Last week, after a long and painful process of consideration, I finally took the plunge and bought a lightweight, travel-friendly tripod. What's special about the Sirui T-005kx is the fact that I used my hard-earned Steem Dollars to purchase it. Wohooo! I would, therefore, like to thank each and every one of you for upvoting my posts. Without you, this purchase wouldn't have been possible!
Completely folded
Compared to my old Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT (which I love by the way), the Sirui is tiny! It's about 5 times smaller and 2.5 times lighter with its weight standing at 1 kg. What that means is that I am now able to fit an entire camera setup (plus clothes) in my messenger bag, without having to worry about weight and space. This is nothing short of amazing, and to be honest, not having to carry the 2.44 kg Vanguard in its dedicated bag is liberating.
Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT - Sirui T-005kx - 0.35l Thermos bottle
Now, you may think that the small size and low weight are indicators of low quality. That's not the case at all. As far as I can tell, there's little to no plastic used in the T-005kx. The legs, the central column, and the ball head are all made of anodized aluminum, while rubber is used for the feet and the twist locks. 2 of the legs are wrapped with some kind of foam, which helps with the grip. If that’s not enough, Sirui is offering a generous 6-year warranty for the peace of mind.
Solid aluminum
The tripod comes with Sirui's own C-10S ball head. Unlike the ball head on my Vanguard, the C-10S is not lubricated (or at least I can't see any lubrication), which makes it a tad less smooth to operate. Nevertheless, its movement is satisfying. There's also a red quick-release button, which lets you remove the camera, even when the clamp is not fully opened (very nice!).
The ball head and the red quick-release button
When unfolding the legs, you can hear a super slick and satisfying clicking sound of metal meshing with metal. It gives you a hint about the quality of this thing, and it makes you want to play with the legs just to hear them clicking.
The center column can be either extended or completely removed if you would like to place the camera close to the ground. When the column is attached, the tripod can extend to about 130 cm (52’’) - quite good for most shooting scenarios. According to the user manual, the maximum load is 4 kg, which means that the Sirui will be a perfect companion for mirrorless cameras such as Fujifilm's X or Olympus and Panasonic's Micro 4/3.
Getting low
With the Lumix G80 mounted
One possible drawback is the lack of spirit levels. Most mirrorless cameras, however, have built in electronic level systems that will compensate for the lack of bubble levels. Keep that in mind, though, if you have an older model or a DSLR camera.
As for accessories, there is a bag, 2 small wrenches and a carabiner. The latter should be attached to the bottom of the central column; it then lets you load weight, which should help with the stability in bad weather conditions.
The bag is actually awesome
The Sirui hasn't left my bag since I bought it last Friday and will likely stay there for some time to come. Having such a portable tripod makes me super excited, as it opens a whole new world of photographic opportunities for me. Will it completely replace my old Vanguard? On the road - absolutely. At home - I am not sure yet. Despite being chunky and heavy, the Vanguard has some unique features that make it worth keeping as a photographic tool.
I am highly recommending the T-005kx to anyone who needs a good-quaity travel tripod. For the price of ~100 Euros, I would say that it's a bargain.
Thanks for reading and happy shooting!
P.S. Below are a couple of shots, which I took using the Sirui: