3 Legged Thing X1.1 Brian and AH1 Ballhead Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit, Built In Detachable Monopod, Black

2013-06-24T21:00:00

I'm 65 and can't spend all day lugging around a full-sized camera and tripod. I bought an ILC (Fuji X-E1)and wanted a lightweight tripod that was easily portable and stable enough for my camera. So far the Brian seems to be the perfect fit for my situation.

JOHN G.

2013-05-13T21:00:00

I bought this tripod on the basis that it folded up to a short length and was fairly light weight. I had hoped that it would fit easily in one of my backpacks. However, it has a large folded diameter due the design of the legs folding back on to the center column. As a result, it would not fit into either of my backpacks without taking up a lot of space. Also, it was not as stable as my other carbon fiber travel tripod. The ball head was just OK. I would recommend ordering the tripod without the ball head.

BOB S.

2013-02-04T19:00:00

Very stable and I love the fact that I can carry both a tripod and monopod in one. Very easy to set up.

CLYDE B.

2012-10-18T21:00:00

I bought this on a recommendation from a friend of mine in Germany, after he saw it at Photokina. What an amazing tripod! This thing now goes everywhere with me. I used it last week during a workshop for off-camera flash, and everyone was amazed that this goes up to 7 feet! I then took it right down to 5 inches for shooting real low. It weighs under 3lbs and clips nicely to my ThinkTANK Streetwalker. I've been experimenting with long exposures for the first time and this tripod is like a rock.

Mike F.

2012-03-28T21:00:00

I bought this tripod with high hopes. The lightweight and cool ability to chang into a monopod sold me on this brand vs the more established carbon fiber tripod brands. When it arrived I was excited by its "modern" look, packable size, and low weight ven with the included ball head. Leaving for a 2-wek trip to Midway Atoll I was excited to put this tripod to the test in the field with my Canon 7D w/ 100-400 lens. However much to my disappointment on the very first hour of use the screw that holds the camera to the quick release plate sheered off. Had I not been holding my camera at the time I would have had considerable damage to contend with. In addition to the above failure I found the overall build of the tripod to be a bit cheap. The rubber covers on the screws to extend the legs were of poor quality and the legs frequently slid in even though securly tightened. The ball head also was not very fluid or secure with my camera rig although it is rated to support 17-lbs. Overall this might work for some (if the mounting plate I got was an exception rather than the norm) simply due to its compactable size for travel, however I do not think that this tripod will hold up to multiple years of extended "true" use in the field. For $400 it should be of much better build quality. I ended up returning mine for these reasons.

WAYNE S.

2012-01-13T19:00:00

Unlike Manfrotto, the center column, spindle, and mounting plate are three pieces. And that's where one caveat exists, at least with video. There might be some bumps when panning. 3LT says the modular design is to allow complete removal of the center column. With the center column removed, stability is solid since the mounting plate threads directly into the tripod furniture. So, if you're not privy to having a center column and willing to sacrifice a 7' tripod, then this 3LT is stellar. You can go up to 5' and it's stable. At 7' it's precarious, but a sandbag will stabilize it, and there's a pin at the bottom of the column to attach the weight. The bottom leg is 15mm diameter, in the thin category. The monopod option is brilliant, being able to remove a leg. The stud is on the tripod furniture and a special spindle is used for the mounting plate. Hence, the conversion from tripod to monopod is a bit cumbersome. Since I have two heads, I devised an option for quick conversion. The AH1 ball head is nice, but probably no nicer than a Manfrotto. The rotation tension is tight, good for photos, not so good for video. The QR plate requires turning a knob instead of snapping in. When shooting and transitioning between on-tripod to handheld, turning a knob isn't quick and produces shaky video footage, albeit short. I prefer my Manfrotto fluid head for video on the tripod, with the ball head for the monopod. I would say generally the 3LT legs are a great concept for lightweight and compact travel and transit. It folds about 16", extends 5-7', is stable without column, and has several lateral positions. It holds my DLSR rig with cage, mixer, mics, light, and Zoom. Compared to other tripod makers with similar features, the 3LT is slightly more expensive. The biggest appeal to me is the folded and extended length. Other makers might be somewhat cheaper, but they don't have the length range. This comes with a nice case and 5-year warranty.

Eddie F.