SIRUI SQ75 Tripod with VHS10 Head Review – Best Budget Set?

by Graham SheldonAugust 29^th, 2024

SIRUI, known primarily as an affordable optics manufacturer, is continuing their move into the crowded tripod category with a variety of tripods aimed at photo and video users. With a lower price point in mind, the SIRUI SQ75 tripod legs and the VHS10 tripod head promise plenty of features on paper, but does it hold up in the field? Let’s jump into a field review of the new SIRUI SQ75mm tripod.

Perhaps no filmmaking tool can be more of a headache or more of a useful tool than the humble tripod. I may grumble when I pay a high price for tripods, but the alternative (purchasing something cheap that doesn’t work) is a much worse fate. I don’t like cutting corners with my tripods because I depend on them while filming all over the world in environments as varied as the jungles in the Philippines to the F1 race tracks in Europe.

As I’m sure you know, the repercussions of a tripod failing or tipping over can be catastrophic. I never understood filmmakers who purchase an expensive camera and then skimp on the media, accessories, or a tripod. In my humble opinion, that way lies disaster.

If you’ve followed my other product reviews, you’ll already know I tend to be skeptical when manufacturers move out of the product categories they are known for. SIRUI’s affordable anamorphic and spherical lenses almost occupy a low-cost price category of their own, and they support a ton of different lens mounts—everything from the Z-mount to RF and L and everything in between.

Low-cost options continue in the tripod category, with everyone from Tilta to Ulanzi and SmallRig offering new tripods in an attempt to carve out their own niche.

These reviews must become even more discerning because there are now so many products to compare with the SIRUI SQ75 legs paired with VHS10. For me and all the filmmakers out there, more options are a good problem to have.

So, let’s dive in.

Initial impressions

The tripod itself is primarily gray and black, with touches of the SIRUI company brand blue here and there. The system, at least in this first new release batch, ships with a ground spreader and mid-level spreader (you often must choose one or the other from more premium brands). It is constructed from aluminum, carbon fiber, plastic, and the occasional steel components.

Remove the tripod base, and you’ll see the feet are spiked for use in grass, dirt, sand, or other environments where the ground could be slippery.

Carrying tripods can be a bit annoying (plenty of places to pinch yourself). SIRUI has responded by including a comfy handle that connects right to the top part of the SQ75 legs with an included Allen key and little pins that prevent the handle from spinning. The Allen/hex key stores right inside the handle – which is a nice touch, too.

Everything ships in a soft case that, unfortunately, does not have an external or internal envelope for storing accessories. This is a bit annoying because if you decide to use the mid-level spreader, you have no neat compartment to store your ground-level spreader in, or vice versa. Depending on your rig, another pocket would also allow you to store extra camera plates or even a VCT plate accessory. I would not recommend checking this tripod in the soft case without adding additional padding.

Let’s dive into the advertised specs for this tripod:

• System weight: 5.89 kg/13 lbs
• Seven steps of counterbalance
• Weather resistant fluid dampening design
• Working Temp Between -30C to 70C / -22F to 158F
• 3+0 Tilt / Pan Adjustment
• Load Capacity for VHS10 Head: 9.97kg/22 lbs
• Load Capacity for SQ75 Legs: 17.7kg/39 lbs
• Price: $499.00

Balancing your camera rig as you move it from a gimbal to a tripod is easy with the battery-operated light bubble level and the top-of-the-head distance markings. The bubble light battery is quickly replaceable and looks like a common watch battery.

Raise everything to its top position, and your camera will be a little over 5.5 feet off the ground. However, it is worth keeping in mind that this isn’t a high hat, and you’ll only be able to stay about 2.1 feet off the ground at the lowest point.

SIRUI SQ75 tripod – competitors

If you caught any of our NAB 2024 coverage, you would have already seen lots of discussion about new tripods from the likes of FALCAM/Ulanzi and SmallRig and a monopod from YC Onion and iFootage.

