It’s been two and a half years since I reviewed the original 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine, and I was very impressed at the time. It was everything I’d come to expect from the company behind it – an innovative design that packs an array of useful features, with excellent build quality and an impeccable finish.

Enough said? Well, while I’ve been steadily adding to my personal collection of 3 Legged Thing photo and video equipment over the years, the new and improved AirHed Cine CC is destined for a place on my shopping list, with its ability to turn pretty much any set of legs into one of the best video tripods. It certainly looks and feels right at home on my prized 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 sturdy carbon tripod.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Specifications

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Price

Specialist video heads are often big, heavy, unwieldy, and very expensive to buy. The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is ideal in my books (and those of my accountant), in that it’s relatively compact, lightweight, and reasonably priced, at $249 / £229 / AU$799. Considering the feature set and quality of construction, it’s a bit of a bargain.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Design & Handling

I didn’t find much of anything wrong with the original version of the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine fluid, video head, but the updated ‘CC’ adds some neat new tricks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, and start with the basics. The head is designed primarily with videography in mind, but it works just fine for shooting stills as well, especially if panning is the name of the game for tracking sports or wildlife subjects. It’s also a good fit for a large spotting scope.

A key feature of any video head is that it enables smooth pan and tilt movements, and, just like the original, the CC has a lovely fluid feel to it, based on a quality design and spring-loaded counterbalance mechanism. That said, the counterbalance is not adjustable to accommodate different sizes and weights of camera, but the omission is what I’d expect from a relatively compact, lightweight, and affordable video head, such as this one.

Crucial to panning and tilting is the panning handle itself, as your primary point of physical contact with the head. The handle is completely revamped in the new version, the main difference being that it has a retractable design. Not only does it enable you to choose the length that feels most comfortable and natural in use, but it also makes it less likely that you’ll need to remove it and stash it separately when stowing the head. The images above and below show the panning handle in its retracted and fully extended states.

True to type, the panning handle is mounted on splines, which enable a wide range of rotational adjustment as well as ensuring a secure fitment that avoids any slippage or wobbling. The arm release knob can be pulled out and rotated on a six-sided head to ensure it doesn’t stick out in the wrong direction and get in the way when fastened.

Also, as I’d hope for in a video head, the panning handle can be attached to the left or right side, catering not only to left-handed and right-handed users but also to individual preference. Some right-handers will prefer to use the panning handle with their left hand, to leave their right hand free for operating the mounted camera.

At the center of the left side of the head is the main tilt-action lock and release knob. It operates with smooth simplicity and can lock off the tilt very securely for fixed position shooting. Only minimal turning is required to lock or release the head’s tilt mechanism. A generous 165 degrees of tilt is on offer, from 90 degrees forward to 75 degrees backward.

Above and to the front of the tilt knob on the side of the head is a mounting socket with a standard 1/4-inch thread. You can use this to attach accessories like a microphone, LED lamp, or video monitor. 3 Legged Thing offers two sizes of optional ‘Pivot Magic Arms’ for the task.

Down at the bottom of the left-hand side is the panning lock/release knob. Like the release knob for the panning handle, this one is spring-loaded and sits on a six-sided head, so you can pull it out and rotate it to your preferred position. Loosening the lever enables a full 360-degree panning rotation. To help keep tabs on movement, there’s a 360-degree scale on the base, numbered in 15-degree intervals and marked with lines at smaller 2.5-degree increments.

To help with leveling your tripod legs, which in turn helps to ensure that everything stays on the level when you’re panning, there’s a bubble level built into the lower section of the head. A secondary bubble level is fitted to the main clamp at the top, for assistance with leveling the tilt mechanism.

Another upgrade over the original version of the head is that the clamp up on top can be removed by undoing four hex screws, and rotated laterally through 90-degree intervals. The bonus here is that you can change the orientation of the QR plate from running front-to-back to side-to-side. This can be a big advantage if you’re using a camera with an L-bracket or a cage.

The Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate is also redesigned. For starters, it’s longer at 100mm instead of 90mm, giving more scope for centering the weight of your camera on the head. It also features a sliding camera screw sled and spring-loaded locator pin, plus a cable management hook at the front. The QR plate also adds compatibility for 3 Legged Thing’s growing range of ‘Xpand’ accessories, cheese plates, and risers, and features multiple 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded screw holes.

The images above and below show the top and bottom of the ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’, 3 Legged Thing’s redesigned Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate that’s supplied with the head.

Last but not least, the head is supplied complete with 3 Legged Thing’s handy ‘Toolz’ multi-tool, which features hex keys, a flat-blade coin key, a keyring clip, and a carabiner for attaching it to whatever you see fit. It even works as a bottle opener if things get really tough.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Performance

I’m impressed that despite having a compact size and weighing in at just 690g / 1.5lb, the AirHed Cine CC has a beefy maximum payload rating of 10kg / 22lb. As I’ve mentioned, it doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance system, but I found it worked well with everything from small, lightweight cameras to big, hefty outfits comprising large camera bodies with super-telephoto lenses.

Any video head lives or dies by the smoothness of its pan and tilt mechanisms, and the AirHed Cine CC has a really nice fluid feel to it. The new extending panning handle is a joy to use, and all the controls feel smooth, precise, and intuitive. Suffice it to say, you can devote your entire attention to shooting rather than wrestling with the head to get what you want out of it.

It can be a bit tricky to level the legs of your tripod, which can be essential to ensure your camera stays on the level during panning. One elegant solution is to add a 3 Legged Thing LevelHed Levelling Base into the mix, but it’s pretty pricey at an additional $140 / £130 / AU$259. Something I’ve seen in some video and hybrid heads, like the Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, is a secondary panning plate on top of the head, which enables you to just level the head for panning rather than the legs or a leveling base as well, but this is omitted in the AirHed Cine CC.

3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC: Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine CC is a great fit for me and my gear. It’s conveniently compact and lightweight, so I can stash it away in my photo backpack and grab it whenever I need to swap from shooting stills to video. It actually works really well as a pan-and-tilt head for shooting stills in addition to video, especially if you add in an L-bracket for portrait orientation shots. The laterally rotatable clamp makes the new CC version of the head all the more ideal for this, as you can use the QR plate or slot in an Arca-Swiss compatible L-bracket running sideways instead of just front-to-back.

I also like the redesigned, retractable panning handle, as it enables me to select the length that I want to use, as well as saving on storage space without feeling the need to remove the handle every time I pack the head away. The tricked-up replacement ‘XP 100 Ultra Plate’ is yet another improvement, and I like the way that I don’t even have to use the QR plate at all if I’m shooting with big, heavy telephoto lenses that have an Arca-Swiss profile mounting foot in their tripod mounting collars. All in all, the ‘CC’ is a worthy upgrade over the original. With its clever design, rich feature list, excellent build quality, and stylish finish, this one’s a keeper.

Alternatives

Keychain cameras like the Kodak Charmera have gone viral – but that’s not the only photo gear shrinking down to fit on a key ring. Joby, the same brand behind the flexible GorillaPod, has launched a mini tripod that clips onto a belt loop or a bag that weighs just 106g / 3.7 oz.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend is a mini tripod built for smartphones, compact cameras, and action cameras. While the compact tripod itself is only around six inches, the built-in extending selfie stick can also be used to extend the tabletop tripod to a height of 33.5 cm / 13.19 inches.

One of the tripod’s legs has a built-in carabiner, allowing creators to clip the tripod to a belt loop or backpack. The mini tripod’s folded length under 16mm / 6.5 inches makes it larger than a keychain camera, but still fairly portable for a tripod.

I can see the new mini tripod attracting creators on the go who want to pack light. The carabiner will also allow the tripod to be attached to lanyards or camera straps.

The HandyPod Clip Extend uses a standard 1/4-inch tripod thread, allowing it to accommodate a variety of different types of cameras. Those cameras should be under 1 kg / 2.2 lbs, but that still allows the tripod to support smartphones, compact cameras, action cameras, and even some lighter travel mirrorless cameras with lightweight lenses.

True to Joby’s roots, the tripod isn’t meant to spend its life on a tabletop. The legs have clips that allow the camera to enter what the company calls “mantis mode” and cling on to the side of railings and chain link fences.

A ball head allows creators to further adjust the camera’s angle, including supporting both horizontal and vertical positions.

The tripod also has an integrated cold shoe to add a light, mic, or another accessory.

The tripod also doubles as a selfie stick and handheld grip.

Last year, Videndum – the same brand that owns Manfrotto and Lowepro – sold the Joby brand to the Chinese manufacturer Vijim. At the time, Videndum said the move would help them narrow their focus on more pro-oriented gear.

Since then, Joby, who is still based in California, has continued to launch portable camera accessories. The June 09 launch of the HandyPod Clip Extend follows a GripTight Cold Shoe mount that allows smartphones to be held from a shoe mount, also announced in June.

The new launch isn’t Joby’s first tripod with a carabiner, but the June 2026 launch takes on a different design and adds an extension selfie stick compared to earlier options like the HandyPod Clip and HandyPod Clip Action.

The Joby HandyPod Clip Extend sells for about $35 / £31 / AU$58 / CA$57. Some retailers have already opened orders, including B&H in the US and Joby's online store.

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Take a deep dive into the best tabletop tripods or the best selfie sticks.

Benro is renowned for offering solid support to photographers and videographers. The Chinese manufacturer has been going for 30 years and counting, creating a diverse range of products. I’ve been impressed by many and varied bits of Benro kit, including the Benro Cyanbird Carbon FS30 travel tripod kit, Benro SupaDupa Pro MSDPL46C monopod, Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, Benro GH5C gimbal head, and the Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket, to name but a few.

The Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit that I’m reviewing this time around is from a new series of video tripods, their main claim to fame being the ‘lightning lock’ leg system. As its name suggests, the design aims to be super-fast for setting up the tripod and packing it away again after a take. Available in both aluminum and carbon fiber versions and with different heads, it aims to be one of the best video tripod kits on the market. I put the aluminum kit with the KH fluid head to the test.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Specifications

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Price

The current range of Lightning Lock-series legs and complete kits starts at a very competitive price and stays very reasonable through to the top end. Kicking off the selection is the set of aluminum legs on their own, priced at $175 / £220. Adding the KH fluid head for a complete kit brings the price up to $280 / £330. The carbon fiber legs on their own are slightly pricier than the complete aluminum kit, priced at $300 / £340, while the range-topping carbon kit with head sells for $380 / £450. Even that’s very affordable for a pro-grade video tripod.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Design & Handling

Following something of a time-honored tradition for video tripods, the legs are constructed from twin-tube sections. The idea is to maximize the overall stability while reducing the risk of tortional flexing and twisting while you’re panning. As such, the top and middle sections of the 3-section legs have double tubes, and the bottom section has the usual single tube.

When folded out, the legs have the usual look of five tubes in a row. At least, that’s how things look when the tripod is set to its minimum height. As you extend the legs for loftier operation, the top two sections extend in pairs of tubes, and the single bottom tube of each leg also extends.

Another bit of video tradition is that the Benro features a spreader between the legs. Again, this is to enhance stability and to make sure that the legs stay evenly and securely positioned while the tripod is in use. The spreader is typically hinged so that it folds out automatically as you pull the legs out from their folded position. As such, the tripod doesn’t feature alternative locking leg angles for operational use, and clips are included for holding the legs together when the tripod is folded down.

Getting on to the hotter news about extending and contracting the legs to alter the height, the tripod features Benro’s new ‘lightning locks’. I’m a fan, liking that each leg has just a single lock/release lever for height adjustment, making them very quick and easy to adjust. You simply pull each lever outwards from the leg to release all three sections, make the necessary height adjustment, then push it back in again. As well as speeding up the process of height adjustments, the system also makes it easier to level the legs.

While the lightning locks enable quick and broadly accurate leveling, you still need the platform that supports the head to be perfectly leveled if panning is on the cards. That’s so that the horizon doesn’t start to tip over at an angle during panning. As such, the tripod features a 60mm leveling bowl and a simple lock/release knob underneath the main platform. Again, it’s a quick and easy system to use, as you just have to loosen the knob, make the leveling adjustment, then tighten it back up to lock the platform in place.

As an aid to leveling, there’s a bubble level on the platform, and I’m pleased that it’s comparatively large and easy to see, unlike the tiny bubble levels of some tripods. Naturally, most cameras these days feature an artificial horizon that can be more accurate than using a bubble level, but every little helps.

I’ve found that some video heads have a panning action that’s a little too loose for my liking, whereas others feel a bit tight and stiff. A neat feature of the Benro is that, as well as the pan lock/release knob, there’s an adjustable fluid drag control. This has a twist action that enables you to set just the right amount of fluid drag that you’re most comfortable with, for the job at hand.

The tilt mechanism is relatively straightforward, with a simple lock/release knob. This gives some control over the amount of drag for front-to-back tilting, but not so much as with the panning adjuster. As I’d expect, there’s a spring-loaded counterbalance system but, again, this is quite a simple affair and the head doesn’t feature an adjustable counterbalance mechanism for tailoring it to different weights of camera.

To further enhance the feel of the tilt and panning action, the head features a generously long panning handle. It has the usual elbow that angles its shaft, and is mounted on splines that avoid any risk of slippage or wobbling. The grippy rubberized hand grip area of the panning handle is also comfortably large and feels good to the touch.

As is often the case with up-market video heads, a splined attachment bracket is featured on both the left and right sides of the head, to accommodate comfortable panning with either your left or right hand, respectively.

The clamp up on top is industry-standard 501 compatible and comes complete with a quick-release plate. The clamp has a rotary lock-release knob plus a security pushbutton at the rear, to avoid any nasty surprises with the plate sliding out accidentally.

The QR plate itself features a sliding mounting screw saddle for attaching your camera, cage, or lens with a tripod-mounting collar. There are also three spring-loaded security pins and a calibrated scale along both sides of the plate, for precision placement.

The tripod comes with large, rubber pads which give a firm and stable footing on hard flooring and ground. They’re removable, to reveal dual spikes as alternative footwear that’s more suitable for soft flooring and loose ground. It’s nice to have the choice, my only slight complaint being that I found the rubber retaining straps that hold the rubber feet in place to be quite stiff and fiddly for removal and replacement.

The image above shows one of the large rubber foot pads, whereas it has been removed for the image below, which shows the dual metal spikes.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Performance

A key performance plus point is that the ‘lightning locks’ live up to their billing and enable super-quick setup of the tripod. That can be a massive bonus if you need to react quickly to an unfolding storyline at weddings and other events, and for shooting sports or wildlife. The bowl mechanism in the head is similarly speedy for quick and accurate leveling, so you’re ready to roll in no time at all.

There’s a fairly decent height range on offer, from a minimum operating height of 75cm / 29.5 inches, up to a maximum of 151cm / 59.5 inches. That should suffice for most scenarios, but won’t cover you for ultra-low-level shooting or for getting an overview with a really tall perspective.

Stability and rigidity are impressive, and the tripod is very resistant to flexing and vibrations when panning and tilting. Pan and tilt themselves operate with the requisite fluidity for videography, and I’m very happy with the adjustable fluid drag control for panning. The lack of an adjustable counterbalance system can be less rewarding, especially if you’re using hefty camera and lens combinations. The maximum payload rating of the kit is 6.8kg / 15lb, which again should suffice for most needs but isn’t overly generous. There’s also no threaded socket for attaching accessories like an LED lamp, microphone, or monitor screen via a magic arm.

Ultimately, the Benro won’t win any prizes for its range of height adjustment or maximum load-bearing capability, but performance is very pleasing within the design parameters. It’s a quick and easy video tripod to use, without being too big, heavy, and cumbersome.

Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock: Verdict

There’s a lot to like in the Benro A572LLKH Lightning Lock Aluminum Video Tripod Kit. Living up to its billing, the new ‘lightning lock’ system enables super-fast height adjustments and leveling of the legs, while the 60mm bowl mechanism in the head allows for ultra-precise leveling adjustments. As well as being quick and easy to set up, the tripod operates with smooth efficiency and features an adjustable fluid drag mechanism for panning. That’s backed up by good resistance to unwanted flexing and vibrations.

The maximum load rating isn’t overly generous, there’s no adjustable counterbalance system, and the feet require a bit of effort to swap them between rubber pads and dual metal spikes. Even so, the Benro is simple to use, highly effective in most shooting scenarios, and very good value for money.

Alternatives

Carbon fiber tripods tend to hold heavier loads, but come at a premium cost. Really Right Stuff (RRS), the U.S.-based company known for its high-end carbon pro fiber camera support systems, believes its new Core Line offers a compelling solution.

According to RRS, the new Benchmark and Benchmark Inverted tripods are the most affordable carbon fiber tripods the company has ever produced, costing up to 32% less than comparable in-house alternatives.

