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Travel Tripod

HEIPI is a new style of lightweight and compact 3-in-1 travel tripod with a 3-pillar centre column

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There isn’t usually a lot of innovation in tripods. Occasionally we’ll see new materials being used, like the introduction of carbon fibre, or improved mechanisms to make things work more smoothly and easily. The HEIPI tripod, though, seems to rethink the whole concept of a travel tripod, by splitting the centre column into three for not only more stability when it’s raised but also to act as a second mini tripod.

It’s an interesting design that’s currently launching on Kickstarter. It allows you to essentially always carry two tripods with you wherever you need to go but takes up the space of only one. It uses patented quick lever locks on the legs which are made from carbon fibre to keep things as light as possible. It packs down to only 44.5cm, weighing 1.35kg and extends up to 150cm (or 59″).

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The new Platypod eXtreme tripod comes with hinged feet, more mounting points and an integrated handle

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Launched in 2017, Platypod Max quickly became quite popular among action shooters and those working in rough terrain where a traditional tripod just isn’t practical. It’s essentially a metal plate with feet on the bottom, a 3/8-16″ thread on the top and a bunch of mounting holes and four adjustable feet to let you set it up pretty much anywhere you want. In 2018, they launched the Platypod Ultra, a smaller version.

Now, the company has announced the newest addition to the family, the Platypod eXtreme, which is lighter than the original Platypod Max but comes with some design improvements that offer some definite benefits. It has a built-in handle now, more reattachment points and the feet can now be stored inside the plate on rotatable mounts for faster deployment anywhere.

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The Gitzo Légende tripod and backpack offer quality well above their current price point

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The Légende is the newest travel tripod and bag combo from Gitzo, with both products sharing the same name. It’s currently running as an Indiegogo campaign and will go on general sale once it’s over, with the ability to buy either item individually or both as a kit.

I’ve been trying out both the tripod and backpack for a couple of weeks now and putting them through the limited paces I can while we’re still on lockdown here in Scotland, but here are some of my thoughts on Gitzo’s new Légende tripod & backpack combo.

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Gitzo’s new Légende “forever repairable” tripod & backpack aims to end throwaway culture

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The Gitzo Légende tripod and backpack teased last week has now been officially announced. In what might be a strange turn for a company like Gitzo, the new kit is being launched via Indiegogo. Unlike a lot of crowdfunding platform campaigns, though, given who’s running this one, I think we can be pretty sure this one will deliver.

The Légende is a 2-part kit, comprised of a lightweight carbon fibre tripod and backpack. It takes a somewhat new eco-friendly approach to product design for the photography industry, with the backpack being composed of primarily recycled materials and the tripod having an unlimited warranty with 100% replaceable parts (and 70% of them can be shipped out and replaced by the user).

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Gitzo’s teases new travel tripod and backpack: recycled materials and unlimited warranty

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Gitzo is soon to launch a new travel tripod and backpack that will get travel photographers and eco-warriors very interested. Gitzo Légende is a travel tripod and backpack combo that was made partially from recycled materials, and they were made to last. But the best part is probably the unlimited warranty you get for both items.

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Best Video Tripod for Filmmakers! – Sachtler Flowtech 75

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To understand my view on the Sachtler Flowtech 75 (B&H | Amazon) I need to share a story. I remember one time I walked into my rental house, and I came to pick up my Sony FS7. It was outfitted with all the bells and whistles that one would need for a production. I called the rental house owner and asked him the last minute if it’s ok to add a tripod. He told me, “sure, no problem! Take the Sachtler 20”. I asked the worker to get me one and asked him how much extra it was going to be and he said: “Nothing”. Later we chatted and I asked him how could it be that you give a $6,000 camera with a tripod that costs more than $11,000? That’s double what the camera costs! His answer stuck with me for years to come.

“A good tripod keeps everything on top of it safe, it’s cheaper for me to rent the tripod for free and have no broken cameras returned than to save some pennies on the tripod and fix a camera every few rentals.”

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Manfrotto’s Befree GT XPRO is a travel tripod designed specifically for macro shooters

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Macro is one of the more difficult subjects that many photographers choose to shoot, especially when we’re travelling. Often, there’s not enough light to go handheld to get the depth of field we need when we’re close to a subject, or our tripods just don’t allow us to get the camera into a good position.

Well, Manfrotto offers up a solution to this problem with the new Befree GT XPRO. It’s a travel tripod with a centre column that can rotate 90° and get extremely low to the ground. It completes the Manfrotto Befree Advanced range of travel tripods and is available in both aluminium and carbon fibre flavours.

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Manfrotto launches a trio of new Befree travel tripods for photo and video

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Manfrotto has just announced three new tripods. A new version of the Befree Live with Quick Power Lock (QPL) levers, mixing the best parts (yes, that’s an opinion) of the two previous models, the Befree 2N1 that switches between travel tripod and monopod, and the Befree Nerissimo, the slickest looking travel tripod I’ve ever seen.

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DIYP reviews the Manfrotto Befree Live Twist travel tripod – A great travel companion for video

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I’m going to save you all a lot of time and tell you from the start that I really like the Manfrotto Befree Live Twist (BLT – Yes, I’m calling it the BLT) video tripod. If you’ve been on the fence about buying one and wondering whether or not it’s decent… Well, for the most part, I think it is.

In many ways, the BLT a lot like its predecessor, the regular flip lock version of Befree Live. But it has received a couple of significant changes. The flip locks have gone in favour of twist locks (hence the new name), and the adjusters at the top of each leg have had a much-needed redesign. But let’s take a look at how it handles overall.

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Manfrotto beefs up its travel range with 4 new tripods and 2 ball heads

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It’s the time of year, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere where the days are long, and we’re starting to get that travel bug. The sun’s well and truly back, and we want to get out exploring with our cameras. To do this, especially if we want to shoot any long exposures or video, we often need a tripod. But they can be big, heavy, cumbersome things.

Well, Manfrotto’s got your back, with four new tripods, three of which are carbon fibre. There’s a new Befree Advanced CF, a Befree Live Twist CF, and two new Befree GT tripods – one aluminium, one carbon fibre. And there are two new ball heads to go with them.

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