Ulanzi MT-11 Multi-Function Octopus Tripod Review

The Ulanzi MT-11 is a multi-function, octopus mini-tripod offered by Chinese company Ulanzi. 

Ulanzi, the company, designs and manufactures a wide range of camera accessories including:

1. Tripods
2. Camera cages
3. Camera Stabilizers and more. 

I bought my Ulanzi MT-11 in November of 2023, and since then it has served as my primary vlogging tripod. 

My name is Dennis Ohuru, a YouTuber with a monetized YouTube channel by the same name.

That said, I am ready to share my experiences with the tripod, both good and bad, to help you decide if the Ulanzi MT-11 is a worthy investment and whether it will make a good addition to your camera kit.

Welcome to my review of the Ulanzi MT-11 multifunction, octopus mini-tripod. 

Ulanzi MT-11 Unboxing

I remember unboxing my MT-11 with an excitement that I wish I had every day. You see, the thing is, I bought it at a time when I was as broke as the meanest church mouse. 

The guy at the camera shop, due to the pitiful state of my finances, had offered to sell it to me in a higher-purchase model. 

And so I paid first ksh 2,000, all the money I had between me and the grave, and then another 1,000 about a month later. 

Ksh 3000, which is the price I paid for my Ulanzi MT-11, is equivalent to about USD 25-30. 

All that is to say, I was very happy to get my hands on this device. I opened the box with a giddiness that… I digress;

When you open the box, you are met with 2 things;

• The Ulanzi MT-11 Tripod
• Manual

Ulanzi MT-11 Specifications

Below are the main specifications of the Ulanzi MT-11 multi-function tripod.

Ulanzi MT-11 Product highlights

The Ulanzi MT-11 comes packed with extensive features that any discerning cinematographer will appreciate.

Here are some of the ones I’ve found most useful:

Multi-Function Holder

The Ulanzi MT-11 has an integrated multifunction holder that allows it to be used either with a camera or a smartphone without the need for extra accessories.

This is a very useful feature, especially for those creators who use both their smartphone and camera when making content.

The integrated multi-function holder is designed in such a way that the top camera plate can be pulled and turned sideways to hold a smartphone. (I have attached a video to illustrate)

The Universal phone clip extends up to 3.7 inches and can therefore accommodate a wide range of smartphone devices.

Interestingly, I used the Ulanzi MT-11 for months before I discovered this feature. And when I did, I loved it instantly. 

It struck me as a very clever design feature, and to package it the way they have is just genius, huge props to the design team over at Ulanzi. 

360° Rotating Ball Head 

The 360° rotating ball head on the Ulanzi MT-11 allows the tripod to be set up at any angle when making content. 

In addition, once you’ve set up the tripod to your preferred angle of shooting, you can lock the 360° rotating ball head using a lever “helpfully” placed just beside the ball head.

Once it is locked, the ball head will remain fixed until you unlock it again using the lever.

The ball head, with its angles of movement, will support both vertical and horizontal shooting. 

Removable Head

The Ulanzi MT-11 has a removable top, which means you can unscrew the top part of the tripod holding the ball head and the camera plate.

This can come in handy if you want to reduce the weight of the device (It’s already light though) when vlogging.

Another scenario where I think you may need to remove the top of the tripod is if you want to use it with other cameras that are either too big or too small to fit on the camera plate. 

Rubber, Octopus legs

The Tripod incorporates rubber, octopus legs that can be turned and bent to all manner of shapes.

This allows the tripod to be mounted and used in as versatile a manner as the environment of shooting calls for.

You can place the tripod down, fold it to a tree, suspend it from the ceiling etcetera.

There’s no shortage of ways you can use the tripod, the only thing that will hold you back will be your creativity in deploying the Ulanzi MT-11

Built In Cold Shoe

Say you want to use the Ulanzi MT-11 with extra gear like microphones or auxiliary camera equipment like LED lights. 

The Tripod has a built-in cold shoe near the top, allowing you to mount auxiliary equipment to the tripod, like an LED light or a microphone, extending its usage past just being a normal tripod. 

Camera Mount Screw Feature

The Ulanzi MT-11 includes, in its camera plate, a screw mechanism that allows for faster mounting and removal of a camera.

Just align the Camera screw port to the Camera plate on top of the Ulanzi MT-11, and then screw it in using Ulanzi’s screw feature that is illustrated in the attached video. 

A very useful feature, I find this mechanism to be. 

Flat Camera Plate 

I find that the flat camera plate on top of the Ulanzi MT-11 holds my Canon M50 camera perfectly. 

Unlike other tripods that don’t offer a camera plate on the top and leave your camera hanging like a taco on top of a stick (not a very good example)

The Ulanzi MT-11 makes sure to include a flat camera plate on which your camera rests once it is mounted to the tripod. 

I find that the camera plate makes my camera sit very stably on top of the tripod and makes my content-making endeavour that much better. 

The Design Of The Ulanzi MT-11

The tripod is made of an interesting blend of aluminium alloy and rubber.

The Octopus legs are made of rubber and the top of the tripod is made of aluminum alloy. 

A few parts of the tripod are made of plastic like the ball head. But the plastic is kept to a minimum. 

The design of the Ulanzi MT-11, in my opinion, is fit to purpose, with just the right blend of quality material and engineering ingenuity to make it feel premium in the hand. 

The tripod doesn’t feel cheap and isn’t clunky. It has a reassuring weight and feel to it and when you pull it out of the box and use it for the first time, it will bring a happy smile to your face.

I can promise you that. 

Durability

I have had my Ulanzi MT-11 tripod for a little over 3 months now (I purchased it in November of 2023)

And in my time using it, I’ve never felt at all worried about spoiling the tripod with a drop or something similar.

I have used the tripod in some extreme environments, including construction sites, and dusty places, and in the rain, I have submerged it in water to clean it after particularly grimy shots.

And the tripod is still as good as new. (Watch my YouTube videos to see the kind of grimmy and dusty places I go to) 

I can confidently say that the Ulanzi MT-11 (while not designed for extremely hardy stuff) will survive almost anything the conventional cinematographer throws at it.

Just as long as you are not hitting it with a hammer or dropping it from the top of buildings, it should survive.

Pros and Cons

Price

The Ulanzi MT-11 is priced from anywhere between USD 25 to 30. 

And at that price, it is, in my opinion, a steal. 

Summary

The Ulanzi MT-11 is a capable, easy-to-use, excellently designed, multi-function mini tripod that will have you itching to go out of the house and make content. 

If only to make people green with envy looking at your snazzy tripod. I have and still enjoy using it and I can recommend it to any cinematographer, vlogger or content maker looking for a budget mini tripod.