Sirui MT5-C MyTrip with B-00B head
Andy Westlake tests Sirui’s latest ultra-portable travel tripod
£219.90 shop.sirui.co.uk WHILE huge advances in image stabilisation and high- ISO image quality make it easier than ever to shoot handheld in low light, a tripod is often still necessary when you want to get the best possible images. However they’re a pain to carry around, especially if you’re flying on holiday with strict luggage limits. This is where ultra-portable travel tripods come in, and few are better than Sirui’s latest model.
Despite the MyTrip branding, the legs are marked T- 025SK, indicating that this is an update to the existing T- 025X. But it’s a substantial redesign, with a reshaped central ‘spider’ and arched upper leg castings, joined by a new low-profile ballhead. However the basic template remains the same, meaning you get a super-light carbon-fibre tripod with five-section legs, which hinge up around the head to make a compact folded package. All four leg locks can be undone together with a single twist, making the tripod really quick to set up. Each leg can also be set to three different angles via large, easy-to- use semiautomatic adjustment levers.
Unusually the centre column doesn’t retract down between the legs, which takes a little getting used to but has little adverse effect on stability. It’s also extendable, taking the height from 114.5cm up to the maximum of 128cm. This isn’t exactly tall, but it’s fine if you’re using a camera with a tilting screen. The column also can be removed entirely and the head attached to the legs for low-level work.
Perhaps the outstanding feature is the ballhead, which despite being only 7cm tall and weighing 200g, manages to include a separately locking panning base that’s marked at 5° intervals. The quick-release clamp has a safety interlock pin to stop your camera falling off, which can be retracted by pressing a red metal button. But what’s really impressive is just how precise its movements are. Loosening the large locking lever progressively decreases the friction, rather than releasing the ball to move freely, and this means it’s easy to point the camera exactly where you want. Locking the ball won’t shift your composition, even with telephoto lenses.