In marketing materials, SIRUI compares their tripod to the SmallRig AD120 and the Ulanzi Video Fast (both priced at $599). The Ulanzi and SIRUI tripods have similar load capacities of 9.98kg/22 lbs, but the SmallRig AD120’s is a few pounds less, at 7.98kg/17.6 lbs.

Tilta also now has a 75mm tripod with a similar load capacity to Ulanzi’s Video Fast, but it sports a pricier $999 price tag as of publishing. Is your head swimming a bit? Mine too.

Due to the mirrorless camera revolution and the move toward smaller lenses (some from SIRUI), we don’t need the load capacity we used to. Even mid-body cinema cameras like the upcoming Canon C400 or the Sony FX9 aren’t that heavy fully rigged out.

A good tripod

What are the qualities of a good tripod, you might ask? Load capacity and overall weight (you’ll be lugging this thing around) need to be considered, but I’d like to add a third quality, which might be less obvious. For me, the tripod serves as an extension of my creativity, and as such, it has to be easy to use—so easy that I’m able to work off motor memory to grab a shot quickly before the moment is gone.

Cost is a consideration, but most tripods should be tools that last for years without requiring frequent service.

Usability

My favorite feature of the VHS10 tripod head is the handle for the 75mm half bowl. One time-consuming aspect of tripods is the need to transfer the tripod head back and forth between a slider (perhaps a Dana dolly), as unscrewing the tripod head from the legs always takes time. For this, SIRUI engineers devised an interesting solution: unscrew the handle a few rotations and then hit a blue button to instantly remove the tripod head from the legs.

Are you worried about hitting the blue button early? Don’t be. The design makes it impossible. The design also takes a few seconds off the process of separating the legs from the head. This is very, very cool and maybe my favorite innovation in this tripod. If you can try this tripod out at a trade show or a retailer show, I encourage you to demo this part because it might be one of those features you wish you’d always had.

I wasn’t able to test this out myself because I don’t have those gimbal plates, but the tripod head should accept both the RS2 and RS3 gimbal plates as well as those from DJI.

One of the actions I care most about is the ability to raise or lower the tripod to different heights. Most designs I’ve seen these days allow for unlocking one mechanism per leg to raise or lower the tripod, and this has removed the annoying need to unlock multiple knobs at different heights. Three large locking blue knobs (see the above image) allow for the raising and lowering of the legs (always taking care to have one hand on the camera for safety). A satisfying click sounds when the legs lock into place. SIRUI seems to recognize the knobs as a potential point of failure or weakening over time, so you have direct access to the screws if you need to tighten or replace them.

I will say the blue knobs could be machined a bit around the edges as I found them slightly sharp to grasp quickly while working. I want to be clear here that they certainly won’t cut you, but they aren’t that comfy to grasp in a hurry.

The 7-step counterbalance system is solid and if you take care to keep your camera within the payload limit, you’ll find the tripod head works with you to keep your shots smooth and to remove the feel of the weight from the camera. In a sense, it feels like power steering. Additionally, you don’t have that annoying sound I’ve experienced with other systems when the tripod clicks between stages during a pan or tilt.

Another impressive part of the VHS10 head is how close to 90 degrees you can tilt it when pointing down. You can also tilt almost straight up (about 60 degrees). Product shooters will appreciate that 90-degree tilt and the fact that you have such a wide range when tilting makes it a bit easier to under-sling this tripod head compared to other tripods I’ve used in the past.

Final thoughts

Purchasing a tripod is always a bit of a dance. You need a tripod that handles the maximum weight of your camera but gives you some flexibility if you want to add a heavier zoom or FIZ gear. In instances where you are filming alone, you don’t want the tripod weight or operation to slow your pace. SIRUI has balanced these considerations well here with a 5.89kg/13 lb tripod that doesn’t break your back to carry while giving you a 9.97kg/22 lb payload capacity that will fit well with various mirrorless cameras and even some smaller/mid-sized cinema bodies.

Both the SQ75 tripod leg together with the VHS10 head are shipping as a set now for $499, and I’ve been told by the SIRUI team that a 100mm version could arrive as soon as Q4 2024.

What do you think? Will you be adding this new SIRUI tripod to your kit? Let us know in the comments below!