Recommendations you can TRUST - Sirui ST-124 tripod review

[@RicGa]

You know times are bad when Tom Cruise has to do tripod reviews

[@smurfire]

he used to be a woman !!!!

[@mikewilson8513]

After weeks of deliberation, i finally decided on this model. It arrived today. I love it already. Beautifully made, very light, very stable, and the bag is also a nice addition. Great quality at a very reasonable price. Thoroughly recommended. This is my third Sirui, two monopds, one the Sirui p-424, with feet, which is awsome, a smaller one, and now this ST 124. Quality products and very affordable. My lad spent three times the cost of this tripod, on a travel Gitzo. There is absolutely no difference in performance between his Gitzo and my Sirui. This St-124 is so light, yet holds the camera rigid and stable.

[@brianmckeever5280]

Interesting. I love my Sirui aluminum tripod, but in Feb. I upgraded to the Leofoto LS-285CEX for the leveling head and the lighter weight. The leg clamps are very similar to the one you reviewed. No center column, but it works great with my geared head, L-bracket and arca-swiss, mostly landscapes. It was fun to see a building you designed! I was thinking about recommending you do a video of fine-art photos of your own architecture work. To answer your question, I watch videos in the evenings. I loved the pictures of the objects in the sea with the beautiful light. Picture at 15:03 reminded me of a gigantic 4-poster metal bed frame being lost to the sea (head and foot are the fencing). Keep 'em coming!

[@benharveyphotography]

It’s good to hear your thoughts on this. I really feel like Manfrotto, my first tripod love :-), are falling behind because of the market lead with arca Swiss compatibility. Even a Gorillapod mount works with arca Swiss. Geared heads are really nice as well, although sometime heavy and defeat the point of having a carbon fibre tripod! I don’t often show the buildings that I design on the channel, as I am normally working and in someone’s house - so I can’t film a KZbin video. But I had a bit more time on this one and it is such a lovely project. I have a video coming up in a few weeks regarding the hot pipes which are the poles sticking out in the sea. It’s literally down the road from where I live in Shoreham.

[@Globetrotter-1]

​​​@@benharveyphotography actually hate the Arc Swiss QR plates system and even converted the only arca swiss ball head to a Manfrotto using the 577 adapter. All my cameras and lenses have the superb Manfrotto 501 QR plates pemantly attached, so I can quickly clamp them to any of my tripods for professional photos and video. Although many stills photographers use Arca Swiss, the majority of videographers and filmmakers use the Manfrotto 5O1 type plates. So the Manfrotto QR system is for me far more suited for stills & video during the same shoot.

[@benharveyphotography]

The good thing is that we have options nowadays. I have a few Manfrotto tripods, but I take the plate on and off when i use them. I appreciate the quick release system on the Manfrotto, however i find that they project too far under the camera body and have very sharp edges that dig into my left hand as I support the camera from underneath. The Arca Swiss in comparison is almost unnoticeable.

[@Globetrotter-1]

@@benharveyphotography I never have that problem with Manfrotto 501 system QR plates, because I fit them inline with base of the camera body (not inline with lens) so nothing sticks out and forms a more stable and rigid fit to the camera. Then simply slide the camera sideways into the head instead of forwards. I also have 501 QR plates fitted to the foot of each of my longer lenses, and off-camera flash units

[@trevpackerphotography]

I usually catch them on a monday evening. If I have the time. I concur with Ben on the misty scenes in those woods.

[@benharveyphotography]

It’s a great location isn’t it, and easy to get to. If you don’t get mist take a smoke grenade with you and convert it to black and white. That’s not what I did, I have witnesses :-)

[@benharveyphotography]

It’s a great location isn’t it, and easy to get to. If you don’t get mist take a smoke grenade with you and convert it to black and white. That’s not what I did, I have witnesses :-)

[@trevpackerphotography]

@@benharveyphotography its still creative even if you fake it right 🤣

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Excellent video. Just subscribed to you I used to live in Chichester (now Edinburgh) so nice to see the area again

[@benharveyphotography]

Hi James, thanks for subscribing. I generally stick to Sussex, but I know of some really nice woodland in the Chichester area and occasionally venture out that way. Perhaps when the bluebells and wild garlic are out I will be heading that way!

[@loumartins6371]

Wow! First time I hear someone pronounce Surui correctly. I used to work in a camera store and we actually received a memo from them just on how to pronounce the brand name. On a totally unrelated side note, I believe you have a Canon camera converted to IR. I used to know of two places in the US that did that, but now I live in Europe. Where did you have yours converted? I have a Canon 200D (SL2 in the US) that I’m thinking of converting to IR. Recommend a certain nanometer?

