Tripods tend to be purpose-built for different shoots, which means some photographers will own more than one – one for travel, one for maximum stability, one for tabletop shooting, and maybe even a separate monopod. But 3 Legged Things' latest invention is a build-your-own modular tripod system that replaces several purpose-built supports in one.

The new 3 Legged Thing James and Jason is a tripod system with swappable parts. While most tripods can swap out for different heads or feet, the two new modular systems can swap out legs, canopies, flat plates, rings – along with heads and feet.

The idea is that by building a modular system, creators don’t need to own several tripods for different purposes. The James and Jason are full-sized tripods, but they can convert to travel tripods or studio tripods, and the swappable legs can also double as monopods and boom poles.

The heart of the system is the canopy. Both options can handle up to 30 kgs / 66 lbs, but one is built for portability, and the other is built for strength and features.

James uses a smaller, slimmer profile that creates a tripod that can still fit in the water bottle pocket of a camera bag. Jason, on the other hand, is a bit larger, but has a ballast hook and is built for strength. Both canopies have an extra accessory mount for attaching arms for adding lighting or a mic.

With those two canopies come three different swappable leg types, all built with carbon fiber. The five-section legs are the most compact, folding down to 42.5 cm / 16.7 inches and reaching a maximum height of 123 cm / 48.4 inches. The three-section legs are built for maximum height and stability, reaching 154 cm / 60.6 inches – but probably won’t fit in carry-on luggage. The four-section legs are the happy medium between the two.

Those legs can be adjusted to different angles for a wider stance and lower shots using a new trigger-pull design that the company says is easy to use even when wearing gloves.

Along with the swappable legs, the tripods launch with three options for feet to accommodate different terrain – and the tripods can also be used with the canopy and feet (no legs) to replace a mini tabletop tripod. The legs can also be used without the canopy as a monopod or light boom.

The modular tripod series also launches with a newly designed head that 3 Legged Thing has dubbed the Airhed Orbit. The ball-style head uses one main control to level, adjust, and lock the camera in position.

Beyond the versatility, the modular design also means that creators can break apart the tripods for upkeep and cleaning.

With multiple different setups possible, 3 Legged Thing has built several different bundles for the tactical tripods, including some basic setups with the canopy and feet to bundles with multiple pieces.

3 Legged Thing is bringing James and Jason to creators using Kickstarter, where the campaign has already surpassed its original funding goal. Pledges take as much as 20 to 25 percent off the expected retail price, starting at £269 (about $365 / AU$506) for a canopy and legs, £669 (about $907 / AU$1,257) for a kit with all three leg variations, with the new Airhed Orbit head a £152 ($207 / AU$286) add-on.

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Early video tripods used a series of loud gears, but then in 1946, a father and son in Australia patented a new design: the fluid tripod head. The company behind that game-changing invention, Miller Camera Support Equipment, has announced that it is shutting down next month.

In a letter, small business owners Mark and Diane Celementson announced their retirement, which will bring Miller Tripods to a close on September 30.

Eric Miller, working with his son Bob, introduced the first fluid tripod head in the 1940s. The design solved a key problem with early tripod systems: noise. Before the fluid head, tripod heads used gears that introduced noise into the footage. Panning was difficult before the fluid head, and Miller Tripods says that diagonal camera movements were “virtually impossible.”

The arrival of the fluid tripod head in the 1940s is made all the more impressive considering where video technology was at the time. The earliest videos used stationary cameras, with the first panning shots arriving in filmmaking in the early 1900s.

Camera movement like panning didn’t become mainstream until the 1920s, but when audio arrived on the scene in the 1930s, camera movement halted again – the loud cameras needed to be locked in soundproof boxes too large to move.

As video camera technology shrank down, cinematic camera movement re-entered the scene, but there was still a problem – the typical video tripods used noisy gears.

Eric and Bob Miller patented the first fluid head in 1946, later creating the company in 1954 to sell those tripod heads, and eventually the first fluid head tripod made its way to Hollywood in 1958.

Rather than gears, the fluid head uses a liquid-filled chamber to allow videographers to create smooth camera movements. Miller’s first fluid head had a fixed resistance, but the format would move on to introduce adjustable resistance and counter-balance systems for handling heavy cameras.

While Miller got its start from tripod heads, the company also developed full tripod sets shortly after. The first tripod from Miller Tripods looked quite a bit different than today’s design, including wooden legs.

By the 1970s, Miller Tripods’ specialty shifted to creating camera support systems for news and broadcast. According to the company’s website, the tripods are used by more than 265 television networks. The company's camera support systems are used in more than 65 countries.

“From those early beginnings, Miller grew into an internationally respected manufacturer, supporting broadcasters, cinematographers, filmmakers, and content creators across the world,” Mark and Diane Clementson, owners of the company for the last 55 years, wrote in a letter announcing the decision. “Through changing technologies, evolving production environments, and generations of industry professionals, our commitment to innovation, quality, and customer service has remained central to who we are.”

The Australia-based company says that operations will cease on September 30.

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It’s been about five years since I discovered 3 Legged Thing, a British company specializing in tripods and other supports. My first encounter was with the Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit. I instantly fell for Winston, and it’s still my favorite full-sized tripod to this day. Even so, a lot has happened in the last five years, and 3 Legged Thing has branched out in all sorts of different directions, currently catering to photographers and videographers, as well as ramping up its endeavors for field sports and birding, plus shooting and target sports. I’ve reviewed many 3 Legged Thing tripods and heads, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps, and other items along the way, being highly impressed by pretty much all of them.

Bringing things up to date, there’s a dynamic duo of new 3 Legged Thing video tripods in town, going by the names of Ridley and Wes. They’re both similar in many ways and are named after master movie directors. Ridley (Scott) is the larger three-section tripod of the two, whereas Wes (Anderson) is the smaller sibling, with a travel-friendly, fold-down-small five-section leg design. Both carbon fiber tripods are available as sets of legs on their own, or as full kits with the same fluid head. They aim to be among the best carbon fiber tripods and the best video tripods, while the Wes that I’m reviewing here also eyes up a spot as one of the best travel tripods for videographers.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Wes: Price

Quality seldom comes cheap, and sure enough, a set of the premium Wes travel tripod legs will set you back $399 / £379 (AU$ TBA). Go for the complete kit with the addition of a high-performance fluid head, and you can expect to pay $599 / £569. They’re both fairly substantial chunks of money, but the features, design and build quality make them well worth the outlay, especially as both options feature a built-in leveling base, smart padded soft case and handy little extras. All in all, they’re very competitively priced.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Design & Handling

Wes Anderson has proved himself as an ingenious, stylistic, and very versatile movie director over the last 30 years, so Wes is an inspirational and aspirational name for this new video travel tripod from 3 Legged Thing. Available in gray and black with orange accents or in all-black, the legs are made from premium Japanese eight-layer carbon fiber with an aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy. But when shooting a video narrative, I feel that legs are only half the tripod story, so I went for the full kit that adds a fluid head. More on the head later, but I’ll begin with the legs.

The small stowage size of the Wes tripod legs equates to just 44cm / 17.3in in length, or 54.8cm / 21.6in with the fluid head fitted. To my mind, that makes the kit small enough to take on pretty much every journey to any location, whether I’m pounding around local city streets or jetting off to the other side of the world. For the latter, the tripod is small enough to fit within the cabin baggage regulations of most airlines.

Fully extending all five sections of each leg reveals ever-decreasing circles, in terms of the relative diameters. Even so, the thinnest bottom sections have a perfectly respectable 14mm diameter. Not only is that significantly greater than in many travel tripods that I’ve seen and used, but it also enables a strong payload rating of 14kg / 30lb, even when the tripod is at full stretch.

There are a couple of potential drawbacks to five-section legs that can outweigh the allure of compact stowage. First up, each joint is a possible point of weakness, where flexing and wobbling might be introduced. The second is that you end up with no less than 12 separate leg section locks to contend with when fully extending and contracting the tripod. That can equate to a lot of time and effort.

Thankfully, the twist-action section locks featured in the Wes only require minimal rotation to unlock and relock them. You can easily grab the full set of them for each leg when the sections are contracted, and tighten or loosen them with a single flick of the wrist. Ultimately, they’re surprisingly quick and easy to use, while maintaining super-solid locking that avoids any unwanted flexing or movement when the tripod is in use.

While the twist-locks for the leg sections are a brilliant piece of design that’s thoroughly well executed, the same applies to the locks for the three alternative leg angles. The leg angles themselves measure 23, 55, and 80 degrees from the vertical, so there’s plenty of room for maneuver. Moreover, the simple yet highly effective spring-loaded, push-lever locks ensure maximum speed and ease when playing all the angles. Unlike many travel tripods, including the more stills-centric 3 Legged Thing Leo 2.0 + AirHead Pro, there’s no time wasted swinging the legs up around the center column for compact stowage, as the Wes has no center column anyway.

One place you generally don’t want any angles coming into play is in the platform on which the head is mounted. If you try to compensate by adjusting the level of the head itself, you’ll find that your horizons go wonky as soon as you start panning. One method is to meticulously adjust the overall height of each leg, so that the tripod canopy is level. However, this tends to be an arduous, time-consuming process, especially if you’re working on uneven ground.

To make things quick, simple, and highly effective, the Wes features a built-in leveling base that is an absolute doddle to use. It has a single locking screw with a spring-loaded handle mounted on a six-sided shaft, so you can pull out the handle and rotate it for your favored orientation. Another aid to leveling up is that the base features a bubble level, which can be rotated through a full 360 degrees for easy viewing from any angle.

With the opposite of a soft underbelly, Wes has a pair of solid, robust weight hooks extending from the bottom of its magnesium alloy leveling base. They’re ideal for adding ballast to avoid the tripod swaying in the breeze if you’re shooting outdoors in windy conditions.

Intent as ever to cram as many crafty design flourishes into a tripod as possible, 3 Legged Thing has doubled up the usefulness of the weight hooks. The hooks also form the T-section of an Allen key that mounts to the underside of the leveling base via a QD (Quick Detach) mechanism. A simple press of a button is all that’s required to release the Allen key, which you can then use for securing your camera to the head’s quick-release plate, or for anything else that uses the same-size Allen key.

I’ve written a full, standalone review of the revamped and updated 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, and as part of the complete kit, it’s an ideal match for the Wes tripod legs. It ensures wonderfully smooth tilt and pan operation and excellent all-around performance. The favorable feature set includes an adjustable, telescopic panning arm that can mount on either side for left-handed or right-handed use, and an extra-long XP100 Ultra Plate quick-release plate, which is Arca-Swiss compatible.

Another bonus is that you can use that QD-mounted Allen key that I mentioned just now to remove four screws and rotate the orientation of the head’s camera platform through 90-degree increments. The upshot is that the long QR plate can run from side to side instead of just from front to back. The sideways orientation can be more ideal if you’re using a cage, and definitely if you’re using an L-bracket like one of 3 Legged Thing’s camera-specific L-brackets or the universal 3 Legged Thing Lexie.

Going from top to bottom, or rather from head to foot, the legs are fitted with rubber pads that give a very firm and stable footing on most surfaces. There’s also a variety of alternative footwear on offer from 3 Legged Thing as optional extras. These include Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips) and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

There are many and varied tripods on the market, in which you can unscrew one of the legs and use it as a monopod instead. It’s a good idea in that it saves carrying two separate bits of support kit. With the Wes, however, you can remove all three legs if you wish, which adds even greater versatility.

A neat trick is that if you remove all three legs, you can use the canopy of the Wes with the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now. These dual metal spikes with rubber pads can screw directly into the canopy, effectively transforming the Wes into a tabletop tripod.

There’s a handy multi-function tool supplied with the tripod kit, aptly named the 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It has a keyring attachment and includes two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It comes in useful for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks, as well as for popping the tops off bottles when all that videography makes you work up a thirst.

Attention to detail in both design and manufacture is carried over from the tripod itself to the high-quality padded soft case that it’s supplied in. The case features a pair of internal securing straps for the tripod and an internal mesh pocket, all with Velcro fasteners. There’s also a side pocket for additional storage complete with a zippered three-section organizer (the zippers have comfy pullers for easy opening and closing). There’s a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap, a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. The hook is ideal for attaching the bag to one of the weight hooks on the tripod after popping a few weighty objects inside.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Performance

Travel tripods sometimes get a bad press, not least from me. Sure, I like that they tend to be lightweight to carry and fold down to unfeasibly small dimensions, but I feel that the lack of rigidity and meagre maximum operating height often makes them somewhat unfit for their intended purpose. I’m happy to report that while the maximum operating height of the 3 Legged Thing Wes kit isn’t exactly towering, it’s definitely tall enough for the vast majority of videography shooting scenarios, equating to 134.5cm / 53in complete with its fluid head. That’s actually pretty generous for a videocentric travel tripod that omits a center column.

Just as important, or maybe more so, is the fact that the Wes supplies firm, solid, and stable support even at its maximum operating height, with all of the leg sections fully extended. That’s no mean feat for a relatively lightweight tripod with 5-section legs.

Another factor that I’m happy to include under the ‘performance’ umbrella is that I like a tripod to enable ultra-low-level shooting without too much fuss and bother, or the need to invert the center column and shoot with the camera upside down, which is a bit of a non-starter for videography anyway. With its head in place, the Wes can shoot down to nearly ground level for creative effect, with a minimum operating height of just 21cm / 8.3in.

I found that the multiple leg angles made it easy to work around obstacles like low walls and staircases, as well as catering to rough terrain. Another bonus is that the middle leg angle setting enables a firmer footing when shooting from fairly low operating heights, adding stability and making the tripod less at risk of being knocked over accidentally or falling foul of very windy conditions.

I’m tall at 6ft 5in and found that the Wes was a little short for me in regular monopod mode, at least when using the viewfinder of a camera. Even so, I didn’t have to crouch very much, and like many of us, I’m much more likely to shoot video using the rear screen of a camera rather than putting my eye to the viewfinder. In this configuration, the monopod proved tall enough for me at its maximum height with the head fitted. And if you hanker after a taller monopod, you could connect two or even three legs, top to toe, after removing the feet from two or three of the legs, respectively.

3 Legged Thing Wes: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing Wes ticks all of the boxes on my wish list for a video travel tripod. It folds down small and is very lightweight to carry, yet reaches a decent maximum operating height while being sturdy and resistant to flexing and vibrations. I’m generally wary of tripods with five-section legs because the bottom leg sections are often very thin and spindly, resulting in a drop in rigidity and stability when they’re extended. There was no hint of this when using the Wes, and I found it gave solid support throughout its entire operating range, from just above ground level to its maximum height.

The premium carbon fiber legs with their aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy are a great buy on their own. However, the recently updated 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head is such a great match for the legs that I feel the complete kit is the best option. As a complete travel tripod for videographers, it’s hard to beat.

Alternatives

I’ve been reviewing 3 Legged Thing gear for five years and counting, since first encountering the rather epic Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit from the Pro 2.0 range. Indeed, it’s been my go-to full-sized tripod ever since, and I’m no stranger to the company’s supersized video tripods either, like the 3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy. Over the ensuing years, I’ve also tested and reviewed a bunch of other 3 Legged Thing tripods great and small, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps, and other paraphernalia. The company’s product catalog is nothing if not diverse, ranging from photography and videography kit, through field sports and birding, to shooting and target sports supports and accessories.

One constant is that I’ve always been impressed by 3 Legged Things’ design flair and the company’s ability to turn its clever design concepts into expertly engineered and beautifully finished products. The set of Ethan 4 tripod legs that I’m reviewing here is a mighty, super-strong set of carbon fiber legs that aims to stick with that tradition, billed as a professional hybrid photography and tactical tripod system for photo, video, shooting, and tactical pursuits. Let’s see if it lives up to its claims, not just as one of the best carbon fiber tripods, best video tripods, and best tripods for photographers, but for a variety of other duties as well.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Price

A full-sized tripod with a mighty 60kg / 132lb payload rating and built from premium Japanese carbon fiber and aerospace-grade magnesium alloy, the Ethan 4 doesn’t come cheap. The legs list at $499 / £429 (AU$ TBA), and bear in mind that you’ll have to factor in a head and maybe a leveling base, if you don’t have them already, which will add to the cost. Even so, I think the legs are set at a very fair price, considering their specifications, so long as the build quality and performance stack up. That’s what I’m here to test.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Design & Handling

Designed as a ‘tactical’ tripod for shooting and target sports as well as photography and videography, Ethan 4 takes its name from Ethan Hunt of Mission: Impossible. As such, it’s ‘engineered for chaos, built for legends’, as 3 Legged Thing likes to say. It’s certainly very tough and endlessly adaptable. In the realm of shooting pictures, I’d say that pro-grade videography is its best fit.