The Core Line is RRS's first tripod series produced entirely at its facility in Lehi, Utah, from raw fiber to finished legs. That, the company says, is one of the main reasons the new options are more affordable than the brand's previous supports.

The Benchmark is a four-section carbon fiber tripod designed for maximum stability, reach, and load capacity. It offers four leg-angle positions (24°, 44°, 64°, and 84°), weather-sealed twist locks designed to prevent over-twisting, and magnetic pull tabs that make adjustments easier, even while wearing gloves.

Built for heavier camera setups, the Benchmark supports up to 75 lb (34 kg), with a height range of 4.2 in (10.7 cm) to 69.7 in (177 cm). It weighs 3.8 lb (1.7 kg) and folds to 23.6 in (60 cm). While suitable for travel and hiking, it is less compact than many dedicated travel tripods when folded.

The Benchmark Inverted shares the same core features but uses a three-section design with an inverted leg system that allows the tripod to be extended or collapsed from the top. RRS says this enables photographers to adjust the tripod without changing their position.

The Benchmark Inverted supports up to 40 lb (18 kg), weighs 3.6 lb (1.6 kg), and offers a height range of 4.6 in (11.8 cm) to 61.1 in (155.2 cm). It folds to 26.5 in (67.3 cm). Although relatively lightweight, its folded length may make it difficult to fit inside some backpacks.

The Core Line is available for preorder exclusively on the RSS website, with prices starting at $945 (£701 / AU$1,315) for the Benchmark and $795 (£589 / AU$1,106) for the Benchmark Inverted.

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Check out our expert review of the Peak Design Travel Tripod (carbon fibre), which tops our list of best travel tripods.

[HeaderNot every digital camera has in-body or lens-enabled image stabilization, and even those that do need a little extra help from time to time. Especially in low light, where I might not want to simply crank-up ISO sensitivity or deploy artificial lighting.

Enter the camera tripod, which has been around as long as photography itself. Think metal sheet or glass plate photographs from the 19th Century that required excessively long exposures to produce an image. Not only did subjects need to remain as static as corpses, but the camera did too.

Nearly two hundred years later, however, I’m still yet to encounter the perfect camera or the perfect camera tripod. Even finding a tripod that matches my personal needs most of the time can be tricky, and nigh impossible if embarking on both stills and video capture, with the latter requiring a smooth panning head capability and seamless real-time adjustment.

I blame the basic laws of physics; which, having suffered through physics lessons and exams as a teenager, I’m always happy to do. 

If I want a lightweight and portable tripod, it’s not going to be able to cope with my large camera body and heavyweight telephoto lens. And if I compensate by going for a larger, heavier tripod, it’s obviously not going to be as portable. Yes, some tripods will allow me to hang a balancing weight from a hook at the base of the center column, to lower the centre of gravity and increase stability, but not all.

Therefore, the rule of thumb I go by is to always opt for the sturdiest possible example, which typically means the heaviest tripod I am prepared to carry. There’s no point in buying something I’m going to struggle to transport and use; it’ll just get left at home. The warhorse of a Velbon CX 540 tripod and three-way PH-656Q pan-and-tilt head has served me well for the past 25 years. Yes, I could spend more on a carbon fiber tripod for maximum strength and a relatively lightweight build over a heavier aluminum model at a lower cost, but, whichever, there is always a compromise to be made.

And whether I choose a ball head, a three-way head, a two-way head, a geared head or a fluid video head is an article all to itself. Types of leg lock also differ; but basically, I’m looking at something that is quickly adjustable yet provides maximum flexibility in terms of height and stability with it. Three-section legs with lever locks have served me just fine.

Alternatively, to throw a cat amongst the pigeons, might a monopod with height adjustable sections and a tripod-like base occasionally suit you better than a tripod? I’ve found monopods useful when needing to gain height in a narrow or confined space, when shooting alongside other people, or over the heads of a crowd.

But while, ultimately, I don’t believe there is a one-size-suits-all solution, it’s safe to say that any camera tripod (or monopod) is better than no tripod at all.

Check out our full guide to the best tripods for photography

Flexible tabletop tripods take tiny camera supports higher by clinging to objects – but one photography accessory brand is building a full-size tripod that can cling to railings, trees, and other objects.

The Silence Corner Viperpod is a full-sized tripod that can hook onto vertical surfaces when space is limited, the ground is uneven, or the photographer needs to get an even higher perspective.

The Viperpod “defies gravity” with the same concept as Silence Corner’s Mambapod – a hook. Placing this hook over the top of a railing with the legs adding support on the sides allows photographers and videographers to shoot on narrow balconies, uneven terrain, and other scenarios where a traditional tripod may not work.

But unlike tabletop tripods like the Mambapod, when there’s plenty of space for a traditional tripod, the Viperpod can be used as a classic, full-height tripod. The Viperpod reaches up to 61.8 inches / 157 cm, while the smaller Viperpod Light sits at up to 51.2 inches / 130.1 cm.

The ability to cling to railings isn’t the only unusual design feature. The center column is an external one rather than sitting inside the center. This design allows the center column to tip forward for low angles, rather than requiring disassembly. The center column also doubles as a pan and tilt handle for the included ball head.

Moving the center column to the exterior also allowed the designers to create a packed diameter that’s around 20 percent smaller than the tripod would have been with the more traditional design. Folded, the Viperpod measures 45 cm and weighs 2.55 lb /1.16 kg; the Light sits at 39.2 cm and 2.1 lb / .96 kg.

The tripods are built with five leg sections, which are adjusted with twist-style locks. Along with the hook to cling to objects, the tripod also has a hook on the center column for added support.

Like Silence Corner’s earlier products, the Viperpod is launching on Kickstarter. If the project is successful, early backers could get the Viperpod Light for $279 / £207 / AU$390 / CA$382 or the Viperpod for $309 / £229 / AU$432 / CA$423.

All Kickstarter projects carry more risks than purchasing through reputable retailers. However, the Viperpod project has already surpassed the funding goal and follows five other successful crowdfunding campaigns from the California-based company.

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I will admit that the best tripods offer stability, help avoid camera shake, and allow you to avoid losing image quality by shooting at low ISOs. These are all things that I've learned over time when it comes to shooting landscapes, but I’ve come to the conclusion that shooting handheld presents you with so many more opportunities.

My parents bought me my first DSLR camera, a Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i), when I was around 15 years old studying photography at school. I had always been interested in landscape photography, and this was my chance to finally give them a go. One of my first memories using this camera was atop Solsbury Hill in Bath, UK, near where I grew up, on a thick and foggy atmospheric morning.

I was clueless when it came to camera settings, but I tried my hand at capturing the fog nevertheless. I didn’t have a tripod at the time, so I took these images handheld, foolishly at a narrow aperture of f/18. When shooting handheld at this kind of aperture you really need to have steady hands if you want to avoid camera shake. A total understatement that is!

Surprisingly, the images came out fine (as you can see above). Yes, if I had used a more suitable aperture I would have captured a crisper image, especially with the detail in the distance. But I was inexperienced, just learning the ropes. I enjoyed the experience in terms of being flexible, moving around freely and trying a variety of angles to shoot from.

As I got older, I eventually succumbed to purchasing a tripod as most landscape photographers that I saw had one. It was just a standard tripod, so it fitted nicely in my bag along with my camera. I had always assumed that for landscapes to be extremely detailed they needed to be taken on a tripod and at a narrow aperture of around f/18 – f/22. I soon realized this wasn’t the case.

There are benefits with using a tripod, but I also feel restricted when using one. The thought of carrying it around and adding weight to my bag instantly puts me off. When I shoot landscapes handheld I open my eyes more, I’m able to take images from various angles, angles which I can’t with a tripod.

When I found out that the aperture sweet spot for landscapes was between f/8 – f/13, this eliminated the need for a tripod for me. The image below supports this; it’s a very similar shot to my previous image but was taken at an aperture of f/10. Because of this I was able to use a faster shutter speed to eliminate camera shake, while avoiding diffraction, boosting the level of detail throughout.

I prefer to travel light when going out on shoots, as I’m an avid walker. When I see an inviting scene to photograph, I instantly want to capture it. But with a tripod I’d have to get it out of my bag, set it up, then make sure it’s stable and at the right height. I’d recommend purchasing a tripod when starting out as you’ll be unfamiliar with what settings to use, what works and what doesn’t.

But when you gain experience, ditch the tripod and see for yourself, you’ll appreciate the freedom. Ultimately, I believe landscape shots taken handheld are better because you can position yourself and your camera wherever you want. When using a tripod, you’re at its mercy.

The image above is a perfect example of this, I was walking around Solsbury Hill on another occasion and spotted this cow staring at me, perfectly placed composition wise. As I was shooting handheld, I could compose my shot and capture it instantly. But with a tripod on the other hand, this might not have worked.

This is because I was shooting on a slope at an angle, a tripod would have made this very difficult. And by the time I set up the legs, position, height, and attached the camera the cow would have likely moved and the opportunity would have been squandered. I also prefer to have my camera firmly in my grasp rather than in the hands of a tripod.

Do you agree? Maybe I’ve inspired you to ditch your tripod more often. Hands at the ready everyone!

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Want to eliminate camera shake? Then you'll need to know the reciprocal rule. If you're still a tripod stalwart, ask yourself: Are you using the right tripod head for landscape photography? And if you're not quite ready to take control of all your camera settings, it's time to learn the exposure triangle.

Think tripods, and Manfrotto is a name that trips off the tongue. The legendary Italian company set out to make some of the best tripods on the market in the 1970s, and is still one of the best and most innovative manufacturers in its field, half a century later. As if to ram home the point, the company launched the Manfrotto ONE Hybrid Tripod and 500X Fluid Head kit in the fall of 2025. I tested this new tripod kit at length and found that it gave solid, stable support, while living up to its ‘hybrid’ claims of being very versatile, enabling quick and easy swapping between stills and video capture with speed and ease.

That’s all very well, but as photographers, we haven’t all become ‘hybrid’ content creators just yet, and I hope it stays that way. For those of us who specialize in stills, or shoot still images exclusively, the ONE Hybrid Tripod is more complex than necessary, and that added complexity comes with an inflated price tag, forcing you to pay for stuff you don’t need. Enter the pared-down ONE Photo Tripod, aiming to give photographers what they want at a keen and more affordable price. With that in mind, it aims to be one of the best tripods for photographers, instead of doubling up as one of the best tripods for videographers to boot.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Specifications

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Price

When it comes to pricing, please indulge me a moment while I set the scene. A set of Manfrotto ONE Hybrid aluminum legs will set you back $500 / £375 / AU$900, or a pricier $720 / £539 / AU$1,250 if you trade up to carbon fiber. Add the Manfrotto 500X Fluid Head and the complete aluminum or carbon fiber kits cost around $680 / £519 / AU$1,200 or $880 / £669 / AU$1,500, respectively. Suffice it to say, they get pretty pricey, pretty quickly.

The ONE Photo legs are only currently available in aluminum but by shedding some of the ‘hybrid’ components that are more necessary for leveling the legs and swapping between different heads, the price comes down to a relatively affordable $329 / £269 / AU$675. Again, kits are also available so you can add either the Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head or Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Head, for a total price of $515 / £399 / AU$999 for either option. There are considerable savings to be had.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Design & Handling

Travel tripods are all the rage nowadays, and I’ve tested plenty of the best travel tripods on the market over the last few years. Sure enough, I like the way they fold down to such conveniently compact dimensions and are so easy to carry around, but setup tends to be a genuinely time-consuming chore. Take a travel tripod with 5-section legs and a 2-section center column, for example. This requires loosening and retightening up to 14 individual twist- or flip-action clamps. And then you have to go through the whole process again to pack the tripod away afterwards. By stark contrast, the Manfrotto ONE Photo couldn’t be quicker and easier to use.

The big trick in the design is that the ONE Photo features Manfrotto’s new XTEND system. It’s broadly similar to the mechanism in each of the legs of the Manfrotto 504X Fluid Video Head with 635 Fast Single Leg Carbon Tripod that I tested a few years ago. The killer feature is that there’s only one single flip-action clamp in each leg. Flipping the clamp open or shut releases or locks all three of the sections in the leg, making it lightning fast to extend them for use and retract them again when your work is done.

Playing all the angles, it’s similarly quick, simple, and intuitive to engage any of the three lockable angles for each of the legs. Each leg has a sliding lever at the top, which you can operate with your thumb to give instant access to any of the 20, 50, or 81.5 degree leg angles on offer. Wider angles from the vertical are advantageous for low-level shooting, not only lowering the head but also giving greater stability with less risk of the tripod toppling over if it gets accidentally knocked. Using different legs at different angles can also be helpful when shooting on tricky, uneven terrain and for working around obstacles.

Okay, so the inclusion of multiple locking leg angles certainly isn’t an innovation and has been featured in most tripods for many years now. Many recent tripods have also featured a pivoting center column. Even so, the relatively new Q90 system in the ONE Photo tripod is supremely simple to use. Release the center column locking screw, raise the column to its maximum height, press a button at the bottom, and hey presto, you can flip it through 90 degrees for use as a horizontal boom. Why would you want to? Well, it’s great for ultra-low-level shooting as well as for macro photography. It’s also really useful for shooting with ultra-wide-angle or fisheye lenses, so that the tripod feet don’t creep into the shot.

Weighing in at 3.1kg / 6.9lb and measuring 65.5cm / 25.8in when folded, I certainly wouldn’t class the Manfrotto ONE as a travel tripod. It’s relatively big and chunky, but with that comes a beefy 12kg / 26.5lb maximum payload rating. Another interesting feature of the design is that the leg sections all have a rounded rectangular profile, rather than being circular, designed to keep unwanted flexing to a minimum, thus maximizing rigidity and resistance to vibrations.

Other design flourishes include Manfrotto’s Easy Link system, based on a threaded connection socket with anti-rotation protection. This is for adding accessories like a microphone, monitor and photographic lighting, either directly to the tripod or via an extending, adjustable arm.

There’s also a neat bubble level to help with leveling the legs. Situated on the spider of the tripod, the bubble level is built into a holder that you can rotate through an entire 360 degrees, so it’s easily visible from any angle. Down below the spider, a weight hook is built into the tripod, so you can hang some ballast to add stability without hampering the action of the pivoting center column.

Naturally, you might already have a perfectly good tripod head that you want to use with the legs. There’s a mounting platform with a circular base that has a fairly standard 60mm / 2.4in diameter. And if you don’t have something suitable, the ONE Photo tripod is available as a complete kit with either the Manfrotto XPRO 3-Way Head or Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head. They’re among the best pan and tilt heads and the best ball heads, respectively.

As I mentioned at the start, the money-saving opportunities in the ONE Photo Tripod and complete kits are thanks to some of the more ‘hybrid’ oriented features being stripped out. For example, leveling the tripod legs rather than just leveling the camera is most important if you’re going to be panning while shooting video rather than stills. The ONE Photo Tripod, therefore, doesn’t include the leveling component and modular center column that you get with the ONE Hybrid kits.

You also don’t get the XCHANGE quick-release system that’s included with the ONE Hybrid kit, for quickly and easily swapping between a video head and a photographic head. Even so, the XCHANGE unit is available to buy separately and, for my money, I think it’s well worth it if you have multiple photographic heads. For example, you might want to swap between one of the best ball heads, 3-way heads, geared heads, and gimbal heads, depending on what you’re shooting and how you’re shooting it.

The XCHANGE system is like a quick-release system for swapping between heads, rather than just mounting your camera or lens to a particular head. It costs around $54 /£39 / AU$89 for a complete kit plus $22 / £16 / AU$43 for additional CHANGE Plates. The way it works is very similar to the excellent but now-discontinued Manfrotto Move Quick Release Catcher System that I’ve tested in the past, enabling you to fit or remove a head with a simple twist of the locking ring.

One thing that does follow through from the ONE Hybrid Tripod is that the supplied feet are interchangeable. You can therefore swap out the default rubber pads for metal spikes, the latter being more suitable for loose ground and soft surfaces.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Performance

For many photo opportunities, timing is everything. There’s no point in ensuring the best possible image quality by using a tripod if the moment has passed by the time you’ve finished setting it up. A key performance benefit of the Manfrotto ONE Photo is that it’s so massively quick to deploy. Not only is it relatively rapid to adjust the overall height, but also to level the legs using just one locking/release clamp per leg, which works with all of the incumbent sections.

Naturally, being able to set up a tripod quickly is a moot point if its rigidity isn’t up to muster. The rectangular-profile leg sections pay dividends here, and I found the Manfrotto to be entirely stable and rigid in use, right up to its maximum height with the center column fully extended. Aluminum sometimes gets a bad press for being less resistant to vibrations than carbon fiber, but I found the ONE Photo to be at least as good as many leading carbon fiber tripods in this respect, and better than some.

