Fotopro X-Airfly Video tripod review: everything you need, and with carbon fiber too

The world of tripods has changed a lot in recent years. If you still think that tripods for beginners are Chinese plastic tripods for a couple thousand rubles, while professional models start at 1000 dollars, are made in Germany and are very bulky, it’s not quite true anymore. And Fotopro company with its X-Airfly line is a great example of revolution in the world of accessories for photographers and videographers. For a reasonable price, you get a professional lightweight and compact carbon fiber tripod that has everything you could want in a tripod (if you read the review, you’ll see what I’m talking about).

It doesn’t plan to compete with Manfrotto, mostly on price by the way, with their basic models starting at $450-500. In general, I have already encountered modern Chinese tripods, even more compact and cheaper, but after holding X-Airfly in my hands I realized that for my tasks it is just what I need and it seems that they even surpassed themselves.

The X-Airfly tripods are a great choice.

Unpacking Fotopro X-Airfly Video and first thoughts

I received the parcel in plenty of duct tape, but the box is still a bit wrinkled. However, that doesn’t matter at all. Inside the box there is a case and nothing else, so that’s just the packaging. Let’s start with the cover. It’s a nice dense case with a couple of pockets for accessories (or memory cards). Inside it, in addition to the tripod, I found a couple of hexes to tighten or loosen the screws on the tripod. And a simple instruction manual (which, by the way, came in handy, as I didn’t know about all the tripod’s features).

The tripod itself looks classic, but the devil, as they say, is in the details. The only thing that catches the eye is the tripod leg locks in the flip lock form factor. Many manufacturers of modern carbon tripods use twist lock (where the tripod leg rotates to pull it out and lock it in place). But having re-read several dozen forums and from personal experience, I can say that both systems have their pros and cons. The most important thing is that the locks are made of quality materials, and the rest is a matter of taste.

Appearance and main features of Fotopro X-Airfly Video

.

If you want to understand Fotopro’s line of tripods, it’s not easy. But I’ll help a little. If the tripod is labeled Video, it will have a ball head with a knob for smooth panning, the regular model does not. If it has the word MAX in the name, it will have a slightly higher maximum height (and the Video Max model will also have the ability to turn into a monopod) and support heavier cameras. The difference between the basic X-Airfly and X-Airfly Video Max is about 5000 rubles, so see what you need and what you don’t. I’m done with the prelude.

The X-Airfly Video is a 5-section tripod with a maximum leg diameter of 25mm. When folded, its length is 473mm, its diameter when folded — just 71mm, and its height can reach 1360mm/1640mm with the center column retracted and inserted, respectively.

The tripod weighs 1.39kg, which is very light for this size, thanks to the carbon fiber. That said, the tripod can support up to 5kg of camera and accessory weight. Of course, the tripod is easy to hold with one hand and almost fits in my compact Thule backpack (but I’d rather strap it on the outside).

The tripod is easy to hold with one hand and almost fits in my compact Thule backpack (but I’d rather strap it on the outside).

The center column consists of two sections and because of this, it allows you to shoot at a minimum of 140mm if you pull it out. Incidentally, the column itself is just over 30cm long and weighs just 49 grams. There’s a spring-loaded hook at the bottom to hang your backpack and/or weight there to secure the tripod in difficult conditions. Yes. The center column can be flipped upside down and the camera can be mounted from the bottom instead of the top. Yes, this is sometimes necessary, such as for macro shots of some plants or animals.

And you can just pull out the column with the head and use it as a handy holder for hand wires. Unfortunately, you can’t make a monopod here (unless it’s very small), but in the Max version, one of the legs (with a rubber pad for a comfortable grip) can be unscrewed and turned into a monopod.

As I said, this tripod uses flip locks instead of twist locks. They allow you to quickly unlock the legs, extend them, and lock them in place. I’m able to unfold the tripod and secure my camera in less than a minute. In addition, the X-Airfly now has spiked feet with removable pads. This is one of the documented features that I’ve only read about in the manual. There are some coatings on which they can be very useful. Most commonly dirt and gravel, where the spikes are able to moderately penetrate the ground and provide stability. When using the tripod indoors, it is best to use rubber foot pads that are easy to install and remove.

