There isn’t anything more anxiety-inducing than a tripod that might suddenly drop your camera. Luckily, that didn’t happen with the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 Tripod. In fact, I was astounded at how sturdy it is. This tripod is designed to be lightweight, reasonably compact, and sturdy. If I were traveling, I could see it being a fantastic travel tripod. But even if you just wanted something versatile and sturdy, the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is very tough to beat.
Table of Contents
Too Long, Didn’t Read
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 hits all the nails on the head perfectly. The tripod head is very sturdy, as are the plates. The tripod is amazingly light yet well built. It collapses down pretty well. And it also gets surprisingly tall. It does everything that a tripod of this kind should while remaining versatile and not getting in the way.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Well built
- Rugged
- Can hold a decent amount of gear
- This plate can easily be affixed with a car or house key
- Compact
- Strong
Cons
- Sometimes twisting to unlock can start to unscrew the leg
Gear Used
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 was tested with the:
Innovations
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 doesn’t necessarily have anything really unique about it. Each leg can become a monopod, but we’ve seen that in other tripods before. It’s also incredibly light for what it is. But perhaps the best thing about the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is that it does everything very well. We’ve tested other tripods where some feature is thrown off just enough to annoy us. But that’s not the case here. The center column can also extend upward twice.
Tech Specs
Specs provided by 3 Legged Thing
- Max Height with AirHed Neo 2.0: 1.66m / 65.3”
- Min Height without centre column, without AirHed Neo 2.0: 11.8 cm / 4.6”
- Folded Length: 45.7 cm / 17.9”
- Kit Weight, including AirHed Neo 2.0: 1.57 kg / 3.46 lbs
- Maximum load capability: 18 kg / 40 lbs
- Suggested retail price in US $ is $339.99
Ergonomics
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is a very special tripod. Here’s what it looks like unfurled. The tripod legs can allow the whole thing to go even lower if you wish. And, of course, the center column can come down even lower than this.
Here’s a closer look at the tripod legs. The feet are rubber with a screw-on attachment to protect the metal inside. Then there are the height adjustment knobs. I’m not the most giant man, and I can only put my hand around three of these at a time. That basically just means that I can’t undo all the sections at once. But all you need to do is grab and twist. Be careful, though, because you can inadvertently twist the legs off.
Higher up on the tripod legs, you’ve got these angle adjusters. They work well enough. here’s nothing innovative or unique about them per se.
Now here’s the super fascinating part. The center column has two adjustment knobs. It can be raised up twice! Be careful here, too, as sometimes the knobs can be a bit confusing and end up loosening the tripod head. Around this area, you’ve also got places for you to hook a carabiner if needed.
The head on the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is well built. There are three knobs. One for panning. One for overall adjustment. The other is for tripod plate securement. That’s it. It’s a common thing.
The big black knob is for overall adjustment and includes this marvelous little detail.
Here’s what one of the tripod legs looks like in monopod formation. They can come off or be reattached with ease.
Build Quality
This tripod is built pretty amazingly. The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 has a carbon fiber body with some metal parts to it. There’s also rubber where appropriate. Granted, we didn’t take it into the sand or rain. But it took a tumble at one point onto the ground, and it was just fine.
Everything about the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 made it feel like a much more expensive tripod. The knobs turned with a good amount of resistance. The tripod plate got right in there with no issues at all. The security was pretty shocking. One of my biggest issues with lots of tripods is the security of the ball head. Most brands I feel use cheaper heads and parts. But with the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0, it feels like there was no compromise.
More importantly, taking it around with 22lbs of gear in my backpack and the tripod was easy. Quite honestly, this is everything a travel tripod should be. With that said, the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 introduces a new problem that you have to be careful of. Every leg can be turned into a monopod. That means that sometimes you can accidentally use a bit too much force and start to unscrew a portion. You’ll feel that, though, and then make adjustments where needed.
Ease of Use
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is a pretty simple tripod to use in real-life use. Like most other tripods, you’ll have to undo the legs and get it set up. To extend the legs, you have to use the extension knobs. In my hand, I can only grab three at a time. And often enough, this is all I really need. Once that’s in place, I usually lower the tripod center column down all the way. This center column can extend upward twice. In real-life use, I’d probably never use this unless the camera I had included image stabilization. Just in case, I’d want the tripod and the stabilization to work together. This is more paranoia because of the laws of physics. Sure, your tripod can be raised up twice. But it’s also just not going to be as stable as it could be if it were lower to the ground.
All of the torque and tension are very smooth. To truly understand it, imagine turning the focusing ring on a Zeiss or Leica M-mount lens. If you’re one of those folks who love the tactile experience the way I do, you’ll adore this tripod for sure.
Like the other tripods, there’s a carabiner with a tool that can come with the tripod. This is just in case you don’t want to bring their unique tripod bag around. And honestly, that’s often the case. I’ll stuff the tripod in a side pocket or secure it with tripod straps if I’m using a backpack. Again though, this is a minor qualm. The alan key to secure the tripod plate into the camera will surely get it super tight. But with some effort, you can do the same thing with house keys.
Conclusions
Likes
- Size
- Durability
- Weight
- Tactile knobs and feeling
- Three monopods
- The center column can go up twice
Dislikes
- Monopod legs are easier to unscrew than I’d like.
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 is overall a great tripod. Again, what I’m most shocked about is that it seemingly does everything right. You’d think that this wouldn’t be difficult with a tripod, but you’d be shocked. We’ve tested lots of them over the years. Sometimes a knob turns awkwardly. Other times there are various qualms with the ball head. But the 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 doesn’t have those. Instead, I’m more peeved about the tripod legs turning into monopods a bit too easily. It means that I’ve got to be much more careful when prepping the tripod to shoot. Again though, that’s a minor annoyance more than anything else.
The 3 Legged Thing Brian 2.0 receives five out of five stars.Want one? Check out Amazon for the latest pricing.