Suitably hard as nails, Ethan 4 is made from premium 3K weave Japanese carbon fiber with an oversized outer leg section diameter of 32mm. Metal parts are constructed in aerospace-grade magnesium alloy, and fixings are made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel. For the style-conscious, the tripod is available in Darkness (black), Olive Drab Green, and Lava colorways; the last of these with orange accents.

With four telescoping sections in each leg, a bonus of the chunky 32mm outer is that even the narrowest bottom sections have an impressive girth to them. The upshot is that the tripod has a super-sturdy payload rating of 60kg / 132lb. Naturally, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a camera and lens combination that weighs anywhere near that much, but the Ethan 4 can also support additional accessories, as I’ll come to later.

There’s an endless debate over whether twist-locks or flip-locks are better for tripod legs. Personally, I generally prefer twist-locks, especially if they’re the kind featured in this tripod, labelled as ‘Oversized Helical Strake’ leg locks. As such, they’re quick and easy to use with minimal rotation required to loosen or lock each section. As with other elements of the tripod, they have a top-quality look and feel, and are fitted with grippy rubber pads. They’re also designed for quick and easy strip-down and reassembly if and when they need cleaning.

While the twist-locks are pretty standard fare, the three-position leg-angle locks have a new patented trigger-pull design. The idea is that you can pull out the mechanism in the more time-honored fashion, or simply squeeze a trigger-action release with your finger.

As I mentioned at the outset, the Ethan 4 is sold as a set of legs, rather than as a complete kit. Especially for videography, to which the tripod legs are ideally suited, you’re best off adding either of 3 Legged Thing’s LevelHed Leveling Base or 75mm Half Bowl, as well as a fluid head. The tripod is supplied with a flat plate for the former, and there’s an optional 75mm bowl mount that you can swap to if you buy it separately.

Naturally, you can attach your camera or whatever else you’re shooting with to the flat plate itself, without using a leveling aid or tripod head. With that in mind, the plate features a dual 1/4in mount with a 3/8in adapter sleeve, catering to both industry-standard threaded sockets.

Keeping moving parts to a minimum, the bubble level is fixed on the side of the chassis, rather than having a rotating base. Being positioned off to the side, it’s easy to keep an eye on and is large enough to see clearly when leveling the tripod.

The Ethan 4 can support more than just its primary load. A threaded socket on the side of the chassis enables the attachment of a magic arm, LED lamp, microphone mount, monitor screen or just about anything else you might want to add on.

Going one better than the standard threaded accessory mount, the tripod chassis also includes a QD (Quick-Detach) socket. Compatible with 3 Legged Thing Axis QD straps and all sorts of other gadgets that use this kind of mount, it enables ultra-quick-and-easy mounting and detachment with a simple pushbutton mechanism.

A ballast hook is featured under the flat mounting plate and also serves as the grab handle for tightening or loosening the main dual 1/4in and 3/8in threaded mounting screw with sleeve. Using the ballast hook enables you to hang a weight off the tripod, again taking advantage of its hefty payload rating and adding stability if you’re shooting in windy conditions.

When it comes to tripod heads, you can naturally fit pretty much anything that takes your fancy. One that works particularly well for videography with the Ethan 4 is the revamped and revitalized 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, which I’ve reviewed separately and very favorably in the past. The head has a list price of $249 / £229 and is available in black or grey colorways.

The tripod comes with chunky rubber feet, which give a very firm and stable footing while also doing a good job of absorbing vibrations. They’re not the only choice, however, as alternative footwear is available as optional extras from 3 Legged Thing. Choices include smaller Little Bootz (rubber pads), Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips), and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

In keeping with the multi-talented nature of Ethan 4, you can remove one, two, or all three of the legs. Each of the legs can work independently for monopod duty, and leaving two of the legs attached to the chassis enables use as a bipod. Removing all three legs might sound counterproductive, but I’ll come back to that in a moment.

Getting back to the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now, these dual metal spikes with rubber pads can serve up a neat trick. If you unscrew all three legs from the chassis and then screw the Vanz into the empty sockets that are revealed, you can effectively transform the Ethan 4 into a tabletop tripod, stretching its versatility even further.

The tripod comes with a 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It’s a neat multi-function tool, with a keyring. It acts as two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It’s handy for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks as well as for grabbing a quick drink when the going gets thirsty.

It annoys me when some of the most famous tripod manufacturers sell very expensive tripods and don’t bother to bundle a carrying bag of any sort. The situation here is quite the reverse. The Ethan 4 comes with a very high-quality padded soft case and, typical of 3 Legged Thing, it’s not short of crafty design flourishes. There’s an internal mesh pocket and two securing straps, both with Velcro fasteners. You also get a side pocket with additional room and a zippered three-section organizer. The zippers themselves have comfy pullers for easy operation. There’s also a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap, a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. I’d use the last of these for attaching the bag to the ballast hook on the tripod, after popping a weighty object or two inside.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Performance

Let’s cut to the chase. Performance of the Ethan 4 is exemplary in every respect. It gives rock-solid support for even the heaviest of cameras and accessories, right up to and including its maximum operating height of 162cm / 64in (without head). The legs and rubber feet combine to give excellent resistance against unwanted flexing and vibrations, even when the leg sections are fully extended.

As with most video-friendly tripods, there’s no center column, but an upside of this is that when the legs are splayed to their widest locking angle, you can shoot from ultra-low levels for creative effect, without the center column getting in the way. Again, without an attached head, the minimum operating height is a mere 14cm / 5.5in. The 4-section legs also enable a fairly compact carrying length of 61cm / 24in.

While the maximum payload rating is a huge 60kg / 132lb, the tripod itself is easy on the back for carrying around, weighing in at 2.4kg / 5.3lb. It’s also very easy to live with from an operational perspective. The twist locks work with simple efficiency, requiring minimal rotation to lock and unlock the leg sections. The trigger-action leg angle locks are similarly simple and intuitive. As well as enabling ultra-low-level shooting and working on uneven terrain or around obstacles, the multi-angle legs add stability at their intermediate setting when shooting at low to middling heights.

Not just a tripod, the Ethan 4 works equally well in bipod mode or with any of the three legs removed for monopod duty. You can attach a camera or anything else to the mounting screw in the flat base, but the addition of a head makes monopod shooting more refined.

3 Legged Thing Ethan 4: Verdict

Ethan Hunt is a very ingenious, versatile, and action-packed (if fictitious) character, giving his namesake tripod, the Ethan 4, a lot to live up to. True to the role, however, this 3 Legged Thing tripod can take on a barrage of different scenarios and win out against seemingly impossible odds, delivering a sure-fire success rate.

I love that the Ethan 4 tripod is so rock-solid and utterly dependable, and so resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration. The twist-locks for the leg sections work impeccably, and the new trigger-action leg angle locks are a pleasure to use. Ultimately, this tripod offers wide-ranging versatility while also being entirely intuitive and simple to use, so you can concentrate on your creative flow rather than wrestling with a finicky tripod.

The fact that it also works flawlessly as a bipod or monopod reinforces its credentials as a ‘tactical’ tripod for photography, videography, shooting, and target sports. Just add a head, and you’re good to go.

Alternatives

3 Legged Thing is a British company that’s earned a really solid reputation over the years, mostly for making really solid tripods and other supports. The current catalog caters to photography and videography, field sports and birding, and shooting and target sports, covering a very wide remit. I’ve reviewed many 3 Legged Thing tripods, desk mounts, window mounts, phone mounts, microphone arms, light stands, L-brackets, camera straps and other bits and pieces over the years, generally being so impressed that I’ve bought a few myself, and the Winston 2.0 and AirHed Pro kit that I first encountered five years ago remains my personal full-sized tripod of choice.

The Ridley I’m reviewing here is from a dynamic duo of new videocentric tripods that take their names from movie directors; this one is named after Ridley Scott, while the smaller sidekick Wes is named after Wes Anderson. There’s also a simultaneously launched set of hybrid photography and tactical tripod legs by the name of Ethan 4, after Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt. The Ridley and Wes are both carbon fiber tripods that are available as legs-only or as full kits with a fluid head. Ridley is the larger of the two, with 3-section legs, whereas the Wes is a more travel-friendly option with 5-section legs. Both aim to be among the best carbon fiber tripods and the best video tripods, while the Wes is also a contender as one of the best travel tripods for videographers on the move.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Price

Pay your money and take your choice. The complete Ridley kit with fluid video head costs $649 / £619 (AU$ TBA). If you’d rather bring your own head or have one already, you can buy just the Ridley legs with built-in leveling base and padded soft case for $449 / £429. Neither is a cheap option, but I feel that the prices represent great value considering the features, design, and build quality. Ultimately, of course, it all comes down to performance, which I’ll get to later.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Design & Handling

The sci-fi sensations Alien and Blade Runner absolutely blew me away when they first came out, and have definitely stood the test of time, so the 3 Legged Thing Ridley has a lot to live up to, being named after the movies’ director, Ridley Scott. The tripod is available in gray and black, or all black, the latter looking suitably dark and menacing – that’s the one that I went for. I also went for the complete kit that includes not only the set of legs made from premium Japanese carbon fiber with an aerospace-grade magnesium alloy canopy, but also the fittingly epic 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head, which I’ve recently reviewed as a revamped video head in its own right. But let’s kick off with the legs, which seems only logical.

There’s a lot to be said for tripods with four or even five sections in each leg, at least in terms of compactness for stowage. I personally don’t mind tripods being a bit longer when carrying them around, and generally prefer three-section legs for ease and speed of setup, with fewer section clamps to contend with. Another bonus is that the bottom section of each leg tends to have a wider diameter and is thus sturdier.

Another factor in the speed and ease of setup and takedown is the efficiency of the section clamps. Some like twist-locks; others prefer flip-locks. I’m in the twist camp, so long as they release smoothly and lock firmly with minimal rotation. That’s certainly the case here, and adjusting the leg sections is a very speedy, smooth, and simple operation. I also like the grippy rubber pads on each twist-lock, making them feel nice to the touch.

Another potential pitfall is that leg angle locks often seem to be more fiddly than they need to be. Again, the Ridley wins out with simple, spring-loaded catches that have a push-to-release action. Like the twist-locks, they have non-slip textured rubber pads for an extra feel-good factor. Three lockable leg angles are available: 23, 55, or 80 degrees from the vertical. The upshot is that it’s easy to adapt to tricky terrain or work around obstacles when you’re setting up the tripod.

A key element of setting up a video tripod is that you level the platform on which the head sits, rather than making leveling adjustments via the head itself. The latter will result in your horizon going on the slant as soon as you start panning. To ensure accuracy with fast and simple setup, the tripod features a built-in leveling base. A single lock/release screw has a handle that’s mounted on a six-sided shaft, so you can pull it out and reposition it for your preferred fit.

To further enhance leveling up, the adjustable base comes complete with a bubble level that’s large enough for a clear view. It’s also mounted on a rotating platform, so you can swing it around to whatever angle works best for you, through an entire 360 degrees.

Down below, the leveling base has two weight hooks. These are ideal for adding ballast to steady the tripod if you’re shooting outdoors in windy conditions. Adding some ballast to the soft case that’s supplied with the tripod is a handy option, but more on that later.

A clever design flourish is that the weight hooks aren’t just weight hooks. They also form the T-section grip of an Allen key that mounts to the bottom of the leveling base via a QD (Quick Detach) mechanism. As such, you can push the QD button and simply pull out the Allen key to secure your camera to the head’s Arca-Swiss-compatible quick-release plate, or for anything else that uses the same size Allen key.

I won’t talk too much about the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head that’s part of the complete kit, as I’ve already created a full, standalone review of it. Suffice it to say that it’s an ideal match for the Ridley, offering wonderfully smooth tilt and pan with excellent all-round performance. The head features an adjustable, telescopic panning arm that can mount on either side for left-handed or right-handed use, plus an extra-long XP100 Ultra Plate quick-release plate, which is Arca-Swiss compatible.

Another nice touch is that you can use the QD Allen key that I just mentioned to remove four screws and rotate the orientation of the head’s camera platform through 90 degrees. This enables the long QR plate to run from side to side instead of from front to back. It can be a more ideal orientation if you’re using a cage, and definitely if you’re using an L-bracket like the universal 3 Legged Thing Lexie, or one of the camera-specific options in the line-up.

Dropping down from head to toe, the legs feature removable feet. The supplied feet are chunky rubber pads that give a very firm and stable footing while also doing a good job of absorbing vibrations. However, they’re certainly not the only choice. As alternative footwear, 3 Legged Thing offers a range of optional extras. These include smaller Little Bootz (rubber pads), Heelz (metal spikes), Stilettoz (elevated metal spikes), Clawz (metal ice/rock grips) and Vanz (dual metal spikes and rubber pads).

I’ve often seen tripods in which one leg can be unscrewed and used on its own as a monopod, either with or without attaching it to the center column. Typical of video tripods, the Ridley doesn’t actually have a center column, but you can use any leg as a monopod, unscrewing it from the canopy and attaching the head directly to it. Moreover, you can unscrew all three legs from the canopy if you wish, but why would you want to? Let’s see…

Unscrewing a single leg gives the option of using the tripod as a bipod, or the removed leg as a monopod. However, if you remove all three legs, you can use the canopy with the optional Vanz footwear that I mentioned just now. These dual metal spikes with rubber pads can screw directly into the canopy, effectively transforming the Ridley into a tabletop tripod and adding yet more versatility.

A nice little extra included with the tripod is the 3 Legged Thing Toolz2. It’s a smart multi-function tool, with a keyring attachment. It includes two different sizes of hex keys, a coin/flat blade key, a bottle opener, and a carabiner. It’s handy for a whole range of tripod/photographic tasks as well as for grabbing a quick drink during thirsty work.

3 Legged Thing generally goes the extra mile, and that’s certainly the case (so to speak) with the Ridley. It comes complete with a high-quality padded soft case that packs plenty of design flourishes, as well as the tripod kit itself. There’s a pair of internal securing straps for the tripod and an internal mesh pocket, all with Velcro fasteners. A separate zippered side pocket gives additional storage complete with an internal zippered three-section organizer. There’s a detachable and adjustable shoulder strap as well as a carrying handle, plus a carabiner-style hook. I’d use the last of these for attaching the bag to one of the weight hooks on the tripod, after popping a suitably weighty object inside.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Performance

The sheer quality of the 3 Legged Thing Ridley is so impressive that I’m happy to just sit and look at it, or play with its cleverly designed features. But naturally, the kit’s performance as a tripod is what really counts. There’s good news all around, as it gives really solid support for even heavyweight cameras, boasting a payload rating of 14kg / 30lb. The tripod retains excellent resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations, all the way up to its maximum operating height of 164cm / 64.6in (including head). That’s pretty lofty for a three-section tripod, considering that there’s no center column, as is the case for most video tripods.

Although the built-in leveling base precludes the addition of a center column, a bonus of this is that when the legs are splayed to their widest locking angle, you can shoot from ultra-low levels for creative effect, without a center column getting in the way. With the fluid head in the mix, the minimum operating height gives you the literal lowdown at just 24.5cm / 9.6in. And despite having 3-section legs, the folded length of the complete kit for stowage is reasonably compact at 79cm / 31.1in.

The complete kit (including fluid head) weighs in at 2.4kg / 5.3lb, so Ridley is easy to take along for the journey. From a performance standpoint, it’s also very quick and easy to use. The twist locks only require minimal rotation for locking and unlocking the leg sections, and the leg angle locks are similarly simple and intuitive. The multiple leg angles also make it easy to work around obstacles or on very uneven terrain, as well as enabling ultra-low-level shooting.

Remove a leg, and Ridley works well as a monopod with the head attached. I’m 6ft 5in tall and didn’t think that a 3-section leg would extend to a sufficient height for my personal monopod use, without a center column to add into the mix. However, full extension in monopod mode worked out just fine for me. If you’re a complete giant, you could always remove two legs and one of the feet, then screw the top of one leg into the bottom of the other to double the available height.

3 Legged Thing Ridley: Verdict

I just love the 3 Legged Thing Ridley tripod. It’s a first-class, fully pro-grade set of legs that’s easy to live with and genuinely fun to use. The built-in leveling base works a treat for videography and for shooting sequences of stills for stitching into panoramas. The twist-clamps for the extending leg sections and the pushbutton leg angle locks couldn’t be any quicker or easier to use, and everything’s cleverly designed, expertly engineered and immaculately finished.

So yes, the Ridley is a great set of legs, but I’d definitely go for the complete kit that includes the similarly fabulous 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC fluid head. Not only is the head a perfect match in terms of design, features, and performance, it’s also available in the same choice of colorways, satisfying my sense of style (if I actually had one). Sure, neither the legs on their own nor the complete kit come cheap, but they’re both worth every cent of their asking prices and more besides, if you’re in the market for some pro-grade support.

Alternatives

I hate carrying things. I try to keep my photography kit as light and minimal as possible, but sometimes (well, a lot of the time) I need a tripod.

Travel tripods are usually an exercise in deciding which compromise will annoy me least. The lightest models can feel flimsy, the reassuringly solid ones are too heavy to carry all day, and the clever designs that balance both often come with a price that makes me reconsider whether I really need a tripod at all.

So when I got a chance to test the Heipi 3-in-1 W28S Travel Tripod, I jumped at it. A lightweight carbon fiber tripod with all the bells and whistles, but for half the price of Peak Design’s version – sounds great!

Its defining feature is the unusual three-pillar center column. Pull it out and it becomes a second, aluminum mini tripod, complete with adjustable leg angles and accessory threads.

The supplied low-profile ball head reveals a spring-loaded smartphone holder hidden beneath its Arca-type plate. And at 1.4kg, it is light enough to travel; it folds to 45cm long and just 7.5cm across, yet reaches 152cm and carries a quoted 20kg payload.

In our review, my colleague Matthew Richards called it “very good value for a tricked-up carbon fiber travel tripod,” and that is where the W28S really wins me over.

It costs $399 / £349, compared with $599 / £599 for Peak Design’s carbon fiber Travel Tripod and $900 / £800 for the newer Peak Design Pro Tripod. Peak Design’s models remain beautifully engineered and more polished, but the Heipi offers an enormous amount of functionality for considerably less.

It is not flawless. The 12 fliplocks on the legs are stiff and slower to open individually, while the 5-section legs taper to fairly spindly 14mm lower sections.

Our tests found some flex and vibration near maximum height, although Matthew still judged it “more sturdy and rigid than many travel tripods on the market.” The mini tripod can also flex when its legs are spread especially wide.

However, in my endless quest for something light enough to pack, solid enough to trust and more reasonably priced, the W28S balances all three better than almost anything else I have seen. My travel tripod search might finally be over.

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Take a look at the best travel tripods and see how they compare to the best tripods for photography across all categories.

I’ve been using tripods for about 50 years but just when I thought I knew them inside out, something new has taken me by surprise. Based in Shenzhen, China, Heipi isn’t a company that’s really been on my radar but they’re now celebrating their 7^th anniversary. The brand is the brainchild of an engineer who’s also a passionate wildlife photographer. Combining these two facets of his skills set, he launched his first tripod launch in 2019, and the company made a big splash three years later with a 3-in-1 travel tripod, based on a Kickstarter campaign that raised a million dollars in a mere 30 days, from 3,000 backers.

The new Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S that I’m reviewing here is the company’s new, updated and upgraded flagship tripod kit, joining the other tripods, tripod heads, clamps, mounts, magic arms and accessories already in the Heipi catalog. Innovative, cleverly designed and nicely built with impressive attention to detail, the W28S aims to be one of the best travel tripods on the market, or perhaps I should say that it aims to be two of the best travel tripods plus a selfie stick, all rolled into one travel-friendly package.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: Specifications

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: Price

What price a pair of travel tripods plus a selfie stick and a low-profile ball head, all bundled into a single product and wrapped up in a stylish travel bag? The Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S lists at $399 / £349 / AU$649, which is very reasonable for just one carbon fiber tripod (the smaller one in the dual-tripod design is actually aluminum), especially considering that it’s such a comprehensive kit with such a rich feature set.

A comparably compact carbon tripod is available in the space-saving shape of the Peak Design Travel Tripod carbon fiber, which costs $599 / £599 / AU$1,169, and the newer Peak Design Pro Tripod which is even pricier at $900 / £800 / AU$1,500. On the face of it, the Heipi looks a proper bargain.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: Design & Handling

The 2-in-1 or even 3-in-1 design, depending on which way you look at it, isn’t the only crafty concept behind the Heipi’s build. When I said I thought it was reminiscent of the Peak Design Travel Tripod carbon fiber, it’s not just because both are made from carbon fiber, but because they both have a similar space-saving design element.

For a while now, the travel tripod trend has been to have swing-up legs, which save space if you fully extend the center column and then invert the legs so that the feet encompass the head. It takes a bit off the stowage height but makes setup and takedown more of a time-consuming chore. Like the Peak Design, the Heipi doesn’t have swing-up legs but does have center column that uses the space between the legs, but in a different way. The Peak Design has a triangular section center column and specially shaped legs that wrap around it, thus filling the gaps.

The Heipi doesn’t really have a center column as such. Instead of a central column that sits between the tripod legs, it has three triangular profile blades (for want of a better term), that take up the spaces between the legs, but on the outside. The net results is pretty much the same, in that all of the available space is used and nothing goes to waste in the pursuit of compactness.

From an operational perspective, the 3-pillar column works like any other center column, in that you can loosen a locking mechanism (this time a rotary dial at the top) and extend the column upwards. Just pay attention to the warning line at the bottom of each mini tripod leg, indicating the maximum safe extension height. Go beyond this and you can pull the center column out altogether and transform it into a mini tripod, complete with adjustable leg angle locks and a 1/4-inch threaded socket on each leg for attaching a accessories or a magic arm (Heipi can sell you one of those as well).

Not just for doubling up on tripods, removing the 3-pillar column has the advantage that you can invert it and slide it back in to the main tripod again, from underneath. This enables shooting right down to ground level, with the usual caveat that the camera is inverted. More on low-level shooting later but for now, I’ll reiterate that while the main tripod has carbon fiber legs, those of the 3-pillar column / mini tripod are made from aluminum.

Some like to twist, others prefer to flip. Again like the Peak Design travel tripod, the Heipi has slim profile flip locks which take up very little space and only stick out from the legs by a tiny amount, thanks to the way they’re shaped. A key difference is that they’re quite stiff to operate and it’s a real struggle to grasp them all in one hand and open them with a single gesture. You’re more likely to settle on working them one by one, which can take a while as there are no less than 12 of them altogether.

An upgrade to Heipi’s original flip lock design is that the new and improved version gives a stronger locking force with uniform pressure applied around the entire circumference of the leg sections. The new locks are also easier to detach for cleaning and maintenance. The leg sections themselves start with a reasonably sizeable 26mm diameter at the top, working downwards in 3mm increments to a relatively spindly 14mm at the bottom. The bottom sections do look and feel a little flimsy but that’s the price you usually pay for space-saving 5-section legs, compared with 3-section or 4-section legs. To be fair, I’ve seen thinner bottom leg sections on some up-market travel tripods.

Most tripods have three separate locking angles for each leg, which can help if you’re working around obstacles or setting up on tricky terrain. Many of them use spring-loaded locking mechanisms that you either pull out or press in. The Heipi adopts a mix and match approach, with locks that pull out for the main tripod and push in for the mini tripod. It makes sense as you can’t have anything that sticks out in the mini tripod legs, or they wouldn’t be able to slide all the way into the platform on the main tripod.

Many tripods feature a weight hook, which is useful for hanging ballast and reducing the risk of them swaying in a breeze. The Heipi has a variation on the theme in that it has a loop of weight rope instead. That’s all well and good if you’ve got a carabiner or some other method of attaching a weight but is arguably less convenient than just having a simple hook to hang something on. Naturally, the normal practice of fixing a weight hook on the bottom of a tripod’s center column wouldn’t work with the Heipi’s 3-pillar design.

Switching from top to bottom, the feet are formed from removable rubber pads. Unscrewing the feet reveals 30mm metal spikes which you can again unscrew and invert, so that they stick out from the bottom of the foot instead of from the top. This effectively transforms the feet from pads to spikes, the latter giving a firmer footing on loose ground.

The metal hooks have eyelets in them for inserting a tool and twisting them around to unscrew them from the top or bottom of the feet and reinsert them in the other.

Enough talk of legs, let’s move onto the head. It’s a rather clever one, after all. It can attach directly to either the main legs or small legs but in the normal configuration of the tripod, it’ll fit to the small legs which are then inserted into the main legs to form the 3-pillar column. Naturally, the only thing you can’t do is to attach the head to both sets of legs at the same time, as you only get one head in the kit and not two, unless you buy a second one separately. That said, pretty much any tripod head should be compatible with the kit, so long as it has a standard 3/8in threaded socket and its mounting disk fits within the 60mm diameter of the center column locking ring.

The low-profile ball head looks right at home when fitted to either tripod, as well as to the smaller when used in center column mode. In case you’re wondering, the platform of the main tripod has a spring-loaded, retractable mounting screw that neatly moves out of the way when the 3-pillar column is inserted.

The lock/release mechanism for the Arca type quick-release plate relies on twisting the upper section of the head. A protrusion on either side helps to enable a firm grip but there’s no additional security lock to avoid accidental release. The camera platform of the head also features a bubble level, to aid accurate leveling.

The underside of the QR plate reveals the attachment screw for the camera. It can be tightened or released with a hex key (supplied) or a coin, but there’s no D-ring for fastening it or undoing it with just a finger and thumb.

Another hidden gem of the design is that the ball head features a pull-out smartphone mount. Like other elements of the tripod, it’s spring-loaded for convenience. One thing that’s less convenient about it is that if you have even a thin cover on the back of your phone, you might need to remove it as there’s only a narrow gap to push it through. Even so, it adds credibility to the Heipi’s claim of working as a selfie stick.

The main ball action of the head relies on a single twist-clamp lever for loosening and locking it. The usual cutout in the ball socket enables 90-degree rotation of the camera for portrait orientation shooting, in the absence of an L-bracket. Slight negative points are that there’s no independent friction adjuster to tailor the action to alternative lightweight and heavy camera combos, and the locking lever needs to be fairly precisely positioned. You might well find that you need to pull it out, slip it over its splines and re-engage it again to avoid it fouling on other parts of the head.

One thing that I always like to see, and that’s present and correct in the Heipi ball head, is a separate pan-only lock. Not only does it have one, but it comes complete with a 360-degree scale marked in 5-degree increments. What’s more, a secondary screw with a hex head enables you to swap between smooth panning and high-precision 10-degree click steps. It’s a bit like using the aperture control ring on a lens that has a click/de-click switch.

One of my pet hates is instruction leaflets for all manner of gadgets, that have such tiny print that you can’t actually read them. I’m happy that the guide supplied with the Heipi is not only entirely legible, but includes color photos of various parts, functions and facilities, enabling a better understanding of the various features and facilities on offer.

The tools supplied with the tripod comprise hex keys in three different sizes, as shown below. That’s really all you need for any operational or maintenance task.

Everything wraps up safe and sound in a weather-proofed bag that’s supplied with the tripod. It’s a snug fit, so there’s no wasted space and the carrying size is as small as possible. It also has an adjustable, detachable shoulder strap that fastens to loops at either end of the bag with Velco strips.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: Performance

I like my tripods to be big and small in equal measure. I want them to be tall enough at their maximum height for comfortable shooting (and I’m 6ft 5in), but nice and small when folded down so that they’re compact travelling companions. The Heipi serves mostly well on both counts. The maximum operating height with the 3-pillar center column fully extended is a fairly modest 152cm / 59.8in, but that’s still taller than a number of travel tripods that I can think of. Meanwhile, the folded height of just 45cm / 17.7in enables it to stow away in tight spaces, as does the 7.5cm / 3.0in diameter, courtesy of the space-saving leg/3-pillar column design.

A key performance benefit is the whole ‘dual tripods’ thing. The main tripod works well as a regular, go-to tripod for all sorts of shooting scenarios, while the mini tripod is great for tabletop use, ultra-low-level shooting (without inverting the center column) and for selfie stick action. In its regular configuration as one complete tripod with a 3-pillar center column, the Heipi has a hefty payload rating of 20kg / 44lb. That seems a bit ‘optimistic’ to my mind, given the relatively thin bottom leg sections, but I’m never likely to put that much load on it anyway.

The maximum height of a tripod is one consideration, but the minimum shooting height can be equally important from a creative perspective. Both of the main and mini tripods that make up the kit can shoot very close to the ground, with a minimum operating height of just 6cm / 2.4in. That’s thanks to the adjustable locking leg angles and the removable nature of the center column / mini tripod. However, I found that the mini tripod was quite prone to unwanted flexing and sagging when the legs were splayed to wider operating angles.

The head (or heads if you buy and use an extra one) can attach to both the main and mini tripods. The platform in the main tripod features a large bubble level to aid with leveling, and it’s a lot more useful than the miniscule bubble levels featured in some tripods. Correctly leveling the legs ensures that panning will also be on the level, rather than the camera going on the slant during the panning process. That’s an important consideration when shooting video, or a sequence of stills to stitch into a panorama.

The only slight issue with the large bubble level is that you have to raise the 3-pillar column a little to get a really clear view of it. Back on the plus side, both platforms in the main and mini tripods feature a grub screw for firmly locking the head in place. This can be very useful as it effectively guards against the head coming unscrewed on its main mounting screw if and when you’re panning in an anti-clockwise direction.

I’ve saved arguably the most crucial performance factor until last, and that’s the rigidity of the tripod and its resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations. I’ve touched on this for the small mini tripod, which is made from aluminum, but the main carbon fiber legs have their own story to tell. And that story is that they’re made from a mix of T700 high-tensile fibers and T400 impact-resistant fibers, designed to enhance stability and weight loss. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that 5-section legs result in spindly bottom sections and I found that at or near its maximum operating height, the tripod was a little prone to flexing and vibration. However, it’s still more sturdy and rigid than many travel tripods on the market.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: Verdict

There’s a lot to love about the Heipe 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S, and top of the list is that there’s not a lot of it. I like that it folds down nice and small, making it an ideal travel companion for the journey, which is mainly what travel tripods are all about. Thanks to the 5-section legs, it reaches a decent if modest maximum operating height, in conjunction with the 3-pillar extending center column, which itself is what sets the Heipe apart from the crowd of its 3-legged cronies. I’m so impressed that you can remove the center column and use it as a whole other mini tripod or selfie stick, that I’m frankly amazed the design isn’t featured far and wide in other tripods.

I’m not going to give the Heipe a completely glowing report, however. Little niggles include spindly bottom leg sections that impair rigidity at or near maximum operating height. Those 5-section legs also equate to a lot of flip locks to contend with, each of which is surprisingly stiff and unyielding. The Heipe also doesn’t conveniently convert into a monopod, although that’s certainly not unusual amongst travel tripods rather than full-sized sticks. All in all, this tripod, or perhaps collection of tripods, is a crafty design that’s very well implemented, and very good value at the price.

Alternatives

Think Peak Design and you’re probably thinking photo bags and backpacks, and those clever Peak Design Slide camera straps with their quick-release mechanisms. However, the company also makes general travel luggage, outdoor gear, phone cases, wallets, and even gadget mounts for cars and motorcycles. The California-based outfit was founded in 2010 with a mission to ‘build happy and meaningful lives for the people that work there', and, hopefully, some of that meaningful happiness will spill over to people who buy their products.

Fast-forward to 2020, and the company launched its first and so far only tripod, in the somewhat revolutionary shape of a very distinctive travel tripod. We’ve reviewed it very favorably in both of its Peak Design Travel Tripod (Aluminum) and Peak Design Travel Tripod (Carbon Fiber) editions. The company designed and launched its first tripod off the back of a crowdfunding campaign, which is its go-to business method, and the result is undeniably one of the best travel tripods on the market.

