When even a compact tripod is too large, photographers don’t have many options for supporting their gear outside of tabletop tripods. In that narrow market, the offerings can feel gimmicky or cheap. In contrast, Leofoto’s MT-04 brings their CNC-machined aluminum build quality and feature-rich ball head to the smallest total tripod package I’ve tried.
In this review, I’ll be testing out Leofoto’s MT-04 package, which combines the MT-04 legs with the LH-30 ballhead. The legs are also available on their own, although finding a matching ball head for the size would be so difficult that I wouldn’t recommend it (even though the 3/8"-16 mounting screw atop the legs allows any standard head to be used).
I own a couple other tabletop tripods, like Manfrotto’s PIXI, but these are really best suited for holding compact cameras, phones, or small fill lights compared to full-fledged camera setups. In contrast, the MT-04 supports a load of up to 11 lbs, with the LH-30 capable of supporting up to 33 lbs.
Beyond the advantage of pure weight capacity, the MT-04 combo stands apart from other mini tripods with its leg design, plate compatibility, and use of materials.
Starting with the legs, the MT-04 uses an interesting folding design. The first “level” of legs is a comparatively thick U-shaped piece of 6061 aluminum, which has been machined and anodized. In the hand, this feels reassuringly sturdy. The legs end in a round, hard rubber bumper, which helps prevent scratches on surfaces and provides some grip in the “spider” mode I’ll cover later.
Deployed to this first level, the tripod feels incredibly sturdy for its size. I’d be confident using even small telephoto lenses on this setup (though watch your center of gravity to avoid tipping). As you extend the legs, you fold out the internal sections, which increase the height of the tripod plate (excluding the head) from 5.7 in/145 mm to 8.8 in/225 mm and finally 11.4 in/290 mm.
At full extension, these final sections are pretty thin but are still solid aluminum. The wider spread results in the tripod feeling more stable in terms of lateral movement and tip resistance, though it might make it more susceptible to high-frequency vibrations.
Opening and closing the legs requires a firm level of pressure, and it felt good right out of the box. With it being a friction-based mechanism, I could see these loosening up with significant use, but since Leofoto used screws rather than rivets, tightening them back down (or altering the drag in either direction) would just require an Allen key.
If you’re seeking a tabletop tripod for applications like product or macro photography, getting the head lower is arguably more important than height. Here, the MT-04 also offers the ideal “regular tripod” experience, with machined angle stops for three different points. Using the silver buttons at the top of each leg, you can select between 35, 55, and 85 degrees, with each having a solid click to indicate actuation. At the lowest angle, the tripod head plate is less than an inch off the surface, providing a really solid foundation. The middle detent ends up at about 3.8 inches off the surface and feels like a great compromise between avoiding the table in your foreground and maintaining excellent stability.
For the final trick, the MT-04 has a “spider mode,” where the individual leg sections can be curled around objects like railings, bridging the gap between a regular solid-leg tripod and a flexible tripod like the Gorillapod. This is an interesting way to stabilize on something like a railing or glass tourist wall that has become so common. It also seems like it would raise far fewer eyebrows with security compared to spreading a full-size tripod in a no-tripod area. With the legs held by friction, I’d be cautious with some of the setups Leofoto demos, however, and I certainly wouldn’t walk away from my kit while shooting.
For macro photographers or videographers, the legs themselves come with a ton of 1/4"-20 threaded accessory holes. Using a magic arm, you could add lights, a microphone, or even a monitor, making these legs usable as a sort of pro-grade selfie stick. These holes extend down the first two sections of the legs and even contribute slightly to reducing weight, with the legs tipping the scales at just 1.4 lbs/630 g.
The paired LH-30 ball head is a simple ball head done well. Unlike many tiny ball heads, this one can pair with lenses like a 70-200 mm, thanks to a 33-lb payload. A large, well-machined knob controls locking tension, while a second smaller knob enables panning across 360 degrees. The base has laser-engraved marks for tracking panning, while a single drop-notch enables shooting at extreme angles or vertical compositions without an L-plate. The clamping plate area accepts Arca-Swiss plates and supports anti-slide screws, while the included plate has a thumbscrew and rubber anti-rotation strips. It also features a small leveling bubble.
Overall, the combo works perfectly even hefty combos like 24-70mm f/2.8 or 70-200mm lenses, while still being small enough to fit in a lens slot in a backpack, particularly if you separate the head and legs. The spider-leg design is an interesting approach to the mini-tripod trilemma of height, flexibility, and stability. It offers far more stability than the plastic and ball-joints of a Gorillapod or plastic tripod, while still having more flexibility than one-piece legs seen on a few other micro-tripods. My only real complaint is relatively minor: the tripod doesn’t have a grub/set screw for retaining the tripod head, which could be addressed via some blue Loctite if you won’t be swapping the head around frequently.
What I Liked
- High Build Quality: CNC-machined 6061 aluminum provides durability and a premium feel.
- High Load Capacity: Legs support up to 11 lbs, and the LH-30 ball head supports up to 33 lbs, making it suitable for full-frame cameras with telephoto lenses.
- Compact and Lightweight: Weighs only 1.4 lbs/630 g and is small enough to fit in a backpack lens slot.
- Flexible Leg Design:
- Foldable legs provide height options (5.7 in to 11.4 in).
- “Spider mode” allows legs to grip objects like railings, adding versatility.
- Multiple Leg Angles: Three angle stops (35°, 55°, and 85°) for different shooting scenarios, including low-to-the-ground photography.
- Accessory Mounting: Multiple 1/4"-20 threaded holes for adding lights, microphones, or monitors.
- Ball Head Features:
- Supports heavy lenses like 70-200 mm.
- Arca-Swiss compatibility with anti-slide screws.
- 360° panning and a drop-notch for vertical compositions.
- Includes a leveling bubble for precise setups.
- Stability: Wide leg spread and sturdy materials provide excellent lateral stability.
- Great Value: At $135 (marked down), it’s competitively priced compared to similar premium tabletop tripods.
- User Serviceability: Screws allow for tightening or adjusting friction in the legs, extending the tripod's lifespan.
What I Didn't Like
- Thin Extended Legs: The final leg sections are thinner, potentially making them more susceptible to vibrations.
- No Head Retention Screw: Lacks a grub/set screw for securely locking the ball head, requiring additional measures like Loctite if swapping heads frequently.
- Friction-Based Leg Mechanism: May loosen over time with significant use, though it is adjustable.
- Limited Rail or Object Grip: In “spider mode,” friction-only leg retention could limit stability on some objects, requiring caution with heavy setups.
- Higher Price Range: While offering excellent value, it’s on the higher end of mini tripods, which might not appeal to casual users.
At the time of writing, the MT-04 Combo was marked down to around $135. While this is on the higher end of tabletop or mini tripods, it’s so far beyond many of those models in terms of payload and build quality that they can’t really be cross-shopped. Instead, I’d suggest comparing exclusively to tabletop tripods intended for mirrorless or DSLR cameras, like the RRS Pocket Pod at $150 for just the legs, or the Robus RCTT-200. Compared to those models, I think the MT-04 combo is a very strong value, offering some innovative features and excellent usability with full-size cameras and lenses.
