3 Legged Thing

3 Legged Thing Equinox Winston

So I received this tripod the other day through a 20% off drive at one of Sweden's best known camera stores, so I got it at very nice price even if it's still not exactly a cheap tripod. I just did a quick test today to check it out, so this is not a review, just a few thoughts. 

This tripod is extremely sturdy. It's made of 8 layer 100% pure carbon fibre and magnesium alloy. It is the biggest tripod that 3LT have in their current line-up of awesomeness. It's also the third 3LT tripod I have in my possession now. It's not a travel tripod, since it's too big and heavy, though it's still not heavy and ways in at 1.75kg without the head. The head that comes with it is the Airhed 360 which weighs 408g and the combination seems extremely sturdy. The tripod and the head both have a maximum load capacity of 40kg, which is quite a lot. I also added the Equinox Switch Clamp which is a quick release clamp instead of the "screw in and tighten" clamp that is original (which is a 360 pano clamp on this one, but I don't shoot panoramas anyways) and it works very smoothly and clamps on with a very firm grip on my RSS L-plate (all 3LT heads and clamps are Arca Swiss compatible). 

The locking system is second to none and since the tubes on this tripod are pretty fat, the locks are big, chunky and awesome to use (made of rubberised magnesium alloy). And while the locks are good on my 3LT Brian, these are even better. 

And like all other 3LT tripods, one leg is removable and can be used as a monopod. 

At the bottom of the center column, there is an attachment ring to hang some type of ballast from, to weigh the tripod down even more during extremely windy conditions. The tripod comes in a nice carrying bag (with shoulder strap) made of military grade canvas, which can be used as a ballast as well. It also comes with a multi tool/carabiner/bottle opener.

So yes, this is not the smallest or lightest tripod, but compared to my old Manfrotto 055 Nat3 tripod it's not even half its weight. And even though my 3LT Brian is awesome and sturdy for nearly everything, when it comes to several minute long exposures at the beach, something even sturdier is needed since even the slightest movement will end in a blurry photo, that's why I got this tripod, even if it won't come with me when I travel abroad. 

Not much going on here atm...

That's how it is. Not doing much shooting at the moment, doing more recording and stuff in my home studio these days and have no real plans on doing any photography this year, but that might change. Might go to Copenhagen a couple of weeks before xmas though, haven't been there for a while now, so maybe some street photography among the craziness of xmas shopping.

We'll see. 

I will buy myself a new 3 Legged Thing tripod at some point though. Gonna get the even lighter and smaller EVO3 Punks Rick carbon fiber tripod which will be even better to bring along to accompany my Fujifilm X-T1 and X100T on (if not earlier) my upcoming trip to London in May 2016.

3 Legged Thing Brian review

3 Legged thing (3LT) is a British tripod company, based in Stagsden just a bit north west of London. 3LT is a pretty new company, but they have already put quite a mark on the tripod market with their well thought designs, awesome quality and quirky/cool image. Their "Rock Legend" range of tripods, monopods and multipods all have names coming from English and American guitar legends such as X1 Brian (May), X2 Eddie (Van Halen) and X4 Eric (Clapton).

And the one I've had for a bit more than a year now is the X1.1 Brian Evolution 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod System which is a travel tripod and also the first and original model they made (it's been modified and refined a bit from the first version). Brian is extremely versatile and can extend from only 125mm above ground up until 2040mm (2,04 meters). These are the specifications directly from 3LT's website:

Tripod specifications:

Kit Weight:     1605g
Tripod Weight:     1325g
Monopod Weight:     278g
Monopod min Height:     377mm
Monopod max Height:     1310mm
Tripod Min Height:     120mm
Tripod Max Height with column removed:     1265mm
Tripod Max Height with column retracted:     1342mm
Tripod Max Height with column fully extended:     2000mm
Folded Height:     420mm
Load Capacity:     8kg
Maximum Leg Tubing Diameter:     26mm
Leg Sections:     5 - (26, 23, 20, 17 & 14mm)
Leg Angles:     23°, 55° & 80°
Column Sections:     3 - (26, 23 & 20mm)
Leg Locking Mechanism:     Evo 2 Double-Break Friction Dial

Ballhead specifications:

Ballhead Control:     Pan, Lock & Clutch
Ballhead Height:      87mm
Base Width:          48mm
Ball Diameter:           37mm
Ballhead Weight:      336g
Load Capacity:         35kg
Plate Size:        52mm x 50mm
Plate Weight:        46g

To put it very short, Brian is awesome. The tripod can be very compact while folded, though I have taken away the centre column which means that it can't be double folded and therefor it's a bit longer, but still compact. And very light, but at the same time sturdy, much sturdier than I ever thought. Though obviously a travel tripod of about 1,5 kilos can never be as sturdy as a tripod weighing in at 4-4,5 kilos, I don't think that has to be said, still this tripod is really sturdy. I've had it out in rather windy conditions with no problems. Brian is a delight to carry around while hiking anywhere thanks to it weighing in at around 1,5 kilos and being really compact, and now I don't hesitate to bring it anywhere with me, which I did with my old Manfrotto (which was great, but big and heavy). Though I have to add that I will eventually buy Frank, the biggest model in the whole range for when I just walk from a car down to a really windy beach and where the extra weight and sturdyness of that one will be even better for long exposures. But back to Brian.

The legs can be set in different angles, depending on if it's macro photography or landscape or anything in between. The leg section locking mechanism is really good, it's the twist type and after having other types before, I much more prefer this type. It's fast and easy and does not need much of a turn to loosen/tighten. The center column are also in sections which is great if you need it to be really tall if you want to use the tripod as a lighting stand, but for photography I don't need it and that's why I've taken it out (saves a little bit of weight), which is really easy.

One of the legs can be taken off and be used together with the ballhead as a monopod, which can be really handy. I've never used it yet, but I'm sure I'm gonna do it at some point. And then we come to the actual AirHed1 ballhead. It is smooth while moving it around and also sturdy (since it can hold 35 kilos) and it's compatible with the Arca-Swiss standard of quick release plates. I use a Sunwayfoto L-bracket on my Canon EOS 5D MkIII and it works like a charm with the AirHed1.

Brian comes in a nice padded bag, with some cool stickers and I can only come up with one thing that is not that good. And it's that they're always out of stock and hard to get your hands on. That says something about how wanted these tripods are. I got mine very quickly but I know that they have some problems with stock (just like f-stop). I just have one more thing to add, and that is that if you're out for a new tripod, try and get your hands on a 3LT, you're not gonna regret it.