The new Peak Design Pro Tripods inherit the innovative design and features of the original Travel Tripod and build them into a (mostly) full-sized range of kits. As such, the new models are available in Pro, Pro Lite, and Pro Tall versions, each of them aiming to be among the best tripods for photography, as well as being among the best carbon fiber tripods. As you’ve probably guessed, though, the Pro Lite is relatively lightweight and downsized, compared with the other two more full-sized sticks.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Specifications

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Price

Full-sized, heavy-duty, carbon fiber tripod kits that are also reasonably lightweight and fold down small for the journey don’t come cheap. One of my all-time favorites is the 3 Legged Winston Pro 2.0 kit, complete with AirHed Pro Ball Head, which will set you back around $500 / £400 / AU$750. Then there’s the somewhat legendary Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber Tripod (legs only) for around $500 / £399 / AU$850, but it’s also available in kit options with various heads.

In that context, the Peak Design Pro Tripod kit looks pretty pricey at $900 / £800 / AU$1,500, whereas the Pro Tall is understandably even more expensive at $1,000 / £900 / AU$1,700, as there’s simply more of it, and the least expensive Pro Lite is still very dear at $800 / £700 / AU$1,400. On the face of it, none of these three tripods looks like they’re going to win any ‘Great Value’ awards, but considering the innovative, no-compromise designs, they could still be very well worth the money.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Design & Handling

After decades of being a keen photographer, it’s very rare that a tripod walks into my studio and really grabs my attention. The Peak Design Travel Tripod did exactly that a few years ago, with sufficient wow-factor to make me actually open my mouth and say ‘wow’. Looking as super-skinny as a catwalk model, the tripod was designed with oval-profile legs that wrap around a triangular center column.

The net result is that the tripod is incredibly slim when folded, while also avoiding the time-consuming chore that you get with the vast majority of travel tripods. That’s because with the Peak Design and its integral head, you don’t need to fully extend the center column and swing the legs up to achieve a compact stowage size. All of these design facets in regard to the legs, center column, and head are inherited by the next-gen ‘Pro’ tripod range.

One notable difference is that the Pro tripods have four sections in each leg rather than five, which makes setup and takedown quicker and easier, as there are fewer leg section clamps to contend with. The leg sections themselves are made from the good stuff. Like anything else, carbon fiber isn’t all created equal, but this tripod is constructed from premium-grade 3k weave, 2x2 twill carbon fiber, along with CNC-machined and anodized 6061-T6 recycled aluminum for the ball head, hub, load hook and leg locks, rather than using any die-cast parts.

As with most tripods great and small nowadays, it’s not just the height of the legs that you can adjust, but also the angle from vertical. True to form, the Pro has three lockable leg angles when unfolded for use. The wider angles enable greater stability and resistance to the tripod toppling over when it’s set to a short operating height. Multiple angles also make it easier to work on uneven terrain and around obstacles.

The ball head is equally innovative as the tripod legs, and a crafty bit of design in its own right. The compact, integrated design helps to keep stowage size to a minimum, but it’s nevertheless full of clever tricks. A twist-action lock at the base of the head allows for super-fast release and locking of the ball and socket clamp. The only slight downside is that you have to raise the center column slightly to enable anything more than a slight range of tilting movement of the ball head, and to enable shooting at extreme angles and vertically upwards or downwards, as well as for swapping from landscape to portrait orientation shooting, unless you’re using an L-bracket.

While the ball head has a good range of adjustment if you raise the center column a smidge, there’s also a full 360-degree of independent lateral rotation, thanks to a separate panning lock. The panning mechanism has a marked scale and a lovely fluid feel, making the head well-suited to shooting video as well as stills.

One particularly nice touch is the bubble level. It protrudes from the outer circumference of the camera platform and also acts as the lock/release catch for the Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate. And to avoid any expensive accidents if you inadvertently knock the bubble assembly, there’s also a sliding safety lock with marked open and closed positions.

The QR plate itself is a fairly small, square affair, but you can use other plates if you feel the need. My only complaint about the supplied plate is that it can’t be fastened to your camera without the use of a hex key, but at least one is supplied with the tripod, as pictured below. If you'd prefer a more 'hands-on', tool-free QR plate, the Peak Design Field Plate is available as an optional extra.

There’s more trickery down below. A weight hook is featured at the bottom of the center column and, unlike those that need endless twisting on a thread to fit or remove them, this one secures or releases with a spring-loaded lock and a one-third twist.

What’s more, with the weight-hook removed, the dual-sized hex wrench tool that’s stowed inside the center column pops halfway out by a further spring-loaded mechanism, while the use of magnets stops it from falling all the way out unless you actually tug on it. If my memory serves me rightly (and I’m pretty sure it does), the Peak Design Travel Tripod comes with an additional Mobile Phone Mount, but you can buy that separately for use with the Pro, at a cost of around $20 / £20 / AU$55.

Moving further down, right to the bottom of the tripod, sturdy rubber pads are the footwear of choice. Made from non-slip TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane), they’re extremely durable and work well on most surfaces. For very soft or loose ground, you might be better off with metal spikes, and these are available as an optional extra, costing around $50 / £45 / AU$80.

Finishing with a flourish, the tripod kit is all wrapped up in a very nicely tailored and padded soft case with a single zippered opening and an adjustable shoulder strap.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Performance

Peak Design points out that it developed the Pro range of tripods in collaboration with the renowned photographer and filmmaker, Jimmy Chin. It also says that they’re based on the groundbreaking architecture of Peak Design’s original Travel Tripod, but scaled up to offer significantly greater stiffness and maximum operating height. I’d say these comments are bang on and that, as I’d expect from a tripod co-developed by a photographer and filmmaker, it works well as a hybrid stick for both photography and videography. That’s mostly thanks to its clever head, which enables fluid panning as well as quick and easy ball and socket adjustments.

I’d also agree that one of the most crucial aspects of the Pro tripods is that you can shoot from a higher maximum height, as I found the Travel Tripod quite restrictive in this regard. Even so, the maximum height of the Pro tripod isn’t exactly towering at 168.4cm / 66.3 inches.

Being quite tall and liking to keep my shooting options as open as possible, I went for the Pro Tall version of the tripod, which extends to a more impressive 197.4cm / 77.7 inches.

The Pro Lite edition is certainly smaller and more lightweight for the journey, but only rises to a maximum height of 162.5cm / 64.0 inches, and has a lower payload rating of 15.9kg / 35lb, compared with the 18.1kg / 40lb of its heftier siblings.

It’s not just height that I’m interested in. I also like to shoot from really low angles sometimes, for creative effect. In time-honored tradition, the Pro tripods enable you to remove and invert the center column, thus shooting out from between two of the legs with the camera inverted, right down to ground level. That’s all well and good, provided that you don’t mind shooting with your camera upside down, which definitely isn’t preferable for videography.

A more convenient but more long-winded approach to ultra-low-level shooting is that you can tilt the ball head through 90 degrees, loosen a screw, and remove all but the very top of the center column. This enables you to shoot from as little as 15.9cm / 6.3in, 17.3cm / 6.8in, or 15.8cm / 6.2in above ground level, with the Pro, Pro Tall, and Pro Lite versions of the tripod, respectively.

Those specializing in videography rather than stills photography might like to go a little further with filmmaking features. Catering to these needs, Peak Design offers a Leveling Base for an additional $120 / £110 / AU$220. This enables you to level the head even if the tripod legs aren’t precisely leveled, so that your horizon doesn’t go on the slant when you start panning. And if you want to add a fluid tilt action to the head’s existing fluid pan abilities, there’s an optional Tilt Mod for $150 / £135 / AU$300.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Verdict

I’ve tried many and varied Peak Design products, and they always give me a real feel-good factor. The company makes bold claims regarding the design, features, build quality, and performance of its Peak Design Pro Tripod range. I love it when products live up to and even surpass their billing, and that’s my experience of the Pro Tall tripod kit that I tested and immediately fell for.

Highlights for me are that the design neatly cuts out any wasted space, the specially profiled legs snugly wrapping around the center column for incredibly slimline stowage. The integral head also helps to keep packing size to a minimum, so everything’s neat and tidy. Better still, the tripod has super-fast setup and take-down times, apart from its fiddly tool-driven quick-release plate. Best of all, the kit gives rock-solid support for stills and video shooting, with a nice fluid panning feel for the latter, and remains really steady and stable even at its maximum height with all of the leg sections and center column fully extended.

The only catch, as far as I’m concerned, is the price. It’s a very expensive tripod by any standards, but I feel that Peak Design has really gone the extra mile with its no-compromise design and build, making the Pro range of tripods well worth the money.

Alternatives

Hawlowe, a brand arguably best known for its retro-styled camera lights, has unveiled a new tripod – and the company says it weighs only about as much as a water bottle. The Harlowe Rocket Air is a carbon fiber travel tripod with a fluid head that weighs about 2.2 lbs / 1 kg yet can accommodate up to ten times that weight in camera gear.

But, beyond the more compact size, what caught my eye about the Harlowe Rocket Air is that it’s also designed to hold multiple devices at once. The tripod supports up to two accessory arms, which can hold things like a smartphone to record behind-the-scenes content, lights, or other accessories.

Folded, the tripod’s four leg sections allow it to stow away at 19.7 inches / 50 cm, but at full height can reach 58.7 inches / 149cm. The center column can be reversed to hold the camera upside-down for extreme low angles, while three leg positions also allow for a range of different working heights.

Much of the tripod’s lightweight design comes from its carbon fiber build. A counterweight hook on the bottom of the center column allows creators to add a weight for more stabilization.

The tripod legs can support up to 22.05 pounds / 10 kg, but the fluid head has a lower weight rating at 6.61 lbs / 3 kg.

Those legs use twist-style locks, a design that the company says allows creators to deploy to full height in around three seconds.

The tripod includes a fluid head that has a ten-degree leveling adjustment for uneven terrain, as well as supporting smooth pan and tilt movement.

While Harlowe is perhaps best known for its retro-styled lights, the Rocket Air follows last year’s Rocket, a multi-purpose stand that can be used as a light stand as well as a modular tripod and monopod.

The Harlowe Rocket Air retails at $399 / £303 / CA$576. That includes the tripod and detachable fluid head along with a carrying bag and allen wrench; accessory arms are not included with the standard ¼”-20 thread type arms supported. The tripod is available from Harlowe, as well as select retailers.

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It’s been two and a half years since I reviewed the original 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine, and I was very impressed at the time. It was everything I’d come to expect from the company behind it – an innovative design that packs an array of useful features, with excellent build quality and an impeccable finish.

Enough said? Well, while I’ve been steadily adding to my personal collection of 3 Legged Thing photo and video equipment over the years, the new and improved AirHed Cine CC is destined for a place on my shopping list, with its ability to turn pretty much any set of legs into one of the best video tripods. It certainly looks and feels right at home on my prized 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 sturdy carbon tripod.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Specifications

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Price

Specialist video heads are often big, heavy, unwieldy, and very expensive to buy. The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is ideal in my books (and those of my accountant), in that it’s relatively compact, lightweight, and reasonably priced, at $249 / £229 / AU$799. Considering the feature set and quality of construction, it’s a bit of a bargain.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Design & Handling

I didn’t find much of anything wrong with the original version of the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine fluid, video head, but the updated ‘CC’ adds some neat new tricks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, and start with the basics. The head is designed primarily with videography in mind, but it works just fine for shooting stills as well, especially if panning is the name of the game for tracking sports or wildlife subjects. It’s also a good fit for a large spotting scope.

A key feature of any video head is that it enables smooth pan and tilt movements, and, just like the original, the CC has a lovely fluid feel to it, based on a quality design and spring-loaded counterbalance mechanism. That said, the counterbalance is not adjustable to accommodate different sizes and weights of camera, but the omission is what I’d expect from a relatively compact, lightweight, and affordable video head, such as this one.

Crucial to panning and tilting is the panning handle itself, as your primary point of physical contact with the head. The handle is completely revamped in the new version, the main difference being that it has a retractable design. Not only does it enable you to choose the length that feels most comfortable and natural in use, but it also makes it less likely that you’ll need to remove it and stash it separately when stowing the head. The images above and below show the panning handle in its retracted and fully extended states.

True to type, the panning handle is mounted on splines, which enable a wide range of rotational adjustment as well as ensuring a secure fitment that avoids any slippage or wobbling. The arm release knob can be pulled out and rotated on a six-sided head to ensure it doesn’t stick out in the wrong direction and get in the way when fastened.

Also, as I’d hope for in a video head, the panning handle can be attached to the left or right side, catering not only to left-handed and right-handed users but also to individual preference. Some right-handers will prefer to use the panning handle with their left hand, to leave their right hand free for operating the mounted camera.

At the center of the left side of the head is the main tilt-action lock and release knob. It operates with smooth simplicity and can lock off the tilt very securely for fixed position shooting. Only minimal turning is required to lock or release the head’s tilt mechanism. A generous 165 degrees of tilt is on offer, from 90 degrees forward to 75 degrees backward.

Above and to the front of the tilt knob on the side of the head is a mounting socket with a standard 1/4-inch thread. You can use this to attach accessories like a microphone, LED lamp, or video monitor. 3 Legged Thing offers two sizes of optional ‘Pivot Magic Arms’ for the task.

Down at the bottom of the left-hand side is the panning lock/release knob. Like the release knob for the panning handle, this one is spring-loaded and sits on a six-sided head, so you can pull it out and rotate it to your preferred position. Loosening the lever enables a full 360-degree panning rotation. To help keep tabs on movement, there’s a 360-degree scale on the base, numbered in 15-degree intervals and marked with lines at smaller 2.5-degree increments.

To help with leveling your tripod legs, which in turn helps to ensure that everything stays on the level when you’re panning, there’s a bubble level built into the lower section of the head. A secondary bubble level is fitted to the main clamp at the top, for assistance with leveling the tilt mechanism.

Another upgrade over the original version of the head is that the clamp up on top can be removed by undoing four hex screws, and rotated laterally through 90-degree intervals. The bonus here is that you can change the orientation of the QR plate from running front-to-back to side-to-side. This can be a big advantage if you’re using a camera with an L-bracket or a cage.

The Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate is also redesigned. For starters, it’s longer at 100mm instead of 90mm, giving more scope for centering the weight of your camera on the head. It also features a sliding camera screw sled and spring-loaded locator pin, plus a cable management hook at the front. The QR plate also adds compatibility for 3 Legged Thing’s growing range of ‘Xpand’ accessories, cheese plates, and risers, and features multiple 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded screw holes.

The images above and below show the top and bottom of the ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’, 3 Legged Thing’s redesigned Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate that’s supplied with the head.

Last but not least, the head is supplied complete with 3 Legged Thing’s handy ‘Toolz’ multi-tool, which features hex keys, a flat-blade coin key, a keyring clip, and a carabiner for attaching it to whatever you see fit. It even works as a bottle opener if things get really tough.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Performance

I’m impressed that despite having a compact size and weighing in at just 690g / 1.5lb, the AirHed Cine CC has a beefy maximum payload rating of 10kg / 22lb. As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance system, but I found it worked well with everything from small, lightweight cameras to big, hefty outfits comprising large camera bodies with super-telephoto lenses.

Any video head lives or dies by the smoothness of its pan and tilt mechanisms, and the AirHed Cine CC has a really nice fluid feel to it. The new extending panning handle is a joy to use, and all the controls feel smooth, precise, and intuitive. Suffice it to say, you can devote your entire attention to shooting rather than wrestling with the head to get what you want out of it.

It can be a bit tricky to level the legs of your tripod, which can be essential to ensure your camera stays on the level during panning. One elegant solution is to add a 3 Legged Thing LevelHed Levelling Base into the mix, but it’s pretty pricey at an additional $140 / £130 / AU$259. Something I’ve seen in some video and hybrid heads, like the Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, is a secondary panning plate on top of the head, which enables you to just level the head for panning rather than the legs or a leveling base as well, but this is omitted in the AirHed Cine CC.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is a great fit for me and my gear. It’s conveniently compact and lightweight, so I can stash it away in my photo backpack and grab it whenever I need to swap from shooting stills to video. It actually works really well as a pan-and-tilt head for shooting stills in addition to video, especially if you add in an L-bracket for portrait orientation shots. The laterally rotatable clamp makes the new CC version of the head all the more ideal for this, as you can use the QR plate or slot in an Arca-Swiss compatible L-bracket running sideways instead of just front-to-back.