Manfrotto ONE Photo tripod: Verdict

I’d sort of assumed that the Manfrotto ONE Hybrid tripod got its ‘ONE’ title for being a single tripod that worked equally well for shooting stills and video. The ONE Photo has made me think again, as it’s more of a stills specialist but is nevertheless ‘one’ tripod that works equally well in the studio, out on the road, and pretty much anywhere and everywhere I’d want to use a tripod. And of course, there’s that innovative ‘one’ locking clamp per leg that acts on all three of its sections.

The main advantages, to my mind, are the relatively speedy setup and pack-away times, coupled with rock-solid support. Neat extras include the 90-degree pivoting center column, the accessory attachment system, and the interchangeable feet. For my personal requirements, I wish that the XCHANGE quick-release system were included with the legs and as part of either of the kits that include a ball head or 3-way head. However, that’s just because I personally like to shoot with different types of head in different situations. It actually makes more sense to be able to buy into the XCHANGE system as an optional extra, if and when you want to actually use it.

All in all, both of the full Manfrotto ONE Photo kits and the legs on their own are great buys, but I’ll be interested to see if Manfrotto subsequently launches a more luxurious carbon fiber option.

Alternatives

Vanguard has launched three new tripods aimed at enthusiast and pro photographers. All use carbon fibre for their legs and are designed to support heavy camera gear.

Alta Pro 3 263Alta Pro 3 303

The two new Alta Pro 3 tripods are a traditional tripod design, with an extendable center column and a built-in low-angle adaptor. The key difference between the two models is their leg diameter, which is either 26mm or 30mm. Both use 3-section legs, which should offer greater stability and rigidity compared to a 4-section design, albeit with an inevitable portability trade-off (folded length is 69.5cm for the Alta Pro 3 263, and 72.5cm for the Alta Pro 3 303).

The legs have three angle settings, which when combined with the low-angle adaptor means you can shoot as low as 24cm from the ground. Each new Alta Pro 3 incorporates an aluminium central column with a hexagonal cross-section that allows the legs to fold closed to a diameter of under 10cm. Maximum extended height for the Alta Pro 3 303 is 150cm, or 176cm with the center column extended; the Alta Pro 3 263 is around 5cm shorter for both settings.

But where the new Alta Pro 3 tripods really make a case for themselves is their ability to support a serious amount of weight. Even the smaller Alta Pro 3 263 is rated to carry 20kg of gear, while the 303 will stand strong under a whopping 25kg. Despite this sturdiness, the Alta Pro 3 303 weighs a manageable 2kg, and the 263 is just 1.65kg.

Both tripods are supplied with Vanguard's LBP-55S ball head - a professional quality, low-profile dual-axis design that features an oversized ball for maximum grip, and a friction control lock for increased control. This makes the head suitable even for longer lenses, while the dual axis allows you to easily level your camera on any terrain, then pan/reframe your shot using the top axis.

Vanguard supplies the Alta Pro 3 263 and 303 with a padded tripod bag, and the tripod is backed by a 2-year warranty (extendable to 10 years if registered with Vanguard). Both are available to buy now: the Alta Pro 3 263 is priced at £350, and the 303 is £400 (US pricing as yet unknown).

Alta Pro 3X 304

The third tripod in the new Alta Pro 3 range is the Alta Pro 3X 304. This is also constructed from carbon fibre and has the same generous 30mm leg diameter as the Alta Pro 3 303, along with 23-, 50- and 80-degree leg angle settings. It differs from the other tripods by not having an integral center column. Instead, Vanguard supplies a separate column which can be fitted directly to the tripod's canopy to extend overall height from 150cm to 182cm.

The advantage to keeping the center column separate is the legs can fold tighter together when packed, resulting in an 8.5cm folded diameter. Packed length is also shorter than the other Alta Pro 3 tripods at 61cm, thanks to the Alta Pro 3X having 4-section legs rather than 3. Overall weight is a reasonable 1.68kg. What's more, despite having an additional leg section, which can sometimes compromise rigidity, the Alta Pro 3X can still support a mighty 25kg of kit. 

As with the other Alta Pro 3 tripods, the 3X 304 is supplied with a LBP-55S ball head and a padded tripod bag. RRP is £350 (US pricing not yet known).

Mini / tabletop tripods don't often stand out, but here's a distinctive new model from Leofoto. The MT-03mini is actually the smallest in a range of three 'crab leg' tripod offerings from the brand and weighs a mere 130g. Thanks to its folding legs, it packs down to just 105mm long (without head), but with the two-section legs unfolded, you get a maximum height of 170mm.

The legs have three angle settings and can lower the shooting height to just 65mm. Combined with those 'crab' feet, the tripod can cope with very uneven surfaces. Multiple 1/4-20 mounting points along each leg enable fitment of small accessories like LED lights. Four color options are available: black, silver, green and orange.

Pricing is quoted at 21,120 Yen, which converts to $136. That's a lot for a mini tripod, and far more than the larger MT-03 model currently sells for (around $70). We'd surprised if the new baby version ends up costing more than its bigger sibling. So if you want a mini tripod that's as flexible as a GorillaPod but looks sleeker, check out the Leofoto MT-03mini.

American-made tripod brand Really Right Stuff is increasing prices beginning on December 01.

In an email to fans, Really Right Stuff said that prices on tripods are increasing on December 01. As an example, the company said that the Versa-34 that retails for $1,250 will list for $1,315 after December 01 in the US, which is a five percent increase.

While US photographers are no strangers to increasing prices in the wake of new tariffs, Really Right Stuff is a Utah-based company that makes its tripods in the US. A company representative told Digital Camera World that the increase is due to rising inflation and production costs.

“Due to rising inflation and production costs, we are raising our prices for the first time in two years,” the company wrote in an email. “RRS strives to keep our prices reasonable while ensuring the quality of our product, and this is a necessary measure in maintaining that high standard.”

According to the company’s website, RRS “proudly make[s] and hand-assemble[s] our products in the USA will never change.”

The company also designs its own soft goods, but unlike tripods, products like tripod bags and pouches are outsourced to a US company that sources from factories in Asia.

According to the email to fans, only tripod prices are indicated to be increasing.

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Browse the best tripods or the best travel tripods.

I first discovered Freewell while hunting for camera accessories that are built for real-world use but that didn’t carry a premium price tag. The brand has a reputation for thoughtfully engineered gear, such as filters, gimbals, and tripods, that feel professional and get the most out of accessories.

Travel tripods have always been a tricky balance for me. I want something light enough to carry for hours along a coastline or through a city, yet rigid enough to support heavier cameras and lenses. Often, I’ve found myself frustrated with travel tripods that are so light they wobble, or so heavy they’re more of a burden than a tool.

That’s why the Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod caught my eye. It promises both portability and performance, two qualities I usually have to compromise between. It’s clearly aimed at travel photographers, vloggers, and content creators; people who need stability on the go without sacrificing convenience. Whether you shoot landscapes, cityscapes, or social content, this tripod positions itself as a versatile companion to carry along for the ride.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Specifications

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Price

When I first checked the price ($299.99 / £299.99 / AU$399.99), I admit I hesitated for a second. It’s not a budget option, but compared to high-end carbon fiber travel tripods, it sits comfortably in the mid-range. And after using it, I feel it’s absolutely justified.

What you’re paying for is more than just lightweight carbon fiber construction: the FW-T1 has a full 360° ball head, monopod conversion, a smart quick-release system, and thoughtful extras like a phone holder and optional AirTag compartment. When I compare it to cheaper aluminum travel tripods I’ve used in the past, it feels like night and day in stability and usability. And compared to pricier carbon fiber tripods, it hits a sweet spot. Almost all of the premium features without the higher-end cost. For me, that makes it an excellent value for money.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Design & Handling

The moment I picked up the FW-T1, I was struck by how light it is, 0.9 kg (2 lbs). It folds down to just 42.8 cm (16.9 inches), which meant I could slip it into my backpack or the provided carry bag, along with my medium format camera and standard zoom lens, and barely notice the extra weight. Walking with it along the Gower coast, in South Wales, felt effortless compared to my larger tripods.

Setup is intuitive. The leg sections twist out smoothly and lock firmly, and the three angle positions of 20°, 55°, and 75° offer flexibility for all kinds of terrain. Even in windy coastal conditions, the tripod stayed rock solid, which instantly gave me confidence to leave my camera on it while adjusting settings or swapping lenses.

The ball head is another standout feature. It’s smooth, responsive, and can even hold my camera in portrait orientation without needing an L-bracket, which is a small but incredibly useful detail. Adjusting my composition was precise via the multiple articulation points, including pan and tilt, and once the camera was mounted, I didn’t have to worry about it slipping or rotating.

The quick-release plate design is pure genius, and a feature I had not yet discovered on a tripod. In addition to its traditional use, it doubles as a phone holder when you flip it upside down, which is perfect if you want to mix stills photography with social content creation. I could quickly attach my phone to capture clips or behind-the-scenes content without needing any extra gear, which is a real time-saver when shooting alone.

Other thoughtful features include the removable center column for low-angle or macro shots, a ballast hook for added stability, three 1/4 -20" expansion threaded holes for attaching extra gear like lights and microphones, and an optional AirTag compartment to keep track of the tripod. Small touches like these make the tripod feel like it was designed by someone who actually uses a tripod in the field, not just as a spec sheet exercise.

To further add to this tripod's versatility, one leg can be removed to convert the tripod into a monopod. I didn’t think I’d use this much, but it’s been perfect for situations where I need speed or where space is limited, like hopping between rocks on the coast.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Performance

I took the FW-T1 to the Gower coast with my medium format camera (Fujifilm GFX 50S II) and standard zoom lens (GF 35-70mm). I was impressed by how little extra weight it added to my kit; almost negligible. Even in gusty conditions, the tripod held firm, enabling me to shoot landscapes, long exposures, and low-angle shots without any wobble.

The ball head made framing easy, although with so many pivoting points, it took me a second to get used to which lever locked which point. To my surprise, tilting the ball head into a portrait orientation was rock solid, and I didn’t need to fumble with an L-bracket, although it is still the safest option. Switching between my camera and phone was quick and intuitive thanks to the dual-purpose Arca-Swiss quick-release plate. I could move seamlessly between capturing high-resolution stills and content for social media, which made shooting feel fluid rather than segmented.

The monopod conversion was useful for faster shots. For example, when I wanted to capture quick handheld-style panning footage along the cliffs, I could detach a leg, extend the monopod, and have a stable, mobile setup in seconds. The ballast hook on the removable center column came in handy, too. I added my camera bag for extra weight when the wind gusted, which made a noticeable difference in stability.

I also appreciated how the tripod performed in low-angle scenarios. The reversible center column allowed me to get creative with compositions close to the ground, something that would have been cumbersome or impossible with my previous tripod. Overall, the FW-T1 delivered on every spec it promises, but more importantly, it made the shooting experience smoother and more enjoyable.

Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod: Verdict

After spending a little time with the Freewell FW-T1 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod in the field and filming content at home, it’s clear to me that this isn’t just a lightweight travel tripod, but a thoughtfully engineered, versatile tool for photographers and content creators.

It’s light enough to carry all day, compact enough to fit in a backpack, and stable enough to support medium format cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless systems, and smartphones. Features like the monopod conversion, its quick-release plate doubling as a phone holder, low-angle capability, and optional AirTag compartment elevate it beyond a simple travel tripod, and due to this, I think it is a good value for money.

As a travel tripod, it may not stack up to the relentless use and heavier gear associated with landscape or wildlife photography. But if you’re a travel photographer, vlogger, or content creator who wants a reliable, easy-to-use, and highly versatile tripod, the FW-T1 is an excellent choice. For me, it’s become a trusted companion on trips, and I genuinely enjoy having it as an option in my kitbag.

Alternatives

If I had to name an equivalent to the ‘Rolls Royce’ motoring brand in the field of tripod design and manufacturer, it would be Gitzo. To me they’ve always created tripods and accessories of absolutely the finest quality, at the most premium prices. The company itself has French origins dating back to 1917, concentrating on tripods and supports from the 1950s onwards. A key facet of Gitzo design is the pioneering use of carbon fiber and magnesium alloy to create super-sturdy yet relatively lightweight tripods. It’s perhaps not surprising that Gitzo became part of what is now the Videndum Group in 1992, a company that also features Manfrotto in its portfolio.

The Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head is a typically luxurious product, designed to be a perfect match for Gitzo Series 2 and larger Mountaineer and Systematic ranges of tripods. However, it has pretty much universal appeal for anyone who wants one of the best 3-way heads for any make and model of tripods for photographers.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Specifications

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Price

Ouch! This tripod head costs $690 / £487 / AU$1,330, although you can often find it quite heavily discounted if you shop around. Even so, the perfectly respectable Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head only costs around a quarter of the price, at $220 / £129 / AU$289. Some say you pay through the nose for the Gitzo badge and that the brand is very overpriced.

On the other hand, I’ve met a couple of pro photographers who bought Gitzo tripod kits decades ago and are still using them after many years of daily grind in the most demanding conditions, without even a sniff of a problem. One of them said to me he was confident that his Gitzo would be the only tripod he’d ever need to buy. Maybe this head is actually very good value, if you can afford to take the long view.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Design & Handling

Gitzo products are undeniably stylish, but I’ve never felt they were a case of style of substance. The Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head is definitely substantial, with a payload rating of 13kg / 28.7lb. That’s a lot more than the rating of many a set of tripod legs and certainly more weight than I’d ever need to throw at it. Even so, the head itself is surprisingly lightweight at just 0.96kg / 2.1lb, thanks to clever design and the use of magnesium alloy as the main construction material.

Sometimes I feel that 3-way heads are substantial in a bad way. Compared with relatively streamlined ball heads, they often have long operating handles that stick out and enlarge the stowage size, as well as having a knack of catching on things as you’re walking around. By contrast, the Gitzo is remarkably compact for such a heavy-duty 3-way head, its packing size being diminished by retractable operating handles for tilt and swivel. It’s certainly not unique in this respect, but the mechanisms are engineered very well with sturdy square shafts.

While the handles slide smoothly on their shafts, movement is even more silky when it comes to adjusting the head. This is thanks again to high-quality manufacturing, but also due to the fact that independent fluid cartridges are fitted for each axis. These give a suitably fluid feel to movement. The two retracting handles for tilt and swivel are supplemented by a fixed knob for panning lock/release. As with the other two handles, the panning knob has a graphic that indicates variable friction damping is available – the more you turn the knob, the freer and easier panning becomes.

At the base of the head is a clearly marked panning scale. It’s marked in 15-degree intervals with long lines, and at smaller 5-degree increments with shorter lines. Numbered values are shown at 45-degree intervals, so everything is nicely covered off. I find the calibrated scale especially useful when shooting a sequence of panned shots that I intend to stitch into a panorama at the editing stage.

There’s a generous range of tilt and swivel available on both axes, with -70 to +90 degrees front tilt and -30 to +90 degrees laterally, but the Gitzo has another trick up its sleeve. Just below the camera platform there’s a black lever with an arrow printed on it. Move the lever in the direction of the arrow (how can you resist?) and you’re able to rotate the camera platform through 90 degrees. This enables you to quickly and easily swap the axes for tilt and swivel.

Another bit of trickery is designed into the bubble level. Instead of being fixed, the large and easy-to-view bubble level is mounted on a 90-degree rotating base. The idea (and I think it’s a good one) is that you can simply twist the bubble level housing so that the same level works in either landscape- or portrait-orientation shooting.

The quick-release plate locking mechanism is safe and secure, with a pushbutton lock-release feature. It works a treat and while the official Gitzo quick-release plate has a product code of GS5370DR, you can use any Arca-Swiss plate. That’s especially handy if you’re using big, heavyweight lenses to take advantage of that generous payload rating, as many of these now feature tripod mounting rings that have integral Arca-Type feet, so you can plug them directly into the platform on the head.

The camera platform itself is beautifully engineered and impeccably finished, fully in keeping with the rest of the head, as shown below.

Down below, the mounting plate for attaching the head to a tripod has a smart black anodized finish. It’s the same plate that has the panning scale marked on its upper surface. The circular plate has a diameter of 60mm / 2.36”. This makes it an ideal fit for Gitzo’s heavy-duty tripods with similar payload ratings, as well as the vast majority of heavyweight tripods from other manufacturers.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Performance

I have to admit to finding ball heads something of a revelation, a few decades ago. After many years of using 3-way heads, I was really taken with the speed and ease of setting up a ball head. The Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head is one of my favorites. More recently, I’ve rather come full circle, and I’m not just talking about the merits of a 360-degree panning facility. I’m happy to take a little longer setting up a shot, and generally prefer the greater attention to detail that a 3-way head can give me, with its independent locks for tilt, swivel, and panning.

