Sienna Plein Air Pochade Box Easel Large

My review comprises the following aspects: visual inspection, physical integration to tripod and stability check. I also made weight comparison.I have not yet tried it in plain-air painting mission.Quality of material: excellent.Human-factors Design and handling: very good. Easy to install and use.Integration and stability on camera-tripod: very good.Weight: very good (see my comparison to New Wave U.GO pochade).My Weight Comparison to New Wave U.GO large:The Sienna includes extra things: a) Tray & Brush Holder. b) Glass palette.Sienna weight: 5 pound with these 2 extra things above.U.GO weight: 3.15 pound.If one compare apples-to-apples the result is that the delta in weight between the Sienna and U.GO is: 0.75 pound. Meaning if we take out the additional extras from the Sienna, the “normalized” weight of the Sienna would be 3.9 pound, check compared to 3.15 of U.GO.The Sienna cost is less than the U.GO hence, considering “Cost/weight “ ratio-effectiveness in my opinion the Sienna is better or equal compared to U.GO (given the prices I saw when I purchased the Sienna. I purchased mine with 23% discount from the Amazon highest price. Of course there are more aspects to consider if one wants to weigh all the aspects, such as available accessories etc. and each product has its own advantage to the specific painter’s needs.Data for comparison: Tray & Brush Holder weight: 0.5 pound. Glass: 1.23 pound. Since U.GO has plastic palette I assumed reduction of half 0.6 pound in the comparison. So total extras of the Sienna is: 1.1 pound to be deducted.Important note: you have to slide the Support Arm all the way to rear position to enjoy the stability of the canvas holder.I purchased the Sienna Large CT-PB-1012.

I always prefer Sienna Plein Air gears than other brand for its elegant design. I owned the set of the easel rack and paint box. They are so nice to use and thoughtfully designed. The paint box is really nice to use but a little bit bulky as it has two attachments for the tripod. When I need to walk a bit longer, I need something lean and easily fit into my backpack. This is the one!As other reviews indicated, it is really important to slide the support arm ALL THE WAY BACK, and then adjust to the desired angle and then secure the knobs. Please read the instruction. It is actually quite straightforward.Another pro is this set includes all the accessories, that I do not need to purchase trays or bands.This box can hold lots of paint. For one-day painting, I might just squeeze the paint in the box.I just love this box and Sienna’s craftsmanships. It feels like something from an era before all the Tech and Internet. But it is still so light and easy to use.

I did a lot of research before I bought this Prochade box, ( ie an all in or or one with panel storage etc) and while there are pros and cons about them all I wanted the box on the top of the tripod to be as simple as possible, so I opted for a box with just a palette and panel holder. This was the box that rose to the top.Pros: Great customer service, not too heavy, easy to set up, solid construction, comes with glass palette, decent size, affordable, included side tray-Cons- the nob arm hinge. the metal clips which hold in painting are too big.Despite the cons one can easily reconfigure them. Ie take off the arm and get Tension hinges. I debated about this but the cost for the hinges and since part of the arm is glued on top of being screwed in, made it not worth the effort. The arm works fine even if it is a bit of a pain and sticks out a lot. And i don't know who is complaining that it doesn't hold, mine is rock solid once screwed in which is why i believe they used an arm instead of Tension Hinges. The arm is more stable. . 2nd adjustment is -I took out the glass palate. While it was nice they included it in the price it added too much weight and I went for plexi instead. 3- I filed down the metal clips cause they are just too big and I didn't want to paint around them all the time.My final comment is about the customer service. All the questions I asked before I bought it were answered immediately and with good advice based on my needs. When my box arrived with a defective panel support they shipped the replacement part same day. So far it is has been a great experience all around. I would definitely recommend this box. Can't beat the price! Also bought the Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and saved a lot of money. Love this tripod and Prochade box combo.

I took this box out for its inaugural session last weekend and was impressed in every way. I used a camera tripod, weighted with my backpack, but had initial concerns because I was out on a dock and the wind was incredibly strong. Specifically, I was worried that the magnets on the brush holder would not be strong enough to keep it from lifting. However, everything held. My 8x10 panel clipped in easily and remained secure. It was sturdy enough that I think even the few moments I braced the box were probably unnecessary.I had more than ample space to mix colors. I had mixed feelings about a little paint splatter getting on the box because I like to keep things pristine, but also now it feels like mine. I'm definitely a fan.

Well manufactured. Beautiful and useful