The Novo Mantis T3 Mini Tripod is an ultra-compact tripod billed as the perfect travel companion for photo and video enthusiasts who need to travel unencumbered. It weighs in at just 500g yet can hold 5kg of kit, and at only 21.5cm when closed, almost slips into a pocket.
It’s manufactured from aviation-grade aluminum with a hard anodization finish for superior scratch resistance and robustness, along with ’Superweave’ carbon fibre legs with tactile rubber twist locks that only require a 90º turn to allow fast leg extension. The rubber feet can be removed to reveal stainless steel spikes for greater grip in soft ground, and these spikes can in turn be removed to enable use of hooves or larger spikes.
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You can affix virtually any type of ball, 3-way or video head to the platform using the integrated spring loaded thread (1/4" and 3/8" threads), while there are two leg angle adjustment options to enable super-low-angle macro shooting. It can be easily dismantled for cleaning and maintenance too.
It extends to 270cm, so is ideally used when perched on walls or other platforms, but if that’s not high enough for you an optional Novo Mantis ET25 Tripod Column Extender (£29/$32) adds an additional 35cm of height (folding down to 21cm) and is rated to withstand 8kg of kit. Again, it’s manufactured from aviation-grade aluminum and Superweave carbon fibre, to keep the weight down and strength up.
It’s not the tallest tripod but for situations where you can make use of handy walls or similar structures it’s a handy support that should slip comfortably into even the tightest of camera bags, if not quite your pocket.
You can buy the Novo Mantis T3 on Amazon UK.
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