SmallRig’s Tribex SE is a Lighter, Smaller Version of Its Potato Jet Tripod Collab
SmallRig has announced the Tribex SE, a cheaper and more compact version of its original hydraulic tripod made in collaboration with filmmaker Potato Jet.
While the tripod has been slimmed down and some of the design elements have been adjusted in the SE, the core of the design remains the same as the original. Just as before, the main promised benefit of the design is that the entire tripod can be deployed and adjusted from a single handle. The tripod can be re-positioned with just one hand and with minimal effort, which means that a single operator can quickly overcome uneven ground (such as where one leg needs to be farther down than the others) without bending over or tediously adjusting legs individually.
The Tribex SE promises to deliver the “same premium performance in a more accessible package” and is still constructed mainly of carbon fiber. It has a working height of between 25 and 168cm (or 9.8 to 66.15 inches) and weighs a total of 3.7 kilograms (head included). The original Tribex tripod weighs 3.8 kilograms and has a working height of 27 to 168cm, so in some ways, the new SE improves on the original since it can get lower to the ground while weighing slightly less. The new SE also compacts down to a smaller footprint to make it easier to carry: SmallRig says it was made to fit into 28-inch luggage or backpacks so that it can be more easily transported in luggage.
The head is smaller, too but can still pan a full 360 degrees, has a range of -65 through +90 degrees, and has a maximum payload of 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds). The tripod head has also been streamlined and can switch between Manfrotto or DJI RS plates with the flip of a switch.
All these adjustments aren’t without compromise however, and they do come at the cost of total load capacity: the SE can handle a maximum of 15 kilograms while the original holds up to 25 kilograms (23 pounds and 55 pounds, respectively).
That’s a substantial cut to the carry weight, however, most mobile video creators won’t need the tripod to carry nearly the maximum 23-pound load, considering most compact mirrorless cameras and lenses are significantly lighter. Still, it’s obvious that the SE is meant to be a more run-and-gun solution than the original, which is capable of handling full cinema rigs.
SmallRig’s new Tribex SE carbon fiber tripod is available for $400 — half the price the original Tribex tripod retailed for, although it has since come down to $500. Still, that makes the Tribex SE the more affordable of the two options.
Image credits: SmallRig
