Quick Review: 3 Legged Thing Vanz Tabletop Tripod Conversion Kit

3 Legged Thing sells a variety of accessory feet for their tripods. When I was reviewing the Bucky tripod, part of their Legends range, the Vanz feet caught my attention.

Starting with their Pro range of tripods and continuing to the high-end Legends tripods, 3 Legged Thing made all of their tripod legs removable. The reason for a single removable leg is that it can be used as a monopod. Expanding this idea to all three legs means that you can create a small tabletop tripod when paired with the Vanz feet.

In this instance I tested the Vanz feet on the Bucky tripod, pictured here with all of its legs on.

Although other accessory feet are available as part of their Footwear range, the Vanz is the most versatile. When used with the rubber caps they will protect any tabletop surface, or provide excellent grip on rocky surfaces. If you need more grip on soft surfaces, the rubber caps can be removed to reveal the spikes.

These spikes can be used on the tripod in tabletop mode, or you can put them on the legs in place of the standard rubber feet.

Conclusion

The 3 Legged Thing Vanz feet create a fun setup that adds even more versatility to the Pro and Legends tripods. A small tripod is often useful for tabletop videography, macro work or travel. You might even be able to get away with using this at certain tourist locations that say “no tripods”. If this was dismantled in a bag, nobody is going to notice. Besides, without long tripod legs, there is no trip hazard to be worried about in those crowded places. That is generally why those rules exist.

I have no complaints about the quality or function of the product, but I do think $69 is quite expensive. If it was $20 cheaper it would be a much easier decision for people. The trouble is that for $69 you can also buy the excellent and very popular Feisol TT-15 carbon tabletop tripod.

The benefit of the Vanz will come when people are going on a trip that requires both the regular size of the tripod and the tabletop tripod mode. You will simply have less to pack. For people that see their tabletop tripod requirement happening in isolation of a need for a full-sized tripod, the Feisol is probably going to be a better fit. A dedicated tabletop tripod will always be ready to go. No need to “build” it.

Where to Buy

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Photo of author
Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.

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1 thought on “Quick Review: 3 Legged Thing Vanz Tabletop Tripod Conversion Kit”

  1. This is just another example of how 3 Legged Thing is the most innovative tripod company ever. I can’t even bring myself to buy a Gitzo because of the features the 3LT has that I use!

    Reply

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