I just got a new DSLR camera so I also bought several accessories for it. This was one of the items I chose. I have had mini tripods before and they were all fine, but in the past I've only had to deal with Point & Shoot types of cameras, which are obviously lower profile and less weight. When I saw this one (and a couple of others, I was intrigued because of its style). There is no doubt a DSLR with a lens attached is heavy and front loaded (relatively speaking), I really didn't think one of the typical mini's would work based on my experience. This design seemed like a good gamble because it basically resembled a real tripod...just, well....mini sized! I was a little hesitant about the price ($30 shipped), but risked it because at this point $30 was a small amount and really a small price to pay to protect the DSLR.
I just got it today and messed around with it for about a half hour or so. The camera I got was a Canon Rebel T4i and for "testing" purposes I put the bigger of my 2 lenses on which is a Tamron 70-300mm zoom, which at full extension goes 7.5" past the camera body and weighs about 3lbs, 1.7ozs (camera & lens). I can't really be happier, tbh and I'm glad I bought this tripod. Granted, I set it up in my kitchen where everything is flat, solid, and relaxed....but seriously with a short tripod, I'm not going to take a whole lot of risks with my thousand dollar camera....I'm just looking for a secure place to quickly set up the camera when I need to and a big tripod is not practical. This does exactly that.
Pros:
-Sturdy- when used with the legs out and a little common sense, I'm not sure what would make this sturdier. Here's a tip....some have suggested that with a long/heavy lens that you shouldn't set it up without putting one of the legs out under the lens. This works and I agree, I also found that if you extend that leg (just the one under the lens) that it will make the setup even sturdier because it pushes the weight back to the camera. I could slowly push down on the lens and not tip the tripod in this configuration.
-Functional- It operates very similar to any large tripod. The camera screw onto the plate and you swivel it to where you want it, then just lock it in.
-Ease of operation....Its not complicated and can be set up in probably less than a minute...even including screwing the base in (I might be exaggerating, but not by much).
Cons:
-Width- It is wide, as others have said (about a 10.5" triangle)....but I'm using it with a heavy DSLR that sticks out a long way....without screwing it to the solid structure....physics is going to dictate that the base be wide. Not sure how to avoid tipping without spreading the legs out. It may not be practical in all situations, but having the camera fall isn't practical...ever.
-Locking legs- The legs don't lock, they just spread out to their natural (wide position). It works ok, but seems like you should be able to lock them in.
Neutrals:
-Price- Is it worth $30? That's up to the buyer. I think it is, but I also think its build quality is on par with typical cheap tripods and you can buy them for less. Where's the cost in this thing? The legs are like 90% shorter and there aren't as many parts? I'd buy it again, but I'm not convinced there isn't some gouging going on.
-Build Quality- Its on par with typical cheap camera tripods. For what I'm going to use it for, I'm ok with this....but its not bullet proof. The biggest issue I have is that I think I should be careful over-tightening the knobs...I can get them tight without too much torque, but I definitely get the feel that if I overdo it, I'm going to hear a "crack" and it'll be game over.
Issues-
I wanted to address a couple of issues I'd seen in some of the less than happy reviews. Someone said the suction cup only works if the legs are in some weird position. I'm not sure what they meant, but I didn't have this problem. The suction cup is at the bottom of the shaft that adjusts the camera's height. It can be moved up and down by loosening the lock nut just below the swivel head. Set the legs, loosen the shaft, and set the suction cup. It can't work at every height, but if you can use it...its there.
Height...someone complained it wasn't very tall. The top of the plate is 8.5" tall at the fully extended position. I'm not sure how high its supposed to be, its a "MINI" tripod. I don't have a problem at all with the height.
One other reviewer says its too heavy....wait, what? It weighs 12ozs and is a little over 8" all stowed away. Its a little unwieldy I guess for a mini, but I still think it has to be big in order to protect the camera. I'm sure someone could figure out a design that stowed nicely, but at what cost. Weight is absolutely not an issue.
