If there was ever an iconic tripod design, it’s the ones from the early 2000s and late 90s. That’s where the new Promoster Epoch tripod is taking inspiration from. Every college video department had some sort of aluminum tripod with a ball head of some sort and they all looked like this. Tripods these days don’t have a whole lot of innovation unless they’re incorporating electronics and AI into them like the Benro Theta. But with Promaster, the company is going vintage and relying on more of their token durability by using fewer parts and sections.
Promaster Epoch Tech Specs
- Maximum height: 6.4’
- Minimum height: 11”
- Folded length: 30.25”
- Maximum load: 22 lbs
- Weight: 5.3 lbs
- Cold weather performance: -4° F / -20° C
Why This Tripod?
If you’re asking yourself about why you should go with this tripod, then I’ll counter that with a few other questions. Why get a tripod when cameras and lenses work so well together these days? Your answer could have to do with special features the tripod has, but also as a compositional tool. Tripods like these, however, were designed for someone to be more connected to their work instead of outsourcing various tasks to devices and machines. There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing those tasks if you actually have a hold on your creativity. But the more that photographers spend all their time on social media, the more that their creativity and energy gets sapped.
And if that’s the question, then why shoot film when digital exists? The answer is the fact that digital is a conversation with success while film and analog are a conversation with failure and overcoming it. And the Promaster Epoch is designed kind of like those older tripods. If anything, the design and look also has to do with it. Look at the X100vi, for instance.
The new Promaster Epoch was designed with a now-gone time in mind. Back in the early 2000s and late 90s, the digital transition was happening. With that said, tripods were also much simpler.
This tripod has three sections to each leg, and it’s made from aluminum to mimic the look of the older stainless steel tripods while being more lightweight. The center column has two pieces and can be reversed or shortened for image-taking that’s closer to the ground. The height on the column is adjusted in much the same way that the legs lock.
Meanwhile, the Promaster Epoch’s head has an old-school look too. It has a four-way movement and uses an arca-type quick release system.
We’re not sure about the pricing, but we can all agree that it’s a very pretty tripod if you come from a specific era. Even so, anything with a vintage look is bound to inspire photographers and perhaps help them release more of their creative juices.
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