Who’d have thought the utilitarian
tripod might benefit from a bit of good old English eccentricity (not to
mention inventiveness), but Brian and his tree-legged mates are here to prove
it.
Tripods are troublesome things. As regular
readers will know, we at ProPhoto content there are two items of photographic
kit that will never, ever be quite right the camera bag and the tripod. We
don’t think we’re alone either because plenty of people seem to believe they
can do a better job by designing their own… which is a good thing because
sooner or later we might just be proved wrong.
The
AirHed ball head is finished in metallic blue and uses the Arca Swiss system of
quick-release mounting plates
Building a better camera bag is what
spawned, for example, Think Tank Photo in the USA, and it’s frustration with
tripod designs that has resulted in 3 Legged Thing. Like TTP, 3LT is run by a
bunch of photographers and they’re based in a converted chicken shed on a
remote farmhouse in rural Bedfordshire, England. Already you might be getting
the idea that these guys (and on girl) like to do things a bit differently from
the mainstream manufacturers. In fact, even the funsters at Think Tank Photo
look a bit conservative in comparison. Think instead, of what might result if
Think Tank Photo and Crumpler ever got together.
Apart from the desire to make tripods work
better, 3LT wants to change their image completely so any black bits are only
this colour because they have to be (at least until somebody can come up with a
way of colouring carbon fibre). Any metal components have anodized finishes in
a variety of colour and, instead of model numbers, the 3LT tripods all have
names.
More specifically, they’re all named after
rock stars so Brian, as featured here, pay homage to Queen’s legendary
guitarist, Brian May. There’s also an Eric (Clapton, of course), a Keith
(Richards) and a Frank (after Zappa). The 3LT ball heads are, appropriately,
called the AirHeds and everything carries the trade-marked slogan “They Came
From Stagsden!” which has given a sleepy Bedfordshire village more notoriety
than it probably ever wished for.
Reaching New Heights
Brian was the first tripod designed by 3LT
and since then it’s been upgraded to a second-generation ‘Brian 2’ and, just
recently, a set of ‘Evolution 2’ upgrades has been applied across the Rock
Legends Range.
3LT describes Brian as “the most versatile
and capable travel tripod in the world”, and this starts with its folding design
which employs an arrangement whereby the legs fold through a full 180 degrees
to lie flush with the centre column. Consequently, the folded length is just
420nm and this much shorter package is easier to carry – in fact, it’s actually
fit inside many camera bags or backpacks without compromising the maximum
height that’s achievable. Consequently, fully extended, Brian stands 2.06
metres tall, but it’s also possible to go as low as 125 mm which is an
exceptional height range.
All Brian’s tubes centre column and legs –
are carbon fibre; the latter with five sections and the former with three. The
legs are eight-core ‘Stealth’ carbon fibre too, which is super lightweight, but
super strong (or, perhaps more importantly, exceptionally rigid). The centre
column is actually ten-core tubing for even greater rigidity (extra important
given the amount of extension that’s possible).
Consequently, Brian can support loads of up
to eight kilograms which takes care of many D-SLR and telephoto lens combos.
Incidentally, on the subject of using big lenses, the tripod has a novel ‘tri
mono’ mode which is when the centre column is fully extended, but the legs stay
retracted at the 55-degree angle setting.
This way the tripod basically works like a
monopod, but if you let go it stays standing and so, what this means in
practical terms is that you don’t have to put the whole set-up down if you’re
also shooting with another camera… so the camera stays safety out of the wet
grass, the dust or the cow pats.
At
the 80-degree leg setting, the Brain can be set extremely low. With the centre
columns detached and the ball head screwed into neck, the shooting height is
just 125mm
Low Shots
All the leg and column sections have
Gitzo-type twist-action friction locks. To get down really low, the centre
column can be completely detached and then the mounting plate with or without
the ball head is transferred to the main neck of the tripod. The widest leg
angle is 80 degrees and there are two other settings at 55 degrees and 26
degrees.
The triple-section centre column has a
mounting point at either end. Normally, the bottom fitting carries a spring loaded
hook which is used to attach a sand bag or other form of ballast. Of course,
it’s reversible which is another option for low-level shooting and the
extendable column means it’s possible to use the tripod in this configuration
with the legs extended too, giving a much larger working area. Then the top
mounting point can be used for fitting a laptop platform or a tablet bracket so
the camera can be used tethered and you don’t have to struggle with its
upside-down monitor screen.
On the Brian all the metal components or
‘furniture’ in tripod parlance are machined magnesium alloy components with an
anodized finish in bronze while the AirHed is in a fetching electric blue
(although a black version is available). A big plus is that 3LT uses the Arca
Swiss mounting system for the quick-release plate rather than yet another
proprietary arrangement which, for many photographers, demands an investment in
three, four or more extra plates.
Additionally, the plate is compatible with
the BlackRapid strap system, although the required connector is an optional
extra as are the spikes that can replace the standard rubber feet. However,
Brian does come in his own smart-looking, tube-style carry case which has a
zippered compartment inside its lid to hold a set of Allen keys, the column
extension for the monopod and perhaps a spare camera plate.
The mounting bracket has dual spirit levels
on its side and a third within the top which is obviously concealed when the
camera or lens is fitted, but by then it shouldn’t be needed anyway. There’s
another bubble level on the main neck of the tripod which is a very good idea
because sometimes it’s this part of the tripod that needs to be leveled first
and then everything else follows.
The
‘counterfold’ legs give an extremely compact package for carrying or storage
Brain
comes with a tube-type carry case, but he may well fit straight inside your
camera bag or backpack
Taking over the world
The upgraded AirHed 1 is smaller and
lighter than its predecessor, but its maximum loading goes up to a massive
35kiilograms (should you want to use it with a beefier set of legs). The
operation of the locking knobs for both the panning action and the ball itself
has also been improved and there’s a smoother panning action.
At present the 3LT tripods are designed in
England and manufactured in Chine, although the company is looking at the
logistics (and costs) of building Brian and his mates at home. This is still
probably a bit down the track because getting set up, launching and then
subsequently upgrading its entire product line (twice!) in the matter of just
two years has demanded all available resources, both human and financial.
However, now the word is getting out and 3 Legged Things are starting to stride
across the globe recently arriving in Australia and attracting a growing number
of users who like the combination of different styling, exceptional
functionality and the clear evidence of a human (and humorous) touch.
The Verdict
Perfection is an elusive goal in tripod
design and 3LT Brian isn’t quite there yet, but there’s really little to fault
in terms of the sheer usefulness derived from the combination of its
flexibility when extended and compact dimensions when folded. Some real thought
by real people who actually shoot in the field has gone into the numerous
clever little features which make this tripod work exceedingly well. The
exclusive Australian distributor for 3 Legged Ting tripods is PROtog and the
Brian Evolution 2’s price is $499.
It’s hard to get your head around the idea
of a tripod having a personality, but somehow 3LT’s Brian does have a curiously
endearing quality… don’t be surprised if you see the headline ‘Photographer
Marries Tripod!’ in the not too distant future.
