22.7.2017

Around 1.2kg for a nearly full height (around 150cm + this 130cm) and a head that will take up to 13kg folded down into an ultra light weight carrier bag secured by a thick cord and this certainly looks like a good package. Of course, there are others around and cheaper, but cheaper will mean compromises in height and or construction and or finish. This is a good compromise, albeit at a three figure price point, and the aluminium is roughly half the price of the carbon fibre.Although weight, personally, isn't a great issue - I need a tripod I can fit in the luggage of my motorcycle and this certainly does - I wouldn't want to be lugging around unnecessary kilogram's. I also do not want to compromise on rigidity.At 34 cm when collapsed it certainly fits size wise as well as weight.This comes with a six-year warranty, is Chinese made and claims to be for professionals on the box. What this means is that it is made to take high usage and possibly a little rough and tumble without having to be thought about. It should just perform, though only time will tell the truth of that, the start is promising.Going from the outside in, the box contains 2 allen keys (hex keys), and instruction books/warranty registration, a case and the tripod. The carry case is a (very) light weight bag, branded and secured with a sizeable piece of cord. This produces the first "Meh" moment being secured to the bag with a plastic D ring and swivel. Now I appreciate that this is a light weight piece of kit but if you are trying to create the impression of professional solidity then nothing speaks like metal. A small carabineer and a metal O ring would do the job a lot better. It is a small, OK, very small, item but you do not want this failing because it has got snagged half way up Everest. Also is doesn’t speak to the overall integrity that the use of the word professional generates. Especially when you go the lengths of using 8mm cord to carry/secure the bag with.Minor incongruity aside, the compactness of the unit is spoken to by the small circumference of the opening, emphasised by the thickness of the cord. The unit slips out of the case with no drama and at first sight it looks promising. Black anodised aluminium, the tripod legs are folded counter to the central column, ball head to the side so as to produce those very compact overall dimensions. The look and feel is pretty good.Second "Meh" moment. Only two of the three legs have a cold weather foam grip. Again small, but annoying cost cutting, as I can see no mechanical reason for it to be so.13 separate adjustment points, 12 on the legs and one on the central column mean you have a lot of adjustments to make, however that is the price of the compactness of the unit.The ball mount gives 360 degree pan and 90 degree vertical adjustment and secures with a half turn on the locking screws. The camera is securely held, my usual camera/lense configuration weighing 1.195 kg, so well within the capability of the ball head unit.Third "Meh" is the lack of a D ring on the mount for securing the base plate to the camera. The base plate being very small, mounting without one is fiddly for those of us with sausage fingers or otherwise full hands.The base of the central column has an O ring secured to a carabineer for keeping the bag on windless days with some weight in it on windy ones. Fourth "Meh" the O ring and screw could have been more sturdy looking. Again time will determine their suitability for purpose.In use, the tripod is stable and apart from unscrewing the central column too far once, more out of curiosity than mistake, there were no issues. The securing grips undo at a little over a half turn and appear to be water resistant at the very least. As ever with tripods, it is best to extend legs from the column end first as these are the thickest and most sturdy (at least in appearance).Put the three legs together and hold them there you also get a serviceable mono pod as a bonus. A piece of velcro or similar around them would make this more practicable. Works pn one or two legs too but more sturdy with three.The overall impression of this is a quality piece of kit backed by a six-year warranty with four minor points that would be easily forgivable in a £80 tripod, but detract from a £109 and change one. When you price in three figures and label your kit "Professional" then these sort of cost cuttings simply should not be and cost this one star in my opinion.

