Today I wanted to tell you about the Manfrotto Pixi Mini Tripod. You can use this as a table top tripod or an handle to hold your camera. I plan to use it with my iPhone and other smartphones for shooting time lapses and well as a handle while shooting video.
I picked up my Pixi from Amazon when it was on sale for about $19. It’s current about $23. The Pixi comes in a plastic blister pack. Inside the package, I found the Pixi and an instruction card. The instruction card lists some typical uses including as a portable tripod for time lapses and as a handle to hold your camera while shooting video, which as I said is what I want to use it for. It also lists the different types of cameras it should work with which I guess is a way to say cameras that aren’t too heavy.
The Pixi itself feels sturdy. It’s hard to identify what it is made of by feel. I wasn’t sure if it was metal or plastic. It turns out its made from both Aluminum and techno-polymer. I don’t know what Technopolymer is, but it feels cool, like something that the high tech gear Batman would get from Wayne Industries is made of.
I opened the legs and set it down on my desk. I pushed down on it reasonable hard and it is sturdy. The only flex I felt was from the mat on my desk. The top of the Pixi has a 1/4 20″ screw for mounting cameras or accessories. The ball head swivels and it unlocked by pushing the red Manfrotto button on the Pixi. I found the ball head to be difficult to rotate. It was stiff. Perhaps it will loosen up after some uses. I thought it would be a lot smoother. All of the surfaces on the Pixi’s legs are smooth and rounded. There are no sharp edges dig into your hands.
I’m plan to use the Pixi with my iPhone, the Ztylus smartphone grip, and the Rode VideoMicro to create a mobile rig for video. One of the nice things about the Pixi is that I can open the legs to set the rig down on a table or the ground without the iPhone or microphone hitting the surface.
I’m looking forward to trying out the Pixi this Spring. I’ll post more articles and videos after I spent time using it. Check out my video below for the unboxing.
Are you planning to pick up a Pixi? Leave a reply below and share.