I should also confess that I don’t have the patience of a saint and don’t want to waste time fiddling around for ages when setting up a tripod head. I found that the Gitzo gave me the best of both worlds. It enabled ultra-precise adjustments in any and all directions, while also being quick, easy, and painless to use. Better still, the lock/release handles work with such a sublime feel, partly thanks to their independent fluid cartridges, that I got a genuine feel-good factor from using the head.

And when it comes to the crunch, I found that I could load up the head with hefty camera and lens combinations, and it gave me rock-solid support with no unwanted flexing, sagging, or vibrations. I also really like the 90-degree rotational mechanism for quickly and easily swapping the tilt and swivel axes around, as well as the bubble level that works so well in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head: Verdict

I think that the Gitzo GHF3W 3-Way Fluid Head really looks and feels the business. Designed and manufactured in Italy to the highest standards, it’s the tripod head equivalent of jumping into an exotic Italian supercar. Compared with run-of-the-mill tripod heads, the Gitzo is an absolute joy to use and I feel that it’s a thing of engineering beauty in its own right.

Ultimately, performance is exceptional in every area, doing full justice to the design excellence and manufacturing quality of the head. It also goes a long way towards justifying the asking price, although, when we get right down to the bottom line, the Gitzo costs more to buy than many of us would be prepared to pay for a 3-way head, even for one which will probably last a lifetime.

Alternatives

When it comes to tripods, Manfrotto is the first name that springs to my mind. The Italian company has become a legend in its own lifetime, creating some of the best sticks and heads on the market since the mid-1970s. The company was actually founded by photojournalist Lino Manfrotto in the 1960s, but started off making light stands and booms, moving into its mainstay of tripods a few years down the line.

The vast majority of tripods, past and present, cater either to stills photographers or to videographers. And there’s the problem. In these mirrorless days, there’s a host of ‘content creators’ wanting to make the most of everything on offer, inventing or reinventing themselves as hybrid shooters and capturing stills and video in equal measure. The Manfrotto One Hybrid tripod was created from the ground up, with and for content creators, aiming to be equally adept for shooting stills and video. As such, it aims to be not only one of the best tripods for photographers, but also one of the best tripods for videographers, and an all-in-one solution for those of us who shoot both.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Specifications

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Price

Pay your money and take your choice. There are four versions of the Manfrotto One Hybrid up for grabs, to suit varying needs and budgets. First up is the set of aluminum legs on their own, at $500 / £375 / AU$900. Add the Manfrotto 500X Fluid Head, which is an utterly perfect pairing for the legs in every way, and you’re looking at $680 / £519 / AU$1,200 for the complete kit.

Trade up to carbon fiber instead of aluminum, and the legs cost $720 / £539 / AU$1,250, or you can pay top dollar for the complete kit of legs and head at $880 / £669 / AU$1,500. The 500X head costs $220 / £164 / AU$390 on its own, so there’s a slight discount if you buy a complete kit. None of the options is exactly cheap, but you do get a good deal for your money.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Design & Handling

Some say that you don’t need a tripod at all in this day and age of high-performance image stabilization, featured in both camera bodies and lenses. I completely disagree, finding a good tripod to be an essential aid for precisely composing critical stills shots and for long exposures, even more so for shooting video. What I’m a lot less keen on is needing to buy, store, and carry two different tripods, one for stills and one for video.

That said, I do tend to compromise to some extent by carrying one set of sturdy legs and swapping between a ball head or 3-way head for stills, and a fluid pan head for video. Even so, that’s still extra kit that you have to buy and carry, as well as enduring the chore of swapping between them. From the range of Manfrotto One Hybrid options, I opted for the set of aluminum legs, complete with 500X Fluid Head, which really does set out to answer every stills and video need in one package. The big question is, can this Manfrotto really pull it off and live up to its claims?

Unpacking the kit from its box, it’s already starting to look every inch a video tripod. There are some design elements that I’ve seen before, particularly in the Manfrotto 504X 635 Fast Single Leg Carbon video tripod. That was the first tripod I saw with Manfrotto’s ‘fast leg’ design. In that case, you twist the leg and all internal sections would release for expansion or contraction, after which you can tighten them all up again with another single twist in the opposite direction. The legs for the One Hybrid are equally ‘fast’ but this time have a single locking lever for each leg.

There are three sections in each leg, the central one having the largest profile. The medium thickness section extends from the top and the narrowest section from the bottom. Undo all of the locking levers (there’s one for each leg) and you can simply lift the tripod to your required operating height, jiggle it around until it’s approximately level, and then tighten each of the clamps again. One thing that I particularly like is that where most tripods have circular profile legs, this one uses oval profile legs, that make them more rigid, with more tortional resistance. This makes them less likely to bend and flex while you’re panning.

When I said about getting the tripod ‘approximately level’, the upside is that you don’t need to ensure the legs are absolutely level if you’re going to be panning for video or a sequence of stills. That’s because, like most video rather than stills tripods, this one features a leveling system so that you can ensure the base of the head is level. It’s an important point because, if you use adjustments in the head to compensate for the legs not being level, your camera will go on the skew when you start panning.

One aspect in which the tripod differs from most video tripods and is more like a stills tripod is that it has an extending center column. Naturally, this enables extra height, and, indeed, the tripod has a lofty maximum operating height of 181cm / 71.3", with the center column extended. But there’s more. As well as having a built-in leveling system, the column has a ‘Q90’ mechanism plus a modular design.

The Q90 is a trick bit of the kit that enables you to pivot the center column through 90 degrees and use it as a horizontal boom. It’s ideal for shooting directly downwards, for example, taking stills or video of objects laid out on the ground or on a tabletop. It’s also useful for shooting extreme close-ups and for use with ultra-wide-angle lenses, and is another reminder of features I’ve previously seen in Manfrotto tripods, like the Manfrotto 055 MT055CXPRO3.

Other highlights of the legs include an Easy Link socket with anti-rotation, ideal for adding an accessory arm and attaching the likes of an LED lamp, microphone, or video display monitor. There’s also a bubble level at the top of the legs, which you can freely rotate through 360 degrees to get it into the most convenient position.

At the very top of the legs is a Manfrotto Xchange system for easily swapping between different heads, and it works equally well for moving heads (and mounted cameras) between different supports. However, if you're going to use the One with the 500X Fluid Head permanently, then you don't need to use the Xchange plate at all, and in fact, Manfrotto recommends removing it entirely. Nevertheless, it's handy to have, and I’ve seen something similar, in the shape of the excellent Manfrotto MOVE Quick Release System, which I’ve invested in for some of my personal sets of legs and heads. With both systems, you can simply twist a locking ring, then pop the head off the tripod, and snap it onto another one, or place a different head on your legs. It really couldn’t be any quicker or easier.

Enough talk of legs. Let’s get into the 500X Fluid Head. It’s pretty chunky, which I like as it gives a sense of solidity and robustness. I’ll start off with my one and only criticism, which is that the supplied panning handle only fits on the right-hand side, whereas most video tripod heads enable you to fit the handle on the right or left-hand side, depending on your preference.

Back on the positive side, the head features a counterbalance system, which you can engage or disengage with a knob on the side. When engaged, it has a set counterbalance weight of 2.4kg / 5.29lb. In practice, I found it worked well with a variety of different camera and lens combinations.

Shift over to the left-hand side of the head, and there’s a locking/release knob for forward and backward vertical tilt. It’s something that’s equally necessary for stills and video, and I’m pleased that it has a generous range of movement, equating to almost 180 degrees and enabling vertical downward shooting, even without pivoting the center column.

Around the back is the lock/release knob for panning, which is equally necessary for both stills and video. Just above this knob is a bubble level built into the head, which you can use in conjunction with the one in the legs.

One thing that’s lacking in video heads is a 90-degree swivel facility. That can be a critical problem if you want to shoot stills in portrait orientation mode. The ‘hybrid’ nature of the Manfrotto comes to the fore again, this time with a release button that enables you to pivot the camera platform through 90 degrees for portrait-orientation shooting. So there you have it – true hybrid functionality.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Performance

Sometimes time is of the essence, particularly if you’re shooting stills and video at events like weddings and sporting occasions. I find that the ‘fast legs’ live up to their billing, making it very quick and easy to set up the tripod at the height I require. Similarly ensuring the tripod is completely level also proves quick and simple, thanks not only to the fast leg latches but also to the leveling mechanism for the center column.

For creative effect, I often like to shoot both stills and video from ultra-low angles. The Manfrotto obliges with its modular center column. A simple release catch makes it easy to slide off the bottom section of the center column and remove it completely, enabling use of the legs’ widest angular setting.

I found that the tripod gave me the perfect blend of solid support and fluid movement when shooting video. I was also pleased that it proved really solid and sturdy for stills, being very resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration. For portrait orientation shooting, you might prefer using one of the best L-brackets currently available. If not, the ability to quickly swivel the camera through 90 degrees can be vital for stills.

Dedicated video tripods rarely feature a center column. That can be a limiting factor if you need to shoot from a lofty height. I’m pleased that the Manfrotto not only features a center column, but that it also has a pivot feature, which is ideal for shooting vertically downwards over a table and for various other scenarios. All in all, this ‘hybrid’ tripod can do pretty much anything, and in fine style.

Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod: Verdict

Hybrid creations have quite a history, from mules to automobiles, and you can often make things better if you mix them up a bit. There’s a joke here… What do you get if you cross a dinosaur with a pig? Jurassic pork! Sorry, back to the business at hand. The Manfrotto One Hybrid tripod is genuinely different from other tripods that I’ve seen, used, tested, and reviewed before. And I’ve seen a lot.

It really is ‘one’ tripod that’s a true ‘hybrid’, making it a dual-purpose tool for both stills and video. It’s quick and easy to set up, simple to use, and combines super-steady support with wonderfully fluid movement. I’d definitely go for one of the aluminum or carbon fiber full kits that includes the head, as the two go so brilliantly well together. The complete kits really are more than the sum of their parts. They’re all pretty pricey to buy but are still very good value, considering their design, features, and performance.

Alternatives

Joby, the maker of the iconic flexible Gorillapod mini tripods, has a new owner. On September 03, the London-based Videndum announced an agreement to sell the Joby brand to Vijim – a photography accessory brand owned by a China-based company.

The move means that Joby gear will be under new ownership and marks a shift to focusing on high-end pro gear for Videndum – the company that owns Avenger, Gitzo, Lowepro, Manfrotto, Savage, Sachtler, Litepanels and several other photo and video brands.

“This sale supports the Company’s strategy to focus on core professional markets,” Videndem wrote in the announcement.

The company did not disclose the amount agreed upon for the sale of Joby, but said that the proceeds will be used to pay down the group’s debt. In the first half of 2025, the company reported 25% lower revenue than the same period in 2024, leading to an adjusted operating loss of £7 million (around $9.48 million / AU$14.4 million) and putting the company’s net debt to £137.7 million ($186.5 million / AU$283.4 million).

In 2024, the company announced a plan to increase operational efficiency and reduce spending amid “a challenging macroeconomic backdrop.” In the first half of 2025, the company said tariffs and increased demand led to limited inventory in the US, leading to lower revenue than initially anticipated. However, the company says much of the difference was offset by the its previously announced restructuring and cost management plans.

As Videndum shifts towards higher-end gear, the company has decided to sell off the Joby brand. Joby is arguably most known for its Gorillapods, a line of tripods whose standout feature is flexible legs that can be wrapped around anything from fence posts to tree branches to create more height flexibility from a small tabletop tripod.

Along with the Gorillapods, which span from smartphone to DSLR-ready models, Joby also produces microphones, lights and other accessories for content creators. While best known for the Gorillapod, Joby also offers full-sized tripods geared towards content creators, as well as kits that mix tripods, mics and lights into one set for creators.

The Joby brand was originally launched in the San Francisco area but was later acquired by Videndum in 2017.

Vijim is a sub-brand of Ulanzi, which is owned by Shenzhen Vijim Technology Co Ltd, based in China. The company’s line of products ranges from modular photography kits to folding smartphone tripods to lights.

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Vanguard has been making a variety of photographic kit, binoculars, spotting scopes, and gadget bags for many years now, starting its business back in 1986. Although the current product range is very diverse, if I had to sum up what immediately springs to my mind when I hear the word ‘Vanguard’, that word would be ‘tripods’.

The company makes a huge range of tripods – large, small, and in-between – to suit all wants and needs. The catalog includes some of the best tripods for photographers, best tripods for videographers and best travel tripods. The Vesta TB 204CB tripod kit that I’m reviewing sets its sights not only on being a travel tripod in general, but also one of the best budget tripods in particular. It seems to be impossibly great value for a complete carbon kit.

Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB: Specifications

Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB: Price

Think carbon fiber tripod kits and you’re probably thinking big bucks. And you’d nearly always be right. The luxurious yet lightweight material is used in some of the world’s best tripods, but they tend to command hefty purchase prices. As a complete kit with ball head, the Vesta TB 204CB is not only refreshingly lightweight but has a comparatively featherweight price tag of $120 / £100. The big question is, “Is it worth it?”

Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB: Design & Handling

When I’m travelling, there’s usually a flight involved somewhere along the line. That can cause a bit of a problem as I like to take my camera gear as cabin luggage, so it has to fit into one bag. The Vesta TB 204CB fits the bill perfectly, as its folded length of 37.5cm / 14.8" and weight of just 0.78kg / 1.72lb make it easy to slip into a small bag, along with the rest of my gubbins. Maybe that’s why this travel tripod isn’t supplied with a bag of its own. The more likely reason is that, unlike the vast majority of carbon fiber tripod kits on the market, it’s priced to appeal to those on the tightest of budgets.

Let’s kick off with the legs, which seems entirely natural. They’re made of carbon fiber, and not just any old carbon fiber but from an up-market cut that really looks and feels the business. And unlike some tripods that have carbon legs but a metal center column, the Vanguard is made from carbon fiber throughout.

Each leg comprises four telescoping sections, which is par for the course when it comes to travel tripods. Unlike with three-section legs, the extra section enables a taller maximum operating height along with a smaller folded height, for easier stowage. As with almost every travel tripod on the market nowadays, the Vanguard has a swing-up design for the legs, so that the feet encircle the extended center column when folded. This tends to take about 20cm / 8” off the folded height, so that you can squeeze the tripod into the smallest of spaces.

The clamps for releasing and fastening the legs are twist-locks, which I tend to favor over flip-locks. They’re good ones, too, with only minimal rotation being required to release and lock the legs. It’s also easy to grab all the locks in one handful when the legs are retracted, saving time and effort.

The outer or top leg section has a diameter of 20mm, and there’s a drop of 3mm as you work your way down towards the bottom. As a result, the very lowest section of each leg has a relatively thin and spindly diameter of just 11mm. That might compromise the rigidity of the overall tripod when the bottom sections are extended, but we’ll see how it works out later when I get to ‘performance’.

A bit of a ‘must-have’ feature for any tripod, as far as I’m concerned, is ‘multi-angle legs’. These make it much easier to work on uneven terrain, or around obstacles, as well as making the tripod more secure in low-level shooting. I’m happy that the Vanguard has three locking leg angles, and they’re engaged by a simple spring-loaded lever at the top of each leg.

At the bottom of each leg, the feet are of the rubber pad variety. It’s a safe bet that works well on most surfaces but the pads don’t feature retractable metal spikes, which can work better on loose ground or carpet.

To further shrink the minimum shooting height, the center column has two sections rather than one, each of which has its own twist-clamp, similar to the ones featured in the legs. I’m a little surprised that the outer section of the telescoping center column isn’t full-length, which would enable a greater maximum operating height when the inner section is extended. As it is though, you can shrink the minimum shooting height down to 30cm / 12”. If you want to go lower still, you can reverse the center column and shoot right down to ground level with the camera inverted.

Up on top, there’s a ball head that fits nicely with the design of the legs. It’s quick and easy to use, with just a single lock/release knob. There’s therefore no pan-only release (despite a calibrated panning scale being featured), nor an independent friction adjuster. What you do get is a bubble level to aid leveling the head, as well as an Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate.

Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB: Performance

The legs have quite a large number of adjustments, based on nine leg section twist-locks, two center column twist-locks and three multi-angle levers. Given that you’ll most likely swing the legs upwards for minimum stowage size, the net result is that the tripod can take a bit of time and effort to set up for shooting and to fold down again afterwards. Even so, it’s a relatively simple and painless procedure.