26.8.2017

Got this to review from Vine and I have to say that this is a great bit of kit - for the right kind of camera or conditions.Firstly I believe that this is a Chinese company - not that there is anything wrong with this because as long as the QA and QC is good then it matters little where a product is made today. Where the difference is that compared to a well known European brand (who also get most of their kit made in China) the price is half for the same quality. In other words forget the name and concentrate on the reality.And this is a really well made tripod that is lightweight and compact. In fact it's close to a thing of mechanical beauty - which I appreciate being an engineer.However,

19.7.2017

SIRUI T-005X Ultralight Travel Tripod with C-10S Ball Head - BlackI've had a Hama Star 61 for over a decade, having bought it for £19.99. It's a good, solid workhorse that has worked well and done a great job, including when I've occasionally lugged it round in its carry case. This Sirui tripod is a sleeker piece of kit that folds up really small into a tiny carry case. Next to the Sirui, the Hama tripod looks somewhat chunky and plasticky-looking Hama, and the Sirui looks more professional and expensive. It has the feeling of a beautifully-made piece of equipment, and sleek good looks.However, both tripods do essentially the same job and I found the Hama tripod to be easier to set up and manoevre.

31.7.2017

I have a couple of tripods that I tend not to use anymore, because they are too bulky and heavy. Having said that, one of them was still blown over in heavy winds and resulted in quite a bit of damage to my camera and lens.This tripod looked interesting and so I thought I'd give it a try and am very glad that I did.First of all, the weight. It is incredibly light at 1kg, yet stands up the strong winds very well. It comes with a clip that can be used to hang a weight beneath it, for added stability. This was the ideal place to hang my camera bag when the weather turned rather more blustery than expected.The plate screws onto the bottom of the camera and comes with an allen key to ensure it is tight enough.

10.9.2017

The SIRUI T-005KX is mini/compact travel tripod, offering surprisingly good value vs quality. The aluminium construction importantly gives the diminutive form some heft, you could spend more on a carbon fibre for the best weight saving, but you could argue the little bit additional weight is almost desirable. The tripod head is all metal, including the adjustment knobs, and is the most surprising element of the package, with well dampened adjustments and a solid feel, exuding a certain air of quality. The legs have four adjustment partitions, with extending the legs a matter of a half turn of the rubber coated screw dials. Turn them down the thread too much and they will detach however.

20.9.2017

This is a review of the Aluminium version.This is a fantastic tripod, light, well made, and rugged. It has a high quality ball joint the get the perfect angle, a quick release plate to save time and lots of adjustment points which are firm and stable. It is light enough, and folds up small enough, to carry around all day without getting annoying and comes with a nice carrying bag. The legs are in 4 sections each allowing for versatile placement on any surface, and the whole thing feels solid and stable. There is also a weight hanging hook to give that extra bit of stability in windy conditions. The ball head is very good quality and rated for 13kg of weight (but the tripod only for 4kg)

18.7.2017

Everything about this package exudes quality. The outer box is strong and with it's minimalist design of a technical drawing of the tripod and the name, Sirui, it just ouses quality.The tripod is bagged in a showerproof carry bag. This is well stitched. It has a double cord shoulder strap, which can be unclipped at the base only. Probably for attaching to the tripod.THE BAG AND TRIPOD, END-TO-END IS 38cm LONG. WIDTH approximately 10cm. CIRCUMFERENCE 27cm approximately.The instructions, 2 hex keys, a small spring carabiner clip are housed in a small plastic bag. Again, all round quality. 2 sets of instructions, 1 for the tripod and 1 for the Ball Head.The Ball Head can rotate 360º and tilt upto 90º.The legs have 3 positioning angles that lock.

20.7.2017

Lightweight tripods are often a compromise between the low weight and engineered rigidity. Originally these were aluminium but now benefit from solid carbon fibre construction. This unit is both light and folds extremely neatly and comes in a protective nylon bag. It positively oozes solidity and quality . There is an instruction manual and a couple of allen keys. Although light weight, there is an a clip under the centre of the tripod to hang additional weight for greater stabilisation.I successfully tested tripod this out with a Nikon D5100 with a 75-300mm lens , a Panasonic TX60 , a Panasonic HC X920 video camera and 15 x 70mm Revelation binoculars.

