Innovative MT-03 mini tripod with ball head that fits into every photo bag
Innovative MT-03 mini tripod with ball head that fits into every photo bag
A mini tripod makes indoor and outdoor work much easier and fits into any photo bag without getting in the way. Whether you are shooting product photography, creating macro close-ups, using long exposure times or roaming the city at night!
About Ulrich Dorn
Ulrich is an author and editor with a focus on photography and macOS.
The MT-03 mini tripod for street photographers and videographers
The MT-03 mini tripod is also a useful accessory for street photographers and videographers in many situations. For example, you are sitting on the terrace of a restaurant watching the interesting events across the street, but you do not want to hold your smartphone in your hand to take the shot at the right time. Use the mini tripod to put your smartphone on the table, lean back, watch the scene and then trigger the shutter at the right moment with a Bluetooth remote. Or use the mini tripod as a handle for the smartphone. To place your phone on the MT-03 ball head I use a PC-90II phone holder, but any phone holder with ΒΌ-inch thread or Arca-Swiss foot fits on this ballhead.
It is not easy to find a good and functional mini tripod in the confusing maze of offers. Nowadays, every well-known tripod manufacturer offers so-called table tripods and mini tripods. When I was working on a book on smartphone photography in the Netherlands, I came across the Leofoto MT-03 mini tripod, which has since become a permanent fixture in my camera bag. The tripod is available without and with a ball head, but I definitely recommend the version with the Leofoto MTB-19 mini ball head. Don't let the term "mini" mislead you. This small tripod (without ball head) alone can withstand a load of no less than 5 kg.
The mini ball head MTB-19
Het The MTB-30 mini ball head is designed for a maximum load of two kilograms. Together, however, the tripod and ball head can safely carry anything up to a load of three kilograms - from lightweight smartphones to mirrorless system cameras to large SLRs. But I personally would also trust it to carry twice that amount of weight. When you first hold the tripod, which is made of black anodised aircraft aluminium, in your hand, it has a pleasant and especially convincing weight. With the MTB-19 ballhead, the MT-03 tripod weighs a total of 280 grams. This is not a low-budget table tripod that will swing at the first gust of wind.
The PC-90II smartphone holder
What is still missing to complete this kit, is a smartphone holder that is compatible with all premium smartphones that are no wider than 90 mm. Starting with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (76 mm wide) to the Google Pixel 4 XL (75.2 mm) to the iPhone 11 Pro (77.8 mm wide). Leofoto has a solution for this; the PC-90II Smartphone holder.
When using the holder for the first time, perform the rough adjustment by pulling the lower clamp down slightly until the smartphone can be slid into the holder without resistance. Then tighten both clamps with the upper screw, so that the smartphone sits firmly in the holder. To make sure the lower clamp does not accidentally come loose, it is set from UNLOCK to LOCK with a small round slide. In addition, the holder must have a 1/4-inch internal thread that matches the external thread of the tripod. All these requirements are met by the Leofoto PC-90II smartphone holder.
A very long time of carefree smartphone photography
Is this just a promotional blog for Leofoto? No! I own a wide variety of mini tripods from reputable manufacturers in Germany and Italy, but none of them achieve the same as what Leofoto offers on the total package - tripod, ball head, and mount. Precision work on every single component. I must admit, the three from one source is not exactly cheap at around 158.00 Euros / 135.00 Pounds, but ultimately an investment for a very, very long time of carefree smartphone photography!
Real innovation
After the basic introduction, let's move on to the actual innovation. Each of the three legs has a silver-coloured slider on the top edge with which you can adjust the locking of the legs to certain spread angles via a spring mechanism. In the basic position, the slider is firmly locked in place. To release the knob for adjustment of the legs, push the respective leg inwards slightly and the knob will be released, allowing easy adjustment of the leg.
"The slider of the spread angles is firmly locked."
Each of the three leg segments has another folding segment, also made entirely of aluminium, with which the MT-03 with ball head reaches a working height of remarkably 24 cm, or with which the tripod can be attached to suitable poles, branches or fences.
On the underside, each leg segment is fitted with rubber pads that prevent the tripod from slipping on smooth surfaces. More function is hardly possible. When the legs are folded together, the MT-03 can be perfectly used as a sturdy camera stand for photography and filming.
In addition, each individual tripod leg has five screw holes to which you can attach various accessories. These could be LED lights, microphones or other accessories needed for a special set.
Conclusion
All this combined, the tripod-ballhead-combination impresses with a quality of workmanship that does not have to shy away from comparison with top products in the high price segment - quite the contrary. The 10-year manufacturer's warranty underlines this. The scope of delivery also includes a protective neoprene bag that protects the tripod and at the same time the camera in the bag from scratches - and from today this fine gadget has its permanent place in my compact photo bag alongside a Fujifilm X-E3, two fixed focal length lenses and an iPhone 11 Pro.