I like to explore all the angles when shooting and I’m particularly pleased that the multi-angle legs and telescoping 2-section center column enable ultra-low-level shooting without having to invert the camera and shoot with it upside down. That’s still an option if you feel the need.

Despite the reservations that I expressed earlier, it turns out the tripod legs remained pretty rigid and resistant to flexing and vibrations at full extension, even with the thin bottom sections brought into play. At least that’s what I found during testing, with the center column retracted. To gain extra height by extending the bottom section of the center column, I found that the tripod felt rather less rigid. Extending both sections of the center column to enable the full operating height of 130cm / 51" made the tripod very susceptible to vibrations and oscillations. That’s rather disappointing, especially considering that the maximum height is pretty modest anyway.

Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB: Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Vanguard Vesta TB 204CB tripod kit. As a travel tripod, It’s suitably small when folded, measuring just 37.5cm / 14.8", and it’s refreshingly lightweight at just 0.78kg / 1.72lb, despite having a decent maximum payload rating of 3kg / 6.61lb. It also has a luxury look and feel, based high-quality carbon fiber for the legs and center column. The ball head is none too shabby either. The whole kit is outrageously inexpensive, considering its feature set, but it’s disappointingly wobbly at its maximum height. If you can set your sights a little lower, so to speak, and can avoid the maximum operating height, it’s a smart bit of kit.

Alternatives

Vanguard has made a name for itself as a high-ranking manufacturer of tripods, monopods bags, cases and other photographic accessories, as well as binoculars and spotting scopes, with an illustrious history that stretches back to 1986. Although the company’s current product range is very diverse, ‘tripods’ are always the first thing that springs to my mind when the name crops up. Indeed, Vanguard makes some of the best tripods for photographers, best tripods for videographers and best travel tripods.

The tripod that I’m reviewing here doesn’t fit into any of those categories, although it’s sufficiently lightweight to classify as a travel tripod. Instead, the Vesta 203AP aims to be one of the most inexpensive complete tripod kits on the market, and is definitely a contender as one of the best budget tripods, if you’re after a set of sticks for minimum outlay.

Vanguard Vesta 203AP: Specifications

Vanguard Vesta 203AP: Price

Vanguard makes a huge range of tripods to suit every need and budget. But when it comes to ‘budget’, you’d struggle to find a complete tripod kit from a reputable manufacturer that costs less than the $70 / £50 / AU$100. That’s the selling price of the Vanguard Vesta 203AP. Ultimately, it’s a fraction of the price of many a set of legs or a head, sold individually rather than as a complete kit, potentially making it a bargain buy.

Vanguard Vesta 203AP: Design & Handling

The Vanguard Vesta 203AP looks and feels pretty small and lightweight, but it’s not advertised as a ‘travel tripod’. That’s a fair point, as the vast majority of travel tripods these days have swing-up legs, so the feet encircle the extended center column when folded down, to reduce the stowage size. But you pay a price for those space-saving designs, in that it takes longer to set up your tripod and pack it away again. Instead, the 203AP has regular legs that simply hinge out through a small arc. Even so, the tripod folds down to just 57cm / 22.25", complete with head, so it can still fit into small spaces for stowage.

As I’d fully expect at this price point, the leg sections and center column are made from aluminum rather than carbon fiber. A downside is that they feel cold to the touch in chilly weather and, in keeping with the minimalist design and pricing, there’s no comfort padding on any of the legs. There are also only three sections per leg, rather than the four or five often featured in travel tripods.

That compromises the maximum operating height as well as smallness when folded, but, again, there’s an upside in that with only two clamps per leg, rather than three or four, it’s relatively quick and easy to set up the tripod and fold it down again. The sections are released and clamped with flip-lock levers. Twist-locks are often preferred as they don’t tend to stick out as much, but the levers in this tripod are very slimline.

Another advantage of the tripod only featuring three sections per leg rather than four or five is that it avoids the bottom leg sections being too thin and spindly. As such, the diameter of the top section is 20mm and the inner ones measure 17mm and 14mm, so even the bottom one isn’t super-skinny.

One thing I really do miss in this tripod is that it only has one locking angle for the legs. I’m more used to three angles, so I can splay the legs further apart. It can be very useful for shooting on uneven terrain and for working around obstacles. It’s also great for enabling really low-level shooting, while also adding stability at short operating heights, making the tripod less prone to toppling over. With just one angle on offer, the minimum height is relatively tall at 53.5cm / 21.1".

On the plus side, the textured rubber feet enable a slip-resistant footing on rough and smooth surfaces. At full stretch with the leg sections and center column fully extended, the maximum operating height is a little disappointing at 155cm / 61", or just an inch over 5 feet. The center column has a locking screw that, again, is quick and easy to use. However, you can’t remove and reverse the center column, which would have enabled ultra-low-level shooting, albeit with the camera inverted.

I’m pleased that despite the bare-bones nature of the tripod, Vanguard has included two bubble levels, one on the platform at the top of the legs and one on the head. These are handy for leveling the camera. Leveling can be an important factor given that the tripod features a panning head. Correct leveling ensures that the camera stays on the level when panning, even through a whole 360 degrees, which is ideal for shooting video as well as taking a sequence of stills to stitch into a panorama.

Although it looks and feels like a 2-way pan head, with an operating handle and independent panning lock, there’s a neat trick to add versatility. An additional panning lock on the other side of the main one enables you rotate the upper platform on which the camera sits, in relation to the rest of the head. Rotate it through 90 degrees and you can use the tilt mechanism to swivel the camera into portrait orientation instead of the regular landscape orientation.

Another little luxury that you might not expect in a bargain-basement tripod is that this one features a quick-release plate. It features a D-ring and slot for securing it to your camera with a finger and thumb of coin, and a sprung pin that can help to avoid the camera unwantedly twisting or working loose on the plate.

Vanguard Vesta 203AP: Performance

Performance is pretty impressive in terms of the speed with which you can set up the tripod and start shooting. It’s certainly quicker to put up than typical travel tripods, thanks to its relatively simple design. However, what you gain in speed, you lose in compactness for stowage. With only three leg sections and no multi-angle leg facility, nor the ability to reverse the center column, the range of operating heights is comparatively limited. It ranges from a minimum of 53.5cm / 21.1" to a maximum of 155cm / 61". Ultimately, the tripod is too tall for ultra-low-level shooting and you might feel it’s too short for comfortable shooting at its maximum height.

The lack of wider leg angles also makes the tripod feel a little prone to toppling over at its minimum operating height. Up towards the maximum height with all of the leg sections and center column extended, the tripod is quite prone to vibrations and feels a little lacking in rigidity. Sure, it only has a fairly modest maximum load rating of 3.5kg / 7.78lb but simply feels a bit wobbly. The highlight of performance is that panning and tilting work smoothly, courtesy of the panning handle, which makes the tripod good for tracking action with a camera or birdwatching with a spotting scope.

Vanguard Vesta 203AP: Verdict

High-quality tripods often cost a small fortune, so it would be unfair to expect too much from a complete kit that’s priced at just $70 / £50 / AU$100. Sure enough, the Vanguard Vesta 203AP is relatively simple in its design and basic in its feature set. Rigidity isn’t altogether convincing either, but, for the money, it works pretty well. It’s sufficiently compact and lightweight to take along for the ride, quick to set up, and easy to use. The 2-way motion of the pan/tilt head enables smooth and wide-ranging movement, and the additional upper panning mechanism gives the option of switching to portrait orientation shooting. As a basic tripod, it’s really pretty good, and they don’t come any more affordable than this.

Alternatives

When we buy a tripod kit, it invariably comes complete with a ball head. And with good reason: they are compact, easy to use, quick to operate and effective. But for all their merits, they are simply not as accurate as a pan-and-tilt tripod head, commonly known as a 3-way.

With a ball head, a single clamp grips the ball upon which the camera mounting plate is positioned. This is what makes them so fast and easy to use; a quick twist and the camera is locked in place, ready to shoot.

However, that simplicity comes at the price of accuracy; if your composition is generally good but the horizon is a teeny bit off kilter, then unlocking the clamp loosens the whole kit and caboodle. So you may find that in attempting to fix your wonky horizon, you inadvertantly tilt the camera up or down by a couple of degrees – thereby ruining your carefully crafted composition.

Then there's the dreaded ball sag; it's common for a ball head to dip just a teeny bit once you lock the clamp and then let go of the camera. And the heavier your setup, the greater the degree of danger.

A 3-way tripod head, by contrast, has separate locking controls for panning, tilting side to side, and tilting up and down. So while they are slower to use – necessitating the use of three separate controls and locks – they are far more accurate.

You can concentrate first on leveling your horizon and, once that's bang-on, panning to perfect your angle of view, then you can lock that off and get your angle of elevation just right. For lovingly composed landscapes, there's simply nothing better.

Taking things a step further, a geared tripod head is essentially a pan-and-tilt head that is permanently solidly locked in place, but can be adjusted in all three planes in microscopic amounts with a geared knob. They are even slower still, but supremely accurate. And let's face it: if you're up at dawn waiting for the sun to peep above the horizon, then you have the time.

Naturally, Digital Camera World has buying guides dedicated to helping you find the best pan-and-tilt head and the perfect geared head for you. But if you insist on sticking with a ball head, then why not invest in a better one? We have a guide to the best ball heads, too.

So when it comes to a 3-way, don’t be shy, give it a try!

The Freewell Vlogpod is a tabletop mini-tripod that has three strong but flexible legs. The idea is that as well as popping it on a table, the legs can be wrapped around posts, poles, branches – or any other similar object that may be to hand – to shoot from an elevated height.

As the 'Vlogpod' name suggests, Freewell is aiming it at vloggers, but it's equally as useful to photographers who need a light and portable support without carting around a bigger travel tripod. Indeed, it has a nicely designed ball head topped by a camera mount that converts to a smartphone cradle, so is in the running to be both one of the best mini tripods, and iPhone tripods and smartphone supports. Let's see how it stands up to the competition.

Freewell Vlogpod: Specifications

Freewell Vlogpod: Price

While the list price is $50 / £45 / AU$90 is a bit pricey, I found some retailers were offering generous discounts at the time of writing, so it pays to shop around (our price-finding widget should hunt out the best prices for you). If you can pick it up for around the $35 / £40 / AU$78 that I found it for, then that's a little more palatable, and closer to the price you might expect to pay for a regular mini tripod.

That said, the Vlogpod's trick of being able to latch on pretty much anything could make it worth the extra if you like to shoot from up high but don't want to carry a big and heavy traditional tripod around with you.

Freewell Vlogpod: Design & Handling

The Vlogpod is 328mm long when folded, but when its legs are splayed for tabletop use, its maximum height is reduced to around 280mm. There is no center column for height extension, as found on some competing mini tripods; however, this is largely academic, as the product is designed not only to be used on a table or wall, but wrapped around a fence post or the branches of a tree, so it can go as tall as the objects in your environment. It does make it tricky to get the precise height you want, though.

When it comes to low-level shooting, the legs can be bent to achieve a lower height of about 150mm. Alternatively, they can be manipulated to different heights to form a level shooting platform when used on uneven surfaces.

The Vlogpod's flexibility comes from a seven-strand aluminum core, encased in ABS plastic reinforced with polyamide glass fiber (PA GF). The legs have a textured outer grip that is comfortable to hold, and the underside is ribbed to provide a firm grip. It is easy to bend the legs into shape with a little force, and they hold their shape well, gripping onto objects and supporting their payload without working loose. At the top of each leg is a 1/4"-20 socket for the attachment of extension arms and the like.

The legs are topped by a removable ball head that offers 360 degrees of panning movement, plus there's a cutout to enable vertical shooting. It moves smoothly and is firmly clamped with a locking screw. A regular tripod screw attaches cameras, or this can be recessed, and the base flipped out to reveal spring-loaded clamps to hold a phone.

There's a further 1/4"-20 socket on the ball head should the other three not quite be enough for you, as well as a pair of cold shoes at each side of the mount, though it has to be said that these are only likely to be of use when used with a phone, as they would sit underneath the mount when a camera is attached.

Freewell Vlogpod: Performance

There have been plenty of flexible tripod designs in the past, and the true test is how well its legs hold their shape once contorted into position. I'm pleased to report that the Vlogpod does this admirably. I tried it with phones, compacts and DSLRs, and found that I could trust it to keep its rigidity with quite heavy payloads. Its stated 3kg is pretty generous for a mini tripod like this, though you do have to make sure the legs are firmly wrapped with heavier camera and lens combos.

Part of this strength is due to its size, and while it's compact compared to a 'proper' tripod, the legs are quite thick, although their triangular shape means they fold together neatly. They're quite long too, but this enables them to keep a firm grip on supports of various sizes. It's pretty light, but still quite bulky to carry around without a bag, and there's no extending center column, so getting it to the desired height relies on finding suitable objects to put it on/strap it onto.

The ball head rotates smoothly and locks firmly, so once you've attached your phone/camera to a handy branch, it can be leveled up for straight compositions. The dual phone bracket and camera mount is a nice touch too, and handy if you like to switch between devices.

The four accessory screw sockets add to its vlogger-friendly credentials, enabling the attachment of all sorts of accessories such as mics and lights. The cold shoes are a nice-to-have bonus, but aren't of much practical use when shooting with a camera due to their positioning.

Freewell Vlogpod: Verdict

Mini tripods with bendy legs have been around for quite a while, but I was really impressed with the rigidity of the Vlogpod, which proved its worth by staying firmly in place once manipulated into the desired shape under a fairly hefty payload. It certainly feels like a better solution than the ball-and-socket designs of some competitors. It's a lot comfier to hold, too, so much so that it could also double as a selfie stick, albeit one with a pretty limited extension, as there's no extending column.

This lack of extension won't be a problem in tripod use, as long as you're in an environment with tall things to wrap it around. It's definitely lightweight, tipping the scales at just one pound (456 grams), but is a bit too bulky to stick in a pocket, and you'll need to tuck it into a bag. But it's a necessary tradeoff as its size gives it its strength and ability to wrap around an impressive variety of girths.

Alternatives

Vanguard is a global company with headquarters in Myanmar and branches in many other countries around the globe. It’s been making high-quality tripods and other photographic accessories as well as the likes of binoculars, spotting scopes and gadget bags, building up an extensive catalog over the last 40 years or so. The company has a knack of dreaming up innovative ideas and successfully turning them into useful products. A case in point is this Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head, which is almost like a 4-way head, thanks to its dual-axis panning system. As such it aims for a spot in the best 3-way heads hall of fame, and then some. Let’s take a closer look.

Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head: Specifications

Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head: Price

What price a good 3-way head? It often depends where in the world you’re buying it. For example, Manfrotto products tend to vary considerably in price from one world region to another. As such, the Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head costs $220 in the USA and £129 in the UK. It’s therefore very good value in the UK, less so in the USA. This Vanguard head is currently priced more competitively in the States, at $160 but is still pretty good value at £150 in the UK.

Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head: Design & Handling

Although ‘different by design’ and decidedly innovative, the Vanguard does include a feature that I like and have seen before in various other 3-way heads. I’m talking ‘retractable handles’. The levers for both tilt and swivel have long metal shafts with comfortably large and grippy textured knobs. Better still, the knobs extend and retract along the shafts, with locking positions at each end. The bonus is that you get more leverage for easy and precise adjustments when they’re extended, along with space-saving retraction for stowage.

The tilt and swivel handles have the same textured knobs, although the shaft of the swivel handle is a little longer. Both have a fairly generous range of overall movement, equating to -30 degrees to +91 degrees. The larger 91-degree directions offer vertically downward shooting (front/back) and portrait orientation shooting (lateral) respectively, the latter without the need for using an L-bracket. It’s good as far as it goes although some might miss the provision of marked reference scales, which can be handy for replicating a previous setup.

The main panning mechanism fits with tradition by being at the bottom of the head. Unlike tilt and swivel, this one is calibrated. It’s numbered at 45-degree intervals with large lines at 15-degree intervals and short lines at 5-degree increments. There’s a small locking lever for the lower panning mechanism, which is very different from the large handles for tilt and swivel.

The tricked-up bit of the design is the secondary panning mechanism, which is situated between the tilt and swivel mechanisms, a bit like the filling of a sandwich. But why would you want this anyway? For one thing, you can rotate the upper handle on its X-axis so that both of the long handles are in line. This saves the levers sticking out in two directions and is more ideal for use with an L-bracket or a large lens that sits on a tripod mounting ring. In both cases, you don’t need a lateral swivel adjustment, as that’s taken care of. Vanguard points out that you can also configure the tripod head for left-handed use by laterally rotating the upper handle through 180 degrees, in relation to the lower one.