24.10.2018

I purchased this tripod for a month trip through Central Asia. I wanted something I could carry with me on hikes with a small pack or throw in a sling bag while wandering cities. It served me well and I would recommend but there are somethings you should know. The tripod is average quality. It opens and closes easily. It is not sturdy so I used a carribeaner and attached my backpack to the base under the centre bar which helped a lot. I stayed very close to the tripod when the camera was attached like I was slow dancing with it or like I was ready to catch a baby ready to jump off a table. (Camera: Fuji X-T2 with 10-24mm or smaller lenses). If its a windy day you will get vibrations even with the bag as an anchor.

23.7.2017

This tripod from Sirui seems of very good construction. On initial use it feels robustly built, with excellent hinges and extensions. Very smooth movements. The tripod has three extensions on each leg giving you a max height of 130cm (4ft 3). The adjustments are easy to make and secure well.The aluminium construction is obviously heavier than the carbon option, but considerably cheaper. Its also very tough and will take a beating in the outdoors. The ball head allows for great movement and again its very smooth and the friction is great.My Canon camera seemed very big on it. Its perhaps better for smaller or compact cameras. Otherwise you will need steady terrain to leave it without supporting it.The tripod comes with a carry case and folds up quite small.

18.7.2017

This is a well made, functional tripod.It has really good functionality.The T-005X is a high quality black travel tripod complete with matching C-10S ball and socket head which stores neatly between the legs when collapsed with an overall length of just 34cm.This, and the light weight of 800g, means it can be easily fitted into a suitcase or rucksack when travelling.For low level operation, the centre column removes, and there’s a handy carabiner hook to hang a weight if it gets windy, or to attach the whole tripod to a waist belt.The 5-section legs are quickly extended or collapsed with the rapid-action leg locks.In cold weather, foam grips give extra handling comfort,

6.10.2017

This is the best portable tripod I have ever owned for a stills camera.It really does fold down into a bag no bigger that 1.5ltr water bottle and it only weighs 1kg.I would however express that I would only use this for stills SLR photography or at least filmed shots that do not require panning or tilting as the ability to smoothly manuver the tripod is not present; it doesn't have the stable and necessary weight required for such action. It does however have a hook for weighing down the frame with a bag etc in windy conditions, but this will not be enough for filming.That said it really is very good. It has a high quality ball joint to get the perfect angle and lots of adjustment points which are firm and stable.To clarify where other reviews mention it is carbon fibre - it is not.

29.7.2017

A well made precision instrument, the Sirui T-025X is ideal for use when backpacking/hiking. Its aluminium construction makes it incredibly light, strong and robust in use. Beneath the head, is an attachment for anchoring it to a rucksack strap to provide added stability.The legs are easily adjustable, though I am a little concerned about the long-term durability of the clips. The head is beautifully made and silky in operation but sadly it cannot be reversed.It comes with protective leg covers (which seem a little flimsy) and an unpadded bag for stowage. Bizarrely, the bag has an extra thick rope tie cord, which seems at odds with the bag itself. However,

20.7.2017

This is a really nice, beautifully made tripod. It may be fairly light but in no way feels at all cheap or flimsy, it's very solid and even though it can be weighted down via a hook to the bottom I certainly haven't needed to do so in testing it out. Everything about it oozes quality, all the way from the foam covers on the legs all the way to be lovely smooth ball head. The legs can be spread at 3 different angles (if you count flat) and the clip system used on the legs makes that extremely easy to do, and the height is very easy to adjust as well. The quick release plate is as easy to remove as you'd expect, just a push of a button. And it all folds up into small handy little bagged package.I really can't fault this tripod,

9.9.2017

I`m very impressed with how light this is, and that it`s easy to assemble, because my wife`s using it with her Canon camera and isn`t always the most patient with things that require something beyond rudimentary effort! This is obviously a well made travel tripod and offers reassuring support for something that can be folded and fitted into a normal rucksack or similar sized bag. The twisted locks are easy to use and the rubber feet keep it safe. The camera feels secure when attached which is clearly one of the biggest concerns and it has a very professional feel to it. I`ve only got one comparison -- an AmazonBasics model - and this is better than that; whether it`s worth this amount of money

Sirui T-005KX + C-10S - Reviews

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