Ultralight Tripod Comparison - Aziak vs. Tricer

[@tsnellyville]

Great review. I have the Aziak and am very happy with it. I looked at the Tricer also, but overall length, weight, and packability led me to the Aziak. Everything you mentioned was spot on. Nice job!

[@MindfulHunter]

Damn hard to beat!

[@coyotesnipe]

I ended up with the tricer, mainly because I assumed the reverse leg will stay cleaner because the tightening mechanism won’t be eating mud every time it’s closed. Maybe I’m overthinking it but it’s pretty muddy this time of year,,,

[@MindfulHunter]

It’s still a great tripod and who knows maybe you’re right.

[@michaelbulger1947]

Aziak has a phenomenal Black Friday sale and this comparison made the decision easy for me.

[@MindfulHunter]

👍

[@Eric-bh7jy]

The review I’ve been waiting for!! Love your channel

[@MindfulHunter]

Thank you!

[@jasonhigginbotham5318]

Thanks for the honest reviews! I’ve been running the Tricer Ad for awhile now & I like it a lot! It’s easy to setup, lightweight & seems pretty stable in windy conditions. I haven’t had any concerns about which way the legs unlock, it was a little different at first but now I don’t even think about.

[@MindfulHunter]

At the end of the day if you’re happy with it that’s what matters most! Appreciate the feedback.

[@406life]

Your channel is awesomeness man,just pulled the trigger on an aziak

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@jefffox9789]

Fantastic Review! We so appreciate a non-biased non-sponsored legitimate review!

[@MindfulHunter]

Thanks man!

[@brian______]

Nice! An ultralight tripod system is the main thing I’m looking at upgrading this offseason so this is super helpful for me. Awesome review like always!

[@MindfulHunter]

Glad it was helpful.

[@jasonnull2248]

I’m in the market for a tripod, after my trip to Alaska I’m searching for stability on soft and porous ground. I’m not set on a specific tripod but the Tricer is a competitor due to the bigger footing. This might be a good item for evaluation.

[@dkjj5r]

Impeccable timing and thanks for the detailed review(as always)! This comparison popped into my head while listening to Brian Call's Gritty podcast on the Tricer setup. I own the Aziak tripod and ball head and have been very happy with it. I have no reason to switch, but the gear nerd in me was wondering how they stacked up. They both seem like fantastic options and I can't imagine many people would have a legitimate reason to switch if they own one or the other.

[@MindfulHunter]

Agreed!

[@kennycoye3907]

That right there was the video I really needed! I'm not kidding when I say this, but this week was the week of order a tripod and spotter! I have 5 of everything but I do a b.c. hunt in the Frank Church every year for Mulies and I pack in with a backpack and my other tripods and spotters are either to big in a compartment alor long in a compartment. I'm weird but picky. But, I've been looking at both but I think I'm going with the Aziak pod and tracer head. It's done! Great vid!

[@MindfulHunter]

Glad it was helpful. Great combo!

[@Mountainhunteroutdoors]

I got the aziak and was about to do a similar review, I couldn’t agree more with your review. It’s a great setup. I added a carbon fiber extension to get the height to glass while standing using an angled spotter. Works great.

[@MindfulHunter]

Awesome piece of kit!

[@delbertdelacruz573]

can you point me in the right direction to pick up the extension to use while standing? I just bought the Aziak and would like to be able to double it up as a standing tripod when need be.

[@Chriis_Perry16]

Also interested in the extension if you have any details on it

[@dmac1222]

Great content Jay. I am an Aziak guy myself, having used both. I use the ball head too and I think it's money as long as you aren't using a heavier optic. Rifle is good to go on there for me--300 WM w/ a Banish BC

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@vancejohnson1778]

Bad ass review man! Was actually eyeing up the ariak tripod and head already, seems like a great light weight option,

[@MindfulHunter]

Love mine!

[@123-JDAWG]

I’ve been waiting for this video!! Thank you

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@pumaa7]

This guy is great, seems very thorough and straight shooter. Thanks man!

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@mxracer317]

Just got the Azaik Front Country (coming from a Slik CF734/ VA5 head) and will use it for my Swaro Atx & 85mm. Do you think the front country ball head is fine holding that up? The reason I went with the Front Country is for shooting my 300win mag off.

[@MindfulHunter]

Yep for sure.

