From Emily Price,
Your Guide to Camcorders.
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I recommend everyone bring a tripod with them on any shoot whether it’s a movie shoot or something simple like a school play, baseball game. That said, as a videographer I find it difficult to bring a tripod with me everywhere I go. Good tripods tend to be bulky and heavy to carry around and I often find myself thinking it would be easier to just go without it rather than carry the thing around all day.

The Manfrotto Modo tripod is Bogen Imaging’s “take-along-anywhere” tripod. The tripod is designed for use with both video and still photography and is small enough to take along with you where ever your travels may take you. I had the opportunity to try the tripod out for a few weeks and was really impressed with how well the tripod (which weighs in around 2 pounds) worked for my professional and personal needs.

I happened to be shooting a wedding the weekend after the Modo arrived and took it with me. My associate and I were recording using a Canon XL1 and a much smaller Canon HV10. The Modo is designed to work with smaller consumer camcorders and still cameras. We decided to give it a whirl with our XL1 as well. While it worked with both camcorders however we were definitely pushing its limits with the larger and heavier XL1. The tripod probably could have handled the weight of the XL1 on its own but I found myself standing pretty close to it just in case something happened.

One thing I really like about the Modo is how small and light it is. We usually work with a much heavier tripod which while necessary for our XL1 is totally overkill for smaller camcorders. I find myself deciding to go handheld on several occasions just so I don’t have to haul around the tripod. Without a tripod however you end up with pretty shaky video.

The Modo is the perfect tripod for those situations where you want to bring a tripod, but don’t want the burden of carrying one around with you all day. The Modo is so small and light you could easily put it in a larger bookbag or strap it to a camera case and take it along with you on a hike or shoot without feeling like it’s weighing you down.

I think the Modo is an excellent purchase to use as a family tripod. I would highly recommend the Modo for family vacations, hikes, graduations, and other events. You may pay a little more for the Modo than you might for your average run of the mill tripod at your local electronic store but the difference is the Modo is a tripod you will actually WANT to carry along with you rather than one you’ll want to leave behind.