I used the Freewell Vlogpod 3K tripod for low-angle images, and it earned a spot in my bag – Digicam Jabber

The very first thing you discover when selecting up the Vlogpod is that, for a mini tripod, the legs are chunky. They have a triangular, ribbed profile reasonably than the spherical segmented look of quite a lot of versatile tripods, and Freewell makes a factor of the snake-inspired design, however what issues in follow is that they bend simply after which keep precisely the place you set them. Over two months, that’s held true; there’s been no gradual sag or loosening, and the ribbed internal floor grips nicely, whereas the rubberised outer is comfy within the hand if you’re utilizing it as a handheld grip.

On high is the 2-in-1 ball head, which is all plastic; even so, the motion is clean with a agency locking screw to tighten. The head incorporates a small clip slightly below one edge that, when pulled again, allows you to flip the pinnacle vertically as a way to get to the bottom clamp screw that attaches to your digicam.

The head additionally options two flip-up sections that allow you to change between a normal digicam mount and the hid telephone clamp, which is a genuinely good contact; the clamp is tucked away till you want it, then opens to take a telephone between 56 and 90mm to suit most telephones.

My principal gripe on the dealing with aspect is that there’s no quick-release plate. The digicam screws straight onto the 1/4-inch thread, which suggests each time you mount or take away a digicam, you’re threading it on and off, and that will get fiddly, notably with a caged physique the place you’re lining up the screw thread with both the total weight of the digicam or the tripod. A easy Arca or perhaps a primary QR plate would have made this far faster to make use of.

The tightening for that 1/4-inch screw is through a fold-out loop, which is a good suggestion in precept, providing you with one thing to grip and switch, however the loop itself is fabricated from very skinny metallic, nearly a wire, and it digs into your fingers if you’re actually making an attempt to lock a heavier digicam down. It works, nevertheless it’s not comfy, and I did discover myself questioning how nicely that skinny loop will maintain up over just a few years of use.

Folded, the Vlogpod is neat sufficient; the legs fold collectively tidily due to that triangular form, nevertheless it’s nonetheless cumbersome. This is a bag tripod, not a pocket one; the legs are each thick and pretty lengthy, and whereas that size is strictly what offers it its grip and stability, it does imply you’re not slipping this right into a jacket. In a digicam bag or backpack, although, it doesn’t add a lot weight or bulk.