Review: SmallRig PT-30 reverse folding tripod for cell phones / lights $27

Price as reviewed: $27
SmallRig Phone Tripod with Remote, 67" Tripod for Camera Reverse-Folding, Universal Tripod Stand for Pivo Auto Tracking Holder and Light, for Video, Vlog, Selfie and Live Stream, Encore PT-30 4363
Aluminum legs & telescoping center post fold small but extend up to six feet tall. The spring clamp cell phone holder works well and grips your phone securely. I especially appreciate the 180 degree swivel that makes switching between landscape and portrait orientation very easy.
It includes a "snail gimbal" that allows you to point the phone down at a table (rotation is performed by picking up the entire tripod stand and rotating it, which isn't difficult as it is very lightweight). This functions well enough, but is a bit too "clicky" for my taste, I'd prefer a smoother swivel instead of one with locking indents.
The bottom of the tripod has a spring extending hook from which you could hang a water bottle to give the tripod a little extra stability. [But there is only a foot under the tripod part, so a backpack would probably be too large...] Most of the height comes from the extending center pole.
The package includes a generic bluetooth shutter button, which is acceptable if you don't already have one, and may be necessary as when fully extended the tripod can take 5-10 seconds to stop waving around after you let go of it.
If you trade off height by folding the legs into the "almost flat" configuration, it has a wide base and should be able to hold up in mild to medium wind, but I worry that the long central pole may sway in the wind even if it does not fall over.
At this inexpensive price point, the quality on the tripod and phone holder is good. (The snail gimbal and bluetooth shutter button feel like you'd expect at this price as thrown in extra accessories, functional but nothing special.)
The tripod alone is worth the price, and would make a good LED light panel stand for mid to low positioning purposes.

[@dmytrochaika7570]

Thank you!

[@dmytrochaika7570]

Hey, you may want to check your Amazon link, at least for me it is broken.

[@summetj]

Yah, it appears that Smallrig doesn't offer this particular model any more. The closest I could find has a lot of extra features and a significantly higher price.... amzn.to/3Rgo2an

[@paocanopin729]

Thank you!