[@benharveyphotography]

Hi Lou, I watched a video recently by Gerald Undone and he had a sponsored Video by Sirui and he told you how to properly pronounce the company name - which helps in a review! On the infrared camera, I have a friend who works for a Canon repair centre so he actually converted it for me at cost, which was £80 for the IR filter if you were interested. This was a good few years ago. There is a local company called Protech which everyone seems to speak highly of. Link below. www.protechrepairs.co.uk

[@clarkbarrow6750]

You designed an amazingly gorgeous house and I think the tripod would make an excellent Christmas present.

[@benharveyphotography]

Thanks Clark - it is a lovely house isn’t it. It’s a pleasure to make client’s dreams come true - maybe I will design my own home one day.

[@taituara]

Nicely done, Ben, to the point that I just purchased the ST-125 using your referral code ;)… I already own a bigger carbon waterproof Sirui, as well as a small and light aluminum one and I cannot be happier with this brand. I love Peak Design ingenuity and I own many from them, but I can’t stand the price of their carbon tripod (without considering that you can yes deploy it a few second faster than this, but then you will need a week to unmount and remount it to get rid of sand and salty water…). Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@benharveyphotography]

Thanks Kia, it is a lovely tripod and I use it for every landscape video. And the rubber grips are as good today as they were when I opened it. Very satisfying. I have the peak design metal tripod, and I did actually knock it over in the sand. It’s at that point that I actually found out that the ball head cannot be dismantled for maintenance due to its compact design. Mine has sand inside the joints and essentially you have to replace the ball head because you cannot open it up. I found out that Peak Design actually make spikes for it though. I have another Sirui product video out in 2-3 weeks (not trying to spend you money!)

[@mikewilson9601]

I have this tripod, with L20 head. I love the combo to bits. Speed of setting up or dismantling is not the slightest issue with me. It works brilliantly. That's all I want.

[@bertpanning2201]

Hallo Ben, thank you for your video. Similar as you did I also tried a lot of tripods to find my favorit. I focused my desission on the stability. Handling and wight were not so importand. The focus is to get a sharp photo. And this requires stiffness and stability. I found out that the number of cabon layers are very relevant for the stability and the swinging behaviour of the tripod. But the number of carbon-layers doesn't significantly affected the wight. This is the reason I decided me for the 10-layer series of Rollei Lion Rock (Traveler) (produced bei FotoPro). The Lion Rock Traveler M is in weight, hight and water protetion compareable with the sirui ST-124. Regarding the rubber/spike-solution and the diameter the Sirui-solution is the better one. During my tests I found out that you can stabilize each tripod additionally with a very simple trick. Slide two tripod legs with your foot about 1 inch outwards. In this way you build up a pretension and the tripod can no longer swing out so far. Stay health and all the best for you Bert

[@benharveyphotography]

Thank you Bert. Glad to hear that you found the right tripod for you. And thank you for educating me on the carbon fibre layers.

[@NJM1948]

Great video. I'm very keen on this travel tripod but it does look a bit long when fully folded. What is the length of yours with the Sirui K-10X you have fitted?

[@benharveyphotography]

Hi Nigel, I wouldn’t describe this ST-124 or the ST-125 as a travel tripod, even though they are light, they are a ‘main’ tripod for your every day. If you want something compact, then I would look at other tripods on the market. I put a link to my other video here where I show you what else I use. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3fPimipgdmKnNE

[@scotty4418]

Nice images first of Ben, secondly tend to catch you video as soon as I get a notification when on YT. In terms of the tripod, looked a decent set up. Currently on my third Tripod reiteration (the one I had with me in London when we met). My first tripod which cost plenty had a quick release plate but the plastic pin release and a very flimsy spring was unreliable and nearly lost my 5Div because of it (caught it falling off the ball head), Ive since replaced it with an Arca Swiss clamp like your Sirui and now it still goes out if Im at the coast in stormy conditions are the legs are solid. Second tripod was not reliable and leg fell off last year in London so it was a dash to a camera shop for replacement which now my third and main tripod with geared head ;) Only observation about the Sirui is its a nice touch with the spikes but would be good to have the option to screw the bottom off and replace with either longer spikes or the crampon type feet but if it meets your needs then as I said looks like a decent tripod

[@benharveyphotography]

You are having a tripod experience aren’t you. And did you put the question for tripod recommendations out on social media?!? I was actually only aware of Sirui from there kickstarters with anamorphic lenses - which look really interesting. But it turns out they make really good tripod as well. I think an option for bigger spikes would be nice, as long as they are quick and easy to put on - whilst the light is amazing and I am trying to record a video and take photos! :-)

