Reviews
Excellent Tripod for the Price
This very lightweight carbon fiber tripod comes in cylindrical bag that is only a little over 20 inches long and 5 inches in diameter. To fit into the bag with the pan and ball head mounted, the center column is extended full length and the telescoping legs are then collapsed, unlatched and then folded upward and parallel to the center column. I think this is going to be the tripod of choice for traveling because it is so much more substantial than our other compact tripods but the bag is only slightly larger in diameter.
I‘m still coming to grips with twist-locks for the telescoping legs (I find levers to be quicker), but I'll get used to them. I find that I prefer using this tripod with the last section of the legs left unextended, putting the top of the camera plate at about belly-button height for me. This provides the best stability, and I can still extend the center column to raise it if need be.
Thankfully the ball and pan head on this tripod are nearly perfect. I have had bad experiences with other compact tripods with swivels that wobble unless locked down. For photography this is rarely a problem anyway because I'm usually locked when in position, and I don't really use a tripod like this for panning video. But I do appreciate the smooth, wobble-free motion of the K&F head.
The ball head is equally perfect. With the notch in the ball head socket positioned straight forward to allow the camera to aim downward, the locking lever/knobs for the ball head and pan are conveniently located at equal angles left (for the ball lock) and right (for the pan lock). The ball lock is a lever instead of a knob, which gives a little better grip for tightening, and it has the common spring-loaded coarse repositioning mechanism that allows you to pull it out and reposition it to the optimum angle. The Arca-Swiss saddle lock and the pan lock are both fluted knobs.
The locks for setting the leg angle are spring loaded. To widen the legs you pull the latch fully out, but when collapsing the legs to steepen the angle the latches pull in on their own and don't need to be pushed in as with some tripods.
There are three 1/4-20 tapped holes for storing camera plate screws located between leg attach points. One spare screw is included.
I think this is probably going to be my most commonly used tripod. It's compact for travel and yet stable enough for day to day use.
Highly recommended.
I‘m still coming to grips with twist-locks for the telescoping legs (I find levers to be quicker), but I'll get used to them. I find that I prefer using this tripod with the last section of the legs left unextended, putting the top of the camera plate at about belly-button height for me. This provides the best stability, and I can still extend the center column to raise it if need be.
Thankfully the ball and pan head on this tripod are nearly perfect. I have had bad experiences with other compact tripods with swivels that wobble unless locked down. For photography this is rarely a problem anyway because I'm usually locked when in position, and I don't really use a tripod like this for panning video. But I do appreciate the smooth, wobble-free motion of the K&F head.
The ball head is equally perfect. With the notch in the ball head socket positioned straight forward to allow the camera to aim downward, the locking lever/knobs for the ball head and pan are conveniently located at equal angles left (for the ball lock) and right (for the pan lock). The ball lock is a lever instead of a knob, which gives a little better grip for tightening, and it has the common spring-loaded coarse repositioning mechanism that allows you to pull it out and reposition it to the optimum angle. The Arca-Swiss saddle lock and the pan lock are both fluted knobs.
The locks for setting the leg angle are spring loaded. To widen the legs you pull the latch fully out, but when collapsing the legs to steepen the angle the latches pull in on their own and don't need to be pushed in as with some tripods.
There are three 1/4-20 tapped holes for storing camera plate screws located between leg attach points. One spare screw is included.
I think this is probably going to be my most commonly used tripod. It's compact for travel and yet stable enough for day to day use.
Highly recommended.
25/04/2023