This wee ball head is exceedingly well made of cast aluminum and does a great job holding up my Canon S90 and Olympus E-P3 (M4/3). It's so small and light I can carry it in my jean pocket. Movement is reasonably smooth for a tiny ball and locks tight with both of my cameras. Nevertheless, the 4.4LB weight rating is grossly inflated. Two pounds or less is the reality if you want the ball to lock securely. So while you can mount a DSLR, the ball drifts immediately. While not good for a free standing DSLR, I still found it handy as a chest pod or for bracing against a wall, fence or window.
I removed the disk (top platform) and screwed a Kirk 25mm quick release clamp into the 1/4 inch stud. It's now a lot more useful as I can quickly mount a camera, flash, audio recorder or mic without messing around with the screw.
If you want to use the Manfrotto 259B Extension, this is the wrong tripod. What you need is the Manfrotto 209B. It has a 3/8 inch stud to mount the extension. The 209B has exactly the same legs as the 709B but lacks a head. Most people install the Manfrotto 492 ball head on the 209B, creating a table top tripod strong enough to actually hold a DSLR.
The only gotcha concerning the 709B are the little rubber feet on the legs. Mine all fell off after a couple years of light use, making for slippery footing. I found small rubber caps at the hardware store and squeezed them on the leg ends and they're more grippy than the originals.
For only $25, the 709B is a great pocket tripod for small cameras, portable audio or flash units. A DSLR user will probably be disappointed.
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Compare with similar items
 | Manfrotto 209 Table Top Tripod Kit with 492 Center Ball Head | Manfrotto PIXI EVO 2-Section Mini Tripod, Red (MTPIXIEVO-RD) | Manfrotto 259B Extension for Table Top Tripod - Replaces 3007X (Black) | SmallRig Tripod for iPhone Desktop Mini Tripod - Aluminum Alloy 20 inches/ 50 cm with 360 Degree Ball Head, 1/4 inch Quick Shoe Plate for Vlogging DSLR Camera Video, Load up to 11 pounds-3033 | Manfrotto 209 Table Top Tripod without Head - Replaces 3007 , Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (108) | (3) | (491) | (82) | (734) | (91) |
| Price | Unavailable | $169.00 | $64.88 | $49.88 | $48.51 | $29.88 |
| Sold By | — | AVLGear | CameraSpot | Amazon.com | SmallRig | Amazon.com |
| Brand Name | Manfrotto | Manfrotto | Manfrotto | Manfrotto | SMALLRIG | Manfrotto |
| Color | black | Black | Red | Black | 3033 | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Camera, Camcorder | Camera | Camera | Camera | iPhone, iPhone 11, Camera | Camera |
| Item Weight | 6.40 ounces | 2.20 lbs | 0.59 lbs | 3.17 ounces | 11.02 lbs | 3.32 ounces |
| Material | Metal, Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | — | Rubber, Aluminum | — |
| Maximum Height | 59.06 inches | 26 cm | 7.68 inches | 10.00 inches | 50.0 cm | 1.77 inches |
| Minimum Height | 7 cm | 11 cm | 4.13 inches | 6.00 inches | — | 4.5 cm |
| Tripod Head Type | Ball Heads | Ball Heads | Ball Heads | — | Ball Heads | — |
| Weight Capacity Maximum | 2.20 lbs | 3.30 lbs | 5.51 lbs | — | 11.00 lbs | — |
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I felt a bit guilty purchasing this tripod. It's a lot of money for a little piece of metal with a few movable parts. But I figure I'm worth it haha! For the price you get Manfrotto quality. The legs are very slender, solid metal and nonadjustable. This tripod feels sturdy and well made. It is very compact when folded, more so than the other brands I looked at, and this feature helped sell me because I like to travel light; it can even fit in a pants pocket.When I attach my Canon EOS 50D in the upright position, the camera is held stable. However, the tripod cannot hold the Canon 50 vertically (portrait) without tipping over (see my photo). This can be easily remedied by put a small amount of weight on the opposite leg, such as a book, weight, etc.The tripod has tiny cork feet glued to the underside of each leg. One of the feet had come off in the package before I even opened it. Not sure how long it will stay around before it's inadvertently lost. Be prepared to make your own replacement feet. For the price I'm surprised Manfrotto didn't do some kind of molded silicon foot or something a little more rugged.I'm giving this tripod 4 stars because IMO it's a bit overpriced for what it is. It is a good tabletop tripod but if you're on a budget there a quite a few other makes, all cheaper. Velbon Mini and Sunpak Mini Proplus are two others I considered. Also Vanguard makes several minis. BTW, I've posted some photos in case that helps.
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 22, 2010
When I attach my [[ASIN:B001EQ4BVI Canon EOS 50D]] in the upright position, the camera is held stable. However, the tripod cannot hold the Canon 50 vertically (portrait) without tipping over (see my photo). This can be easily remedied by put a small amount of weight on the opposite leg, such as a book, weight, etc.
The tripod has tiny cork feet glued to the underside of each leg. One of the feet had come off in the package before I even opened it. Not sure how long it will stay around before it's inadvertently lost. Be prepared to make your own replacement feet. For the price I'm surprised Manfrotto didn't do some kind of molded silicon foot or something a little more rugged.
I'm giving this tripod 4 stars because IMO it's a bit overpriced for what it is. It is a good tabletop tripod but if you're on a budget there a quite a few other makes, all cheaper. [[ASIN:B00004TY7O Velbon Mini]] and [[ASIN:B00009UT1V Sunpak Mini Proplus]] are two others I considered. Also Vanguard makes several minis. BTW, I've posted some photos in case that helps.
Style: TripodVerified Purchase
Small and Sturdy...and Expensive
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 22, 2010
I felt a bit guilty purchasing this tripod. It's a lot of money for a little piece of metal with a few movable parts. But I figure I'm worth it haha! For the price you get Manfrotto quality. The legs are very slender, solid metal and nonadjustable. This tripod feels sturdy and well made. It is very compact when folded, more so than the other brands I looked at, and this feature helped sell me because I like to travel light; it can even fit in a pants pocket.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 22, 2010
When I attach my [[ASIN:B001EQ4BVI Canon EOS 50D]] in the upright position, the camera is held stable. However, the tripod cannot hold the Canon 50 vertically (portrait) without tipping over (see my photo). This can be easily remedied by put a small amount of weight on the opposite leg, such as a book, weight, etc.
The tripod has tiny cork feet glued to the underside of each leg. One of the feet had come off in the package before I even opened it. Not sure how long it will stay around before it's inadvertently lost. Be prepared to make your own replacement feet. For the price I'm surprised Manfrotto didn't do some kind of molded silicon foot or something a little more rugged.
I'm giving this tripod 4 stars because IMO it's a bit overpriced for what it is. It is a good tabletop tripod but if you're on a budget there a quite a few other makes, all cheaper. [[ASIN:B00004TY7O Velbon Mini]] and [[ASIN:B00009UT1V Sunpak Mini Proplus]] are two others I considered. Also Vanguard makes several minis. BTW, I've posted some photos in case that helps.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Julian Gv
Manfrotto es garantia
Reviewed in Mexico 🇲🇽 on March 9, 2018Style: TripodVerified Purchase
David Plummer
Good quality
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 20, 2018Style: TripodVerified Purchase
Tony M
The jury's still out
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 20, 2019Style: TripodVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Excellent Product
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 9, 2018Style: TripodVerified Purchase
Bassy Boy
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 30, 2017Style: TripodVerified Purchase
