Written by 
The new Tribex hydraulic, carbon fiber video tripod from SmallRig and Potato Jet is finally available for purchase and early adopters will get a special bonus edition.
At NAB earlier this year, SmallRig announced new collaborations with various YouTubers, including a very interesting new tripod with a hydraulic clutch co-designed by Gene Nagata, aka Potato Jet. Now, many months later, the SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex Hydraulic Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit is available for purchase.
In PetaPixel’s NAB coverage, it was noted that, “Potato Jet’s collaboration looks to be actually capable of changing how creatives work in the field. Instead of working like traditional tripods that require filmmakers to manually adjust each leg, the Tribex uses a patented X-clutch hydraulic single-action trigger that loosens each leg simultaneously, allows for a reposition or height adjustment, and then immediately locks them back all at once.”
The tripod is capable of being adjusted nearly effortlessly with a single hand which, from a videographer’s perspective, is truly game-changing. There are plenty of times where a clunky tripod is left behind or not used in at all in favor of quickly shooting handheld yet unstable due to the sacrifices in speed and efficiency that tend to occur when using a tripod while covering fast moving action or live events.
As shown in his promo video, Gene is able to snap the tripod into position almost instantly and what’s even more impressive is that shooters not only have the option of a very well-thought out fluid head balancing system, supporting both Manfrotto and DJI RS tripod plates, with adjustable counterweights depending on the size camera being used to further balance the camera–there’s also the option of simply using the clutch to instantly adjust a the tripod legs to balance the camera on uneven surfaces.
The tripod has a maximum height of 168 centimeters, and can spread as low as 27 centimeters, with the option to invert the center column and put the camera against the ground if needed. According to SmallRig, the tripod is capable of supporting a load of 25 kilograms, thanks to its carbon fiber design.
Factoring in some additional and unique quality of life features like several 1/4”-20 mounting points to rig accessories like monitors or lights, multiple sets of locking pins, incorporated hex tools and flat head tools, stability hook, compactable size that can fit into a standard suitcase, and the ability to convert the clutch into a carrying handle–it’s very possible this could be the last tripod a traveling videographer would ever need.
That comes at a price, though. The SmallRig x Potato Jet Tribex Hydraulic Carbon Fiber Tripod is available now for $800 and the limited edition “Origin Series” variant with orange hydraulic handle can be ordered directly from SmallRig for a limited time.
Image credits: SmallRig