[@brentchoban2522]

I can't speak for the Tricer but will say I had narrowed down my purchase to these exact two options.....ended up with the Aziak for all reasons you mention in this video. Along with the size difference of the Tricer, I did also did not like the additional footprint of the Tricer panhead as you mentioned in another video (I believe comparing it to the Wiser) where the head will not lay flat. This along with packability, weight savings and Rydell's extreme swiftness in responding to my questions was the heart of my decision. I will add I have never used a ball head for glassing prior and even debated running a Wiser pan but after slightly over 3 months of hard use, I don't know if I'll ever go back. It is sleek and simple yet very versatile and stable. I absolutely love the ability to place the main lever wherever I prefer by rotating it on the pan knob which can alter pending necessary adjustments of comfortability or even positioning like if I choose to glass with my opposite hand. The lever itself is smooth, has plenty of grip and does not need much rotation to actuate but at the same time is still sensitive to tweak to your liking. It is phenomenally shaped in a way that is comfortable with it placed in front (opposite side of the tripod from my body) for my pointer and middle finger to manipulate it back and forth or place it where I most often have it, slightly off center nearer to my body allowing my thumb alone to toggle. Glad you mentioned the fact you can drop the mount to the side. This makes for a much better and pleasurable experience when using a spotter. I had quite a bit of trouble when using the ball head upright but this feature speaks volumes to the usability and versatility of the system. At this point in time, there are only two issues I have came across, one easily fixed so long as I am cognizant of my use and the other I am still working on a solution. The first is I have had the ball head begin coming loose during long glassing sessions. I often hold my binos with one hand and rest my other hand to manipulate the lever(s) while also allowing my arm to provide added weight downward on the tripod. During longer sessions, I will support my binos and manipulate their movement with a single hand at the ball head. This inherently makes me keep the lever tighter so my glass doesn't flop all over the place. It is during these times where I believe the pan (circle knob) was to tight to give way and ultimately the head itself started to unscrew when moving from right to left. The second issue I ran into which again I am so far failing to create a permanent solution would be noise. Let me elaborate. The ball head has a gap between the ball itself and the base. This cutout would catch stronger winds and whistle. At first I could not figure out where it was coming from but sure enough was able to place a single finger over this gap and the whistling would stop. Rotating the head and adjusting lever placement helped but ultimately would begin whistling again when a consistent wind would stir up. On one hand I would argue this is minor as well. I can hold a hand or place tape overtop and not allow air to pass through but on the other hand it was annoying to have to be so precise in that situation or worry about when an opportunity presented itself if it would begin whistling while taking my shot. All things considered, I am extremely pleased with this purchase and would make the same decision tomorrow. Greatly appreciate your videos and content. You do a superb job of putting items through their paces and speak out on your opinions in a clear and thorough way.

[@MindfulHunter]

Great additional feedback. Is your ball head spinning right off the tripod? There’s a set screw you need to tighten in addition to the pan dial if that’s the case.

[@justforever]

On the Tricer - holding the tripod upside down would eliminte the thread orientation problem - what do you think?

[@MindfulHunter]

I mean sure, I guess. But how do you plan to do that with your optics mounted and the tripod setup?

[@justforever]

That is absolutely true (kind of reminds me of bicycle pedals that are reverse threaded and pose a similar dilemma) thanks to your very thorough review I ordered the Aziak with the ball head - Thank you so much!

[@shuswapoutdoors]

Great head to head comparison. I'm in the market for a new tripod, and these two were on the top of my list.

[@MindfulHunter]

Excellent timing

[@kschmo3981]

As always, the best reviews

[@MindfulHunter]

🙌

[@ElKayCee2270]

Great review. I have a couple outdoorsman’s tripods but have been looking at getting an ultralight for long pack in. Definitely not paying the Outdoorsman price for a carbon. I’ll have to check that Asiak out.

[@MindfulHunter]

I love my outdoorsman’s but damn hard to beat the Aziak for price and performance.

[@MIKEYGA30]

How do you think the Aziak would do with a Leupold gold ring 60 objective lens spotting scope? I’ve read different reviews on some spotters being to heavy for this set up

[@MindfulHunter]

Perfectly fine. More dependant on the head than the tripod.

[@MIKEYGA30]

@ thank you

[@longrangeprecisionshooters8935]

Another great review…thanks brother!

[@MindfulHunter]

👍

[@NickSimon-u5i]

Wrt the larger section of legs being at the bottom for stability: The lower the center of gravity, the more stable. If you put heavier optics on the top of your tripod, it becomes more unstable because the weight is at the top.

[@MindfulHunter]

Not when you’re talking about vibration. Heavier objects are less susceptible to windshield. I’m not worried about bumping my tripod over I’m worried about the wind impacting the effectiveness of my glassing. Why do yo think every tripod on the planet hangs the weight from the centre post instead of laying more weight on the bottom of the legs?

