BUYERS’ GUIDE
If you like to make a real statement, take a gander at British tripod brand 3 Legged Thing, which offers the Jay kit. This is ideal for smaller cameras such as mirrorless since it has five- section, carbon-fibre legs and folds down to 50.1cm/19.72in. It weighs 2.16kg/4.76lb, reaches 1.21m/46.6in in height and takes a decent payload of 14kg/30lb. It has a levelling base and comes with the AirHed Cine fluid head for smooth pans and tilts. The legs can be detached for monopod or boom use. And 3 Legged Thing sells ‘footwear’ to replace the legs and screw into the base, turning it into a tabletop tripod. 3 LEGGED THING JAY KIT £699/$800 3leggedthing.com
ACEBIL P-25GX £677/$546 acebilusa.com
The Acebil P-25GX Professional is a traditional video-style tripod that features a 75mm ball fluid head, aluminium legs, ground- level spreader and comes in its own case. The head supports loads up to 6.98kg/15.4lb and has a fixed counterbalance and fixed pan-and-tilt drag. A sliding quick-release plate attaches to the camera via a 1/4in-20 screw. There’s also an illuminated bubble level built-in into the head, and a pan is included, which can be attached on either the left or the right side of the head. The 75mm bowl T752 tripod features a two-stage leg design and aluminium construction. It has a height range of 45cm/17.7in to 153cm/60.2in, so is about tall enough for most uses. It weighs 6.1kg/13.4lb, so isn’t too heavy.
Pros: Funky looks and build Cons: Head is not the ultimate
Pros: Affordable option Cons: Fixed drag settings
BENRO MAMMOTH WITH WH15 HEAD £370/$349 tripod, £600/$700 head benroeu.com
K&F CONCEPT VA18 ALUMINIUM WITH VH081 HEAD £139/$TBC kentfaith.co.uk
The budget brand K&F has a solid tripod for full-size video kits at a reasonable price. The traditional aluminium twin-leg-style legs come with a fluid head and are capable of accepting a payload of 8kg/17.6lb. That’s The head has a counterbalance system and damping control, and tilts -70° to 90°. Its detachable handle is convenient for left- and right-hand use. The fluid head uses side-insert quick-release plates with a locking knob for safety. Tripod height extends from 84cm/33in to 184cm/72in and the legs are secured with flip locks. The tripod kit weighs 3.88kg/8.5lb, the folded length is 88cm/34in and it comes in a carrying bag. more than enough for most cinema cameras, camcorders or rigged-up mirrorless.
When a tripod is called Mammoth, you expect it to be burly. Benro’s latest is a heavy-duty, four-section, carbon- fibre tripod with a quick-levelling 75mm bowl ideal for video heads. There are twist leg locks to change the height from 160cm/63in to
as low as 14cm/5.5in due to independently locking legs. The rubber feet can be unscrewed and replaced with the included spiked feet. The tripod weighs 2.25kg/4.97lb with a max payload of 25kg/55.1lb. Match it to Benro’s
WH15 Wildlife two-way head, which has eight- stop counterbalance
pan-and-tilt drag adjustment. It has a bowl levelling system and handle that can be quickly extended and locked, and will support up to 15kg/33lb.
Pros: Standard 75mm bowl fitment Cons: No spreader
Pros: Bargain price, decent payload Cons: Not the lightest for travelling
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