Opinion on Small Rig Tripod

R

Rob Neidig

Member
Hi! I recently came across the Small Rig Tripods. I'm really just in the market for the legs and of course would prefer carbon fiber. The Small Rig looks to be a reasonable price and their other products work well. Anyone with personal experience with their tripods?

THANKS!

Rob
 
Small rig is essentially neweer which is fotodiox which is a ton of other off-brand companies. One thing you have to realize is that there is a good chance you can not put a heavy camera on that thing. Small Rig may have thought of a consumer using a smartphone or other cameras from a store like Best Buy more so than say using it for an FX6 rigged out camera. That isn't to say it may be used for it if they have the right equipment, but more so than anything it is for light cameras and extremely light rigs.

People talk about not buying too much of an expensive camera as a filmmaker, but also you shouldn't do too much of what Caleb Pike does from DSLRvideoshooter and over-rig a camera more so than it needs to.

A rail system for your A7s mk III is going to be an extra 15 pounds on your camera compared to a light rig that was 5 pounds meaning now you have to buy an even more expensive tripod, and maybe one with a counterweight system.
 
It's a rebranded Chinese manufacture. Longevity is the biggest knock of this type of gear. Depends of how heavy of use you intend for it. For example for static interviews or a your studio it could be fine. Another knock might be the quality of the head and smoothness of the pans. Again for some situations this isn't going to be important. With that said I've never regretted investing in a quality name brand tripod. They don't go obsolete and could last you your entire career.
 
Assuming you're interested in the carbon fiber FreeBlazer, it handles up to 22 lbs.

More than the traditional 15-18 lbs you'd get for a thousand dollars or so from other top makers, but I would still take off a few pounds mentally. (It's also rare to have rigs be more than ~15 lbs from people who are looking at these kind of tripods so it might be moot.)

Personally, I wouldn't worry about build quality/durability...but always look for specific costly annoyances in reviews like locking knobs or latches breaking off easily. I bought Viltrox legs for a quarter of the price a few years ago and they are still solid today.

Panning will definitely be the biggest factor. You don't buy these for precise control. The better and more expensive heads that are known for their performance are felt throughout the movements and micro movements and stops.

But, in general, if you only need the legs and sometimes basic operation then it has good reviews. There might be something for even less money that's comparable (like from Benro or someone, IDK).
 
Rob, Which model were you considering, the FreeBlazer?

I don't have any firsthand experience with the SmallRig tripods, but I noticed they point out that their carbon fiber offerings aren't dust or sand resistant, so I take it that there's no coating to provided extra durability.

It has a 75mm bowl base, so you can put any 75mm head on it that you want.

I've only used the SmallRig railblocks and clamp adapters, and seems it seems like some are made from a higher grade aluminum than others.
 
Jumping in here as a money limited enthusiast, so I do shop the 'lesser brands' if they are fit enough. I've been comparing budget gear consistently for about 5 years and SmallRig is pretty much always the highest priced of those brands and I haven't found their hardware to be any better quality than Neewer, Ulanzi, Magic Rig, or Ikan/E-Image. Really I skip right by their stuff in listings. It's going to be identical and cost more.

Right now I've received a trial Neewer tripod that caught my eye because looking at the ad, I thought "That's my legs! They either copied or used the same legs as Ikan, which isn't a bad thing. I am quite happy with my GH06 head and legs kit. Mind, But the head on the Neewer is nothing near the GH06 and the price difference reflects that.

In truth I come to dvxuser to up my knowledge and aspirations, not to chat about low balling the video industry. I appreciate reading chat by working professionals and pick up a few nuggets. Top notch gear is just not practical for my smattering of camera work performed on my own in my retirement. I did learn the fundamentals at a studio from 2002 to 2008 with AVID and a DSR.300, etc. but I'll never be at that intensity again.
 
With Chinese products, there's always the risk of quality control issues, even from seemingly good Chinese brands.

I went through two defective E-Image tripods before I got a good copy, and that was a 4-month-long process due in inventory shortages, so don't risk a Chinese product if you need something relabel right away.
 
Thanks, everybody, for the input. I already have my "main" tripod, which is a Sachtler FSB 6 head on Manfrotto legs. This would be as a secondary tripod with a Manfrotto head that I already own on it. It would not be out in the field every day so I MAY eventually take a chance on it. It is the Carbon Fiber version that I was looking at and am concerned about them not being sand and dust resistant as well as the longevity.
 
An update...

I decided to take a chance on them when B&H had a special at $175. So far have only used them a couple of times, so of course I have no experience with their longevity. They do seem reasonably well built, though. They certainly are nice and light.

One thing I hadn't thought about until I received them was the lowest possible height. Since they have what they call "one-step locking", it has 2-stage legs, unlike the 3-stage legs of many other options. Not a big deal most of the time but something to possibly consider. SmallRig lists the lowest height at 79 cm, which is about 31 inches. My other sticks go nearly a foot lower. So far I haven't seen a way to remove the mid-leg spreader to allow the legs to go out further, thus allowing a lower height.

For what I bought this rig for, it is great and I am happy. Especially when the normal price is $249.
 
I see B&H has the carbon fiber SmallRig FreeBlazer on sale for $280, and I'm tempted to get one, and thought I'd resurrect this thread to see if Rob or anyone else can comment on the longevity.

I'm mainly interested in the sticks, as they go a foot taller than my current E-image GA752. I'd be using this with an FS7 and mirrorless cameras, and probably wouldn't build a rig heavier than 15 lbs.

I'd probably swap the head out for my E-Image GH05, since the SmallRig head lacks counter balance.

I'm also open to other suggestions, other than get a $20K O'Connor.
 
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Hi "Imamacuser"! (I'm a proud Mac user for audio and video also, though I do a lot of "office" work on PCs.) When I first got the SmallRig carbon fiber legs, I used them as the secondary tripod with a Manfrotto head as mentioned above. I very quickly switched over to using them as the legs for my primary head, the Sachtler FSB-6. I've been VERY happy with them. As long as you have a head that can support the weight of the FS7, the sticks will do great. I have not ever used them in sand, so I haven't been able to check on that weird disclaimer on SmallRig's site but for normal uses I've been very pleased. Sorry if I didn't respond in time for you to get the sale price.

Rob
 
Imamacuser said:
I'm also open to other suggestions, other than get a $20K O'Connor.
Click to expand...
I know you said this with tongue in cheek, but It's not necessary to spend anywhere near $20K on a good tripod system. If you don't mind investing $2400 for the proper tools to earn a living, you can get a fantastic Sachtler tripod system with Flowtech legs, Aktiv 6 head, and mid-level spreader -- that will serve you for the rest of your life, even if you live to a hundred. And then your heirs can sell it at your estate sale and probably get every penny back out of it. Tripods are worth the investment.


I see B&H even has a used one for $1800 if you want to save a few pennies.
 
I ordered the SmallRig tripod, received it, inspected it, but haven't used it yet. The extra height will be nice, as 6' 5" people are relatively common in my neck of the woods.

Video production isn't my day job, so I'm less inclined to buy a Sachtler.
 
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