Sachtler 1002M System Ace M aluminium with Fluid Head, Ace 75/2 D Tripod, Ground Spreader & Bag

The 1002M is System Ace M GS Mk II, the ground-spreader sibling of the 1001M. Same Ace M Mk II fluid head, same two-stage aluminium Ace 75/2 tripod, same 75 mm ball: 0 to 4 kg of payload, five counterbalance steps, three steps of Sachtler drag on both axes, and a +90 to -75 degree tilt range. Swapping the mid-level spreader for the ground spreader SP 75 is what changes the numbers, and it changes them in the direction most studio and interview crews want.

With the legs splayed onto a ground spreader the system drops to 58 cm for a low-angle setup and still reaches 173 cm at full extension, a wider working range than the mid-level version. It folds to 87 cm and the kit weighs 4.5 kg, so it still travels as one bag. The slide-in plate offers 10.4 cm of fore-aft travel to rebalance after you add a monitor or a top handle. The box holds the Ace M Mk II fluid head, the Ace 75/2 AL Mk II tripod, the SP 75 ground spreader, a carry handle, and the Ace bag.