Anyway, real happy with it and I'd buy it again. If I have any issues, I'll update....but for now its a good little tool in the box or bag.
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The Original Line of Tripods
Since 1948
Slik has been quietly designing and manufacturing high-quality tripods for more than 50 years. Slik has won 6 prestigious Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry Good Design (G-Mark) awards. Slik’s original and innovative designs have become industry standards.
Check out the quality and heritage of Slik tripods, monopods and heads online.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2011
Now that you have the backstory, I bet you are ready to read a review on this thing!
My first impressions were 1) It was quite light and 2) it seemed to be very sturdily built. No loose fitting parts, no rattling; a very solid little piece. So onto the bread and butter: Does it work with my scope? If you have not already seen the pictures I posted along with this item, it absolutely works. I was actually very skeptical when I got it out of the box, because it is literally SMALL. You do have to play with the leg position under the scope, but that is to be expected. It is also short enough that, while laying prone, I can use my scope with no change in my body position. It is at the perfect comfortable height, for me anyways.
Now to get fancy! The last two pictures I uploaded show that this little gem is also capable of holding that giant scope in the SIDEWAYS position! Incredible! I set this up next to my rifle, and I can simple look over into the scope next to me to check targets.
Now she is not perfect, but dang close in my opinion. The description reads "2 way Pan/Tilt Head". I am not a camera guy, I know nothing about tripods and the like. But I read that as the Panhead will "tilt" 90 degrees in one direction. This is not the case at all. You actually have to turn the head sideways, and by doing this, you are going to lose your vertical adjustment on the scope (unless you tilt the scope up or down on the mounting screw). This was heartbreaking for me!
Negative #2, again for me, is that there is no fine adjustment of the scope directions. its all controlled on the panhead, but then again, that is the nature of these tripods (as far as I know). I previously was using an [[ASIN:B001EE7XYW Alpen Micro Adjustable Table Top Tripod]], which had the fine adjustments for vertical and horizontal, but it sits too high to be comfortable unless you actually lean over the bench. But for the sake of comfort, I negate this as a negative, just worth noting for you readers out there.
All in all, I wanted to give it 4 stars for the -1 listed above, but in retrospect, it does 98% of what I ever wanted a tripod to do. On top of that, other tripods that do everything I want are well over $100-$200. At the time of this review, this gem costed $30. I give the point back for value. The Alpen is on the shelf in the closet and the Slik is in my range bag. She isn't totally perfect, but dang its close!
Style: Mini Pro VVerified Purchase
On the hunt for the perfect tripod . . . .
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2011
Let me first off state that I am a shooter, and the sole purpose for any tripod I purchase is for my Spotting Scope. I currently use an 82mm Nikon Prostaff 20-60x Scope, which is a tad on the heavy side, and definitely a chore for smaller tripods. When I purchase a tripod, I am not looking for one that stands as tall as me. I want a small one that I can use from the sitting or (preferably) the prone position. I have had a few other tripods that worked good from a bench, but were too tall to use while laying prone.Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2011
Now that you have the backstory, I bet you are ready to read a review on this thing!
My first impressions were 1) It was quite light and 2) it seemed to be very sturdily built. No loose fitting parts, no rattling; a very solid little piece. So onto the bread and butter: Does it work with my scope? If you have not already seen the pictures I posted along with this item, it absolutely works. I was actually very skeptical when I got it out of the box, because it is literally SMALL. You do have to play with the leg position under the scope, but that is to be expected. It is also short enough that, while laying prone, I can use my scope with no change in my body position. It is at the perfect comfortable height, for me anyways.
Now to get fancy! The last two pictures I uploaded show that this little gem is also capable of holding that giant scope in the SIDEWAYS position! Incredible! I set this up next to my rifle, and I can simple look over into the scope next to me to check targets.
