Time-Lapse Tips and Tools

The red Element MII Aluminum Tripod with Ball Head from Manfrotto is a four-section support weighing 3.5 lb with a twist leg-lock system. Turning the twist leg locks disengages and extends the legs along the rapid center column to extend the tripod to its maximum height of 63". The tripod can also be setup close to the ground by splaying the legs out in its two-leg position. For transport or storage, the legs fold in the reverse to a compact 16.7" and are easily transported in the included carrying bag.

As part of the tripod, the Arca-type compatible ball head has a main locking knob to control the ball movement, and an independent pan-locking knob for the 360° rotation of the head. The ball head comes with the 200LT-PL-PRO technopolymer quick release plate, which is a light version of the standard 200PL-PRO. The plate is compatible with Arca-Swiss and Manfrotto RC2 quick release systems. The head's load capacity is 17.6 lb, so it can support a mirrorless or large DSLR camera without difficulty.