Up on top, there’s a single bubble level. This is less useful than a combination of three spirit levels, at least when it comes to leveling the camera in portrait orientation. In regular landscape orientation as well as when using an L-bracket or a lens with a tripod mounting ring, the bubble level is perfectly sufficient.

For attaching a camera, the head features an Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate, which ensures the greatest amount of universal compatibility. A growing number of L-brackets and the feet of tripod mounting rings now use this system, so you can slot them straight into the head without even using the quick-release plate. A security pin in the base avoids the QR plate sliding out accidentally, and it retracts when using other kit, if it needs to fit flush with the base and there’s no clearance for the protruding pin.

The bottom of the head has the usual circular profile for attaching it to a set of tripod legs, and a diameter of 58mm. That’s a good match for like-minded, heavy-duty tripods, the head having a 10kg / 22lb payload rating. A smaller version by the name of the Vanguard VEO PH-36S 3-way pan head is also available which has a 6kg / 13.2lb payload rating and a 50mm diameter base.

Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head: Performance

For conventional use, I found the Vanguard 3-way head worked really well. The telescopic arms for tilt and swivel enable enhanced handling, making it easy to apply very fine and precise adjustments, as well as more sweeping changes. The lower panning section also works similarly well. However, I’m less convinced about the upper panning section. After fully releasing the locking mechanism, I found the panning action was disappointingly stiff and lacked any kind of fluid feel.

Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I was hoping to be able to use this for panning when shooting video. An upside in this respect is that, so long as the lower tilt adjustment is leveled even on sloping ground, the upper panning mechanism keeps everything on the level when you’re panning, which is a boost for videography as well as for taking a series of shots to stitch into a panoramic image.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been testing a number of 3-way heads with a Sony A7 II body and a Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens. The combination weighs a not inconsiderable 1.4kg / 3.2lb and the lens doesn’t feature a mounting ring, so the weight shifts to being significantly off-axis in portrait orientation shooting. I found that the Vanguard head did an impressive job of supporting the load in both landscape and portrait orientation shooting, with minimal flexing or vibration. I checked this by manually focusing the lens and using an enlarged preview in the camera with image stabilization switched off.

Vanguard VEO PH-38S 3-way pan head: Verdict

I always think it’s nice to see things that are a bit different. The dual-axis panning facility in this Vanguard certainly gives it a novel look and feel, compared with the vast majority of 3-way heads on the market. If the upper panning mechanism worked with more of a fluid, free-flowing feel, my joy would be complete, as I’d feel the head was equally viable for shooting stills and video. That’s not really the case but, even so, it’s a highly impressive 3-way head that mostly works a treat and offers satisfyingly solid support.

Alternatives

Benro has built a solid reputation on suitably solid tripod systems over the last 30 years. I’ve been particularly impressed with some of the company’s recent and more innovative products, including the Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head, which is like a ball head and a pan and tilt head, all in one package. The Benro HD2A 3-way head that I’m reviewing here is a more traditional 3-way head, aimed squarely at stills photography.

It’s the middle option in a set of three, having an 8kg load rating, whereas the HD1A is rated at 5kg and the HD3A supports up to 12kg. The smallest in the range lacks reference scales but all are built to the same overall design principles, aiming to be among the best 3-way heads on the market.

Benro HD2A 3-way head: Specifications

Benro HD2A 3-way head: Price

The photographic market, like many others, is awash with Chinese products that are super-cheap but of questionable quality. Benro has been a Chinese company since its inception in 1996 but has never skimped on quality, instead focusing on high-end design and manufacture. The HD2A 3-way head is a classic case in point, with a competitive but certainly not cheap price tag of $110 / £110 / AU$199. That makes it a bargain of varying degree depending on world region, compared with the likes of the Manfrotto X-PRO 3-way head which costs $220 / £129 / AU$289.

Benro HD2A 3-way head: Design & Handling

The design looks pretty standard fare for a 3-way tripod head but there’s a little more to it than meets the eye. High-quality black anodized metal surfaces have a durable and attractive eggshell black finish. Typical of Benro products, there are contrasting blue accents, which I’ll come to later. The tilt and swivel handles are comfortably long, with grippy rubber knobs on metal shafts, enabling accurate and precise adjustments with good leverage. Unlike in some designs, however, the handles aren’t retractable to reduce stowage size.

The front/back tilt range is generous, stretching from 35 degrees upwards to 90 degrees downwards, thus giving a 125-degree range in total that includes vertically downward shooting. Unlike the smallest HD1A in the range, the adjustment comes complete with a reference scale, which has numbered positions of 35 (upward), 0 (level), 45 and 90 degrees (downward), along with long marked lines for 15-degree intervals and shorter lines for intermediate 5-degree increments.

Lateral swivel has a relatively limited range of 15 degrees clockwise and 90 degrees counter-clockwise, although this serves its main purpose of enabling portrait orientation shooting without the need to use an L-bracket, or when using large lenses that rotate within a tripod mounting ring.

As is often the case with 3-way heads, the lock/release knob for panning is relatively short and stubby. Again though, it’s nice and grippy with a textured, rubberized surface. Loosening the knob enables smooth and free panning through a complete 360 degrees. Again, there’s a reference scale marked in 5-degree intervals, this time being particularly useful for taking a calibrated series of panned shots for subsequently stitching into a panoramic image. The reference markings for all three axes are also handy for replicating setups if you need to repeat a shot.

Given that 3-way heads are ideal for architectural and landscape photography, where you want to position the camera exactly on the level, I’m pleased to see the inclusion of three separate spirit levels. Using an alternate two out of three enables precise leveling of the camera in either landscape or portrait orientation mode.

The reference markers that I’ve mentioned represent an upgrade over the previous version of the head. The other update is an Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release system. This enables maximum compatibility with other kit and is particularly useful given that many large lenses now feature tripod mounting rings with an Arca-type foot. Many L-brackets also have an Arca-type profile, enabling them to slot straight into the base plate of the head. When you do need to use the QR plate, it’s impressively long at 70mm / 2.76in, making it easy to center a wide range of cameras.

Flip the head over and you’ll find a typically circular base plate. It has a fairly large but not massive 52.5mm / 2.1in diameter, making it an ideal match for intermediate sized tripods with a similar payload rating to the 8kg / 17.6lb of the head. The height of the head is also of medium size, measuring 12cm / 4.7in.

Benro HD2A 3-way head: Performance

I found the ergonomics of the Benro head to be deeply satisfying. The controls for tilt, swivel and pan all work with smooth efficiency, requiring minimal effort to loosen them for adjustment and lock them up again afterwards. Really precise adjustments are quick and easy to achieve, while panning has a free-flowing feel to it. Another performance boost, if you can call it that, is that I didn’t drop my camera on the floor. Seriously, the lock/release knob for the quick-release plate has a special safety feature that requires you to pull it out and give it an additional twist to release the plate. The plate also features security studs to stop it sliding out to one side or the other.

The six rubber pads built into the quick-release plate aren’t the firmest in the world that I’ve ever used but nevertheless provide a solid and sturdy seating for the camera, while also potentially absorbing a little unwanted vibration. I’ve recently been testing 3-way heads with a Sony A7 II body fitted with a Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens. The combination has a weight of 1.4kg / 3.2lb and the lens doesn’t feature a mounting ring, so the weight is significantly off-axis in portrait orientation shooting. The Benro was easily able to support the load and proved very stable and rigid, as confirmed by manually focusing and using an enlarged preview with image stabilization switched off.

Benro HD2A 3-way head: Verdict

What you see is what you get. I really like that this Benro head looks immaculately engineered and beautifully finished. Not just a case of style over substance, those good looks translate into excellent performance. Good things seem to come in threes, with refined 3-way adjustment, three reference scales and three spirit levels. There aren’t really any fancy tricks or design innovations, but the head is simple and intuitive to use, and offers really solid support. It’s a win as far as I’m concerned.

Alternatives

The KraftGeek Variety Tripod is a combined selfie stick and tripod designed to hold small cameras or phones, and one of its main selling points is the large number of cold shoes that can be independently rotated to hold all manner of accessories. It will be welcomed by vloggers and other video presenters who need to add lighting and better quality sound recording to their setup.

It also reaches taller than most competing products, at 62.5 inches (a little over five feet), and its two-section legs extend for a wider, and thus more stable, shooting base. All this makes it a real contender as one of the best selfie sticks, mini tripods, and iPhone tripods and smartphone supports available.

KraftGeek Variety Tripod: Specifications

KraftGeek Variety Tripod: Price

The Variety Tripod has a list price of $60 / £45 / AU$86 and is available on Amazon, as well as KraftGeek's website. However, at the time of writing, it was being sold at a discounted price, so keep an eye out for offers. The standalone kit has a ball head for cameras and a universal mount for phones, but it is often bundled with KraftGeek's Flexy Mount, which can hold tablets and other wide devices, too.

It's not the cheapest option on the market, costing a little more than the same company's JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod, which stretches taller but is strictly for phones – and only ones with a MagSafe connection at that. So, does the Variety Tripod's added versatility make it worth the extra? Let's plough on.

KraftGeek Variety Tripod: Design & Handling

The KraftGeek Variety Tripod measures 12.3 inches when fully stowed and extends simply by pulling the extending column until it reaches the desired height, up to a maximum of 62.5 inches. It's fairly stiff to ensure that it can manage loads of up to 2kg. It can be used as a selfie stick or a tripod, thanks to two-stage pull-out stabilizing legs that form a broad base.

A ball head offers 360 degrees of panning and 110 degrees of tilt for phones and action cams, and a pair of rotating cold shoes at either side allow the attachment of mics, lights, and so on. It comes with a universal phone cradle that flips easily from landscape to portrait orientation and is equipped with a further cold shoe. There's also a Bluetooth controller that connects magnetically to a recess on the main column.

KraftGeek Variety Tripod: Performance

Extending to a decent 62.5ins (158cm), it's designed with shooting to-camera presentations in mind. However, it remains over a foot long when folded for stowage, which is the unavoidable downside of having such a tall maximum reach. As such, it's not going to slip into a spare pocket, but is perfectly carryable if you have a suitable bag.

The ball head rotates smoothly through 360 degrees, while 110 degrees of tilt enable versatile shooting angles. A thumb-operated wheel locking mechanism allows a variety of cameras to be easily attached via a standard 1/4’’-20 tripod mount socket, up to a load capacity of 2kg (4.4 lbs). It's suitable for action cams, compacts, and lightweight mirrorless or DSLR cameras, although I wouldn't go much bigger than a Nikon Z50 II or D3500 and kit lens (or equivalent combos). The ball head is flanked by two cold shoes that rotate through a full 360 degrees, enabling accessories to be positioned as you like and further adding to the Variety Tripod's vlogger-friendly credentials.

For phone shooters, a universal cradle is supplied that screws onto the top of the ball head. This all-metal cradle has a neat design that enables it to flip from horizontal to vertical shooting orientations (or at a jaunty 45º angle, should you wish) and makes it ideal for shooting both B-roll and phone-viewable-friendly video. There's a further cold shoe on the phone mount, should the other two not be enough. You can substitute this cradle with KraftGeek's Flexy Mount for tablets, which is available as an extra or in a bundle with the base kit.

It converts from a selfie stick to a monopod by pressing a button on the bottom that unlocks the three legs to form a 20cm (7.9in) radius base. That's fine for table-top use, but when the center column is fully extended, each leg can be pulled out to create a wider (and more stable) 28cm (11in) radius base.

A Bluetooth remote attaches magnetically to one of the tripod legs. The rechargable device is good for 20,000 shutter activations before it runs out of juice, which can be topped up via USB-C. It's a doddle to connect to any modern smartphone, though it should be noted that this only works with phones, not cameras.

KraftGeek Variety Tripod: Verdict

Aimed squarely at influencers, its 62.5-inch extended height should be tall enough for most to-camera video applications, and it can be used with a wide variety of cameras and phones, plus all manner of accessories, thanks to multiple cold shoes. Attaching mics and lights in this way helps add a professional air to your video productions.

When used as a tripod, its two-stage fold-out legs provide a reasonably solid base, but the center column is a little spindly for my liking, and I'd feel nervous trusting it with anything more than a compact camera. But it does its job admirably as a phone tripod and selfie stick, and I think its main appeal will be to smartphone shooters.

At over a foot long when packed away, it's not the most portable option if you like to tuck things into a pocket, but it's unavoidable in a product that both stretches so tall and provides a decent level ot stability.

Alternatives

The KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod is a combined selfie stick and tripod designed for mobile phones with a MagSafe connector. It extends to a generous five-and-a-half feet in height and has a wide set of legs that pop out with a tap, making it ideal for eye-level selfies. It's certainly a contender as both one of the best selfie sticks and best iPhone tripods on the market. Let's see what else it has to offer.

KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod: Specifications

KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod: Price

The tripod has a list price of $50 / £38 / AU$79 and is available on Amazon, as well as KraftGeek's own website, but at the time of writing was being sold at a discounted price, so keep an eye out for offers. Considering its lofty height, generous load rating, strong magnetic connection, and the inclusion of a Bluetooth remote, that makes it pretty good value.

KraftGeek also makes a non-MagSafe version of the JustTap tripod that instead has a traditional phone clamp, and is a little cheaper with a list price of $40 / £30 / AU$62.

KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod: Design & Handling

The JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod measures 13 inches when fully stowed and extends to 66 inches at full height. The tripod is extended simply by pulling the extending column until it reaches the desired height, and has a stiff resistance so that it won't collapse under heavy loads. The 'JustTap' in the product name refers to its pop-out legs. Tap a button on the base (or drop it gently on the ground) and its three stabilizing legs pop out to form a base.

It uses a MagSafe magnetic connection to attach your phone to the tripod, and also comes with an adhesive magnetic ring to attach to devices that aren't MagSafe-compatible. There's also a Bluetooth controller that connects magnetically to a recess on the main column.

KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod: Performance

Its lofty five-and-a-half-feet extended length should enable it to reach eye level for most people (unless you're a giant), thus making it ideal for natural-looking selfies. The downside of its impressive reach, however, is that it remains necessarily long when folded down, at just over a foot in length – it's certainly not pocket-sized, so you'll need a generously sized bag to carry it in.

The pop-out legs work brilliantly, springing out effortlessly as you tap the base of the device on the ground, enabling one-handed setup (for the legs, at least; you'll need to firmly tug the center column to extend it). The legs form a base with a decent 22.5cm radius, which is strong and stable enough to withstand all but the most powerful gusts of wind, even when fully extended.

The MagSafe connector provides a strong and secure connection, and is rated to secure loads of up to 2.5kg, which is far in excesss of any smartphone, MagSafe is a propriery Apple connection, but there are plenty of magnetic Android phone cases that provide similar functionality, and KraftGeek provides a self-adhesive magnetic ring in the box that can be stuck to the back on non-Apple phones.

The Bluetooth remote is turned on with a long press of the button and is easily synced with your phone. A short press then activates the shutter, while a long press turns it back off again. KraftGeek says that it should keep going for 20,000 shutter activations on a single charge, after which it can be recharged via USB-C.

KraftGeek JustTap Magnetic Phone Tripod: Verdict

Measuring a huge 66 inches long, this goes much further than many competing products, and is equally handy as a generously proportioned selfie stick or a solid tripod that can meet your gaze for eye-level selfies. It does remain pretty long even when folded, though, so it's the most pocketable of solutions.

It's easy – fun, even – to convert it from a selfie stick to a tripod with a light tap of the base, and I found that the product feels robust and well built enough to trust it with my iPhone. Speaking of which, it is best suited to owners of Apple phones due to the proprietary MagSafe connection.

Alternatives

I spend most of my days checking through our buying guides to ensure that they offer the very best recommendations, replacing older products when new and better options come along. The other day, it was the turn of our budget tripods buying guide. The guide was a bit woolly when it came to exactly when a tripod was determined to be ‘budget’, so I decided to set a rule that to make it into the guide, any product had to have a widely available street price of under $200 / £200 / AU$400, and preferably a lot less, while still being a quality and reliable piece of kit.

During my research, I found the UK price of the Manfrotto Befree GT Pro 3-Way is just £149 at one of my trusted go-to retailers; this was well within the criteria and an astonishingly good price for such an advanced tripod. It was definitely going into the guide! It not only has a three-way head, as opposed to the cheaper ball heads that most budget tripod kits tend to have, but one with a clever folding design that makes it take up no more space than a ball head when stowed for transportation. And it features a 'Fluid Drag System' that enables smooth movements necessary for video capture, which is unheard of for a tripod from a reputable manufacturer, such as Manfrotto, at this price point. The UK deal I found is below (apologies to readers in other territories!).