I also like the redesigned, retractable panning handle, as it enables me to select the length that I want to use, as well as saving on storage space without feeling the need to remove the handle every time I pack the head away. The tricked-up replacement ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’ is yet another improvement, and I like the way that I don’t even have to use the QR plate at all if I’m shooting with big, heavy telephoto lenses that have an Arca-Swiss profile mounting foot in their tripod mounting collars. All in all, the ‘CC’ is a worthy upgrade over the original. With its clever design, rich feature list, excellent build quality, and stylish finish, this one’s a keeper.

Alternatives

Keychain cameras like the Kodak Charmera have gone viral – but that’s not the only photo gear shrinking down to fit on a key ring. Joby, the same brand behind the flexible GorillaPod, has launched a mini tripod that clips onto a belt loop or a bag that weighs just 106g / 3.7 oz.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend is a mini tripod built for smartphones, compact cameras, and action cameras. While the compact tripod itself is only around six inches, the built-in extending selfie stick can also be used to extend the tabletop tripod to a height of 33.5 cm / 13.19 inches.

One of the tripod’s legs has a built-in carabiner, allowing creators to clip the tripod to a belt loop or backpack. The mini tripod’s folded length under 16mm / 6.5 inches makes it larger than a keychain camera, but still fairly portable for a tripod.

I can see the new mini tripod attracting creators on the go who want to pack light. The carabiner will also allow the tripod to be attached to lanyards or camera straps.

The HandyPod Clip Extend uses a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread, allowing it to accommodate a variety of different types of cameras. Those cameras should be under 1 kg / 2.2 lbs, but that still allows the tripod to support smartphones, compact cameras, action cameras, and even some lighter travel mirrorless cameras with lightweight lenses.

True to Joby’s roots, the tripod isn’t meant to spend its life on a tabletop. The legs have clips that allow the camera to enter what the company calls “mantis mode” and cling on to the side of railings and chain link fences.

A ball head allows creators to further adjust the camera’s angle, including supporting both horizontal and vertical positions.

The tripod also has an integrated cold shoe to add a light, mic, or another accessory.

The tripod also doubles as a selfie stick and handheld grip.

Last year, Videndum – the same brand that owns Manfrotto and Lowepro – sold the Joby brand to the Chinese manufacturer Vijim. At the time, Videndum said the move would help them narrow their focus on more pro-oriented gear.

Since then, Joby, who is still based in California, has continued to launch portable camera accessories. The June 09 launch of the HandyPod Clip Extend follows a GripTight Cold Shoe mount that allows smartphones to be held from a shoe mount, also announced in June.

The new launch isn’t Joby’s first tripod with a carabiner, but the June 2026 launch takes on a different design and adds an extension selfie stick compared to earlier options like the HandyPod Clip and HandyPod Clip Action.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend sells for about $35 / £31 / AU$58 / CA$57. Some retailers have already opened orders, including B&H in the US and Joby's online store.

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Benro is renowned for offering solid support to photographers and videographers. The Chinese manufacturer has been going for 30 years and counting, creating a diverse range of products. I’ve been impressed by many and varied bits of Benro kit, including the Benro Cyanbird Carbon FS30 travel tripod kit, Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C monopod, Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, Benro GH5C gimbal head, and the Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket, to name but a few.

The Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit that I’m reviewing this time around is from a new series of video tripods, their main claim to fame being the ‘lightning lock’ leg system. As its name suggests, the design aims to be super-fast for setting up the tripod and packing it away again after a take. Available in both aluminum and carbon fiber versions and with different heads, it aims to be one of the best video tripod kits on the market. I put the aluminum kit with the KH fluid head to the test.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Specifications

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Price

The current range of Lightning Lock-series legs and complete kits starts at a very competitive price and stays very reasonable through to the top end. Kicking off the selection is the set of aluminum legs on their own, priced at $175 / £220. Adding the KH fluid head for a complete kit brings the price up to $280 / £330. The carbon fiber legs on their own are slightly pricier than the complete aluminum kit, priced at $300 / £340, while the range-topping carbon kit with head sells for $380 / £450. Even that’s very affordable for a pro-grade video tripod.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Design & Handling

Following something of a time-honored tradition for video tripods, the legs are constructed from twin-tube sections. The idea is to maximize the overall stability while reducing the risk of tortional flexing and twisting while you’re panning. As such, the top and middle sections of the 3-section legs have double tubes, and the bottom section has the usual single tube.

When folded out, the legs have the usual look of five tubes in a row. At least, that’s how things look when the tripod is set to its minimum height. As you extend the legs for loftier operation, the top two sections extend in pairs of tubes, and the single bottom tube of each leg also extends.

Another bit of video tradition is that the Benro features a spreader between the legs. Again, this is to enhance stability and to make sure that the legs stay evenly and securely positioned while the tripod is in use. The spreader is typically hinged so that it folds out automatically as you pull the legs out from their folded position. As such, the tripod doesn’t feature alternative locking leg angles for operational use, and clips are included for holding the legs together when the tripod is folded down.

Getting on to the hotter news about extending and contracting the legs to alter the height, the tripod features Benro’s new ‘lightning locks’. I’m a fan, liking that each leg has just a single lock/release lever for height adjustment, making them very quick and easy to adjust. You simply pull each lever outwards from the leg to release all three sections, make the necessary height adjustment, then push it back in again. As well as speeding up the process of height adjustments, the system also makes it easier to level the legs.

While the lightning locks enable quick and broadly accurate leveling, you still need the platform that supports the head to be perfectly leveled if panning is on the cards. That’s so that the horizon doesn’t start to tip over at an angle during panning. As such, the tripod features a 60mm leveling bowl and a simple lock/release knob underneath the main platform. Again, it’s a quick and easy system to use, as you just have to loosen the knob, make the leveling adjustment, then tighten it back up to lock the platform in place.

As an aid to leveling, there’s a bubble level on the platform, and I’m pleased that it’s comparatively large and easy to see, unlike the tiny bubble levels of some tripods. Naturally, most cameras these days feature an artificial horizon that can be more accurate than using a bubble level, but every little helps.

I’ve found that some video heads have a panning action that’s a little too loose for my liking, whereas others feel a bit tight and stiff. A neat feature of the Benro is that, as well as the pan lock/release knob, there’s an adjustable fluid drag control. This has a twist action that enables you to set just the right amount of fluid drag that you’re most comfortable with, for the job at hand.

The tilt mechanism is relatively straightforward, with a simple lock/release knob. This gives some control over the amount of drag for front-to-back tilting, but not so much as with the panning adjuster. As I’d expect, there’s a spring-loaded counterbalance system but, again, this is quite a simple affair and the head doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance mechanism for tailoring it to different weights of camera.

To further enhance the feel of the tilt and panning action, the head features a generously long panning handle. It has the usual elbow that angles its shaft, and is mounted on splines that avoid any risk of slippage or wobbling. The grippy rubberized hand grip area of the panning handle is also comfortably large and feels good to the touch.

As is often the case with up-market video heads, a splined attachment bracket is featured on both the left and right sides of the head, to accommodate comfortable panning with either your left or right hand, respectively.

The clamp up on top is industry-standard 501 compatible and comes complete with a quick-release plate. The clamp has a rotary lock-release knob plus a security pushbutton at the rear, to avoid any nasty surprises with the plate sliding out accidentally.

The QR plate itself features a sliding mounting screw saddle for attaching your camera, cage, or lens with a tripod-mounting collar. There are also three spring-loaded security pins and a calibrated scale along both sides of the plate, for precision placement.

The tripod comes with large, rubber pads which give a firm and stable footing on hard flooring and ground. They’re removable, to reveal dual spikes as alternative footwear that’s more suitable for soft flooring and loose ground. It’s nice to have the choice, my only slight complaint being that I found the rubber retaining straps that hold the rubber feet in place to be quite stiff and fiddly for removal and replacement.

The image above shows one of the large rubber foot pads, whereas it has been removed for the image below, which shows the dual metal spikes.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Performance

A key performance plus point is that the ‘lightning locks’ live up to their billing and enable super-quick setup of the tripod. That can be a massive bonus if you need to react quickly to an unfolding storyline at weddings and other events, and for shooting sports or wildlife. The bowl mechanism in the head is similarly speedy for quick and accurate leveling, so you’re ready to roll in no time at all.

There’s a fairly decent height range on offer, from a minimum operating height of 75cm / 29.5 inches, up to a maximum of 151cm / 59.5 inches. That should suffice for most scenarios, but won’t cover you for ultra-low-level shooting or for getting an overview with a really tall perspective.

Stability and rigidity are impressive, and the tripod is very resistant to flexing and vibrations when panning and tilting. Pan and tilt themselves operate with the requisite fluidity for videography, and I’m very happy with the adjustable fluid drag control for panning. The lack of an adjustable counterbalance system can be less rewarding, especially if you’re using hefty camera and lens combinations. The maximum payload rating of the kit is 6.8kg / 15lb, which again should suffice for most needs but isn’t overly generous. There’s also no threaded socket for attaching accessories like an LED lamp, microphone, or monitor screen via a magic arm.

Ultimately, the Benro won’t win any prizes for its range of height adjustment or maximum load-bearing capability, but performance is very pleasing within the design parameters. It’s a quick and easy video tripod to use, without being too big, heavy, and cumbersome.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Verdict

There’s a lot to like in the Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit. Living up to its billing, the new ‘lightning lock’ system enables super-fast height adjustments and leveling of the legs, while the 60mm bowl mechanism in the head allows for ultra-precise leveling adjustments. As well as being quick and easy to set up, the tripod operates with smooth efficiency and features an adjustable fluid drag mechanism for panning. That’s backed up by good resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations.

The maximum load rating isn’t overly generous, there’s no adjustable counterbalance system, and the feet require a bit of effort to swap them between rubber pads and dual metal spikes. Even so, the Benro is simple to use, highly effective in most shooting scenarios, and very good value for money.

Alternatives

Carbon fiber tripods tend to hold heavier loads, but come at a premium cost. Really Right Stuff (RRS), the U.S.-based company known for its high-end carbon pro fiber camera support systems, believes its new Core Line offers a compelling solution.

According to RRS, the new Benchmark and Benchmark Inverted tripods are the most affordable carbon fiber tripods the company has ever produced, costing up to 32% less than comparable in-house alternatives.

The Core Line is RRS's first tripod series produced entirely at its facility in Lehi, Utah, from raw fiber to finished legs. That, the company says, is one of the main reasons the new options are more affordable than the brand's previous supports.

The Benchmark is a four-section carbon fiber tripod designed for maximum stability, reach, and load capacity. It offers four leg-angle positions (24°, 44°, 64°, and 84°), weather-sealed twist locks designed to prevent over-twisting, and magnetic pull tabs that make adjustments easier, even while wearing gloves.

Built for heavier camera setups, the Benchmark supports up to 75 lb (34 kg), with a height range of 4.2 in (10.7 cm) to 69.7 in (177 cm). It weighs 3.8 lb (1.7 kg) and folds to 23.6 in (60 cm). While suitable for travel and hiking, it is less compact than many dedicated travel tripods when folded.

The Benchmark Inverted shares the same core features but uses a three-section design with an inverted leg system that allows the tripod to be extended or collapsed from the top. RRS says this enables photographers to adjust the tripod without changing their position.

The Benchmark Inverted supports up to 40 lb (18 kg), weighs 3.6 lb (1.6 kg), and offers a height range of 4.6 in (11.8 cm) to 61.1 in (155.2 cm). It folds to 26.5 in (67.3 cm). Although relatively lightweight, its folded length may make it difficult to fit inside some backpacks.

The Core Line is available for preorder exclusively on the RSS website, with prices starting at $945 (£701 / AU$1,315) for the Benchmark and $795 (£589 / AU$1,106) for the Benchmark Inverted.

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Check out our expert review of the Peak Design Travel Tripod (carbon fibre), which tops our list of best travel tripods.

[HeaderNot every digital camera has in-body or lens-enabled image stabilization, and even those that do need a little extra help from time to time. Especially in low light, where I might not want to simply crank-up ISO sensitivity or deploy artificial lighting.

Enter the camera tripod, which has been around as long as photography itself. Think metal sheet or glass plate photographs from the 19th Century that required excessively long exposures to produce an image. Not only did subjects need to remain as static as corpses, but the camera did too.

Nearly two hundred years later, however, I’m still yet to encounter the perfect camera or the perfect camera tripod. Even finding a tripod that matches my personal needs most of the time can be tricky, and nigh impossible if embarking on both stills and video capture, with the latter requiring a smooth panning head capability and seamless real-time adjustment.

I blame the basic laws of physics; which, having suffered through physics lessons and exams as a teenager, I’m always happy to do. 

If I want a lightweight and portable tripod, it’s not going to be able to cope with my large camera body and heavyweight telephoto lens. And if I compensate by going for a larger, heavier tripod, it’s obviously not going to be as portable. Yes, some tripods will allow me to hang a balancing weight from a hook at the base of the center column, to lower the centre of gravity and increase stability, but not all.

Therefore, the rule of thumb I go by is to always opt for the sturdiest possible example, which typically means the heaviest tripod I am prepared to carry. There’s no point in buying something I’m going to struggle to transport and use; it’ll just get left at home. The warhorse of a Velbon CX 540 tripod and three-way PH-656Q pan-and-tilt head has served me well for the past 25 years. Yes, I could spend more on a carbon fiber tripod for maximum strength and a relatively lightweight build over a heavier aluminum model at a lower cost, but, whichever, there is always a compromise to be made.

And whether I choose a ball head, a three-way head, a two-way head, a geared head or a fluid video head is an article all to itself. Types of leg lock also differ; but basically, I’m looking at something that is quickly adjustable yet provides maximum flexibility in terms of height and stability with it. Three-section legs with lever locks have served me just fine.

Alternatively, to throw a cat amongst the pigeons, might a monopod with height adjustable sections and a tripod-like base occasionally suit you better than a tripod? I’ve found monopods useful when needing to gain height in a narrow or confined space, when shooting alongside other people, or over the heads of a crowd.

But while, ultimately, I don’t believe there is a one-size-suits-all solution, it’s safe to say that any camera tripod (or monopod) is better than no tripod at all.

Check out our full guide to the best tripods for photography

You might think that camera insurance is only for serious pros, but I’d make the case that more casual photographers should consider taking out a policy as well.

When you work as a photographer for a large corporation, as I did for many years, you’re usually covered by the company’s insurance policy for all sorts of things. But the big one is public liability – in case you cause harm to a third party, such as clients or the general public.

(This article refers specifically to insurance in the United Kingdom, but the general principles apply everywhere.)

It was reassuring to have the backing of a publisher such as Future PLC, when I was the deputy editor for PhotoPlus: the Canon magazine from 2019 until its closure in 2025. But when I stepped into the world of freelance last year, I knew that insurance needed to be something I sorted ASAP.

When my camera insurance was renewed recently, it got me thinking about how useful this would be not only for working pros, who often need to prove they’re covered before they can shoot at certain venues, but also for more casual photographers.

Would you be covered if somebody tripped over your tethering cable, if your light stand scratched an expensive floor or your tripod toppled over and smashed a priceless antique?

Insurance comes in all sorts of levels, from contents to fire and theft, accidental damage, professional indemnity and public liability. Public liability is the one that I think more casual shooters should consider.

When first starting out, the value of your camera and lenses may not be high enough to consider insuring, though if you’re particularly clumsy then accidental damage cover could be worth considering.

If you shoot any sort of events or wedding photography, either as a hobbyist or professional, you may find that many venues such as hotels or churches won’t allow you to operate on their property without providing proof of your cover – usually requiring at least £2 million of public liability insurance.

Producing such a policy is also a great way of showing your clients that you’re serious and helps give you credibility.

You may think that your home insurance policy covers this, and you’ll need to read the fine details to double-check. Many won’t, though, if your camera kit is over a certain amount, as it may need to be listed as a named item – and some brokers won’t cover items like cameras if they're used professionally, so you'll need special insurance for this instead.

Dedicated camera insurance from providers such as The Photographer’s Emporium or Photoguard offer varying levels of cover, ranging from public liability to professional indemnity to accidental damage, and the list goes on.

