have that nice rubber grip on both sides only on one and it really does make a difference! This tripods weight I think will surprise you, certainly not a fun travel tripod. So in that sense you get what you you pay for but I’d just wait for the better 1 of the 2. Read more
this tripod is a little on the heavier side and it doesn’t fold up into a size that is small and compact but the time it saves me makes it all worth it. I walk away from shoots stunned by how much time I saved. Very sturdy, easy to use. You feel the Quality with this tripod. It makes the process of using a tripod seamless. If that is what you are looking for than yes. Buy this tripod. Because that makes it worth it. Read more
I want to give this 5 stars but the longevity us just not there. I have a real estate photography company and these tripods make the work SO MUCH easier. The first one I bought lasted 2-3 months before it started leaking. Smallrig replaced it after I sent photos of it and a reasonable amount of info. Got the new legs in pretty quick. Now it has been 9 months and it is leaking again (which obviously makes it not work). We use them A LOT. About 20-30 houses per week. Maybe this 5-800 dollar tripod isnt meant for that :/ We take special care to fully squeeze the handle and make sure the new position is locked in as we adjust it. I just bought two more to have on hand before I realized that main one was leaking. I may not have done that if I had known ahead of time. Long story short, if they last me 6-9 months on average before needing to be replaced is it worth it? Still leaning toward yes. That being said I hope by the time I go through these other two that I have that there are other options. Read more
I waited a few weeks before writing this because I thought there was an issue with one of the legs not extending... Turns out that they need to be oiled in order to consistently slide out as intended. After wiping them down with some Ballistol, the sliding has improved a lot. Still not perfect at times, but much better. Overall (when it works as intended) this thing is very fast for setting up and changing shot-angles on the fly, which does save a lot of time! The concept is great and I hope to see some improvements on the next model. Read more
I used this for less than a week shooting real estate. I understood what type of tripod this was and I had high hopes for this being the great for quick setup and making leveling the camera simple. It does that great and it looks amazing while doing it, but it barely made it a week before failing. The hydraulic system in this unit needs an overhaul as it seems to fail more than it should. If this fails while you are in the field like it did for me, it makes it difficult to transport and return to amazon since it is now at full height. I will be avoiding this gimmick in the future and stick with the tried and tried formula for tripod legs. Read more
Love this! I use it for filming college auditions. My shortest student is 5’and the tallest is 6’3”. This tripod goes up and down so easily. I seconds making adjustments now. It’s lightweight and works just fine with my Blackmagic 6k pro. I use it for shooting in a studio and it’s pretty darn great! Read more
