Mobile phone manufacturers are increasing the pixel count of their smartphones with every new product. The picture quality may never quite measure up to what a DSLR from the top manufacturers can produce, but you can still do a remarkable amount with them — and the affordable price of smartphones primes them perfectly for mobile photography.
Mobile photographers enjoy ample freedom: snap whatever you like and share it with friends within seconds. If you really want to improve the quality of your smartphone shots, a tripod is your best investment.
The major challenge of photography is dealing with blurry images. Human hands simply cannot be trusted to stay stable — and that instability is the primary cause of blurred photographs.
During my search for a great smartphone tripod I stumbled on the Mini Tripod Black with Universal Smartphone Clamp — otherwise known as the PIXI Smart. The very sight of the design is breathtaking. As the name suggests, its universal smartphone clamp fits different brands of smartphones irrespective of size — one cap fits all. The quick features you get:
- A smartphone clamp with a ¼″ thread attached
- A comfortable handgrip for video capture
- A push-button lock mechanism
- Lightweight build that is genuinely easy to carry
- Product
- PIXI Smart — Mini Tripod Black + Universal Clamp
- Maker
- Manfrotto — manfrotto.com
- Weight
- 220 g / 0.49 lb
- Closed length
- 26 cm / 10.2 in
- Price
- $34.99
At $34.99, you can consider this tripod the best value for money in its class. The PIXI Smart has dual functionality: use it as a tripod, seating your smartphone to make great videos, or collapse the legs into a monopod — a selfie stick, if you like — that helps you produce outstanding stills.
Material and Compatibility
The PIXI Smart is made of stainless steel and Adapto polymer for a sleek finish — and it is built tough enough to fit into very different situations. A further plus: the universal clamp detaches, becoming an accessory for any other tripod with ¼″-thread support. That is a smart move from the manufacturer, because the limitation of many smartphone tripods is that you cannot capture height without an elevated platform to stand them on. Detach the clamp, fix it onto a regular tripod, and the problem disappears. Some entry-level DSLRs will even sit seamlessly on the PIXI Smart itself.
Portability
The other great drawback of many tripods on the market is bulkiness. Mobile photography gives you a sense of freedom — and that freedom is snatched straight back if you have to lug a heavy tripod wherever you go.
At 220 grams (0.49 lb), the PIXI Smart falls firmly into the light-tripod category. Closed, it measures just 26 cm (10.2 in) — the perfect companion wherever you go. If you want to mount a DSLR on it, keep within these limits:
- Your DSLR should not exceed 650 g / 1.4 lb in weight
- Maximum focal length of 85 mm — and that is for a standard, non-professional lens
- Total equipment payload no more than 1 kg / 2.2 lb
Note that virtually all semi-professional cameras will exceed these requirements.
To protect the colour and finish of your PIXI Smart, clean it with a white pencil eraser — most fluids will damage the finishing.