Jack of All Trades, Master of All: ProMaster's Tripod Does What Others Can't

When ProMaster’s new Chronicle tripod arrived to assessment, I did a fast stock and located eight camera helps in my home, not counting the odd assortment of desk stands for smartphones and mics that appear to pile up like USB cables.

Whereas eight is a large quantity of tripods, it’s not unusual for photographers and videographers to finish up with a number of tripods, every serving a particular want.

As with all sponsored content material I write, I agreed to assessment the Chronicle tripod provided that it added one thing to my camera help assortment and improved my life. Surprisingly, the ProMaster Chronicle’s distinctive design supplied one thing that was lacking from my assortment, which turned out to be extra invaluable.

I knew the Chronicle’s promoting level is that it may be rapidly configured into numerous setups, however I’ve heard that earlier than. Often, corporations claiming they’ve made a flexible tripod merely give a detachable heart column for low-level capturing.

At first look, the Chronicle is yet-another full-sized, well-built carbon fiber tripod that may collapse right into a small and conveyable package deal. They are saying appears are deceiving, and the Chronicle turned out to be greater than meets the attention.

I deliberately skipped studying the quick-release information to offer it an opportunity to impress me, which it did.

What grew to become readily obvious in my capturing was that the designers didn’t simply spend time designing a stable tripod to compete with different manufacturers. They created a tripod meant to get rid of the necessity to personal a number of specialty tripods by offering a number of capabilities in a single design.

Through the years, I’ve discovered that all-in-one units are often no higher than the instruments they substitute. For instance, a Swiss Military Knife screwdriver is rarely nearly as good as an precise screwdriver, however it can get by while you’re on a shoot and understand you forgot an actual screwdriver. 

The Chronicle is a uncommon gadget that doesn’t simply get by in a pinch; it does a greater job than many single-feature tripods I’ve used.

There’s a carbon fiber and an aluminum model of the Chronicle. At 4.19 kilos (carbon) or 4.74 kilos (aluminum) the Chronicle is already one of the lightest tripods in my assortment. Contemplating it does the job of a number of camera helps on the identical time, the load is much more spectacular.

Versatile Setup

Extending from its compact folded place right into a human-height tripod is achieved by rotating locking rings on the four-section legs. When absolutely prolonged, the tripod measures 59 inches tall.

As soon as the principle tripod legs are opened, the distinctive heart column is revealed; this column is the key to the Chronicle’s versatility.

The middle column is segmented with a squat metallic physique and small legs linked by a screw mount. This patent-pending part known as the Flexor.

For super-low-level capturing, unscrew the legs from the underside of the Flexor, pull the tripod’s leg locks outward, and decrease the legs to just about horizontal. The working peak when horizontal is just 8.25 inches.

Pulling the Flexor column out via the highest of the tripod and gripping it by the folded legs, you need to use it as a stabilizer. Unfold the legs, and the Flexor turns right into a tabletop tripod.

Since I reviewed the Chronicle earlier than launch, the consumer information wasn’t out there, however I made a decision to skip the supplied fast information to be stunned by the distinctive options.

That’s how I missed that Chronicle additionally converts right into a monopod utilizing one of the tripod’s legs.

This conversion begins by eradicating the Flexor column the identical method as when utilizing it as a stabilizer or a tabletop tripod.

The small tripod ft linked to the Flexor column’s backside are eliminated, revealing a screw mount. After unscrewing one of the tripod’s legs, that leg could be hooked up to the screw mount on the underside of the Flexor column.

The monopod can be utilized with the usual rubber foot on the underside of the tripod leg, or that foot could be eliminated and changed with the tabletop tripod ft for added stability. 

I sometimes use a monopod with out ft as most monopods have both a weak joint connecting the tripod ft to the monopod, or no joint in any respect.

The Chronicle has a solid-feeling locking ball joint which permits for one of the best of each monopod worlds. Lock the ball joint to make use of the monopod in a set capturing perspective, or unlock it and pivot the tripod. In both case the fold-down ft present nice stability. 

The Head of the Matter

The tripod head, a weak spot in lots of in any other case good tripods, is amazingly designed. The pinnacle incorporates a dovetail-connecting Arca-compatible plate with a stable launch mechanism.

I didn’t anticipate finding that the entire mount mechanism rotates 90º to permit for landscape-oriented images or vertical video. I used the Chronicle with a Canon 6D Mark II, the beefy 24-105mm RF lens, and the beefier 135mm RF lens.

This mix may cause tripod plates to slide, however the Chronicle tripod head holds this mix effectively when tightened, even when rotated to the vertical place.

I additionally didn’t anticipate finding a built-in smartphone holder as half of the tripod head. The patent-pending ball head consists of an adapter that eliminates the necessity for a screw-in adapter to shoot with a telephone. Change from the Arca-compatible plate to a telephone clamp with simply the twist of a knob. The tripod head additionally has a removable deal with to make it simpler to seize easy video.

So-Many-In-One

As a artistic working in images and videography, I usually seize a number of completely different camera helps after I head out for a job.

If I’m capturing panorama or actual property images, I often deliver a tripod that may convert to low-level capturing or a tabletop tripod. I wish to deliver a tripod and a monopod for wildlife and sports activities.

For video work, my typical equipment features a video tripod with a video head and a tabletop tripod that I can use when doing a seated speaking head. I’ll deliver a stabilizer for a vertical video or a walking-follow shot. I all the time carry a vertical tripod head, or I’ll get a smartphone tripod head, relying on whether or not I’m capturing with a mirrorless camera or smartphone.

I hadn’t even thought-about utilizing one tripod for my artistic wants as a result of one didn’t exist. Worse, most multi-use tripods are “jack of all trades, masters of none” designs, sacrificing construct high quality for flexibility.

The Chronicle tripod is a uncommon beast that’s designed to perform a number of duties and to carry out these duties with out compromises or shortcomings.

Pricing and Availability

The ProMaster Chronicle will be available on Kickstarter starting August 22, 2023 at 10 AM EDT.

Tremendous Early Chook Pricing will permit clients to save lots of as much as 43%. Within the first 48 hours the Carbon Fiber tripod is $319 and the Aluminum tripod is $239. These discounted costs are a $180 low cost.