[@blakecrawford9303]

If that was correct then all tripods would have upside down legs..

[@MindfulHunter]

@@blakecrawford9303 bingo

[@gaelanflaherty5440]

Great review! How well does the Wiser Pan Head attach to the Aziak tripod? Does everything line up?

[@MindfulHunter]

Great combo!

[@taileahmontero74]

what combo did you end up with? just ordered the wiser head and looking at the tricer bc and aziak.

[@perkinstocks]

Great review on a couple of great tripods. I do think you are missing on Tricer’s rationale for greater stability with the inverted legs however. It’s not that legs that weigh the most are close to the ground, it’s that the legs with the most rigidity are close to the ground. Let’s say that the weakest section of tripod deflects + and - 3 degrees in a 10 mph breeze (just making up numbers here). If you have that weakest section next to the ground, 3 degrees of deflection results in greater overall movement of the tripod vs if the deflection is occurring closer to the center due to the lever of the extended leg. A 6 degree swing 24 inches from the center is more movement than 6 degrees 4 inches from center. Whether this has a practical benefit in the real-world I’m not sure, though I imagine there would be some benefit in windy conditions. I think the argument that the supposed benefit comes from the weight being near the ground is incorrect. Also, if you use the tricer head you can still flip the legs 180 degrees to benefit from the shorter overall length. You have to tilt the head down so the handle sticks up but it does work. The handle sticks up and extra inch or two over the bottom of the legs, but when packed in this fashion the overall length may be similar to or even better than that aziak with a head on it. However, this does come at the expenses of slightly increased diameter for the tricer as the legs won’t fold completely flat, although they do come close. The aziak’s packed diameter is much smaller and is certainly easier to stow away. Anyway, I appreciated the review and I think both setups are great for weight-conscious hunters.

[@MindfulHunter]

I would urge you to look up the term “bending moment” this design has moved that point closer to the body of the tripod which inherently creates a weaker tripod. I know several mechanical engineers who design products for a living and had multiple discussions about this tripod. Physics just don’t support his claims. However, it’s a free market. If you like it and it works for you go buy it. My job is to call out marketing jargon when I see it.

[@perkinstocks]

@@MindfulHunterBending moment perfectly illustrates the point I’m trying to make. Let’s say you have a ruler that is flimsy on one end and rigid on the other and you are restraining that ruler over the edge of a table. If you restrain the rigid end so the flimsy end is free it will deflect some, but if you restrain the flimsy end and let the rigid free it will deflect much more. In applying our example to a tripod, having the rigid end more near the restrained side (the ground) and the flimsier end more near the free end (the center column/optics) it will deflect less than the opposite. I totally agree that your job is to call out marketing jargon, it would be cool to put it to the test with these two tripods since these are near the top of the heap for ultralight tripods at the moment. Since tripod stability is the most important characteristic of a tripod, maybe you could do a standardized test with a spotter on both tripods in a controlled environment. Add a fan at a certain distance and see how much these two tripods shake in the wind. Just looking at the two tripods the Tricer looks more stable with its giant legs but I’ve certainly been wrong before so who knows. We could then see if it is marketing jargon or not. I realize it takes time and resources to make videos and conduct tests but this would be a great one to see which of these ultralight tripods is best at the most critical tripod characteristic.

[@taileahmontero74]

Seams like the tricer would be more stable since its got thicker legs. Do you still have the opinion there is no difference in stability? Anyone used both of these? great review thank you.

[@MindfulHunter]

I still prefer the Aziak and nice used them both extensively since the review. I think they’re about equally stable and Aziak packs up way smaller.

[@CavemanActual11]

Wanted to know if the Tricer would be a good choice for a rifle tripod. Skipped to the end after I heard your answer. Solid video.

[@MindfulHunter]

Appreciate the feedback!

[@RitterFitness]

Love your videos. Great content. I just picked up the Aziak tripod. I'm on the fence between the Aziak ball head or the Tricer LP head. General thoughts? Purpose is for backcountry hunts. Gonna use my Leica 10X42 or my 65mm spotter. They are both essentially the same weight, price, I don't care about the difference. My only other reference is that I currently have the VA-5 head on a different tripod.

[@MindfulHunter]

I like to grid when I glass so panhead for me.

[@fb1273]

Great review as always! Thanks Jay!

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@bulletterminalperformance]

Best unbiased reviews out there!

[@MindfulHunter]

Thank you!

[@jaysalitza8549]

Have you ever used the Spartan tripod with davros head? Would like to hear your review on that product. This review was really fantastic - appreciate your detail, clarity and explanations.

