In summary
It has been said that cameras are for Christmas but tripods are for life and the Miller AiR is certainly durable enough to fit that description. With an all-up weight of almost five kilograms, the Miller AiR system provides a solid platform for outside broadcasting, whether it be for sports coverage or electronic news gathering and is suitable for filming documentaries as well corporate and event coverage. Robust construction and a simple set-up make it ideal for educational institutions who teach videography and photography.
A number of factors make it better suited to professional gear than lighter, enthusiasts’ cameras. We found the large camera platform was better able to hold substantial gear with larger base plates than lighter, plastic camera bodies and it’s not a great match for smaller CSCs.
One factor that could deter some potential purchasers is the lack of a moveable central column. Height adjustment with the Miller AiR relies upon extending the legs, which is reasonably easy but less convenient than cranking up a central column.
This isn’t a tripod for bushwalkers or anyone who wants to travel light. However, a well-designed carry bag makes it an excellent choice for location work and it will suit professional wedding and event photographers very well, particularly when they need a stable platform for recording video.
Full review
Miller Camera Support is an Australian company that has been designing tripods since Eric Miller introduced the world’s first patented fluid action tripod head in 1946. The company has specialised in support systems for film and television since it began manufacturing them in 1954 and has earned a reputation as a leader and innovator in its field. A prototype of the new AiR tripod was showcased at Broadcast Asia in mid-2013 and attracted considerable interest.
The Miller AiR system with its padded carry bag. (Source: Miller.)
Photo Review was offered the opportunity to review the Miller AiR system for readers who use DSLR cameras to record video as well as still pictures. Having reviewed the Vinten Vision blue3 system, a couple of months ago, we were happy to accept.
Who’s it For?
It has been said that cameras are for Christmas but tripods are for life and the Miller AiR is certainly durable enough to fit that description. With an all-up weight of almost five kilograms, the Miller AiR system provides a solid platform for outside broadcasting, whether it be for sports coverage or electronic news gathering and is suitable for filming documentaries as well corporate and event coverage. Robust construction and a simple set-up make it ideal for educational institutions who teach videography and photography.
A number of factors make it better suited to professional gear than lighter, enthusiasts’ cameras. We found the large camera platform was better able to hold substantial gear with larger base plates than lighter, plastic camera bodies and it’s not a great match for smaller CSCs.
One factor that could deter some potential purchasers is the lack of a moveable central column. Height adjustment with the Miller AiR relies upon extending the legs, which is reasonably easy but less convenient than cranking up a central column.
This isn’t a tripod for bushwalkers or anyone who wants to travel light. However, a well-designed carry bag makes it an excellent choice for location work and it will suit professional wedding and event photographers very well, particularly when they need a stable platform for recording video.
Build and Ergonomics
Made in Australia, the Miller AiR is fabricated mainly from aluminium alloy to provide solidity and durability with the least possible weight while maintaining a competitive price tag (AU$1,165 ex-GST). It comes in a double-layered bag made from ripstop nylon with a padded base and full-length zip that makes it easy to remove the tripod quickly.
Two handles on the top of the bag make it easy to carry and a wide Velcro grip patch holds them together for extra comfort. The strap is long enough to slip your arm through, allowing you to sling the bag over one shoulder.
The tripod’s legs are very solid, with an outer diameter of 13 cm. When packed, they are secured by a neat little strap, which is attached to one leg and has a side-release clip, similar to the clips on backpack straps.
Two inner section in each leg pull out smoothly to raise the camera platform to a height of a little more than 1.5 metres. The legs are easily clamped into place with a quarter turn of the locking grip to loosen and lock. Each grip annulus has a thickly-ridged surface to ensure fast and easy adjustment, regardless of whether the user is wearing gloves.
The tripod head sits atop the legs, resting on a large metal half-ball, which is 75 mm in diameter and is held in place by a vertical pressure clamp than extends below it. The head on this clamp has a hand-wheel with four deep indentations. This makes it easy to secure and release the ball, which allows the head to move very smoothly.