[@scotty4418]

@@benharveyphotography I did research for my first purchase and got a good deal at a photography show. Apart from the issue I described the tripod is great for my needs. When the leg fell off the second one, Parks cameras in London had limited choices in stock so went for one to match the 3 way geared head that I had and never looked back since

[@asaperez-bercoff1873]

Hi, I am very interested in this tripod (or the almost identical Sirui ST-125) as I want a waterproof tripod I can stick the legs into ponds. However, I've heard these tripods might not be fully waterproof after all. What is your experience on that? Also, now (ca 8 months after you posted this video - in July 2022) there is another tripod by Ulanzi × Coman called the "Ulanzi Coman Zero Y". If you have access to this new tripod can you please compare the Sirui ST-124/125 against the Ulanzi Coman Zero Y? Thanks for making great videos!

[@benharveyphotography]

Hello. This is an interesting question, as I put my tripod in the sea all the time, but I didn’t ever feel that I needed a tripod to be waterproof as such as I would just wash them under a tap when I get home and let them dry out. BUT this tripod is different to my others in the fact that when you close the legs there is a resistance (almost like a bike pump) and you can here the air escaping and any water on the legs gets pushed off. But if you are not careful it can end up on you if you go too fast. It is definitely different to all of my other tripod, but I have never completely submerged it under water (as in sideways) to see if water cannot get into it at all - to be described as water proof. I hope this helps!

[@Christographer_UK]

Yet another great video Ben. Coincidentally, I have just bought in the last two weeks, a new camera support. Not a tripod but a very interesting monopod in the shape of a Benro MSDPL46C SupaDupa Monopod. Perhaps that's something for you to review in future?

[@benharveyphotography]

I just had to look that up Chris - purely because of the awesome name that the marketing team came up with. I guess you are using that for wildlife with a long lens? I tend to only crack out my monopod when filming at a wedding or somewhere with no space for a tripod. It would be good for shooting deer at Petworth House or something like that.

[@Christographer_UK]

@@benharveyphotography It's for shooting the things you suggested. It's also great for motorsport, airshows & general runway stuff where security go nuts at the sight of a tripod. I'm still trying it out. It would have been handy for the veteran car run so I could have supported my 200-500mm lens for hours on end. Because it hadn't arrived by then, the longest I had with me was a 70-200.

[@pauloamaral668]

Hi. Thks for the review. I'm not sure about this tripod, it seems so tiny. Im a landscape/nature photographer, using a Nikon D500 & 70-200mm lens. This tripod will be very stable to my equipment?

[@benharveyphotography]

Hi Paulo, I haven’t looked up the weight of your lens, but I am confident that it has to be less than my Canon EF 100-400 - which you can see that Sirui ball head taking the weight of that setup absolutely fine in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp6kXnyQrNSVma8 This was on a ‘lesser’ cheaper Manfrotto tripod. The Sirui ST-124 is genuinely my go to tripod for landscape photography and architecture and I have the choice of too many tripods now. To answer your question, yes this setup will be sturdy enough. If you have the 70-200 F4 then mount it on your camera, but if you have the f2.8 then you wil need to mount it with the collar for study support. Am not sure if you have any special requirements in a tripod for nature photography, its not something that I do?

[@pauloamaral668]

@@benharveyphotography Hi Ben, my set (70-200mm f2.8 body and lens, with teleconverter) weighs 2.8kg. The 11-16mm is lighter. When I use the 70-200mm I attach it to the collar. This tripod looks very good to me and corresponds to what I'm looking for considering it has spikes, the type of dish and the automatic locking system at the angles. I think these are the normal requirements for a good tripod choice for nature and andscape photography. I'm 1.70m tall and it seems to me that the camera is a little low, as I don't use the extendable column (I only use it in "emergency"). I'm in doubt with the sirui W2204. What's your opinion? Thanks

[@benharveyphotography]

@@pauloamaral668 sorry for the late reply. I have just taken a look at the W2204 and it also looks like a solid camera. One difference I do see is that this one has soft grips at the top of the tripod which will help in cold conditions (although I find carbon fibre isn’t as cold on the hands as the aluminium tripods). Both tripod look very high end and considering that the W2204 claims to hold 18kg and the st-124 can hold 12kg neither of us are pushing what they are capable of. But on paper the W2204 seems capable of holding more weight.

