Image: Manfrotto · source
Manfrotto · Budget
The Manfrotto PIXI Mini is a one-section tabletop tripod with a push-button ball head and legs that close into a handgrip.
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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
A railfan who films or photographs from a platform bench, a wall top or a table inside a station cafe can steady a small camera with a support that closes to 18.5 cm. Manfrotto sells it as a mini tripod for compact system cameras, with a comfortable handgrip for video. Digital Camera World's test of the PIXI describes it perching on tabletops, rocks and bridges. It is a pocket-sized extra, not a replacement for a full-height tripod.
Manfrotto lists a working height of 13.5 cm, a closed length of 18.5 cm and a weight of 0.17 kg, so it is easy to carry but cannot raise a camera above a fence, a crowd or a barrier. The ball head locks automatically when you release the push button, with a tilt range of -35 to +35 degrees in both directions and 360 degrees of panoramic rotation. The top plate takes a 1/4-20 screw. Digital Camera World noted that the limited tilt makes it impossible to shoot in anything but landscape orientation, and that the small rubber pads on the legs can fall off over time. Weight matters here: Manfrotto lists a 1 kg safety payload and describes the PIXI for compact system cameras, so anyone using a long telephoto lens should weigh body and lens together against that figure before relying on it. Use it only on platforms and in public places, never near the track.
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 0.17 kg |
| Material | Aluminum, technopolymer |
| Leg sections | 1 |
| Closed length | 18.5 cm |
| Maximum height | 13.5 cm |
| Safety payload | 1 kg |
| Top attachment | 1/4-inch screw |
| Panoramic rotation | 360 degrees |
| Working temperature | -30 C to 60 C |
| Front / lateral tilt | -35 / +35 degrees |
A railfan who carries a compact camera, a mirrorless body with a light lens and who wants a steadier way to film from a flat surface. Anyone who needs height should look at a full tripod.
The Manfrotto PIXI Evo 2 is the pricier, otherwise near-identical tripod that Digital Camera World says solves the tilt limit. For standing-height work, a full-size travel tripod such as the Peak Design Travel Tripod, already in this catalogue, is the alternative.
Image: Peak Design · source
Peak Design · Mid-range
A five-section aluminum travel tripod that folds to about the diameter of a water bottle, supports up to 9.1 kg (20 lb) and carries a hidden phone mount in the centre column.
Expert pick · Digital Camera World, Jun 2022
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