Review of the BUCKY Carbon Fibre tripod (3 legged thing)
One of your top questions whenever it is visible… What tripod are you using? I went from the Manfrotto 190go to the "Legends" BUCKY carbon fibre tripod by 3 Legged thing ... let me tell you why.
Having a good tripod is important... It seems obvious, but I see so many photographers go cheap on this important tool. There are tons of them out there for every type of use. From your studio to your travels you might not use the same one, because obviously your needs will be different.
I mainly use mine for low angle shots, every time, I know I need to make a clean plate to clean-up a scene afterwards or when I venture myself in complexe composites or simple merges.
I heave been desperately searching for 2 different tripods lately. One for my heavier setups and filming needs and a small portable versatile tripod that would work for the majority of my photography work.
The Bucky tripod made by 3 legged thing seems to be the perfect versatile tripod I've been looking for. In addition to the tripod they also make a custom GFX100S L bracket, and as a Fujifilm GFX user, this may be the sign I am making the right choice.
I hate the additional plastic thing I had to screw on to tuck my tethering cable and secure my USB-C port. The GRACY L bracket solves that problem and since I never take it off, I save a lot of time every time I shoot tethered.
Combined to the Bucky tripod I have the perfect combo, making it easy to switch quickly from a vertical to an horizontal position. At a glance :
Max Height - 1.89 m / 74.4 "
Max Height w/o column - 1.32 m / 51.9 "
Min Height - 20.2 cm / 7.95 "
Detachable Leg Max Height - 1.35 m / 53.1 "
Detachable Leg (Full Monopod Set-up) Max Height - 1.98 m / 77.9 "
Folded Length - 41 cm / 16.14 "
5 Section Legs / 3 Section Column
Load Capacity at 23º - 30 kg / 66 lb
Load Capacity at 55º - 20 kg / 44 lb
Load Capacity at 80º - 10 kg / 22 lb
Tripod Weight - 1.52 kg / 3.35 lb
Total Kit Weight - 1.87 kg / 4.12 lb
Leg Angles 23º, 55º, 80º
Max Leg Tube Diameter - 26 mm / 1.02 "
You will probably see the Manfrotto 190go disappear from my future Behind the scenes video.
This Manfrotto tripod is made of aluminum, making it heavier than the BUCKY, the ball head has always been hard to handle precisely, and I ended up hating that center column. It just took me too much time to set up a shot.
I prefer the simple approach of the BUCKY system. You just twist to release and lock each sections, and for all my low angle shots, I juts have to remove the center column.
With a max height at 1.89 m and low height at 20.2 cm with the AIRHED VU head on I get all the options I need for most of my on location and outdoor sessions. I can also use it as a Monopod thanks to its detachable legs, and there are several other options, but you will have to check out their website for them that because I don’t own those other options.
It is well built, compact and because it’s carbon fibre it’s super light. Which makes it easy to carry it around with me on almost all my sessions.
So why do I need a 2nd Tripod? I said it earlier, for all those heavier setups (although the BUCKY can handle 30 kg in some situations) and every time I need much more weight and grip from my tripod… In the studio or on location when doing more demanding composite work and need something rock solid that won’t move.
And if there was a way to change the head and use it as well for video for small to medium size cinema cameras this would be the dream!
These days I sometimes use sand bags to increase stability.
So from now on this will be the Tripod you will most likely see in most of my BTS videos. So every time I see a comment concerning that piece of gear, I will send them this blog post.
Do you guys use a tripod in your work, or do you do everything hand held? Which tripod are you using in your work right now? Tell us in the comments below.
Let's hope I find this 2nd tripod soon... Whatever happens, you'll be informed here on the blog!