Leofoto MT-02+MBH-19 mini tripod with ball head MBH-19

Leofoto MT-02 + MBH-19: when “small” suddenly gets very serious

You know how it is: you “just quickly” want to capture something, put the camera down somewhere, and boom, the shot tilts like a badly parked shopping cart. That’s exactly where the Leofoto MT-02+MBH-19 mini tripod with MBH-19 ball head comes into play. Tiny, yes. But not delicate.

The set consisting of the MT-02 mini tripod and the MBH-19 ball head weighs only 0.251 kg in total. It’s so light that it tends to “duck away” in your bag. And still: it doesn’t feel like a toy, more like a small tool you suddenly want to have with you all the time. We catch ourselves packing it more often than planned. Simply because it fits.

Material and design: 6061-T6 aluminum, tripod, table, ground, mini and already with head

The whole thing is made from 6061-T6 aluminum. Sounds technical, but in everyday use it’s quite pleasant, because it feels robust without being bulky. And yes, it’s a three-legged tripod, a table tripod, a ground tripod, a mini tripod and also a tripod with head. Lots of terms, but they’re accurate: you can put it on a table, place it on the ground, move it close to the edge, or simply use it as a small, stable “platform”.

Each leg has 1 leg segment. No telescopic overkill, no fiddling, no “wait, where was that twist lock again”. Set it down, align it, done. So simple it’s almost cheeky.

MBH-19 ball head: 1/4" UNC mounting bolt and a platform for quick-release accessories

The MBH-19 ball head is not just “included”, it’s really the point where the set grows up. The platform of the Leofoto MBH-19 ball head with the 1/4" UNC mounting bolt allows you to mount various quick-release accessories with a 1/4" UNC thread. In normal language: you’re not nailed down to a single setup, but can screw on accessories that match your workflow.

And because we know it from real use: if you want to switch quickly from landscape to portrait format without everything wobbling or “giving way”, then a smoothly operating ball head is worth its weight in gold. Not glamorous. But reassuring.

Where it really shines: travel photography, low-angle work, macro photography

For travel photography, this set is a little joker. It takes up hardly any space even in smaller camera bags, and when you’re on the go, that’s exactly what counts. Especially when you’re already lugging around enough gear and still don’t want to sacrifice stability. To put it this way: it’s the kind of piece you take along “just in case” and then end up using all the time. Well.

When working close to the ground, the MT-02 really plays to its strengths. You want to get way down, change perspective, shoot just above the asphalt or between blades of grass? Works. And for macro photography it’s also a very obvious choice, because you can position the camera in a controlled and steady way without constantly bumping into things with a large tripod.

Maybe this sounds a bit like understatement, but that’s exactly the charm: this mini tripod puts hardly any limits on freedom, flexibility and creativity. It’s not loud, not flashy, not “look at me”. It just does its job. And does it pretty well.

Small everyday test, honestly: quickly stowed, quickly back again

In practice, it’s often this “ah, it’ll be fine” that ruins photos. With the Leofoto MT-02+MBH-19 you have a small, stable base that you can set up without any fuss. Bam. Done. And when you move on, it disappears back into your bag as if nothing happened.

And yes, we’re repeating ourselves a bit, because it really matters: 0.251 kg total weight. That’s not just a number, it’s the difference between “stays at home” and “comes along”.