So my parting advice is, you may not need to cover the camera bodies and lenses themselves, but you should certainly consider public liability insurance to save you a headache if you get yourself into a situation on a shoot where it’s needed – it’s probably cheaper than you think and in my opinion is well worth it for peace of mind.

One final tip: the best resolution to theft or losing your camera kit is prevention – so be extra careful when you’re out and about in cities, use camera straps to keep them secure and place trackers like Apple Air Tags on your camera and in your camera bag to give you as much help as possible tracking down lost or stolen kit.

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Want to know more? Take a look at the best camera insurance.

Flexible tabletop tripods take tiny camera supports higher by clinging to objects – but one photography accessory brand is building a full-size tripod that can cling to railings, trees, and other objects.

The Silence Corner Viperpod is a full-sized tripod that can hook onto vertical surfaces when space is limited, the ground is uneven, or the photographer needs to get an even higher perspective.

The Viperpod “defies gravity” with the same concept as Silence Corner’s Mambapod – a hook. Placing this hook over the top of a railing with the legs adding support on the sides allows photographers and videographers to shoot on narrow balconies, uneven terrain, and other scenarios where a traditional tripod may not work.

But unlike tabletop tripods like the Mambapod, when there’s plenty of space for a traditional tripod, the Viperpod can be used as a classic, full-height tripod. The Viperpod reaches up to 61.8 inches / 157 cm, while the smaller Viperpod Light sits at up to 51.2 inches / 130.1 cm.

The ability to cling to railings isn’t the only unusual design feature. The center column is an external one rather than sitting inside the center. This design allows the center column to tip forward for low angles, rather than requiring disassembly. The center column also doubles as a pan and tilt handle for the included ball head.

Moving the center column to the exterior also allowed the designers to create a packed diameter that’s around 20 percent smaller than the tripod would have been with the more traditional design. Folded, the Viperpod measures 45 cm and weighs 2.55 lb /1.16 kg; the Light sits at 39.2 cm and 2.1 lb / .96 kg.

The tripods are built with five leg sections, which are adjusted with twist-style locks. Along with the hook to cling to objects, the tripod also has a hook on the center column for added support.

Like Silence Corner’s earlier products, the Viperpod is launching on Kickstarter. If the project is successful, early backers could get the Viperpod Light for $279 / £207 / AU$390 / CA$382 or the Viperpod for $309 / £229 / AU$432 / CA$423.

All Kickstarter projects carry more risks than purchasing through reputable retailers. However, the Viperpod project has already surpassed the funding goal and follows five other successful crowdfunding campaigns from the California-based company.

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I will admit that the best tripods offer stability, help avoid camera shake, and allow you to avoid losing image quality by shooting at low ISOs. These are all things that I've learned over time when it comes to shooting landscapes, but I’ve come to the conclusion that shooting handheld presents you with so many more opportunities.

My parents bought me my first DSLR camera, a Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i), when I was around 15 years old studying photography at school. I had always been interested in landscape photography, and this was my chance to finally give them a go. One of my first memories using this camera was atop Solsbury Hill in Bath, UK, near where I grew up, on a thick and foggy atmospheric morning.

I was clueless when it came to camera settings, but I tried my hand at capturing the fog nevertheless. I didn’t have a tripod at the time, so I took these images handheld, foolishly at a narrow aperture of f/18. When shooting handheld at this kind of aperture you really need to have steady hands if you want to avoid camera shake. A total understatement that is!

Surprisingly, the images came out fine (as you can see above). Yes, if I had used a more suitable aperture I would have captured a crisper image, especially with the detail in the distance. But I was inexperienced, just learning the ropes. I enjoyed the experience in terms of being flexible, moving around freely and trying a variety of angles to shoot from.

As I got older, I eventually succumbed to purchasing a tripod as most landscape photographers that I saw had one. It was just a standard tripod, so it fitted nicely in my bag along with my camera. I had always assumed that for landscapes to be extremely detailed they needed to be taken on a tripod and at a narrow aperture of around f/18 – f/22. I soon realized this wasn’t the case.

There are benefits with using a tripod, but I also feel restricted when using one. The thought of carrying it around and adding weight to my bag instantly puts me off. When I shoot landscapes handheld I open my eyes more, I’m able to take images from various angles, angles which I can’t with a tripod.

When I found out that the aperture sweet spot for landscapes was between f/8 – f/13, this eliminated the need for a tripod for me. The image below supports this; it’s a very similar shot to my previous image but was taken at an aperture of f/10. Because of this I was able to use a faster shutter speed to eliminate camera shake, while avoiding diffraction, boosting the level of detail throughout.

I prefer to travel light when going out on shoots, as I’m an avid walker. When I see an inviting scene to photograph, I instantly want to capture it. But with a tripod I’d have to get it out of my bag, set it up, then make sure it’s stable and at the right height. I’d recommend purchasing a tripod when starting out as you’ll be unfamiliar with what settings to use, what works and what doesn’t.

But when you gain experience, ditch the tripod and see for yourself, you’ll appreciate the freedom. Ultimately, I believe landscape shots taken handheld are better because you can position yourself and your camera wherever you want. When using a tripod, you’re at its mercy.

The image above is a perfect example of this, I was walking around Solsbury Hill on another occasion and spotted this cow staring at me, perfectly placed composition wise. As I was shooting handheld, I could compose my shot and capture it instantly. But with a tripod on the other hand, this might not have worked.

This is because I was shooting on a slope at an angle, a tripod would have made this very difficult. And by the time I set up the legs, position, height, and attached the camera the cow would have likely moved and the opportunity would have been squandered. I also prefer to have my camera firmly in my grasp rather than in the hands of a tripod.

Do you agree? Maybe I’ve inspired you to ditch your tripod more often. Hands at the ready everyone!

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Want to eliminate camera shake? Then you'll need to know the reciprocal rule. If you're still a tripod stalwart, ask yourself: Are you using the right tripod head for landscape photography? And if you're not quite ready to take control of all your camera settings, it's time to learn the exposure triangle.

Think tripods, and Manfrotto is a name that trips off the tongue. The legendary Italian company set out to make some of the best tripods on the market in the 1970s, and is still one of the best and most innovative manufacturers in its field, half a century later. As if to ram home the point, the company launched the Manfrotto ONE Hybrid Tripod and 500X Fluid Head kit in the fall of 2025. I tested this new tripod kit at length and found that it gave solid, stable support, while living up to its ‘hybrid’ claims of being very versatile, enabling quick and easy swapping between stills and video capture with speed and ease.

That’s all very well, but as photographers, we haven’t all become ‘hybrid’ content creators just yet, and I hope it stays that way. For those of us who specialize in stills, or shoot still images exclusively, the ONE Hybrid Tripod is more complex than necessary, and that added complexity comes with an inflated price tag, forcing you to pay for stuff you don’t need. Enter the pared-down ONE Photo Tripod, aiming to give photographers what they want at a keen and more affordable price. With that in mind, it aims to be one of the best tripods for photographers, instead of doubling up as one of the best tripods for videographers to boot.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Specifications

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Price

When it comes to pricing, please indulge me a moment while I set the scene. A set of Manfrotto ONE Hybrid aluminum legs will set you back $500 / £375 / AU$900, or a pricier $720 / £539 / AU$1,250 if you trade up to carbon fiber. Add the Manfrotto 500X Fluid Head and the complete aluminum or carbon fiber kits cost around $680 / £519 / AU$1,200 or $880 / £669 / AU$1,500, respectively. Suffice it to say, they get pretty pricey, pretty quickly.

The ONE Photo legs are only currently available in aluminum but by shedding some of the ‘hybrid’ components that are more necessary for leveling the legs and swapping between different heads, the price comes down to a relatively affordable $329 / £269 / AU$675. Again, kits are also available so you can add either the Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head or Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Head, for a total price of $515 / £399 / AU$999 for either option. There are considerable savings to be had.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Design & Handling

Travel tripods are all the rage nowadays, and I’ve tested plenty of the best travel tripods on the market over the last few years. Sure enough, I like the way they fold down to such conveniently compact dimensions and are so easy to carry around, but setup tends to be a genuinely time-consuming chore. Take a travel tripod with 5-section legs and a 2-section center column, for example. This requires loosening and retightening up to 14 individual twist- or flip-action clamps. And then you have to go through the whole process again to pack the tripod away afterwards. By stark contrast, the Manfrotto ONE Photo couldn’t be quicker and easier to use.

The big trick in the design is that the ONE Photo features Manfrotto’s new XTEND system. It’s broadly similar to the mechanism in each of the legs of the Manfrotto 504X Fluid Video Head with 635 Fast Single Leg Carbon Tripod that I tested a few years ago. The killer feature is that there’s only one single flip-action clamp in each leg. Flipping the clamp open or shut releases or locks all three of the sections in the leg, making it lightning fast to extend them for use and retract them again when your work is done.

Playing all the angles, it’s similarly quick, simple, and intuitive to engage any of the three lockable angles for each of the legs. Each leg has a sliding lever at the top, which you can operate with your thumb to give instant access to any of the 20, 50, or 81.5 degree leg angles on offer. Wider angles from the vertical are advantageous for low-level shooting, not only lowering the head but also giving greater stability with less risk of the tripod toppling over if it gets accidentally knocked. Using different legs at different angles can also be helpful when shooting on tricky, uneven terrain and for working around obstacles.

Okay, so the inclusion of multiple locking leg angles certainly isn’t an innovation and has been featured in most tripods for many years now. Many recent tripods have also featured a pivoting center column. Even so, the relatively new Q90 system in the ONE Photo tripod is supremely simple to use. Release the center column locking screw, raise the column to its maximum height, press a button at the bottom, and hey presto, you can flip it through 90 degrees for use as a horizontal boom. Why would you want to? Well, it’s great for ultra-low-level shooting as well as for macro photography. It’s also really useful for shooting with ultra-wide-angle or fisheye lenses, so that the tripod feet don’t creep into the shot.

Weighing in at 3.1kg / 6.9lb and measuring 65.5cm / 25.8in when folded, I certainly wouldn’t class the Manfrotto ONE as a travel tripod. It’s relatively big and chunky, but with that comes a beefy 12kg / 26.5lb maximum payload rating. Another interesting feature of the design is that the leg sections all have a rounded rectangular profile, rather than being circular, designed to keep unwanted flexing to a minimum, thus maximizing rigidity and resistance to vibrations.

Other design flourishes include Manfrotto’s Easy Link system, based on a threaded connection socket with anti-rotation protection. This is for adding accessories like a microphone, monitor and photographic lighting, either directly to the tripod or via an extending, adjustable arm.

There’s also a neat bubble level to help with leveling the legs. Situated on the spider of the tripod, the bubble level is built into a holder that you can rotate through an entire 360 degrees, so it’s easily visible from any angle. Down below the spider, a weight hook is built into the tripod, so you can hang some ballast to add stability without hampering the action of the pivoting center column.

Naturally, you might already have a perfectly good tripod head that you want to use with the legs. There’s a mounting platform with a circular base that has a fairly standard 60mm / 2.4in diameter. And if you don’t have something suitable, the ONE Photo tripod is available as a complete kit with either the Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Head or Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head. They’re among the best pan and tilt heads and the best ball heads, respectively.

As I mentioned at the start, the money-saving opportunities in the ONE Photo Tripod and complete kits are thanks to some of the more ‘hybrid’ oriented features being stripped out. For example, leveling the tripod legs rather than just leveling the camera is most important if you’re going to be panning while shooting video rather than stills. The ONE Photo Tripod, therefore, doesn’t include the leveling component and modular center column that you get with the ONE Hybrid kits.

You also don’t get the XCHANGE quick-release system that’s included with the ONE Hybrid kit, for quickly and easily swapping between a video head and a photographic head. Even so, the XCHANGE unit is available to buy separately and, for my money, I think it’s well worth it if you have multiple photographic heads. For example, you might want to swap between one of the best ball heads, 3-way heads, geared heads, and gimbal heads, depending on what you’re shooting and how you’re shooting it.

The XCHANGE system is like a quick-release system for swapping between heads, rather than just mounting your camera or lens to a particular head. It costs around $54 /£39 / AU$89 for a complete kit plus $22 / £16 / AU$43 for additional CHANGE Plates. The way it works is very similar to the excellent but now-discontinued Manfrotto Move Quick Release Catcher System that I’ve tested in the past, enabling you to fit or remove a head with a simple twist of the locking ring.

One thing that does follow through from the ONE Hybrid Tripod is that the supplied feet are interchangeable. You can therefore swap out the default rubber pads for metal spikes, the latter being more suitable for loose ground and soft surfaces.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Performance

For many photo opportunities, timing is everything. There’s no point in ensuring the best possible image quality by using a tripod if the moment has passed by the time you’ve finished setting it up. A key performance benefit of the Manfrotto ONE Photo is that it’s so massively quick to deploy. Not only is it relatively rapid to adjust the overall height, but also to level the legs using just one locking/release clamp per leg, which works with all of the incumbent sections.

Naturally, being able to set up a tripod quickly is a moot point if its rigidity isn’t up to muster. The rectangular-profile leg sections pay dividends here, and I found the Manfrotto to be entirely stable and rigid in use, right up to its maximum height with the center column fully extended. Aluminum sometimes gets a bad press for being less resistant to vibrations than carbon fiber, but I found the ONE Photo to be at least as good as many leading carbon fiber tripods in this respect, and better than some.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Verdict

I’d sort of assumed that the Manfrotto ONE Hybrid tripod got its ‘ONE’ title for being a single tripod that worked equally well for shooting stills and video. The ONE Photo has made me think again, as it’s more of a stills specialist but is nevertheless ‘one’ tripod that works equally well in the studio, out on the road, and pretty much anywhere and everywhere I’d want to use a tripod. And of course, there’s that innovative ‘one’ locking clamp per leg that acts on all three of its sections.

The main advantages, to my mind, are the relatively speedy setup and pack-away times, coupled with rock-solid support. Neat extras include the 90-degree pivoting center column, the accessory attachment system, and the interchangeable feet. For my personal requirements, I wish that the XCHANGE quick-release system were included with the legs and as part of either of the kits that include a ball head or 3-way head. However, that’s just because I personally like to shoot with different types of head in different situations. It actually makes more sense to be able to buy into the XCHANGE system as an optional extra, if and when you want to actually use it.

All in all, both of the full Manfrotto ONE Photo kits and the legs on their own are great buys, but I’ll be interested to see if Manfrotto subsequently launches a more luxurious carbon fiber option.

Alternatives

Vanguard has launched three new tripods aimed at enthusiast and pro photographers. All use carbon fibre for their legs and are designed to support heavy camera gear.

Alta Pro 3 263Alta Pro 3 303

The two new Alta Pro 3 tripods are a traditional tripod design, with an extendable center column and a built-in low-angle adaptor. The key difference between the two models is their leg diameter, which is either 26mm or 30mm. Both use 3-section legs, which should offer greater stability and rigidity compared to a 4-section design, albeit with an inevitable portability trade-off (folded length is 69.5cm for the Alta Pro 3 263, and 72.5cm for the Alta Pro 3 303).

The legs have three angle settings, which when combined with the low-angle adaptor means you can shoot as low as 24cm from the ground. Each new Alta Pro 3 incorporates an aluminium central column with a hexagonal cross-section that allows the legs to fold closed to a diameter of under 10cm. Maximum extended height for the Alta Pro 3 303 is 150cm, or 176cm with the center column extended; the Alta Pro 3 263 is around 5cm shorter for both settings.

But where the new Alta Pro 3 tripods really make a case for themselves is their ability to support a serious amount of weight. Even the smaller Alta Pro 3 263 is rated to carry 20kg of gear, while the 303 will stand strong under a whopping 25kg. Despite this sturdiness, the Alta Pro 3 303 weighs a manageable 2kg, and the 263 is just 1.65kg.

Both tripods are supplied with Vanguard's LBP-55S ball head - a professional quality, low-profile dual-axis design that features an oversized ball for maximum grip, and a friction control lock for increased control. This makes the head suitable even for longer lenses, while the dual axis allows you to easily level your camera on any terrain, then pan/reframe your shot using the top axis.

Vanguard supplies the Alta Pro 3 263 and 303 with a padded tripod bag, and the tripod is backed by a 2-year warranty (extendable to 10 years if registered with Vanguard). Both are available to buy now: the Alta Pro 3 263 is priced at £350, and the 303 is £400 (US pricing as yet unknown).