[@MindfulHunter]

No but I’m currently reviewing their bipod. I’ll try to get a tripod.

[@parkerbattista7630]

Have you tried the slick 632?

[@MindfulHunter]

No but I have used the 734 and 634.

[@parkerbattista7630]

Thanks for the reply. Trying to decide between the Aziak and the 632

[@shuswapoutdoors]

Does the tricer head fit on the aziak? If so, that sounds like the best of both worlds

[@MindfulHunter]

Yep

[@shuswapoutdoors]

​@MindfulHunter thanks for the reply. I see on IG the Tricer guy wasn't happy with your video! lol

[@Bredsun]

Tricer just made a post on IG about “fake news” that their legs are reverse threaded. Maybe they consider their threads standard from the top??

[@MindfulHunter]

My question is that when every single other manufacturer defines rotation from the bottom what advantage is there to change that? Their own customers comment on that post that the backwards legs are annoying. Go ahead and put the larger portions at the bottom. Doesn’t hurt anything. But why spin opposite to the industry standard? Just doesn’t make any sense to me.

[@Bredsun]

@@MindfulHunter agreed. The definition should be industry standard.

[@Westtxhunt]

Should do a review of the outdoorsman’s gen 2 carbon tripod. Give us some feedback if its worth the money.

[@MindfulHunter]

I’ll see what I can do.

[@CD02]

Great review buddy.

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@40Pain]

Does anyone know how the Aziak handles the Swaro BTX with 115 lens?

[@MindfulHunter]

The tripod can handle it just fine. It’ll be the head that will give you issues with glass that size.

[@Australian_Hunting_Backcountry]

Thanks for doing this. I always enjoy your vids. Have you ever considered contacting the company to address the concerns you note before finalising the video? I am asking as it appears Tricer posted an answer to your ‘righty tighty’ issue and this appears to be a significant point.

[@MindfulHunter]

I talked to the owner of tricer about this issue months ago and got the similar response. He’s holding the leg upside down compared to how every other tripod leg on the planet has its rotation defined. His own customers comment in that video that the legs clearly spin backwards. And I routinely check in with companies beige posting videos. Fair question though. This one is kinda funny to me. You only have to spin these legs once to know they’re backwards I don’t know why anyone would try to deny it. As a test I gave them to three people in my family who don’t hunt and asked them to open the legs and all three asked why they were counter rotated without me saying a word. Ultimately my concern is given consumers unbiased information about products to help them make better buying decisions not having the companies that make those products necessarily be happy or like my reviews.

[@Australian_Hunting_Backcountry]

@@MindfulHunter I, and probably everyone here, appreciates the honest and unbiased reviews you do. It’s just interesting how this seems to have become such a sticking point but doesn’t seem to really matter. I might be wrong but it appears to be a simple function that you need to get used to if you buy this tripod.

[@MindfulHunter]

@@Australian_Hunting_Backcountry well to be clear that’s what I said. “It does not effect the technical proficiency of the tripod whatsoever it’s just annoying”. To me there are 10 other reasons that the Aziak is the superior tripod that have nothing to do with the rotation of the legs.

[@zackw9292]

Great video as always! Seems like the reversed legs are just a gimmick. If it was significantly better, it would’ve already been done.

[@MindfulHunter]

Great point.

[@coltongibbins]

Look up Leofoto inverted tripods and see what they have to say about the added stability. If a large company like that is going with inverted legs then you are definitely wrong about that critique.

[@MindfulHunter]

@@coltongibbins so let me get this straight. Your rationale is that because 1 company does something it must be right? Gonna have to go ahead and strongly disagree with that.

[@coltongibbins]

@@MindfulHunter No. It is more the fact that a large company such as Leofoto with numerous engineers states that the inverted legs adds noteworthy stability, especially when laid out. I definitely should have been clearer in my previous comment. Beyond that, just because other companies did something a certain way for years isn’t necessarily an adequate barometer for best design, especially given the rapid and ever evolving material breakthroughs. A lot of the common design has probably been carried over from the old metal legs when they were shaving weight where they could (this is definitely speculation, but I feel it is reasonable). I haven’t done the calculations myself, I just think it should be noted that an opinion on stability isn’t a verifiable argument for which is better and I do realize you didn’t say one way or another on your video (my comment is more a criticism of the comment above). It might be worth a dive into the actual physics before something is labeled as a gimmick. A typical issue with tripods is that the weight at the top exceeds the weight down low when fully extended and you create a center of gravity that is easily shifted by high winds. Simple center of gravity calculations show that more weight down low i.e. thicker/heavier leg sections will absolutely lower the center of gravity (even if it is minuscule). Furthermore the idea behind the hanging weight is actually to counteract the increased moment of inertia generated by heavy objects up higher than the center of rotation (center of rotation is where the legs meet). Meaning the higher the center column is the easier the tripod is tipped when force (wind) is applied, therefore the more weight directly and farther below offsets that increased leverage. Secondly, the hanging weight also increases the damping effects (vibration reduction) of the tripod. The more weight a tripod can handle the more the vibration is reduced. The actual calculations would be fun to do and maybe I’ll come back with them sometime soon. In the meantime keep testing and learning gear! P.S. This is a great article talking about tripods, center columns, moment of inertia, and vibration. Enjoy! thecentercolumn.com/2021/02/01/why-center-columns-reduce-tripod-stability/

