You can still use the tripod on uneven terrain and it still works well on stairs if you have the tripod at a certain height. Because the spreaders don’t adjust out you do have a limited ability to use the tripod at its lowest height on uneven terrain. Switch your camera from the tripod to a gimbal The SmallRig AD-01 3751 is really easy to travel with and to set-up, but it’s more rudimentary than it sounds when you just look at the specs. It ships with a smart and stylish soft bag, which measures 92cm/3ft. long and comes with a basic shoulder strap. Inside is a long zipped area that the pan handle. The bag opens fully in each corner so it’s easy enough to extract the SmallRig AD-01 3751. Would you consider SmallRig’s new tripod? Let me know what you find important in a video tripod and fluid head in the comments! Where to Buy

Also, the plastic connections between the legs and the head area do dampen some vibrations, so it might not be such a disadvantage when shooting video. I was pleasantly surprised by the overall build quality. It is decently made despite a lot of affordable and lightweight materials being used. The tripod legs are made out of Aluminum Alloy. One thing I didn’t like is that the spreaders don’t have a rounded edge and they are quite sharp. This is something you need to be aware of. What is the ideal use case for this tripod? If you are working in a controlled, relatively safe environment where you just need something to hold your camera steady and maybe do a pan once in a while, the SmallRig AD-01 will be fine. However, if your main use case is a lot of panning and tilting in demanding environments, I would suggest spending more for a smoother fluid. The overall operation of the tripod is good considering its price point. The pan and tilt adjustment knobs don’t offer a lot of finite adjustment. There are no counterbalance steps or setting adjustments.

SmallRig Universal Tripod Dolly 3986

Stable and Adjustable Tripod：Heavy duty aluminum double-tube tripod with built-in bubble level, 75mm bowl bottom, which can provide better stability for the video tripod. The adjustable height of the travel tripod is: 85-186cm/33"-73", and the maximum load is: 8KG / 17LBS. First, there’s the three-section double-shaft leg design, which is 89cm long when closed and achieves three heights; a minimum of 85cm, a mid-choice of 135cm and a maximum of 186cm. Secondly, there’s a three-pronged spreader between the first and second stage to add some extra stabilisation. Thirdly, it’s got a fluid two-way ball-head and a detachable pan handle. A tripod can have decent enough build quality and good features, but if it doesn’t actually perform well then none of that really matters. If you have both stages of the legs adjusted and use the tripod at height then there is certainly a lot more flex, especially towards the bottom of the legs. The spreaders do their intended job, and again, you can’t complain much considering how much this tripod system costs. Operation

The SmallRig Heavy-Duty Fluid Head Tripod is claimed to weigh 4kg / 8.81 lbs. This does make it pretty lightweight considering its payload capacity and the height it can go. I thought it felt lighter than that and when I independently weighed it I found it was 3.6kg. Build Quality SmallRig also advertises that it comes with an anti-slip carry handle. While it does have three of these on the tripod legs, you can only fit three fingers inside and I personally found that it wasn’t that comfortable or easy to use. How is it to use with a Digital Cinema Camera? When I pulled the AD-01 out of the box, the first thing I noticed was that the tripod has quite a bit of plastic on it. That being said, the tripod legs themselves are aluminum and feel sturdy. The SmallRig AD-01 has many plastic components – including the main connection from the legs to the head mounting base When you consider this, it’s no surprise that the SmallRig AD-01’s fluid head is one of its biggest weaknesses. Perhaps the best thing I can say about panning and tilting with the SmallRig is that it will give better results than trying to pan with a ball head – but it’s definitely not fun. The fluid head of this tripod is its biggest weakness While the tripod does feature a built-in bubble level indicator it isn’t illuminated so you can’t see it in darker conditions.I wouldn’t recommend using the tripod with both stages opened all the way up and the spreaders collapsed in. This doesn’t offer very good stability. What are the feet like? The tilting mechanism also has an additional problem. If you let it sit for a while without usage, starting it up again gives a bit of additional resistance and a distracting sound. I also found a noticeable rough spot in the tilting range that I felt as a vibration through the handle. The Fluid Head: Other Features The centre spreader’s three arms have units of measurement on them so you can ensure that the legs are spread evenly and with precision. (Image credit: George Cairns / Digital Camera World) This tripod features a built-in bubble level, and it works with a 75mm bowl base. I am going to review this product in the same way I review any product. It doesn’t matter how much it costs, who makes it, or where it comes from. Every product gets reviewed in the exact same independent way. How much does it weigh? Lightweight Carbon Fiber】The camera tripod is made of carbon fiber legs, which is lightweight and load-bearing of 25kg/55lbs, making it more suitable for carrying and traveling. Also comes with a customized handbag for better storage, protection, and portability.

The SmallRig AD-01 3751 tripod weighs just 2.86g/6.3lbs yet builds-in a lot of features you would expect to find on a high-end tripod aimed at professional broadcasters and filmmakers. The SmallRig Heavy-Duty Fluid Head Tripod comes in a lightweight carrying bag. This bag is ok, but I do worry about how long the zippers will last. Its maximum height is 1.86 m (6’2″), which makes it very versatile for many different kinds of shoots. As a wildlife photographer and videographer, a major downside of this tripod for me is its minimum height, which is 0.85 m (2’9″). I often want ground-level shots, which would not be possible with this tripod. The tripod at minimum height Thus, it is not surprising that this tripod has some compromises. The question is whether these compromises are acceptable or not if you’re in the market for a budget tripod.

Build Quality

Panning and tilting are a little easier because you can use the momentum of the pan to help with the tilt. While there is still some rebound effect it isn’t as noticeable as when you are just tilting. SmallRig Universal Tripod Dolly 3986 That head – which on its own weighs 696g/1.53lbs and attaches to the SmallRig AD-01 3751 via a 3/8-inch thread – even has a 75mm levelling bowl base for setting-up perfectly level shots. It also boasts a spirit level/bubble level to help get the tripod itself level.

The SmallRig AD-01 is a budget tripod, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good value. It satisfies the most basic functions of a tripod, but its fluid head will not work well for two of the most important features of a video tripod: panning and especially tilting. On one hand, the panning motion is smooth and decently dampened. However, I found it very hard to keep the panning speed consistent. With practice and even using an elastic band, you can improve a little, but you will never get smooth, buttery pans like you can with more expensive heads. When it comes to tripods, I definitely don’t recommend getting the cheapest tripod you can find. And while the SmallRig AD-01 is not the cheapest, it is certainly one of the cheaper video tripods on the market. The head plate slot has built-in screw holes and the bowl base comes with 1/4”-20 threaded holes for accessory attachment. The built-in damping and balancing system enables 360° horizontal and +90°/-75° vertical movements. There are also 3/8″-16 threaded holes in the head base to support most tripods, arms, sliders, and other accessories with 3/8″-16 screws.