Alta Pro 3X 304

The third tripod in the new Alta Pro 3 range is the Alta Pro 3X 304. This is also constructed from carbon fibre and has the same generous 30mm leg diameter as the Alta Pro 3 303, along with 23-, 50- and 80-degree leg angle settings. It differs from the other tripods by not having an integral center column. Instead, Vanguard supplies a separate column which can be fitted directly to the tripod's canopy to extend overall height from 150cm to 182cm.

The advantage to keeping the center column separate is the legs can fold tighter together when packed, resulting in an 8.5cm folded diameter. Packed length is also shorter than the other Alta Pro 3 tripods at 61cm, thanks to the Alta Pro 3X having 4-section legs rather than 3. Overall weight is a reasonable 1.68kg. What's more, despite having an additional leg section, which can sometimes compromise rigidity, the Alta Pro 3X can still support a mighty 25kg of kit. 

As with the other Alta Pro 3 tripods, the 3X 304 is supplied with a LBP-55S ball head and a padded tripod bag. RRP is £350 (US pricing not yet known).

In the fall of 2025, we brought you a full review of the Manfrotto One Hybrid tripod, a brand new offering from the legendary tripod manufacturer, aiming to give solid, stable but versatile support to hybrid creators swapping back and forth between stills and video capture. Various kits were launched, featuring either aluminum or carbon fiber legs and a choice of heads (or no head at all if you’d rather use your own).

Following up on the ‘Hybrid’ kits, Manfrotto is now launching a more stills-centric, aluminum ONE Photo tripod range at this year's The Photography & Video Show in the UK. Design highlights inherited from the original Hybrid sticks include Manfrotto’s XCHANGE quick-release system for quickly and easily swapping between heads on a single set of legs.

Hybrid shooters would generally use this for alternating between photo and video heads but, in the context of stills photography, you might well want to swap between, say, one of the best ball heads, 3-way heads, geared heads and gimbal heads.

Another inherited feature is the Q90 mechanism, which enables similarly quick and easy pivoting of the center column, so you can use it as a horizontal boom that’s more ideal for ultra-low-level shooting and macro photography. Next up, there’s the same XTEND Leg System, which allows you to alter the working length of multiple leg sections with a single lock/release clamp. The idea here is that it can be a whole lot faster to set the height of your tripod and level it off, compared with using a whole bunch of conventional, individual twist-locks or flip-locks.

Again, a core strength (so to speak) of the Manfrotto One Photo range is that the tripod legs have an oval profile to enhance rigidity and stability. An integral bubble level assists with setup, and modular rubber pads and spiked feet give you a firm footing on different types of terrain.

With so many similarities, you might be wondering what the differences are between the ONE Hybrid and ONE Photo designs. The main change is that the ONE Photo does away with the modular center column and leveling components, both of which are of more use in videography than for shooting stills. The net results are that the ONE Photo is simpler to use and less expensive to buy.

Speaking of which, whereas the aluminum edition of the ONE Hybrid Aluminum Tripod legs costs $499 / £375, the ONE Photo Aluminum Tripod legs represent a significant cost saving at $329 / £269, and it’s $515 / £399 for a complete ONE Photo kit that includes either a Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Head or a Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head, as shown in the two images in the gallery above. All in all, they promise to be high-quality tripod kits at keen prices.

Mini / tabletop tripods don't often stand out, but here's a distinctive new model from Leofoto. The MT-03mini is actually the smallest in a range of three 'crab leg' tripod offerings from the brand and weighs a mere 130g. Thanks to its folding legs, it packs down to just 105mm long (without head), but with the two-section legs unfolded, you get a maximum height of 170mm.

The legs have three angle settings and can lower the shooting height to just 65mm. Combined with those 'crab' feet, the tripod can cope with very uneven surfaces. Multiple 1/4-20 mounting points along each leg enable fitment of small accessories like LED lights. Four color options are available: black, silver, green and orange.

Pricing is quoted at 21,120 Yen, which converts to $136. That's a lot for a mini tripod, and far more than the larger MT-03 model currently sells for (around $70). We'd surprised if the new baby version ends up costing more than its bigger sibling. So if you want a mini tripod that's as flexible as a GorillaPod but looks sleeker, check out the Leofoto MT-03mini.

When the Joby GorillaPod arrived on scene, it redefined the idea of a tripod with its twisty legs that could grip any number of objects and surfaces. I’ve used some of Joby’s flexible tripods to take steady shots without hauling a giant tripod around, but I’ve never seen prices quite this low as a handful of the popular Joby flexible tripods drop to prices starting at about $10.

Joby is arguably most known for its GorillaPod and its sibling, the PodZilla. These unusual tripods take the short-legged tabletop tripod and turn the legs into flexible tubes that can wrap around objects. That allows creators to carry a tiny tripod yet shoot from taller heights by wrapping around objects like fence posts, trees, signposts, and more.

Job’s flexible tripods that are made for compact cameras and smartphones tend to run around $40-$60, but B&H’s Deal Zone has discounts as high as 90 percent off Joby right now, making it possible to pick up one of the popular flexible tripods for under $10.

I’ve used Gorillapods in the past, and they’re quite handy for stabilizing smaller cameras without the bulk of a traditional tripod. The under $10 PodZilla and under $15 Gorillapod deals are steep discounts – but, depending on what you shoot most, a content creator kit outfitted with lights and mic may be the better deal.

These deals are scheduled to last through February 12, 2026, but could end early if supply runs out.

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I need a good travel tripod to snap shots of the night sky when I travel – and the Peak Design Travel Tripod is one of my favorite options when I need something that will fit in a carry-on suitcase. My biggest complaint, though, is the price – except for 24 hours only, the tripod is a massive 45 percent off.

The Peak Design Travel Tripod is impressively compact – I took one to New York City this summe,r and it fit right inside my carry-on bag. When I first tried it out, my initial thought was that it was very clearly designed by an engineer (or perhaps a travel photographer) because everything from the leg shape to the head is made to keep the tripod as small as possible.

The Peak Design Travel Tripod aluminum is a fantastic option if you need a tripod that’s as small as possible. With a 20-pound load capacity and a 60-inch maximum height, it’s not for every photographer, but it’s impressively small.

Peak Design recently launched more high-end Pro Travel Tripods, and they are noticeably sturdier, but also noticeably larger. Don’t get me wrong – the original tripod is still strong – but as per usual, larger tripods with fewer leg sections tend to be a bit sturdier.

We gave the Peak Design Travel Tripod (Aluminum) five stars in our review, but one of our biggest complaints was the price. The one-day deal makes the travel tripod a much, much better buy.

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A tripod is the one accessory I try never to leave the house without when going on a landscape shoot, but the bulky size and cumbersome weight of some tripods can make them not that appealing to strap to my backpack when hiking to scenic spots.

The Manfrotto Befree GT Pro is the answer, with a fold-up design for compact stowage and an altogether reasonable 3.2lb weight. And the best news is that Wex Photo Video has just slashed the price of this fabulous travel tripod to under £100. It's going for the full £175 elsewhere, so this is a cracking deal!

The tripod is constructed from aluminum and finished in a smart satin black, and features a smart folding design where the legs swing upward for stowage, resulting in a highly compact folded height of just 45cm (17.7in). This makes it easy to carry, and it comes complete with a quality travel bag. The legs have four sections, secured by quick-release twist clamps that require minimal rotation to loosen and lock, offering robust support even at the maximum operating height.

It demonstrates impressive rigidity and vibration resistance even when fully extended, giving confidence when using its maximum load rating. While it's comparatively pricey for an aluminum travel tripod at its regular price, this sub-£100 offer is an absolute steal!

This price is (understandably) for the legs only, and you'll have to buy a head separately, but we've reviewed it as part of the Manfrotto Befree GT 3-Way kit, if you want to get the full skinny.

Check out the best Black Friday camera deals

A tripod is the one accessory I try never to leave the house without when going on a landscape shoot, but the bulky size and cumbersome weight of some tripods can make them not that appealing to strap to my backpack when hiking to scenic spots.

The Manfrotto Befree GT Pro is the answer, with a fold-up design for compact stowage and an altogether reasonable 3.2lb weight. And the best news is that B&H Photo has just slashed the price of this fabulous travel tripod to less than half its 'regular' selling price. True, only a few places are actually selling it at the full $219.95, but the cheapest I've seen its competitor retailers selling it for is $143, so this is still a cracking deal!

The tripod is constructed from aluminum and finished in a smart satin black, and features a smart folding design where the legs swing upward for stowage, resulting in a highly compact folded height of just 45cm (17.7in). This makes it easy to carry, and it comes complete with a quality travel bag. The legs have four sections, secured by quick-release twist clamps that require minimal rotation to loosen and lock, offering robust support even at the maximum operating height.

It demonstrates impressive rigidity and vibration resistance even when fully extended, giving confidence when using its maximum load rating. While it's comparatively pricey for an aluminum travel tripod at its regular price, this sub-$100 offer is an absolute steal!

This price is (understandably) for the legs only, and you'll have to buy a head separately, but we've reviewed it as part of the Manfrotto Befree GT 3-Way kit, if you want to get the full skinny.

Check out the best Black Friday camera deals

Sometimes a deal seems too good to be true, yet it is, and that's the case with this unbelievable Gitzo carbon fiber tripod that comes with not one but two heads. Gitzo is well known as the most premium of tripod brands, and it's not often that any of its gear can be labeled as a 'bargain'. I've tried plenty of its gear but never owned any, as I've never been able to afford it – until today!

The 'Gitzo B&H Photo Special 50th Anniversary Kit' is a colab between the premium tripod manufacturer and camera retailer B&H, which bundles a top-quality GT2542 Mountaineer Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod and GH3382QD Ball Head kit, which normally retails for $1,699 on its own, and adds a GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head, which has a regular price of $689.95. So the usual 1999.95 asking price for the Gitzo B&H Photo Special 50th Anniversary Kit seems pretty reasonable compared to the $2388.95 for buying the kit separately.

But reducing the price further to just $999.95 for this limited-time offer has to be the best deal I've seen anywhere this Black Friday (and I've been scouring the big retailers' deals day in day out, so you don't have to). Honestly, I've priced the same kit up on other dealers' websites (see below), and no one comes anywhere close to this…

At the core of this bundle is the GT2542 Mountaineer Series 2 tripod. Constructed with advanced Carbon eXact tubing, this four-section tripod can support a substantial 48.5lb load capacity and extends to a maximum height of 65.7 inches. The center column can be removed for ground-level shooting. Leg sections are secured by G-lock Ultra twist locks, which feature an internal O-ring to prevent dust from entering the leg system.

It normally comes as a kit with the GH3382QD Ball Head, which is very good in its own right, but this bundle adds the brilliant GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head. This pan-and-tilt head features independent locks for vertical, lateral, and panning movements, each equipped with its own fluid cartridge for effortless, smooth motion. Despite its compact 4.5-inch height and 2.1lb weight, the head can support camera equipment up to 28.6lb. Plus, its handles are retractable for easy storage.

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American-made tripod brand Really Right Stuff is increasing prices beginning on December 01.

In an email to fans, Really Right Stuff said that prices on tripods are increasing on December 01. As an example, the company said that the Versa-34 that retails for $1,250 will list for $1,315 after December 01 in the US, which is a five percent increase.

While US photographers are no strangers to increasing prices in the wake of new tariffs, Really Right Stuff is a Utah-based company that makes its tripods in the US. A company representative told Digital Camera World that the increase is due to rising inflation and production costs.

“Due to rising inflation and production costs, we are raising our prices for the first time in two years,” the company wrote in an email. “RRS strives to keep our prices reasonable while ensuring the quality of our product, and this is a necessary measure in maintaining that high standard.”

According to the company’s website, RRS “proudly make[s] and hand-assemble[s] our products in the USA will never change.”

The company also designs its own soft goods, but unlike tripods, products like tripod bags and pouches are outsourced to a US company that sources from factories in Asia.

According to the email to fans, only tripod prices are indicated to be increasing.

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Browse the best tripods or the best travel tripods.

I first discovered Freewell while hunting for camera accessories that are built for real-world use but that didn’t carry a premium price tag. The brand has a reputation for thoughtfully engineered gear, such as filters, gimbals, and tripods, that feel professional and get the most out of accessories.

Travel tripods have always been a tricky balance for me. I want something light enough to carry for hours along a coastline or through a city, yet rigid enough to support heavier cameras and lenses. Often, I’ve found myself frustrated with travel tripods that are so light they wobble, or so heavy they’re more of a burden than a tool.

That’s why the Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod caught my eye. It promises both portability and performance, two qualities I usually have to compromise between. It’s clearly aimed at travel photographers, vloggers, and content creators; people who need stability on the go without sacrificing convenience. Whether you shoot landscapes, cityscapes, or social content, this tripod positions itself as a versatile companion to carry along for the ride.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Specifications

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Price

When I first checked the price ($299.99 / £299.99 / AU$399.99), I admit I hesitated for a second. It’s not a budget option, but compared to high-end carbon fiber travel tripods, it sits comfortably in the mid-range. And after using it, I feel it’s absolutely justified.

What you’re paying for is more than just lightweight carbon fiber construction: the FW-T1 has a full 360° ball head, monopod conversion, a smart quick-release system, and thoughtful extras like a phone holder and optional AirTag compartment. When I compare it to cheaper aluminum travel tripods I’ve used in the past, it feels like night and day in stability and usability. And compared to pricier carbon fiber tripods, it hits a sweet spot. Almost all of the premium features without the higher-end cost. For me, that makes it an excellent value for money.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Design & Handling

The moment I picked up the FW-T1, I was struck by how light it is, 0.9 kg (2 lbs). It folds down to just 42.8 cm (16.9 inches), which meant I could slip it into my backpack or the provided carry bag, along with my medium format camera and standard zoom lens, and barely notice the extra weight. Walking with it along the Gower coast, in South Wales, felt effortless compared to my larger tripods.

Setup is intuitive. The leg sections twist out smoothly and lock firmly, and the three angle positions of 20°, 55°, and 75° offer flexibility for all kinds of terrain. Even in windy coastal conditions, the tripod stayed rock solid, which instantly gave me confidence to leave my camera on it while adjusting settings or swapping lenses.

The ball head is another standout feature. It’s smooth, responsive, and can even hold my camera in portrait orientation without needing an L-bracket, which is a small but incredibly useful detail. Adjusting my composition was precise via the multiple articulation points, including pan and tilt, and once the camera was mounted, I didn’t have to worry about it slipping or rotating.

The quick-release plate design is pure genius, and a feature I had not yet discovered on a tripod. In addition to its traditional use, it doubles as a phone holder when you flip it upside down, which is perfect if you want to mix stills photography with social content creation. I could quickly attach my phone to capture clips or behind-the-scenes content without needing any extra gear, which is a real time-saver when shooting alone.

Other thoughtful features include the removable center column for low-angle or macro shots, a ballast hook for added stability, three 1/4 -20" expansion threaded holes for attaching extra gear like lights and microphones, and an optional AirTag compartment to keep track of the tripod. Small touches like these make the tripod feel like it was designed by someone who actually uses a tripod in the field, not just as a spec sheet exercise.

To further add to this tripod's versatility, one leg can be removed to convert the tripod into a monopod. I didn’t think I’d use this much, but it’s been perfect for situations where I need speed or where space is limited, like hopping between rocks on the coast.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Performance

I took the FW-T1 to the Gower coast with my medium format camera (Fujifilm GFX 50S II) and standard zoom lens (GF 35-70mm). I was impressed by how little extra weight it added to my kit; almost negligible. Even in gusty conditions, the tripod held firm, enabling me to shoot landscapes, long exposures, and low-angle shots without any wobble.

The ball head made framing easy, although with so many pivoting points, it took me a second to get used to which lever locked which point. To my surprise, tilting the ball head into a portrait orientation was rock solid, and I didn’t need to fumble with an L-bracket, although it is still the safest option. Switching between my camera and phone was quick and intuitive thanks to the dual-purpose Arca-Swiss quick-release plate. I could move seamlessly between capturing high-resolution stills and content for social media, which made shooting feel fluid rather than segmented.