This system provides a wide range of positional adjustments for the tripod head but, when clamped the camera is held solidly in place. But they don’t include height adjustment, which can only be done by extending the legs. While the rapid leg locks make this isn’t quick and easy, it’s more time-consuming than cranking up a central column. However, sitting the camera platform directly on top of the legs makes it much more stable and secure, so you must balance convenience against stability.
The camera platform is attached to the half-ball and moved by a single arm, which is 39 cm long and handles both panning and tilting operations. All movements are well-damped and you can easily clamp the head in place with a small twist of the hand-wheel. When clamped, the head showed no signs of slippage when we loaded the head with the heaviest camera+ lens combination we could access (a total of 5.6 kg).
One minor irritant was the need to loosen off the pan handle in order to adjust the lever clamp on the right hand side of the camera platform. This needs to be done again to return the pan handle to its storage position snuggled up to the legs.
Comparison
The Miller AiR system addressed the same target market as the Vinten Vision blue3 system: professional and semi-pro photographers who have large cameras, shoot a lot of video and require a solid and reliable platform that is portable and reasonably compact. The Miller AiR system is two kilograms lighter and rated for a load that is 1.6 kg less but has a height range advantage of 72 mm.
The Vinten Vision blue3 has a much more sophisticated head, with excellent counterbalancing that makes panning very easy, particularly when you have to follow subjects that change position erratically. With the Miller AiR, you must control camera movements through a combination of the pan handle and the ball clamp, which requires a bit of practice to master. Let go of the pan handle on the Vision blue3 and the head carrying the camera remains in place; with the Miller AiR, it flops downwards.
The Vision blue3 also sports an illuminated blue LED levelling bubble, which is larger and easier to see (particularly in poorly-lit situations) than the rather small bubble level on the Miller AiR. And, while both tripods are difficult to topple when set up, the Vision blue3’s legs provide a better range of adjustments for uneven surfaces and cramped spaces and they cater better for low shooting angles.
We couldn’t see much difference between the camera plates on both tripods, both of which are slid into the head mounting and secured with clamps. The lever clamp on the Vision blue3 was simpler to use than the lever+ push-in clamps on the Miller AiR. But the Miller AiR provides both the standard 1/4-inch screw and pin assembly that will suit most cameras and camcorders and a 3/8-inch screw, while the Vision blue3 only provides the former.
We had a slight preference for the carry bag supplied with the Miller AiR system, which we found more comfortable to carry; it also made the tripod quite a bit easier to remove and re-pack. For some photographers, the purchasing decision will come down to price and here the Miller AiR system has a big advantage as it’s less than half the price of the Vinten Vision blue3 system we reviewed.
The weight advantage also favours the Miller AiR system, which is better suited to photographers on the move. And, if you prefer to buy Australian, you can satisfy that desire with the Miller AiR system. It also comes with a three-year warranty.
SPECS
Construction materials: Lightweight aluminium alloy
Height range: 371 mm to 1762 mm
Leg extension: 2-stage telescopic
Leg lock: Rapid 1/4-turn concentric
Spreader: Built-in 3 leg angle positions
Feet: Spike with wind-down rubber feet
Payload range: 2 kg to 5 kg
Pan handle: 390mm x 20mm diameter
Pan/tilt drag: Constant full fluid
Counterbalance: 2 positions
Tilt angle: +90 degrees to -75 degrees
Camera plate: Quick release sliding plate with 60 mm balance travel, one 1/4-inch camera screw and pin plus 1/4-inch and 3/8 -inch camera screws
Ball level: 75 mm diameter plus bubble level
Transport length: 837 mm
Weight: 4.9 kg
Supplied with: Padded bag with carry handled (0.4 kg)
Distributor:Miller Camera Support Equipment; http://www.millertripods.com/
Rating
RRP: AU$1,165 ex-GST; (not available in the US)
- Build quality: 9.3
- Features: 8.5
- Stability: 9.0
- Versatility: 8.0