[@pauloamaral668]

@@benharveyphotography Thanks. the W2204 seems to me more robust and suitable for my altrua. It would be nice to have the innovations of the ST124 :). I don't think it's ST124 that I'm going to buy yet. Merry christmas :)

[@dabird3364]

Hi @benharveyphotography are you still a fan of this tripod? I'm looking for a tripod for my 88mm spotting scope, which weighs 4.3lb / 1.82kg. I've heard great things about the ST-124, but have also heard that in high winds the vibration in the legs makes for poor image quality. I saw that in your review you did use it for a long-exposure photo during windy conditions and didn't notice any issues. Just wondering if that's still the case after 2 years of use of this tripod? I've read lots of tech talk about diameter of tripod legs and how theoretically that affects image stability during wind, but not too many actual user reviews in these conditions. Thanks so much.

[@benharveyphotography]

Hello. The good news is yes. This is still my go to tripod for landscape photography. You will see it featured in many of my videos - and I have no complaints with it. In terms of stability I use a variety of cameras and lenses and shoot long exposures and have never thought that this tripod wasn’t enough. I also reviewed this tripods bigger brother, link below, but I still use the ST-124 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXXbonxofrBjkMksi=yBEOTiw54mjCys8a

[@dabird3364]

@@benharveyphotography oh interesting! I have both the 124 & the 224 on trial right now, and have to send one back (today!). While the lighter weight of the 124 obviously appeals, I find that the way the 224 rests on my collarbone hurts as I walk with it and the scope in a way the 124 doesn’t. But I’ve been hesitating because of how compromised the 124 theoretically is in high winds. Good to know you continue to enjoy the images created on the 124, that makes my decision easier. Thank you for the reply ☺️

[@bibekrajshrestha3124]

Really helpful review mate. My local camera shop recommended this tripod and I thought of doing my own research. Your review really helped me to make my decision. Btw you have uncanny resemblance with Mr Tom Cruise particularly with the aviator! Cheers!!

[@benharveyphotography]

Thanks Bibek, the aviators are not a coincidence :-)

[@MrBthames2000]

I like this but don’t want a center column

[@benharveyphotography]

Depending upon how tall you are and your intended camera height, this comes up to my eye level once you mount a camera on top of the ball head without the central column extending. I know that there are tripods on the market that are taller, but I personally wouldn’t be interested as I wouldn’t be able to navigate the settings on my camera if it was any higher, or I would be using a tilted touch screen to do so.

[@MrBthames2000]

@@benharveyphotography I want one that I can get as close to the ground as possible.

[@ev6377]

@@MrBthames2000 sirui 5c

[@MIMCKMedia]

Is that a tour guide or tripod review?

[@supertaufiqr]

It's Monday evening here down under

[@benharveyphotography]

Quite popular for Sundays and Mondays at the moment :-)

[@opponoastos]

I have the Sirui ST 125 and it's badass.

[@RPDCH1]

Nice review...............tx.

[@benharveyphotography]

You are welcome, and thanks for leaving the comment

[@SuperSuperka]

10:15 absolutly worst thing, killing this tripod. Collars around spikes prevent tripod to reach and dig into the ground on dense grass. Stay away from this kind of tripods! I had similar in the past, and it just ruined my videofootage on windy day.

[@josephasghar]

I zoomed in on a pic of the photographer for El Croquis, and was using one. That’s endorsement enough. Incidentally, if you like your ballheads, the Arca Swiss P0 is a monster.

[@josephasghar]

…posted too soon. I should also compliment the design on that house :)

[@benharveyphotography]

I haven’t always been a massive fan of ball heads, as I shoot architecture a lot I want precise control over all axis and a ball head is just complete freedom in all axis that can be difficult to control with a heavy set up. But if you know your gear well, you can make it work with what you have.

[@MusikPiratCH]

What this tripod lacks is protection against the cold. You can do it yourself with some cork bycicle band on each leg. But Sirui could improve this! 🤔

[@benharveyphotography]

Yes, I agree on this. My Manfrotto and Benro has rubber grips on one of the legs (not the foam handles, they are horrible and get worse with time). This Sirui is still my main landscape tripod though, one year later.

[@aes53]

Way cool house!

[@paulcomptonpdphotography]

Impartial that's what we are haha 😄

[@benharveyphotography]

It’s an interesting topic isn’t it. It’s like being bought a pint, it tastes better than if you were to buy it yourself! You review a lot of gear - so you must get it more than me. I tend to say no to the vast majority of gear that I am offered.

[@MikeS-iy7kb]

Rule #1, if you want your products name to be pronounced correctly, spell it the right way! Chinese companies and the names they pick are beyond stupid! Good vid!

[@benharveyphotography]

I think Sirui translate to something lovely like ‘ray of sunshine’ but at you say most people don’t know how to pronounce it properly.