Neewer Portable Desktop Mini Tripod – Aluminum Alloy 20 inches/ 50 Centimeters with 360 Degree Ball Head, 1/4 inch Quick Shoe Plate for DSLR Camera…

Neewer have done something none of the big name players have done, and they’ve done it really well! I use this as a travel tripod for hiking trips.

The tripod folds up to about the size of a medium sized zoom lens so takes up next to no room in a bag. It has a metal construction which makes it very durable and sturdy. The big advantage it has over compact travel tripod competitors like Pedco is that it’s fully adjustable like a normal full size tripod. Each tripod leg has 5 extendable sections which are locked and unlocked by twisting. This enables the tripod to be set up on any terrain. The legs have 3 different lock points. The tripod is very sturdy on the 2 lower positions but on the highest one it becomes a bit top heavy. Still sturdy but easily toppled.

The bottom of the tripod has a 1/4 inch screw hole. I put a camera strap hook on here so I could use a weight bag to weigh down the tripod if I needed more stability.

The original head is very basic, the tightening handle had a bit of play in it but it seemed sturdy enough. I had a spare vanguard tripod head with more adjustment options so I replaced it with that. The tripod uses a standard thread so any head can be used with it.

I needed something to throw in a bag for long exposure landscape and astrophotography. First on my list was the peak design travel tripod. But this tripod packs up smaller and costs 10x less. I didn’t need the extra height from the PD tripod as the 50cm this tripod provides is more than enough. I shoot from 17-35mm, any differenc in the vibration absorbing abilities between the PD tripod and this one would not show up on photos.

Sure it’s not a fancy tripod from a name brand but it’s so much more versatile and usable.

This Neewer Portable Desktop Mini Tripod is a very good buy for the price. The legs are highly adjustable and offer a wide range of height options. It is well made and plants itself firmly on my desk for Livestreaming. The camera fixes on to the plate with the use of a screw. I tighten it with my fingers although that means that it can work loose and so the camera could conceivably move on the horizontal axis from side to side. It hasn’t been a problem for me though but it means that I have to tighten it with my fingers each time I use it A slightly different screw thread would ensure a tighter grip but the one supplied will tighten with a screwdriver and provide a tight lock. I just prefer not to have a screwdriver hanging around making more clutter so I use my fingers. Definitely a good buy and I am very happy with it.

Our cinema projector came with a flimsy little tripod that frankly wasn’t fit for purpose, so I got this as a replacement. It’s a sturdy little thing so long as you don’t extend the legs substantially. The ball head allows quite subtle adjustments to be made and locks down tight without nudging things out of position; ideal for lining up the projector’s picture.

It’s good enough that I might even find a use for it when doing close-to-the-floor photography, albeit with a light lens and camera body. Overall better than I expected at the budget end.

If you like your reviews brief, stop reading now! I know how picky photographers are and how precious we are with our gear, so I want to give a full rundown of what I shoot, why I chose this product and why I like it.

For full disclosure, I mainly shoot with a Sony A7RIII with some G-Master and Zeiss glass (not vlogging with a smartphone!), so I wouldn’t risk that standard of gear on ANY tripod if I had doubts over its safety and construction. So with that in mind…

I do a lot of table-top product photography for my own business and a full size tripod can’t get low or close enough, so a mini tripod became essential. I looked at the usual candidates from Gorillapod (the 3K) and Manfotto (the Pixi Evo) but neither of those extend high enough for slightly raised shots.
I kept seeing good reviews of these re-badged generic brand Chinese tripods by Neewer, Zomei etc but A) I’m wary of budget unbranded products and B) I take online reviews with a fistful of salt (people only tend to write them when they’re angry…)

When this went on offer as a lightning deal, and given Amazon’s flawless return policy, it was silly not to give one a try.
It arrived in a tiny box, just wrapped in a plastic bag with an allen key and instruction manual. Certainly no frills.

Let’s get the few negatives out of the way first:

– The lack of any carry bag is a real shame. Other brand’s versions of the exact same tripod (and other Neewer ones I’ve seen) are sold with a nylon bag so I’m disappointed this came without.
– I’m personally not a big fan of twist-lock legs and these are no different. The twisting action feels fiddly and when these legs are extended they have a different, less premium design to the rest of the tripod and they look a little bit cheap. They are however sturdy, feel solid and reliable and that’s the most important thing so my complaint is superficial and subjective.
– It isn’t particularly ‘quick’ release as you have to screw and unscrew the knob to hold or release the camera. Not an issue for me but those using it ‘on the go’ might want to use a different ball head.

The positives:

– Straight out of the box this thing immediately feels solid and weighty. Oddly Amazon asks you to give a rating for how light a tripod is, like that’s ALWAYS a requirement. Sure, it would be a lot lighter if it was all plastic, but is that better for a tripod of this size? Not for me.
– The entire thing is made from aluminium (even the knobs) and finished with what feels like a hard-wearing anodised finish to the legs, collar, centre column and ball. There are no rough edges, corners or poorly finished areas or components.
– A spirit level on the top is always handy.
– The quick release plate is nice quality and low profile
– I was nervous about the ball head but it’s extremely stable and smooth with the anodised ball in a nylon-lined socket, tightened with a metal twisting thumb knob. I don’t think I’ll be upgrading it.
– The collar has a nice knurled finish and only requires a quarter turn to loosen it for adjusting the column.
– The rubber feet are plenty soft enough to prevent slipping on most surfaces, even a glass table.
– As with most tripods, the legs fold all the way up into a space-saving position and make this thing almost pocket size.
– For my purposes, a mirrorless camera with a heavy quality prime lens, it never feels unstable.
– The legs have 5 small sections, which mean the tripod is specifically adjustable in small increments which is quite rare in such a small tripod.
– Finally, a feature I never see mentioned even in reviews; There is a screw-in plate with threaded mount hole in the bottom of the centre column (as for a weighted hook or for turning the column upside down for super-close macro shots). There is also a standard width mounting hole in the side of the main body of the tripod, perfect for attaching an extendable arm for a flash, LED light etc. Such a brilliant and versatile feature on a mini tripod.

I won’t keep rambling but the biggest compliment I can pay this little tripod is that it doesn’t feel inferior to my far more expensive gear in neither construction, fit, nor finish and I trust it to hold thousands of pounds worth of camera.
For a product of this price (especially on sale), it’s almost flawless and it doesn’t have many rivals.

I rarely write reviews this long or detailed but when an item has such a positive effect on my shooting process and is so superior to more ‘premium branded’ products at such a great price, I feel it deserves huge credit. The manufacturer actually listened to what people want!
If, like me, you need a mini tripod for ANY purpose… Stop looking and buy this. In fact, buy 2.

Happy shooting!

Compact, sturdy, ball head has nice smooth action and firm one turn control. Very useful indoors and soon to test it as a travel tripod. Overall, very good value.

Ballhead does not rotate without unclamping camera

I use this as a desktop tripod with a 900 gram mirrorless camera. It’s surprisingly sturdy and flexible. I can’t report on durability.