The Fotopro X-Airfly Video’s flip-lock design works perfectly. First of all, the latches are made of aluminum, which makes them much stronger than plastic ones (cheap tripods have these and often break). In addition, it uses a wing-shaped design that prevents fingers from getting pinched. The locks are easy to operate even with one hand. The lever action is smooth and you can feel that it is applying just the right amount of force to connect the sections.

Finally, once unlocked, the latches stay open thanks to the spring-loaded design, and they don’t move. Thanks to the screws located on the hinged latches, you can adjust the tension if needed after prolonged use. This is something that was lacking in the entry level tripods. If the lock there came loose, you could throw the whole tripod away. Here, however, it is enough to simply screw it on in the field. The attachment point to the center part is even simpler. There are cinched aluminum stoppers that allow you to set the tripod in 3 positions, which is enough for any task.

Fotopro X-Airfly Video Reversible Ball Head

The head in this tripod deserves a separate word. In general, it’s the main part you’ll be working with and it’s good that a lot of attention was paid to it. Since Fotopro X-Airfly Video is suitable for both photo and video shooting, it has a handle that allows you to make smooth wires, shoot 360-degree video, lower or raise the camera. All in all, it’s a handy thing to have when you need to change position while you’re shooting. If you don’t need it, you can take it off, and if you don’t have enough length, it easily extends to double in size.

The design of the head itself is quite good. It’s not too big, but still allows you to rotate the camera in any direction. Operation is simple, thanks to the same flip lock design. Snap it off, pop the ball into position, snap it back on, and you’re done.

The 30-millimeter ball moves and holds up great. It can easily support a Sony Alpha 6400 camera. The vertical tilt adjustment is amazingly smooth, allowing you to shoot video very accurately without even resorting to a steadicam or other tricks. Horizontally, the head spins 360 degrees and allows you to pan, of course, and there are degree markers to make it easier to use.

As with many tripods, there’s a bubble level here. The thing I’m seeing for the first time is the hex wrench to unscrew the head. It’s right under the pad and is held in place by a magnet. It doesn’t get in the way in any way, but it’s very useful in the field.

As for the pad, it’s pretty simple. But it doesn’t have a quick release. To install or remove the camera, you’ll have to twist the knob, and not just a couple times. On the one hand – it’s not so convenient and fast. On the other hand – much less chance to drop the camera by accidentally pressing the button on the pad. Here I’m more in favor of safety, it’s better to spend a couple of seconds, but not to break expensive equipment.

Unusual in Fotopro X-Airfly Video

You already know about the spikes on the tripod legs, but the surprises of the Fotopro X-Airfly Video don’t end there. The center column consists of two parts that are firmly screwed together. At the top is the ball head, which we’ve talked about, but at the bottom… Hidden phone holder!

Surprisingly, the engineers thought about mobile shooting and added a very cool accessory. Just unscrew the hook from the center column and there’s a compact holder.

It can be installed either in the landing area of the pad (there are special places for mounting) or by screwing it onto the pad itself. In the first case, the phone will stand sideways, but in the second case, you can control the tripod head like with a regular camera.

Besides this, the tripod has additional expansion holes – 2 pieces of 1/4 size. Here you can, for example, install a tripod hook and hang something. Or screw in an extra light, a GoPro mount or whatever you want, it’s a standard size for the equipment and you can customize your set-up however you want.

Fotopro X-Airfly Video tripod

A universal tripod for photos and videos made of carbon fiber

The Fotopro X-Airfly Video carbon tripod turns out to be quite balanced. It’s equally suited for those who shoot photos and those who need video more. It’s lightweight, quite compact, and has several distinctive features. The only downsides are that it is a bit bulky and has a rather large head. And also not everyone may not like the flip lock, but this is a matter of taste. This model costs about 27 thousand rubles, but it is definitely a purchase for many years, if not for life. You can buy a Fotopro tripod at their official website, at Amazon or Aliexpress. Yes, in addition to black, they have orange so you don’t lose them in the woods.

Pros

• Carbon fiber
• Wide customization options
• Smooth head
• Smartphone mount

Cons

• Slightly bulky
• Price