Now she is not perfect, but dang close in my opinion. The description reads "2 way Pan/Tilt Head". I am not a camera guy, I know nothing about tripods and the like. But I read that as the Panhead will "tilt" 90 degrees in one direction. This is not the case at all. You actually have to turn the head sideways, and by doing this, you are going to lose your vertical adjustment on the scope (unless you tilt the scope up or down on the mounting screw). This was heartbreaking for me!
Negative #2, again for me, is that there is no fine adjustment of the scope directions. its all controlled on the panhead, but then again, that is the nature of these tripods (as far as I know). I previously was using an [[ASIN:B001EE7XYW Alpen Micro Adjustable Table Top Tripod]], which had the fine adjustments for vertical and horizontal, but it sits too high to be comfortable unless you actually lean over the bench. But for the sake of comfort, I negate this as a negative, just worth noting for you readers out there.
All in all, I wanted to give it 4 stars for the -1 listed above, but in retrospect, it does 98% of what I ever wanted a tripod to do. On top of that, other tripods that do everything I want are well over $100-$200. At the time of this review, this gem costed $30. I give the point back for value. The Alpen is on the shelf in the closet and the Slik is in my range bag. She isn't totally perfect, but dang its close!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2013
Style: Mini Pro VVerified Purchase
I've owned this tripod for well over a year. I own a Canon SX40 bridge camera, which is a bit bulky and heavy. I own 2 ball head tabletop tripods, but they couldn't handle the weight of the Canon with its long telephoto lens. This appeared to be the heaviest duty tripod, so I took a chance. It's been over a year since I bought the tripod, and it's performed great. It has all of the adjustments of a full sized tripod.
The tripod is small, but it's built very sturdy. It handles the combination of my camera and the Cowboystudios 4 way focusing rail system ([[ASIN:B0047DS41S Cowboystudio Macro Focusing Rail Set with 4 Way, Fine Control and Camera Focusing Rail for Macro Photography]]). I put the focusing rails on top of the pan head, and attach my camera to the focusing rails. When tightened down, the tilt/pan head locks firmly into position, with no backlash when the camera and focusing rails are attached.
I've only had one issue with the tripod, but the problem was not the tripod; when I fully extended the super telephoto lens on my camera for Macro photography (using the DCR-250 Macro Lens ([[ASIN:B000A1SZ2Y Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Snap-On Lens]])), the tripod can tilt toward the lens. I overcame this minor problem, by making sure that a tripod leg is under the lens. I do not consider this as a flaw in the tripod. I'm asking the tripod to support a lot of weight, especially when the telephoto lens is extended. The center pole, which supports the head, has a suction cup, which thoroughly attaches to a table. However at times, I need the camera higher, so I can't use the suction cup.
I've done extreme macro photography with this tripod; there is no vibration and the tripod is as steady as a rock. I'll post a few macro photos in support of this tripod on the amazon product page.
The tripod is small, but it's built very sturdy. It handles the combination of my camera and the Cowboystudios 4 way focusing rail system ([[ASIN:B0047DS41S Cowboystudio Macro Focusing Rail Set with 4 Way, Fine Control and Camera Focusing Rail for Macro Photography]]). I put the focusing rails on top of the pan head, and attach my camera to the focusing rails. When tightened down, the tilt/pan head locks firmly into position, with no backlash when the camera and focusing rails are attached.
I've only had one issue with the tripod, but the problem was not the tripod; when I fully extended the super telephoto lens on my camera for Macro photography (using the DCR-250 Macro Lens ([[ASIN:B000A1SZ2Y Raynox DCR-250 Super Macro Snap-On Lens]])), the tripod can tilt toward the lens. I overcame this minor problem, by making sure that a tripod leg is under the lens. I do not consider this as a flaw in the tripod. I'm asking the tripod to support a lot of weight, especially when the telephoto lens is extended. The center pole, which supports the head, has a suction cup, which thoroughly attaches to a table. However at times, I need the camera higher, so I can't use the suction cup.
I've done extreme macro photography with this tripod; there is no vibration and the tripod is as steady as a rock. I'll post a few macro photos in support of this tripod on the amazon product page.
Images in this review
