I was looking for a compact tripod for travel and general use. Really loved the innovation that Peak Design brought to the market but that came with a hefty price tag I could not justify paying. Discovered the Ulanzi Zero Y Carbon Fibre Tripod during my research which mimics the Peak Design with minor improvements at half the price. Good game Ulanzi/Coman but $450 is still a lot of $ for a tripod in my books. Digging down the rabbit hole a bit more, I found the Ombra and Voila ! This fit the bill perfectly as a Peak Design inspired gear at a much more reasonable price point.
THE GOOD: Almost the same weight and dimensions as its more expensive cousin, the Zero Y. Made out of Aluminium instead of Carbon Fibre, but why would I care if it weighs the same and has a sturdy build quality ? Yes, the build quality is rugged and non-fussy. The legs are Aluminium and joints/components are made out of a substantial (glass filled ?) plastic composite that inspires confidence in the gear. The legs slide in and out with no force upon unlocking. Best of all, it's less than 1/4 of the price of its Carbon Fibre cousin, the Zero Y. If you are an enthusiast, by now you would have guessed that it is positioned to compete with the Aluminium version of the Peak Design Travel Tripod.
Ofcourse, Ulanzi would like you to purchase the Zero Y and not the Ombra due to the embedded profit margins so the tailored their literature to exaggerate the dimensional difference between the Zero Y and Ombra. The truth is, there are barely any "practical" differences. It's the exact same tripod in a different skin. It measure 18inch or 45cm without the tripod head when stowed. The advertised length includes the ball head for the Ombra.
THE BAD: The claimed weight capacity is 8kg which is plenty for general or even professional use as long as you are not working with an Arri/Red rig. In that case, why are you even here ? Although my A7SIII with Sigma 24-70 held just fine, I can see the sturdiness being a problem with heavier setups. Modern Mirrorless/DSLR rigs with hefty lenses, cages and monitors should not be a problem at all tbh.
The included phone mount is a nice touch but has no way to be stored with the tripod itself like the Peak Design. The kit comes with 2 Allen Keys that are not a part of the weight hook and CANNOT be attached to the tripod like the Zero Y.
THE UGLY: The included Ball is mediocre at best. It's ok but nothing to write home about. The axes are locked using rotating knobs and you can always rotate them a little more if your might allows. It does not instil confidence in me to mount my rig onto it in a worry-free manner. It's an ok accessory when using with the phone mount but I will replace with something a little less annoying and easy on the finger tips.
BOTTOM LINE (TLDR): Excellent tripod, unless you really know what you are getting for paying over 4X for the Ulanzi Zero Y, get this one instead. You won't be disappointed. It's compact, non-fussy, sturdy and just works. The Ball head is meh...!
| Manufacturer | ULANZI |
|---|---|
| Item model number | MT-55 |
| Product Dimensions | 15 x 12 x 60 cm; 1.1 kg |
| ASIN | B0BCFR62F5 |
