Verdict
The Manfrotto Pixi is a longstanding favourite for photographer who involve a small desktop tripod . It ’s inflexible and works well , but the want of vertical shooting support limits its charm for fluid shooters .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Manfrotto Pixi has been around for a long time , it was in the beginning enter in 2013 and in the sentence since , it has become a basic for photographers who need a lightweight and summary mount for tabletops and unconditional - ish control surface .
In the year since its release , smartphoneshave all but replaced low-cost compact television camera , and to adapt to the time Manfrotto now offer a package that includes a smartphone clamp ( it ’s the MKPIXICLMII , to be exact ) . This means it can be used with any smartphone , as well as any tv camera that has a 1/4 - 20 tripod thread .
There ’s no question that the Manfrotto Pixi is a comparatively low-priced and lightweight option at just £ 42/$50 , but is it worth empower in ? I ’ve been using it for the last few weeks to discover out .
Design
The Manfrotto Pixi tripod outfit comes in two parts ; you get the Manfrotto Pixi tripod itself , and a freestanding smartphone clinch with dual 1/4 - inch tripod threads and a small mix kickstand . To use it with a phone , you just draw the clamp onto the tripod screw , and if you ’re using a tv camera , you just twist it on there instead .
The tripod feel exceedingly well built . It ’s dense , compact and mostly made from what Manfrotto calls “ technopolymer ” – I ’m pretty trusted that just means hardy charge card . The nut point , on the other hand , appear to be machine from a solid stop of atomic number 13 .
The leg have two placement , either closed or capable , and they ’ll sit at a ready 45 degrees when in utilisation . There are minuscule rubber feet on the end for a bit of grip , and elsewhere everything has the same still plastic finish .
I found the speech sound clinch a little less impressive . It palpate plasticky , go empty , and just does n’t have quite the same zephyr of quality . It operate just ok , and has rich gumshoe hold to keep your phone strong and protected , but it ’s not going to ingrain . Especially when you hear the wretched squeak it relieve oneself when you launch the clinch .
The clamp has a 1/4 - inch tripod yarn on the base , that ’s the one you ’ll apply with the Pixi , and there ’s also a tripod yarn on the rear , but I ca n’t see that being much function with these legs . There ’s also a fold - out kickstand on the back , which can position your earpiece at around a 45 - academic degree angle when it ’s not mounted on the tripod . It could be handy , but it ’s also very flimsy - feeling .
Performance
The design of the Manfrotto Pixi means that it ’s principally suited for desktop economic consumption and monotonous surfaces . You ca n’t adjust the meridian of any of the leg , so very uneven terrain is going to be a no - go . You ’re also limited to a single tallness of 13.5 cm , so unless you need a very low slant , you ’re going to require to be on the lookout for desk , workbench and other raised surfaces to get your hope angle .
The biggest advantage of this tripod are that it ’s small , quick to adjust and can indorse up to 1 kilo payloads safely . That weight limit is n’t going to matter much for smartphone shooters , even the heaviest flagships are less than one-half of that , but if you want to use it with a mirrorless camera too , it could be very handy .
The ball mind adjusts with a individual button ; you just drive it in , move it to the desire positioning and rent go to lock it in place . It ’s very quick and commodious compare to a typical Lucille Ball head with a locking piece of tail .
The biggest drawback to this tripod is that there ’s no support for vertical shooting . In a world where TikToks , Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts sovereignty supreme , that ’s sure to be a dealbreaker for a lot of people . Of naturally , you may utilise a different telephone clamp and make it work , but out of the box you ’re circumscribed to just 35 degree of tilt in a landscape format .
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Should you buy it?
With a 1 kilo max load and a very confidence - revolutionise ball head , the Manfrotto Pixi is a great choice for mirrorless cameras – and the smartphone clamp is a nice added fillip .
You ’ll need a different smartphone clamp to make vertical shooting possible , and at that stage , you should probably just look at a different tripod .
Final Thoughts
The Manfrotto Pixi has become a staple fibre in the photography world , and for good rationality . It ’s lowly , sluttish , comparatively chintzy and can cover a good amount of weightiness . The addition of a smartphone clamp pee-pee it even more ready to hand , but it ’s still those with traditional television camera that ’ll make the good use of this product .
If you ’re just using it with a headphone , the lack of perpendicular shot support and the cheap - feeling clamp are certain to let down .
I ’d recommend look at the HandyPod Mobile Lock from babe company Joby , instead . Bizarrely , it ’s meretricious and better in pretty much every manner . It supports vertical shooting , has a sturdier clinch with a frigid horseshoe and has a more ergonomic grip .
Trusted Score
How we test
We try every tripod we retrospect thoroughly , using it in various scenario with different smartphones to ensure they work just as well regardless of the earphone you have . We ’ll always secernate you what we find and we never , ever , bear money to review a product .
FAQs
Yes , and it ’s quite a bit cheaper too – though you ’ll only be able to plug into devices with 1/4 - column inch tripod threads without it .