The alarm bells were ringing: surely it’s too good to be true? Further research found it priced at £199 at another retailer, so under the price barrier I’d imposed, but only just. Another retailer listed it at £285 – the retail price at the time the review was penned, and a much more realistic price for a product of this calibre.

Checking US retailers, I couldn’t find it anywhere under $200, so, alas, it fails on the ‘widely available street price’ count and ultimately couldn’t claim its place in the guide, even if it is an absolute bargain at one UK retailer listing it at this price. Perhaps they were clearing stock? Perhaps it was a mistake? And perhaps it would be going up to the more realistic price tomorrow, which is no good for a guide that requires longevity, so that people can rely on it for solid buying advice.

The moral of the story? Something can be both too good to be true and also true at the same time. And when that’s the case, jump on it!

See our full Manfrotto Befree GT 3-Way review

We all know the importance of a good, solid tripod. Not only do they keep your camera still for the duration of the exposure, making them the landscape photographer's best friend for shooting in low-light conditions, but they're also a vital compositional aid.

Once you've roughly set up your composition, you can tweak the framing to an infinitesimal degree, to ensure that the camera is perfectly level and that no distractions are creeping into the edges of the frame, before finally hitting the shutter release to nail the shot.

But while it's the tripod that provides you with the stable shooting platform, it's the head on top of it that enables the fine tuning. How many times have you lined everything up perfectly, tightened the locking knob on the tripod head, only to see the camera slowly sag disapointingly by a degree or two when you let go?

When we buy a tripod, it normally comes as a kit, complete with a ball head. The trouble is that these kit ball heads are often built to a cost, to enable the overall legs-and-head combo to be sold at an attractive price point. As we start our photography journeys, budget is often a key consideration, so we'll look for a product that offers good value. And once we've made our purchase, we tend to stick with our tripod for years to come, perhaps only finally upgrading when the legs show signs of wear and tear.

But I would argue that, if getting your composition precisely bang-on is important to you, it's the head that you need to upgrade first. That's why I've just updated my buying guide to the best ball heads. There's one for every budget, from less than a hundred bucks to ones touching a thousand, but each is a solid, dependable device guaranteed to keep your camera locked in place just as you want it. I urge you to check it out today!

Benro has officially launched its NBBH Series Ball Heads, developed in collaboration with German manufacturer Novoflex.

After previewing early models at The Photography & Video Show 2025, the final models are now available with confirmed specs and pricing. This partnership combines Novoflex’s precision engineering with Benro’s experience in camera tripods.

The NBBH Series includes three models designed to suit different types of photographers. The NBBH2 is a compact, lightweight ball head supporting up to 5kg, making it a good fit for popular compact cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI. It’s ideal for street and travel photographers who need smooth motion and portability.

The mid-range NBBH3 supports up to 8kg, suitable for larger mirrorless cameras with fast primes or small zooms. It offers a balance of strength and precision, well-suited to portrait, wedding, or lifestyle photography.

At the top end, the NBBH4 can handle up to 12kg. It’s built for medium format cameras such as the Fujifilm GFX, professional telephoto lenses, and cinema cameras, making it a strong choice for wildlife, sports, or landscape photographers.

All three models feature all-metal, CNC-machined construction, delivering smooth operation and durability. Notable features include adjustable ball tension, a dual panning system for panoramas, and an Arca-compatible clamp with a pull-and-twist mechanism. This clamp also hides a built-in Allen key and a thread converter for direct camera or lens mounting.

The NBBH Series is now available, priced at $159.95 / £150 (approx. $190 / AU$290) for the NBBH2, $199.95 / £180 (approx. AU$350) for the NBBH3, and $219.95 / £210 (approx. AU$410) for the NBBH4. These ball heads offer a solid option for photographers who prioritize precision and durability in their gear.

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Check out our guides to the best tripods for photography and the best tripod ball heads.

When Peak Design first launched a travel tripod in 2019, I fell in love with the tripod that was small enough to not even make much of a dent inside a carryon suitcase. Now, Peak Design is back with another tripod – or rather, three tripods. The Peak Design Pro Lite, Pro, and Pro Tall are a series of high-end travel tripods designed to balance portability with stability and features.

The new Peak Design Pro series doesn’t replace the Peak Design Travel Tripod, which remains the smallest of the bunch, with the aluminum variant the most affordable. But the Peak Design Pro takes the compact design of the 2019 tripod and sacrifices some portability in the name of stability and extra features.

I packed all three of the Peak Design Pro tripods for a road trip – using pre-production versions before the tripods were even announced to the public. I’m holding off on my final verdict until the final production samples, but, so far, I’m impressed at how much stability and features Peak Design has managed to cram into its newest tripods.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Specifications

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Price and availability

The Peak Design Pro tripod series is launching initially on Kickstarter, with the first backers expected to begin receiving tripods in October 2025 and standard fulfillment expected for February 2026.

The Pro Lite is the most affordable in the series, estimated to sit at around $799.99 / £699.99 retail. The Pro will add another $100 / £100 onto that, and the Pro Tall another $100 / £100 onto that for $899.99 / £799.99 and $999.99 / £899.99, respectively.

Early bird backers on Kickstarter in the US can get a 9 percent discount off that price with shipping expected for October 2025, while those willing to wait until February 2026 can get steeper discounts ranging from $619 for the Pro Lite to $729 for the Pro Tall.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Design & Handling

When Peak Design launched the original Travel Tripod, I looked at the oddly shaped legs that, when folded, created a perfect cylinder and thought, why hasn’t anyone else already thought of this? The Peak Design Pro series similarly feels like a feat of clever engineering.

The Peak Design Pro series uses the same oddly shaped legs that the Travel Tripod does, creating a slimmer profile when folded. But, the Pro series has thicker legs and fewer leg sections, helping to create an overall sturdier design that’s capable of handling heavier loads.

Many travel tripods use twist locks because they are smaller – but Peak Design doesn’t like twist locks, and I happen to agree after once having a monopod unlock itself mid-shoot. The legs adjust height with flip locks at each of the four leg sections.

The Peak Design Pro series also upgrades to what the company calls the Pro Ball Head, included in the cost. The ball head can tilt up to 15 degrees when still in the stored position, but pull the ball head up away from the legs and gain more flexibility with pan and tilt, including the ability to tilt the camera for horizontal shots.

Like the legs, the ball head is also designed for minimizing the packed profile of the tripod. A twist knob around the entire ball head loosens the ball head for pan and tilt. A small knob unscrews to allow the camera to pan around on the now labeled ball head.

The quick release plate is the same as Peak Design’s earlier tripod, but the new head is designed to snap into that quick plate by just aligning the camera and pressing down. The knob – which has a bubble level on it – closes automatically to lock the camera in place. For added security, there’s a secondary lock switch for double-locked security. (The lock works both ways and will also prevent the camera from snapping in if the lock is engaged when the camera isn’t yet mounted.)

The tripod’s center column has a hook for adding a counterweight. This hook actually removes, where a hex key is hidden inside to adjust the tension on the leg locks. (It can also hold a mobile smartphone mount, but this is now sold separately.) The center column doesn't rotate, a feature some tripods offer for flat lays.

Sold separately, Peak Design is also launching a Tilt Mod accessory that converts the ballhead to a pan and tilt head. The handle unscrews and cleverly tucks inside the mod so that this head only takes up the space of a kit lens inside a bag. The pan and tilt movement with the mod felt smooth, and the handle made for comfortable panning that seemed like an ideal pace for video, but perhaps a bit slow if trying to pan with race cars or something equally quick.

Peak Design is also offering a self-leveling head add-on that’s designed to work with third-party heads and level the tripod without adjusting the legs.

While the design upgrades from the original Travel Tripod are lovely, they do come at a cost. The Travel Tripod is far smaller. Where I thought the Travel Tripod could fit inside a camera backpack, all three tripods in the Pro series would need to use a camera bag’s traditional tripod straps. The Peak Design Pro series is still fairly compact, but doesn’t have the startlingly small profile of the original Travel Tripod. Besides the longer legs, the ball head doesn’t sit as flush to the legs to allow for greater movement, so the added stability and versatility come at the cost of the packed size.

Folded, the Peak Design Pro Lite is 19.2 inches / 48.8 cm long and 3.35 inches / 8.3 cm in diameter. That’s the same diameter as the Travel, but nearly five inches / 10 cm longer. Both the Pro and Pro tall Tripods have the same 3.66 inch / 9.3 cm diameter, with the Pro 19.7 inches / 50.1 cm long and the Pro Tall 22.9 inches / 58.1 cm long when packed.

Peak Design Pro Tripod: Performance

I set up the Peak Design Pro tripods alongside the original Travel Tripod, and the first thing that I noticed was that the Pro series is far sturdier. That shows in the specifications where the Pro Lite is capable of handling 35 lbs / 15.9 kg and the Pro and Pro Tall 40 lbs / 18.1kg.

But, in real-world experience, the larger legs and fewer sections meant I didn’t feel like I needed to use the bag hook to add counterweight as often as with the smallest Peak Design tripod. I felt comfortable walking away from my camera while it shot a time-lapse.

While the three new tripods are sturdier than the original, smaller tripod, the three new options still have ways to maximize stability. The center column has a counterweight hook for adding weight. Adjusting the leg angles closer to the ground will also add more stability – there are three angle options for the legs.

Like Peak Design’s first tripod, the Pro series is quick to set up. It took just seconds for me to unlock the flip locks (three at a time), unfold the legs, lock the legs in place, and snap my camera onto the quick mount at the top.

During use, adjusting the tripod is simple with the ball head adjustment as a large dial wrapped around the entire head, and a small bubble level to aid in straight horizons. What I loved about the large ball head knob is that I was less likely to reach for the wrong one – large twisting knob to adjust the angle, small knob to pan around.

The tripod is similarly easy to fold down. Adjusting the leg angle only requires a press of the button when expanding; when folding the legs, simply push in.

Peak Design Pro Lite vs. Pro vs. Pro Tall

The biggest difference between Peak Design’s newest tripods is the size, but there are subtle differences as well.

The Lite is the smallest of the new trio, but is both larger and sturdier than the original Peak Design Travel Tripod. The legs, hub, and center column are smaller.

The Pro and Pro Tall both have the same weight capacity at 40 lbs / 18.1 kg, and have thicker legs than the Lite. The Pro Tall still only has the four leg sections, but these sections are taller to reach up to 77.7 inches / 197.4 cm compared to the Pro’s 66.3 inches / 168.4 cm. Peak Design says this is both for taller photographers and for those who want to avoid using the center column for added security, as the Pro Tall is still 63.8 inches / 162 cm without using the center column.

Peak Design Pro vs. Peak Design Travel Tripod

The new Pro series isn’t designed to replace the original Peak Design Travel Tripod, but rather as a sturdier, larger alternative. Still, there are several key changes from the option introduced in 2019.

The ball head has several improvements over the Pro series. The Travel head sits down lower on top of the tripod legs, which means it has less movement. The Pro ball heads need to deploy or pull up from the legs for maximum movement. The earlier ball head only had the ball head rotation without the additional panning movement.

The 2019 tripod has five skinnier leg sections, whereas the Pro series has fewer leg sections and also wider legs. This gives the Pro series options a much sturdier feel and a higher weight capacity – 20 lbs / 9.1 kg on the Travel Tripod, but up to 35 lbs / 15.9 kg on the Pro Lite and 40 lbs / 18.1 kg on both the Pro and Pro Tall.

The Pro series also has more accessories, including a mod to make the ball head a pan and tilt head, as well as a leveling base. The mobile smartphone mount included in the Travel is sold separately from the Pro series, however.

While the Pro series is sturdier and offers more flexible options with the ball head, the Travel Tripod is still the smallest and lightest. I feel like the Travel could fit inside a bag, whereas the Pro Lite still feels like it needs the traditional camera bag straps.

Early Verdict

The Peak Design Pro Tripod series is an expertly designed set of tripods that allows me to focus more on the photography and less on the tripod. Like the original Peak Design Travel tripod, the Pro series is filled with clever engineering, but it works to create a small-ish tripod that doesn’t skimp on stability.

Like many (if not all) of Peak Design's products, the Pro tripods are launching on Kickstarter. The review samples that I tested were pre-production samples, but they felt mostly complete. The labels were a bit off on the ball head, and there was something goopy on the inside of the panning knob, but otherwise felt fairly seemless and complete. I will, however, reserve my final review rating for the full production samples.

My biggest gripe with the new Peak Design Pro Tripods? The price seems a bit steep, although certainly not unheard of for high-end camera supports, with the Pro range estimated to retail from $799.99 / £699.99 for the Pro Lite to $999.99 / £899.99 for the Pro Tall. Admittedly, as a five-foot-two photographer using primarily small mirrorless cameras and prime lenses, I’m hardly the audience looking for a tripod that can support up to 40 pounds and extend more than six feet tall. Still, the cost is nothing to sneeze at, and if you want the Tilt Mod it's another $149.95 / £134.99, with the Pro Leveling Base $129.95 / £119.99.

Alternatives

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I love lots of dials and controls on my camera, but I prefer my tripods to just support my camera without getting in the way. Which is why when Peak Design reached out to me with not one but three new tripods, I knew I wanted to try them out for myself. The Peak Design Pro Lite, Pro, and Pro Tall tripods, which launched on Kickstarter on June 17, continue the streamlined design of the Travel Tripod but add more stability, higher weight capacity, taller heights, and a newly redesigned ball head.

The original Peak Design Travel Tripod initially grabbed my attention because its unusually shaped legs helped the camera support system pack down quite slim. The new Peak Design Pro series feels just as minimalist and streamlined, but sacrifices some of the portability for the sake of stability.

The Peak Design Pro Lite tripod packs down to the same diameter as the Travel Tripod – but it’s a bit taller. With four leg sections instead of three, even the smallest in the Pro series felt quite a bit sturdier than the Travel tripod, and increased the weight capacity from 20 lbs / 9.1kg to 35 lbs / 15.9 kg.

The Pro and Pro Tall take that even further with larger legs that support up to 40 lbs / 18.1 kg. The Pro tops out at 66.3 inches / 168.4 cm while the aptly named Pro Tall can reach up to 77.7 inches / 197.4 cm. Importantly, the Pro Tall doesn’t reach those heights with more leg sections, just longer leg sections, so the tallest tripod didn’t feel any less stable than the Pro.

Beyond the added stability, all three of the new tripods use the Pro Ball Head. Like on the travel tripod, this ball head is sleek with minimal protrusions. The ball locking mechanism is a ring that wraps around the head itself. But unlike the Travel Tripod, the Pro series has built-in panning and there is a small knob for that, allowing the camera to pan around in a nice smooth motion.

The Pro Ball Head uses a quick-release plate that snaps in and automatically locks when pressed into position. There’s a second locking switch for added security, along with a bubble level and a set of labels for the panning feature.

Like on the Travel Tripod, the center column has a weight hook, which removes for hidden storage. This is where the hex key will hide, which is used to adjust the tension on the flip locks. I’m a bit disappointed that the mobile mount costs extra, not because smartphone photographers need heavy-duty tripods, but because I like having the ability to pull off my mirrorless camera for a quick iPhone video for social media.

Peak Design is also launching a Tilt Mod, which converts the ball head into a pan-and-tilt head with a video handle. The handle removes and snaps on with magnets, so this add-on doesn't take up much room. A Pro Leveling Base will also be available for use with third-party tripod heads.

While I loved the sturdy yet portable design, what I enjoyed most about using the Pro series tripods is that I could focus more on the photos on less on fiddly tripod adjustments. The tripods were easy to set up and quick to adjust with a simple yet smart design. I also appreciated the compact design, packing all three of them to test on a road trip.

I would have liked a rotating center column for flay lays, which this series lacks. And, the price feels a bit steep, starting at $799.99 / £699.99 for the Lite, up to $999.99 / £899.99 for the Pro Tal at retail price, with Kickstarter discounts. But, then again, tripods with high weight capacities and smart designs tend to sit at the higher end of the price range. Otherwise, I had relatively few complaints.

While the Peak Design Pro series is launching on Kickstarter today, the three that I tried were pre-production samples. They felt quite close to completion, but I’m holding off on my final verdict until then. For now, read the full Peak Design Pro tripod early review.

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LeoPhoto Japan is set to release glow-in-the-dark tripod feet on June 20. That’s according to Japanese website, Impress Watch. It also revealed that the accessories will be available with 1/4- or 3/8-inch screws, dubbed LF-13 (Firefly) and LF-22 (Firefly), respectively. The feet will have an approximate illumination time of 20 minutes, which suggests they’ll be most useful when setting up as opposed to keeping you from tripping up or jogging the tripod long into the night.