The monopod conversion was useful for faster shots. For example, when I wanted to capture quick handheld-style panning footage along the cliffs, I could detach a leg, extend the monopod, and have a stable, mobile setup in seconds. The ballast hook on the removable center column came in handy, too. I added my camera bag for extra weight when the wind gusted, which made a noticeable difference in stability.

I also appreciated how the tripod performed in low-angle scenarios. The reversible center column allowed me to get creative with compositions close to the ground, something that would have been cumbersome or impossible with my previous tripod. Overall, the FW-T1 delivered on every spec it promises, but more importantly, it made the shooting experience smoother and more enjoyable.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Verdict

After spending a little time with the Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod in the field and filming content at home, it’s clear to me that this isn’t just a lightweight travel tripod, but a thoughtfully engineered, versatile tool for photographers and content creators.

It’s light enough to carry all day, compact enough to fit in a backpack, and stable enough to support medium format cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless systems, and smartphones. Features like the monopod conversion, its quick-release plate doubling as a phone holder, low-angle capability, and optional AirTag compartment elevate it beyond a simple travel tripod, and due to this, I think it is a good value for money.

As a travel tripod, it may not stack up to the relentless use and heavier gear associated with landscape or wildlife photography. But if you’re a travel photographer, vlogger, or content creator who wants a reliable, easy-to-use, and highly versatile tripod, the FW-T1 is an excellent choice. For me, it’s become a trusted companion on trips, and I genuinely enjoy having it as an option in my kitbag.

Alternatives

If I had to name an equivalent to the ‘Rolls Royce’ motoring brand in the field of tripod design and manufacturer, it would be Gitzo. To me they’ve always created tripods and accessories of absolutely the finest quality, at the most premium prices. The company itself has French origins dating back to 1917, concentrating on tripods and supports from the 1950s onwards. A key facet of Gitzo design is the pioneering use of carbon fiber and magnesium alloy to create super-sturdy yet relatively lightweight tripods. It’s perhaps not surprising that Gitzo became part of what is now the Videndum Group in 1992, a company that also features Manfrotto in its portfolio.

The Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head is a typically luxurious product, designed to be a perfect match for Gitzo Series 2 and larger Mountaineer and Systematic ranges of tripods. However, it has pretty much universal appeal for anyone who wants one of the best 3-way heads for any make and model of tripods for photographers.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Specifications

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Price

Ouch! This tripod head costs $690 / £487 / AU$1,330, although you can often find it quite heavily discounted if you shop around. Even so, the perfectly respectable Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head only costs around a quarter of the price, at $220 / £129 / AU$289. Some say you pay through the nose for the Gitzo badge and that the brand is very overpriced.

On the other hand, I’ve met a couple of pro photographers who bought Gitzo tripod kits decades ago and are still using them after many years of daily grind in the most demanding conditions, without even a sniff of a problem. One of them said to me he was confident that his Gitzo would be the only tripod he’d ever need to buy. Maybe this head is actually very good value, if you can afford to take the long view.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Design & Handling

Gitzo products are undeniably stylish, but I’ve never felt they were a case of style of substance. The Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head is definitely substantial, with a payload rating of 13kg / 28.7lb. That’s a lot more than the rating of many a set of tripod legs and certainly more weight than I’d ever need to throw at it. Even so, the head itself is surprisingly lightweight at just 0.96kg / 2.1lb, thanks to clever design and the use of magnesium alloy as the main construction material.

Sometimes I feel that 3-way heads are substantial in a bad way. Compared with relatively streamlined ball heads, they often have long operating handles that stick out and enlarge the stowage size, as well as having a knack of catching on things as you’re walking around. By contrast, the Gitzo is remarkably compact for such a heavy-duty 3-way head, its packing size being diminished by retractable operating handles for tilt and swivel. It’s certainly not unique in this respect, but the mechanisms are engineered very well with sturdy square shafts.

While the handles slide smoothly on their shafts, movement is even more silky when it comes to adjusting the head. This is thanks again to high-quality manufacturing, but also due to the fact that independent fluid cartridges are fitted for each axis. These give a suitably fluid feel to movement. The two retracting handles for tilt and swivel are supplemented by a fixed knob for panning lock/release. As with the other two handles, the panning knob has a graphic that indicates variable friction damping is available – the more you turn the knob, the freer and easier panning becomes.

At the base of the head is a clearly marked panning scale. It’s marked in 15-degree intervals with long lines, and at smaller 5-degree increments with shorter lines. Numbered values are shown at 45-degree intervals, so everything is nicely covered off. I find the calibrated scale especially useful when shooting a sequence of panned shots that I intend to stitch into a panorama at the editing stage.

There’s a generous range of tilt and swivel available on both axes, with -70 to +90 degrees front tilt and -30 to +90 degrees laterally, but the Gitzo has another trick up its sleeve. Just below the camera platform there’s a black lever with an arrow printed on it. Move the lever in the direction of the arrow (how can you resist?) and you’re able to rotate the camera platform through 90 degrees. This enables you to quickly and easily swap the axes for tilt and swivel.

Another bit of trickery is designed into the bubble level. Instead of being fixed, the large and easy-to-view bubble level is mounted on a 90-degree rotating base. The idea (and I think it’s a good one) is that you can simply twist the bubble level housing so that the same level works in either landscape- or portrait-orientation shooting.

The quick-release plate locking mechanism is safe and secure, with a pushbutton lock-release feature. It works a treat and while the official Gitzo quick-release plate has a product code of GS5370DR, you can use any Arca-Swiss plate. That’s especially handy if you’re using big, heavyweight lenses to take advantage of that generous payload rating, as many of these now feature tripod mounting rings that have integral Arca-Type feet, so you can plug them directly into the platform on the head.

The camera platform itself is beautifully engineered and impeccably finished, fully in keeping with the rest of the head, as shown below.

Down below, the mounting plate for attaching the head to a tripod has a smart black anodized finish. It’s the same plate that has the panning scale marked on its upper surface. The circular plate has a diameter of 60mm / 2.36”. This makes it an ideal fit for Gitzo’s heavy-duty tripods with similar payload ratings, as well as the vast majority of heavyweight tripods from other manufacturers.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Performance

I have to admit to finding ball heads something of a revelation, a few decades ago. After many years of using 3-way heads, I was really taken with the speed and ease of setting up a ball head. The Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head is one of my favorites. More recently, I’ve rather come full circle, and I’m not just talking about the merits of a 360-degree panning facility. I’m happy to take a little longer setting up a shot, and generally prefer the greater attention to detail that a 3-way head can give me, with its independent locks for tilt, swivel, and panning.

I should also confess that I don’t have the patience of a saint and don’t want to waste time fiddling around for ages when setting up a tripod head. I found that the Gitzo gave me the best of both worlds. It enabled ultra-precise adjustments in any and all directions, while also being quick, easy, and painless to use. Better still, the lock/release handles work with such a sublime feel, partly thanks to their independent fluid cartridges, that I got a genuine feel-good factor from using the head.

And when it comes to the crunch, I found that I could load up the head with hefty camera and lens combinations, and it gave me rock-solid support with no unwanted flexing, sagging, or vibrations. I also really like the 90-degree rotational mechanism for quickly and easily swapping the tilt and swivel axes around, as well as the bubble level that works so well in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Verdict

I think that the Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head really looks and feels the business. Designed and manufactured in Italy to the highest standards, it’s the tripod head equivalent of jumping into an exotic Italian supercar. Compared with run-of-the-mill tripod heads, the Gitzo is an absolute joy to use and I feel that it’s a thing of engineering beauty in its own right.

Ultimately, performance is exceptional in every area, doing full justice to the design excellence and manufacturing quality of the head. It also goes a long way towards justifying the asking price, although, when we get right down to the bottom line, the Gitzo costs more to buy than many of us would be prepared to pay for a 3-way head, even for one which will probably last a lifetime.

Alternatives

When it comes to tripods, Manfrotto is the first name that springs to my mind. The Italian company has become a legend in its own lifetime, creating some of the best sticks and heads on the market since the mid-1970s. The company was actually founded by photojournalist Lino Manfrotto in the 1960s, but started off making light stands and booms, moving into its mainstay of tripods a few years down the line.

The vast majority of tripods, past and present, cater either to stills photographers or to videographers. And there’s the problem. In these mirrorless days, there’s a host of ‘content creators’ wanting to make the most of everything on offer, inventing or reinventing themselves as hybrid shooters and capturing stills and video in equal measure. The Manfrotto One Hybrid tripod was created from the ground up, with and for content creators, aiming to be equally adept for shooting stills and video. As such, it aims to be not only one of the best tripods for photographers, but also one of the best tripods for videographers, and an all-in-one solution for those of us who shoot both.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Specifications

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Price

Pay your money and take your choice. There are four versions of the Manfrotto One Hybrid up for grabs, to suit varying needs and budgets. First up is the set of aluminum legs on their own, at $500 / £375 / AU$900. Add the Manfrotto 500X Fluid Head, which is an utterly perfect pairing for the legs in every way, and you’re looking at $680 / £519 / AU$1,200 for the complete kit.

Trade up to carbon fiber instead of aluminum, and the legs cost $720 / £539 / AU$1,250, or you can pay top dollar for the complete kit of legs and head at $880 / £669 / AU$1,500. The 500X head costs $220 / £164 / AU$390 on its own, so there’s a slight discount if you buy a complete kit. None of the options is exactly cheap, but you do get a good deal for your money.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Design & Handling

Some say that you don’t need a tripod at all in this day and age of high-performance image stabilization, featured in both camera bodies and lenses. I completely disagree, finding a good tripod to be an essential aid for precisely composing critical stills shots and for long exposures, even more so for shooting video. What I’m a lot less keen on is needing to buy, store, and carry two different tripods, one for stills and one for video.

That said, I do tend to compromise to some extent by carrying one set of sturdy legs and swapping between a ball head or 3-way head for stills, and a fluid pan head for video. Even so, that’s still extra kit that you have to buy and carry, as well as enduring the chore of swapping between them. From the range of Manfrotto One Hybrid options, I opted for the set of aluminum legs, complete with 500X Fluid Head, which really does set out to answer every stills and video need in one package. The big question is, can this Manfrotto really pull it off and live up to its claims?

Unpacking the kit from its box, it’s already starting to look every inch a video tripod. There are some design elements that I’ve seen before, particularly in the Manfrotto 504X 635 Fast Single Leg Carbon video tripod. That was the first tripod I saw with Manfrotto’s ‘fast leg’ design. In that case, you twist the leg and all internal sections would release for expansion or contraction, after which you can tighten them all up again with another single twist in the opposite direction. The legs for the One Hybrid are equally ‘fast’ but this time have a single locking lever for each leg.

There are three sections in each leg, the central one having the largest profile. The medium thickness section extends from the top and the narrowest section from the bottom. Undo all of the locking levers (there’s one for each leg) and you can simply lift the tripod to your required operating height, jiggle it around until it’s approximately level, and then tighten each of the clamps again. One thing that I particularly like is that where most tripods have circular profile legs, this one uses oval profile legs, that make them more rigid, with more tortional resistance. This makes them less likely to bend and flex while you’re panning.

When I said about getting the tripod ‘approximately level’, the upside is that you don’t need to ensure the legs are absolutely level if you’re going to be panning for video or a sequence of stills. That’s because, like most video rather than stills tripods, this one features a leveling system so that you can ensure the base of the head is level. It’s an important point because, if you use adjustments in the head to compensate for the legs not being level, your camera will go on the skew when you start panning.

One aspect in which the tripod differs from most video tripods and is more like a stills tripod is that it has an extending center column. Naturally, this enables extra height, and, indeed, the tripod has a lofty maximum operating height of 181cm / 71.3", with the center column extended. But there’s more. As well as having a built-in leveling system, the column has a ‘Q90’ mechanism plus a modular design.

The Q90 is a trick bit of the kit that enables you to pivot the center column through 90 degrees and use it as a horizontal boom. It’s ideal for shooting directly downwards, for example, taking stills or video of objects laid out on the ground or on a tabletop. It’s also useful for shooting extreme close-ups and for use with ultra-wide-angle lenses, and is another reminder of features I’ve previously seen in Manfrotto tripods, like the Manfrotto 055 MT055CXPRO3.

Other highlights of the legs include an Easy Link socket with anti-rotation, ideal for adding an accessory arm and attaching the likes of an LED lamp, microphone, or video display monitor. There’s also a bubble level at the top of the legs, which you can freely rotate through 360 degrees to get it into the most convenient position.

At the very top of the legs is a Manfrotto Xchange system for easily swapping between different heads, and it works equally well for moving heads (and mounted cameras) between different supports. However, if you're going to use the One with the 500X Fluid Head permanently, then you don't need to use the Xchange plate at all, and in fact, Manfrotto recommends removing it entirely. Nevertheless, it's handy to have, and I’ve seen something similar, in the shape of the excellent Manfrotto MOVE Quick Release System, which I’ve invested in for some of my personal sets of legs and heads. With both systems, you can simply twist a locking ring, then pop the head off the tripod, and snap it onto another one, or place a different head on your legs. It really couldn’t be any quicker or easier.

Enough talk of legs. Let’s get into the 500X Fluid Head. It’s pretty chunky, which I like as it gives a sense of solidity and robustness. I’ll start off with my one and only criticism, which is that the supplied panning handle only fits on the right-hand side, whereas most video tripod heads enable you to fit the handle on the right or left-hand side, depending on your preference.

Back on the positive side, the head features a counterbalance system, which you can engage or disengage with a knob on the side. When engaged, it has a set counterbalance weight of 2.4kg / 5.29lb. In practice, I found it worked well with a variety of different camera and lens combinations.

Shift over to the left-hand side of the head, and there’s a locking/release knob for forward and backward vertical tilt. It’s something that’s equally necessary for stills and video, and I’m pleased that it has a generous range of movement, equating to almost 180 degrees and enabling vertical downward shooting, even without pivoting the center column.

Around the back is the lock/release knob for panning, which is equally necessary for both stills and video. Just above this knob is a bubble level built into the head, which you can use in conjunction with the one in the legs.

One thing that’s lacking in video heads is a 90-degree swivel facility. That can be a critical problem if you want to shoot stills in portrait orientation mode. The ‘hybrid’ nature of the Manfrotto comes to the fore again, this time with a release button that enables you to pivot the camera platform through 90 degrees for portrait-orientation shooting. So there you have it – true hybrid functionality.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Performance

Sometimes time is of the essence, particularly if you’re shooting stills and video at events like weddings and sporting occasions. I find that the ‘fast legs’ live up to their billing, making it very quick and easy to set up the tripod at the height I require. Similarly ensuring the tripod is completely level also proves quick and simple, thanks not only to the fast leg latches but also to the leveling mechanism for the center column.

For creative effect, I often like to shoot both stills and video from ultra-low angles. The Manfrotto obliges with its modular center column. A simple release catch makes it easy to slide off the bottom section of the center column and remove it completely, enabling use of the legs’ widest angular setting.

I found that the tripod gave me the perfect blend of solid support and fluid movement when shooting video. I was also pleased that it proved really solid and sturdy for stills, being very resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration. For portrait orientation shooting, you might prefer using one of the best L-brackets currently available. If not, the ability to quickly swivel the camera through 90 degrees can be vital for stills.

Dedicated video tripods rarely feature a center column. That can be a limiting factor if you need to shoot from a lofty height. I’m pleased that the Manfrotto not only features a center column, but that it also has a pivot feature, which is ideal for shooting vertically downwards over a table and for various other scenarios. All in all, this ‘hybrid’ tripod can do pretty much anything, and in fine style.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Verdict

Hybrid creations have quite a history, from mules to automobiles, and you can often make things better if you mix them up a bit. There’s a joke here… What do you get if you cross a dinosaur with a pig? Jurassic pork! Sorry, back to the business at hand. The Manfrotto One Hybrid tripod is genuinely different from other tripods that I’ve seen, used, tested, and reviewed before. And I’ve seen a lot.

It really is ‘one’ tripod that’s a true ‘hybrid’, making it a dual-purpose tool for both stills and video. It’s quick and easy to set up, simple to use, and combines super-steady support with wonderfully fluid movement. I’d definitely go for one of the aluminum or carbon fiber full kits that includes the head, as the two go so brilliantly well together. The complete kits really are more than the sum of their parts. They’re all pretty pricey to buy but are still very good value, considering their design, features, and performance.

Alternatives