ULANZI TT52 Invisible Selfie Stick Tripod Review: Drone-Style Shots Without the Drone

If you have ever tried to film yourself with a 360 camera, an action cam, or a pocket camera, you already know the problem. The annoying part is not the camera, it is getting the shot without a selfie stick ruining every frame. You either hold it at an awkward angle or you go buy a drone.

The ULANZI TT52 is built to solve exactly that. It is a 2-in-1 invisible selfie stick and tripod aimed at Insta360, DJI, and GoPro shooters, and the whole pitch is drone-style angles without the drone. I put it through a full review alongside the hands-on video below, using it with a 360 camera and a gimbal to see whether the “invisible” claim holds up and whether the tripod half is actually useful.

One thing worth flagging up front: although it is marketed everywhere as the ULANZI TT52, the Amazon listing itself sells under the “jusmo” brand name (model TT52-US9). It carries a solid 4.5-star average across more than 700 ratings at $25.99, so the buyer feedback is deep even if the branding on the page is a little confusing.

What You Get with the ULANZI TT52

The TT52 is a compact aluminum and ABS pole that folds down to 11 inches and extends out to a lengthy 59 inches (1.5m), while weighing only 293 grams, roughly 10 ounces. That extendable range is the headline: it is enough reach for overhead and wide group framing, yet it still drops into a daypack without complaint.

On top you get a standard action camera mount plus a universal 1/4-inch thread, and a GoPro-style adapter comes in the box. That covers the Insta360 X series, the DJI Osmo 360, Osmo Pocket 3, Osmo Action 5 Pro, and the GoPro Hero and MAX lines, so one accessory handles a mixed kit. The bottom of the handle hides a one-touch button that pops the tripod legs out, switching from selfie stick to a freestanding tripod in about two seconds.

As a review tool it is genuinely handy, and I have used this exact pole for vlogging and for recording my own YouTube video work with an Insta360 Luna. The build feels more substantial than the 293-gram spec suggests, with none of the hollow, cheap-plastic flex you get from the flimsy sticks bundled with most cameras.

What I Liked About the ULANZI TT52

Most of what makes this pole worth owning comes down to one trick working as advertised, backed up by a tripod that is more capable than the price suggests.

The invisible effect genuinely works on 360 cameras

Mount an Insta360 X-series camera or a DJI Osmo 360 on this stick and the pole is stitched out of your footage automatically. The narrow aluminum profile falls into the blind spot between the two lenses, so you get clean third-person shots that look like a drone is following you, minus the rotors and the pilot. It held steady enough for that even while I was moving, which is exactly where it matters.

A full 59 inches of reach that still packs down small

Folded, the TT52 is an 11-inch pole you forget is in your bag; extended, it reaches 59 inches, right around five feet. That length is what unlocks the high, wide, drone-like angles and crane-style moves, and it is noticeably more reach than the 114cm first-party sticks. For a travel tripod and selfie stick in one, that collapse-to-extension ratio is the best part of the design.

One-touch tripod legs that deploy in two seconds

Press the button at the base and all three legs pop out at once, turning the selfie stick into a freestanding tripod with no twisting or unscrewing. The base spreads a good 10 to 12 inches wide, so it stays stable on slightly uneven ground rather than feeling like it will tip at the lightest nudge. Switching modes takes about two seconds, which makes it genuinely practical for run-and-gun shooting.

Solid, non-hollow build despite the 293-gram weight

At 293 grams the TT52 is light, but it does not feel cheap or hollow the way bundled sticks often do. The aluminum extension sections and ABS handle feel substantial in hand, and that extra rigidity is a fair trade for a few grams.

Wide camera compatibility thanks to the GoPro adapter

The standard 1/4-inch thread and the included GoPro-style adapter mean this works as a universal mount for far more than 360 cameras. I screwed on a DJI Osmo gimbal and an iPhone setup without any fuss, and the same thread takes GoPro Hero and MAX bodies, the Osmo Pocket 3, small lights, or clamps. You are not locked into one camera, so whatever accessory you pick up next will still fit.

Where the TT52 Falls Short

No sub-$30 pole is perfect, and the TT52 makes a few honest trade-offs you should know about before buying.

It sways in a breeze at full extension

Run the pole all the way up to 59 inches and it will sway a little, especially outdoors or in wind. This is not the tool for locked-down, long-exposure photography, and a couple of 360 shooters on Reddit flagged the same thing, calling it fine for indoor use but not sturdy enough outdoors at full height. For walking shots and normal framing it is steady; for a dead-still tripod in a gust, it is not.

The extension sections are stiff to pull out

The flip side of that rigid feel is that the telescoping sections take real effort to extend and collapse. It is noticeably tighter than a flimsy bundled stick, which is the trade-off for how solid it feels, but the first few pulls can catch you off guard.

The invisible trick only works on true 360 cameras

The pole only disappears on an Insta360 X-series or DJI Osmo 360, where the stitching software erases it. On a GoPro, a DJI Osmo Action, or any standard action cam used through the adapter, the stick stays fully visible in your 4K footage. The legs also have to stay closed for the effect, and the stick’s shadow can still show up, so the “invisible” headline needs that asterisk.

Heavier than the first-party stick, with a short warranty

At 293 grams it is a touch heavier than Insta360’s own extended stick because of the aluminum build, and a few travelers notice that on long hikes. The warranty is also thin at just three months, where the official Insta360 pole is covered for a year. The 800-gram weight limit is generous for a camera, but it rules out heavier rigs.

How the ULANZI TT52 Compares

The obvious rival is Insta360’s own 2-in-1 invisible selfie stick. The first-party pole folds smaller, to about 24.5cm, and backs it with a one-year warranty, but it tops out near 114cm, so the TT52’s 59-inch extension pole gives you noticeably more reach for overhead and group shots. If maximum packability and support matter most, the official stick wins; if you want length and a wider tripod base for less money, the TT52 makes the stronger case.

If you need even more height, ULANZI’s own VL02 extends to 2.7m, roughly double the TT52’s 1.5m, at the cost of bulk. On the 360 forums, owners point out that you need surprisingly little length to get a convincing floating perspective, so the TT52’s reach is plenty for most creators and the longer poles are overkill unless you are shooting real estate or crowds.

One caution that applies across this whole category: the extended first-party and third-party monopod sticks have a history of extension-section instability and even mounts giving way under stress. Whichever you choose, do not fully extend it during high-speed or motorcycle use, and check the grip and screw mount regularly. Within that context, the TT52’s rigid build and firm one-touch legs are a point in its favor rather than against it.

Final Verdict: Is the ULANZI TT52 Worth It?

The ULANZI TT52 is a versatile little tool that does two jobs well: a drone-style invisible stick for your 360 camera and a quick one-touch tripod for everything else. It is light, it is better built than its price implies, and the universal thread means it works with just about any camera you throw at it. The one real caveat is that it is not made for dead-still shoots in the wind, and the invisible trick is strictly a 360-camera feature.

For Insta360 and DJI Osmo 360 owners who want those floating third-person angles, plus travelers and vloggers who want one compact stick-and-tripod that packs down to nothing, it earns an easy recommendation. I land at 4.3 out of 5: a very good accessory with minor, clearly-signposted compromises rather than a flawless one. If your shooting fits that profile, the TT52 is well worth checking the current price on Amazon.