I wrote recently about my disappointment regarding the credit card-sized tripod, the CardPOD, which was portable but unstable, not what you want in a tripod. Undeterred, I searched for a more suitable replacement and stumbled upon the Ulanzi MA30. I was already familiar with Ulanzi as I own some of their 52mm MagFilter Magnetic Filters.
A Different Approach
The MA30 has a lightweight, all-metal body with a premium feel to it. The feet for the tripod fold into the body and, like the CardPOD, it has a strong, Magsafe, magnetic ring to attach it to your phone. However, for me, the thing that makes it really stand out is the carabiner clip built into the Magsafe ring to allow you to easily and securely clip it onto your rucksack, jeans, etc.
The issue with the CardPOD was one of instability and I had no confidence that it would stand upright nor that the phone would stay connected – given the price of the phone that was not a lack of confidence I wanted!
Opened out the MA30 feels solid and the Magsafe connection is strong and I didn’t overly worry that the phone was going to disconnect as I did with the CardPOD. The foot pulls down and contains within it two further feet that fold out giving a very stable platform. It’s not a lot of use on uneven surfaces, when you would need a traditional tripod with legs lengths you can change, but the MA30 is great for flat surfaces such as when watching videos on the train or plane. It’s also great for giving you a bit of extra reach when taking selfies too.
The form factor of the MA30 is slightly larger than the CardPOD but being able to clip it onto your bag is a great idea giving you quick access and stores it out the way when not in use.
I highly recommend the MA30 and you can buy a MA30 for about £20 here and, as a bonus, it is available in a variety of colours.