[@dagging3122]

I have a Tricer AD, got it on a damn good deal 2nd hand but am wanting a BC or Aziak for my ultralight missions. Don’t really see myself standing and spotting ever either so this is perfect timing cause I have no brand loyalty haha

[@dagging3122]

The footprint of the Aziak folded up is damn nice too

[@MindfulHunter]

@@dagging3122 big selling point for me for sure. Have you stood much with the AD? Do you like it?

[@dagging3122]

Definitely agree about the wind shake being a problem. Had my mini Razor on the AD last night (just bought it in the states so was testing it out at last light looking at my cows)- slight breeze kicked up and she shook a fair amount till I chucked weight on the post

[@MindfulHunter]

@@dagging3122 great feedback. Thanks man.

[@dagging3122]

Have the Aziak Backcountry now, very, very happy with it

[@richardmullowney7440]

great detail review

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@mathewvargas9616]

Great Review

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@KillenNReelinoutdoors]

Excellent review

[@MindfulHunter]

👍

[@joelmodey3594]

Ya I have the trycer it’s really nice what they should have done was put left handed threads on them inverted legs then nobody would have noticed the difference

[@MindfulHunter]

Yep!

[@adamboyd21]

Nailed it!

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@Bredsun]

One thing I dont understand is that if these are primarily used for seated glassing and only 1 leg extension is being used, wouldnt both tripods be using the largest and second largest leg anyway? I just dont see the significant benefit as mentioned here.

[@MindfulHunter]

I’m not sure I follow your logic. Have you done much glossing in the back country? There are lots of times where you’re sitting on a rock or you’re sitting on a steep hill where there’s uneven terrain and I routinely extend all three extensions. The other thing to remember is that the angle of these legs are adjustable so if you need to adapt to the terrain, you can put them out at a wider angle and extend all three extensions and end up with a lower maximum height.

[@dkjj5r]

If I'm following where you're going: I think most people instinctively extend the lowest leg setting if they don't need the full height of the tripod. The Tricer would extend the biggest leg if this is the case, whereas, most tripods would be extending the smaller legs first. Is that what you're asking?

[@Bredsun]

@@MindfulHunter fair enough. Anecdotally, the vast majority of the time I tend to be on fairly even terrain and at most am using 1 extension. Just doesn’t strike me as “revolutionary“ in terms of increased performance. Great review for reference.

[@Bredsun]

@@dkjj5r you got it. To me it was always logical to use the larger legs first and will only extend the smaller legs if standing. The juice doesnt seem worth the squeeze here.

[@dkjj5r]

@@Bredsun I'm part of the people who never thought about which leg to extend. I always would extend the lowest one. I forget where I heard about extending the biggest legs first. I have since changed my ways and now pay attention to which section is being extended.

[@scottr564]

Its funny, anytime you see a person do a review or is using a tricer tripod, when they go to open the legs they fumble on the reversed leg locks. I feel like i can even see the tricer guy stop and pause for a slight second to think aboout it, on his earlier tripod vidoes. It would drive me nuts.

[@MindfulHunter]

Dude 100%

[@weekendwarrior8334]

People have a tendency to invest their self-worth in the products they buy. If you love what you have, run it and ignore the crowd.

[@MindfulHunter]

Amen!

[@mattgarner1234]

@1:30 100%

[@MindfulHunter]

💪

[@gacklehacks]

Righty tighty lefty lucy, opposite on gas and tricer tripods. 😂

[@MindfulHunter]

🤣🤣🤣

[@CascadeBackcountry]

My feelings!!!!!!! 😂

[@MindfulHunter]

🤣

[@99problemsbutafishaintone35]

I feel left handed with the Tricer. Deal breaker

[@MindfulHunter]

Very true.