What Makes the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tripod So Special?

11/29/2024Link2

SmallRig collaborated with Gene Nagata (a.k.a. Potato Jet) to create his ideal tripod, and it just might be yours too! Join Nick for a quick look at this versatile, easy-to-use video tripod.

  • 0:00 Intro
  • 0:25 X-Clutch Legs
  • 1:08 Height, Weight, & Load Capacity
  • 1:33 Pan & Tilt Dampening
  • 1:43 Tripod Head
  • 2:03 Final Thoughts

Comments

2 Comments

Eric P.
1 week ago

Cool!  I have thought about this concept for years - the ability to just drop the legs and lock them into place easily. Is it really sufficient to eliminate the tripod-head ball-base? The other questions in my mind are - what are the tradeoffs? collapsed length longer? overall weight? What about rigidity, especially torsional? And the final really cool touch - a single head for Manfrotto and Arca-Swiss combined - brilliant! Looking forward to seeing the reviews and comments from early adopters!

Paige K.
1 week ago

The SmallRig x Potato Jet TRIBEX Hydraulic Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit's (BH #SM4259) hydraulic clutch leg release system does indeed make leveling the tripod with a ball head unnecessary, as all you should need to do to get a level shot is hold the head where you want it to be and grip the clutch to let the legs find the ground. Gravity and the hydraulic fluid will help guide the the legs to make solid contact with the ground but only extending so far as needed by each leg, achieving a perfect level positioning for the fluid head.  

The new hydraulic clutch system doesn't sacrifice leg length (the tripod can reach up to 66.1"), it doesn't make the tripod overly heavy (the tripod weighs 8.2lb), and it doesn't affect the stability of the tripod. If there is a draw back to the system, it would be that because the legs use hydraulic fluid, they may react a little slower in the cold.  

Also, the fluid head does not support Arca-Swiss plates. The mention of support for DJI RS plates is in reference to the slight difference in locking system between the standard Manfrotto 501 type plate and the DJI Manfrotto 501 plate used on their RS gimbals.