Imagery indicates that a green illumination will be available, but there’s no word on other colors. The LF-13 (Firefly) will weigh 15g and measure (L)41 x (W)26mm, and the LF-22 (Firefly) will weigh 49g and measure 45 x 38mm. Both are set to be priced at 1,650 yen, which is approximately $11 / £8 / AU$18.

I can’t help but wonder how visible these little feet will be in long grass, but it’s certainly an idea that should interest astrophotographers and other low-light creatives. A quick look on the web, and although glow-in-the-dark feet are definitely a thing for telescope tripods, I’m struggling to find them for the best tripods for photography.

Whether or not these accessories prove any easier than using a headtorch with a red light remains to be seen. But the way I see it, anything that makes your kit more visible at night can only be a good thing.

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For years, hybrid cameras have catered to both still photography and video. But, Manforotto says a tripod hasn’t catered to both types of creatives – until now. The Manfrotto One Hybrid Tripod uses an unusually versatile center column to cater to tasks like flat lay photography and video transitions, all from one support system.

Manfrotto says that the One is the first tripod that’s designed for both photos and video, geared specifically for content creators who work in both formats. The Manfrotto One, announced on June 11, will be available in carbon fiber and aluminum variations and with or without the new 500X Fluid Video Head.

The key to the Manfrotto One’s versatility? The center column. Besides being used for added height like a traditional tripod, the center column can be used horizontally. That’s not just for flat lays for still photos, though. In the horizontal position, the center column can also rotate, a tool designed for creating video transitions. The center column can also be removed to allow for shots close to the ground. Manfrotto says the center column can also help level the shot without repositioning the legs.

Moving beyond that center column’s versatility, Manfrotto also launched a new quick release system, Xchange. Xchange is designed for quick swaps of the tripod head, allowing content creators to swap between setups like the tripod head and a video slider in less time.

The center column and new quick swap head system sit atop three oddly shaped legs that are designed specifically for both stability and resisting torsional movement when panning. The three legs self-deploy all at once and use flip locks.

With three leg sections, the tripod is 24 inches / 61 cm when packed, with a 67 inch / 170.2 maximum height and a 3.5 inch / 8.9 cm minimum height. The carbon fiber version weighs 4.3 lbs / 2 kg and supports up to 44 lb / 20 kg, while the aluminum version weighs 7.5 lbs and supports up to 33 lbs.

The Manfrotto 500X Fluid head supports up to 11 lbs / 5 kg and weighs 2.68 lbs / 1.22 kg.

The carbon fiber variant starts at $719.99 / £539, while the aluminum legs retail for $499.99 / £375. The Manfrotto 500X Fluid Head retails for $219.99 / £164. The legs and head will also be sold together as complete kits, at $679.99 / £519 for the aluminum and $879.99 / £669 for the carbon fiber. The tripods are available for pre-order now.

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Benro has earned an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality tripods and other supports, operating out of China since 1996. The Quick Rotation Lens Bracket that I’m reviewing here is typical of Benro’s innovative ideas and clever design work, the ‘dual’ edition taking over from the original. It aims to enable switching between landscape and portrait orientation shooting with ease, going up against some of the best L-brackets on the market.

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket: Specifications

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket: Price

Benro’s Quick Rotation Lens Bracket sells for around $90 / £90 / AU$199. I think that makes it quite a bargain, compared with much more basic tripod mounting collars that are sold for specific lenses as optional extras, and cost much more to buy. The Benro is comparatively sophisticated, with many parts that are precision-engineered to offer a wide-ranging solution for most cameras when using small to medium sized lenses. And naturally, large lenses come with their own rotating tripod collars anyway.

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket: Design & Handling

You can often gauge the quality of equipment just by its look and feel, and that’s the case with this Benro bracket. All of the components are precision-engineered and immaculately finished in gunmetal gray. Even so, it can look a little daunting when you take all the bits and pieces out of their packaging and lay them out on the desk.

Let’s kick off with the part of the kit that sits under the lens and attaches to the tripod. Unlike the original version of the kit, the ‘dual’ version features a reversible plate. You can therefore attach it to the rotation arm either way up, enabling compatibility with either Arca Swiss clamps or a larger Manfrotto 501PL clamp.

The camera plate fits to the other side of the rotation bracket and is similarly well-crafted. It serves as an Arca Swiss compatible quick-release plate in its own right and comes complete with a clamp lock knob at one end.

The remaining main component of the kit is the rotation bracket. Again, it’s beautifully turned out, and this item features a lock/release lever for rotation. As is often the way, the lever is spring-loaded so that you can pull it out and relocate it on its shaft, putting it in its ideal orientation.

Allen screws are provided for fitting all of the parts together, and the Allen key for this can be stored in the rotation bracket, with magnetic attraction. In the image below, I’m securing the tripod-mounting plate to the bottom of the rotation bracket, in its Arca Swiss rather than Manfrotto 501PL orientation.

To ensure the axis of rotation is in exactly the right place, so that the viewing position doesn’t shift when rotating the bracket between landscape and portrait orientation, you need to center the lens within the collar. This is done by adjusting the height block accordingly.

The complete assembly is shown in the image below. There are actually two pairs of holes for attaching the height block to the rotation clamp. One enables use with cameras that have a distance between the base of the body to the optical center of the lens of between 36.7mm and 50.7mm, the other pair is for distances of between 65.7mm to 79.7mm. That covers most, if not all, eventualities.

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket: Performance

Setup isn’t entirely straightforward but only takes a few minutes to complete. The trickiest bit is ensuring that your lens is exactly centered within the rotation bracket, but even that’s not a major challenge. As I’ve mentioned, the calibrated scale on the height block enables you to keep a note of the settings if you’re using the bracket with multiple outfits.

A simple twist of the lock/release lever is all that’s needed to enable rotation of the camera within the bracket. Unlike using an L-bracket, you don’t have to disconnect the camera from the tripod and remount it again. A further bonus is that rotation is silky smooth throughout the full extent of 90-degree movement.

Up on top of the rotation bracket there’s a cold shoe for mounting extras like a flashgun or LED lamp. There’s also a 1/4in threaded hold for adding other accessories, further enhancing the versatility of the bracket.

Another little bonus is that the rotation bracket has calibrated markings at 15-degree intervals, between 0 degrees (landscape) and 90 degrees (portrait). It can come in useful if you need to replicate shots that you took earlier.

Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket: Verdict

There’s a little time and effort involved in setting up the Benro QRB95DUAL Quick Rotation Lens Bracket to suit your camera but once it’s done, it’s done. It fulfils its brief by enabling quick and easy rotation between landscape and portrait orientation, and anything in between, while keeping the weight of the camera centered on the tripod. I hate the way that if you rotate a camera that’s fixed directly to a tripod head for portrait orientation shooting, the weight shifts off-axis. Another upside is that you can orient your camera in portrait mode with the shutter button at the top so it feels natural, with no risk of the camera working loose on its mounting screw. All in all, it’s a smart bit of kit that’s well worth the money.

Alternatives

Traditional monopods use flip or twist locks to adjust each leg section, but a new monopod series from the Hong Kong-based Coman height-adjusts all four sections in seconds with the press of one handle.

The Coman Go M1 series is a line of monopods with one-click height adjustments that reach heights of more than five feet without extension tubes.

The Go M1 isn’t the first monopod line to height adjust from one control, but the company says that it’s the first four-section one-key tripod to do so – enabling the M1Pro V5, the largest in the series, to reach a height of 5.74 ft / 1.75mm.

The three monopods in the series also include the M1S, which reaches up to 5.42 feet / 1.66mm, and the M1V5, which reaches up to 5.58 ft / 1.77mm.

All four leg sections adjust in under a second, according to the company. Pressing the release button while pulling up the handle adjusts the height of the tripod without needing to separately adjust each leg section.

ABOVE: Watch the Coman M1 launch trailer

The flagship model, the Coman M1 Pro V5, also uses a foot pedal inside the support feet to release the monopod and enable the monopod to tilt, allowing for camera movement beyond the capabilities of the included fluid head.

A control at the foot also enables creatives to adjust the range of movement of that foot.

That foot also has a quick release that enables the head to work with the foot and without the leg sections for a tabletop mini tripod that shoots from heights as small as 10 inches / 25.5cm.

That fluid head supports 360° horizontal movement and 90° pitch adjustments and includes a retractable video head handle. The monopods are also designed to work with gimbals, with the V5 variants’ quick-release plate working with DJI RS2-4 stabilizers. The monopod can also double as a rocker arm for gimbals.

All three tripods can handle up to 44.1 lbs / 20kg of gear or 17.64 lbs / 8kg with a load-bearing hydraulic gimbal.

But there are a few key differences between the basic M1S, the mid-tier M1V5 and the M1Pro V5. The M1Pro V5 has the foot pedal and quick release to use the head with the support feet as a tabletop tripod, while the other two do not.

The Pro variant also uses a fluid head with a quick-release module. The M1V5 uses just the fluid head while the M1S uses a bowl head. The M1S uses an Acra-Swiss-style quick-release plate, while the pair of V5 models use Manfrotto-style plates.

The monopod’s carbon fiber construction is designed to help keep the camera support’s weight down, with the M1S weighing in at 3.85 lbs / 1746g, the M1V5 at 5.08 lbs / 2306g and the M1Pro V5 at 5.51 lbs / 2500g.

The Coman Go M1 series launched on Kickstarter in March, but the campaign has already reached more than $140,000 / £100,000 / AU$210,000 in funding, well exceeding the original $5,101 / £3,783 / AU$7,907 goal, with the campaign open to backers until June 14.

All crowdfunding projects come with risks, but the company has already shipped out the first two batches to early backers.

Backers can get as much as 50% off the expected retail price, with the early rewards for the M1S going for $199 / £147 / AU$306, the M1 V5 for $319 / £235 / AU$490, and the M1 Pro V5 $349 / £257 / AU$536.

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign.

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ChromLives might be a name you’ve never heard of but it crops up on Amazon in many countries around the world. It’s a Chinese manufacturer of camera brackets and grips, phone mounts, articulated boom arms, lens cap straps and more besides. The item I’m reviewing here aims to be among the best L-brackets and is certainly one of the cheapest, but probably isn’t what you’re expecting.

ChromLives Camera L Bracket: Specifications

ChromLives Camera L Bracket: Price

I’ve recently reviewed the 3 Legged Thing Zelda QD, a dedicated L-bracket for various Nikon cameras. It’s typically L-shaped and very well presented, with an asking price of $100 / £90 / AU$210, which is entirely reasonable. The ChromLives bracket is a more or less L-shaped piece of metal with some add-ons but only costs $12 / £12 / AU$45. Bargain? Let’s see.

ChromLives Camera L Bracket: Design & Handling

I thought I knew all about L-brackets for cameras, having reviewed a number of competing dedicated and universal examples of the breed. The premise is always the same. It’s an L-shaped bracket that fits to your camera with the long side along the bottom and the short side up the vertical. Arguably more of an L lying on its side. The idea is that you can quickly and easily take the bracket off your tripod head, rotate it through 90 degrees, and pop it back on again.

The main advantage is that the center of gravity remains, well, ‘centered’ for portrait as well as landscape orientation shooting. Further bonuses are that the position of the lens remains unchanged when switching between landscape and portrait orientation, and if you like portrait mode shooting with the shutter button at the top, you don’t risk the camera coming unscrewed on its mounting plate. None of that is what this L-bracket is all about.

For starters, you can leave your tripod at home. The ChromLives L-bracket is built around a sculpted hand grip which is comfortably grippy. It’s a bracket that serves as a handholding tool for shooting stills and is perhaps even more suitable for shooting video.

The bottom section (at least if you’re shooting in landscape orientation) is quite long and features a slot that runs almost its entire length. Through the slot fits a standard 1/4in locking screw that connects directly with the tripod mounting socket of your camera. So instead of having the likes of an Arca Swiss plate for mounting the bracket on a tripod, you attach the camera to the bracket and hold it in your hand by its rubber grip.

The shape of the bracket is less of a classic L shape, more a series of angles at about 45-degree intervals that see you through four stages to a total of 180 degrees. The first turn transitions from the base to the rubberized grip. The second steps up to the first of two cold shoes. I’m particularly impressed with these. Following the aluminum theme set by the main bracket itself, the cold shoes have a robust metal build, complete with a clamping mechanism and locking screw. Suffice it to say I’d trust them with an expensive flashgun or other accessory.

The two cold shoes are set at 90-degree angles to each other. One is at right angles to the camera, the other is directly above it. This gives the versatility of fitting, say, a flashgun or LED lamp so that it’s significantly higher but on the same axis as your camera, the other enables the light to be positioned directly above the camera if you’re shooting in portrait orientation. It’s a neat way of achieving off-camera flash (or other lighting) without having to hold two different bits of kit, one in each hand.

ChromLives Camera L Bracket: Performance

The rubberized hand grip of the aluminum bracket feels comfortable, and the long rubberized bottom plate fits securely to your camera. The result is that the clamp feels solid and reliable when you’re using it for handheld shooting.

For when you’d like additional height between the camera and flashgun, for example to minimize the risk of red-eye, you can use the top cold shoe, as shown below. However, you’re likely to need a remote trigger or flash able if your camera and flashgun don’t support standalone remote flash triggering.

In the example image below, I’ve attached my flashgun to the side cold shoe instead. You can still use this configuration in landscape orientation shooting, if you want to fire light in from the side rather than from above. Alternatively, if you rotate your camera for portrait orientation shooting, the flash will be directly above.

ChromLives Camera L Bracket: Verdict

With it being so cheap to buy, the only real questions regarding the ChromLives Camera L Bracket Mount Video Grip are whether it’s any good or not, and whether it’s actually useful. It’s actually quite nicely made using aluminum for the main bracket, a rubberized grip and very sturdy cold shoes. So yes, it is actually rather good and works well. Whether you’d actually feel the need to use it or not is a question that only you can answer. It’s going in my drawer of random bits of camera kit for the time being, and I can’t imagine I’ll be getting out again any time soon.

Alternatives

Manfrotto is a company that needs no introduction. The Italian outfit has been responsible for some of the most legendary tripods and other photographic supports since 1974, moving into other areas of design and manufacture for the likes of backpacks and various accessories more recently. The Q2 L-bracket is designed to enable you to quickly swap between landscape and portrait orientation shooting. It’s adjustable to fit different cameras but certainly isn’t ‘universal’. The lack of complete adaptability makes it struggle to be one of the best L-brackets that you can buy.

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket: Specifications

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket: Price

As L-brackets go, the Manfrotto Q2 is pretty pricey at around $147 / £129 / AU$288 at the time of writing. Even so, it’s ideally suited to big and chunky pro-grade cameras, so the price is likely to be in keeping with other accessories you might buy as part of a high-end kit.

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket: Design & Handling

The Manfrotto Q2 L Bracket is supplied as a kit of parts, intending to enable you to fit it to a wide range of cameras. The components include the L-bracket itself, an Allen key for making adjustments, a longer version of the screw that adjusts the side plate, and a Y-shaped ruler for lining everything up.

Attaching any of my cameras to the Q2, I immediately ran into problems. The supplied ruler enable you to measure the distance from the bottom of the lens to the horizontal, base section of the L-bracket. The idea is that you move the camera laterally so that this distance is the same as that between the lens and the side arm of the L-bracket. I tried three different mirrorless cameras and found that even with them moved over as far as possible towards the side arm, the distance to it was significantly greater than to the bottom section.

I started to wonder if the poor fit was something to do with mirrorless cameras being smaller. After retrieving my ancient Nikon D300 DSLR from the attic, I found exactly the same problem with that camera. It’s then that I noticed that the step-by-step setup guide that comes printed on a sheet of paper with the Q2 uses a ‘pro-grade’ camera with an integral vertical grip in all the illustrations. These naturally have a taller build with a significantly greater distance between the bottom of the lens and the bottom of the camera body.

If you’ve got a sufficiently large camera that you have to actually move it away from the side arm, there’s an additional security feature. This is in the form of a side plate which is mounted on a screw and extends sideways from the bottom of the side arm. You simply adjust its fixing screw so that it extends towards the camera body and clamps up against it with its protective rubber pad. This also ensures that the horizontal positioning of your camera remains the same if you remove it from the L-bracket and subsequently refit it.

Getting back to measuring things up, the supplied ruler has a Y-shaped design. That’s so that you can fit it up against the bottom and side of the lens successively and adjust the bottom quick-release plate so that the distances are the same. That’s the theory, at least.

The next step is to place the ruler at the side of the lens, make sure the ruler is level, then use it as a guide for placing the quick-release plate of the side arm. The goal is that the optical axis of the lens is centered. This ensures that the lens remains at the same position on the horizontal axis when swapping between landscape and portrait orientation shooting.

Tightening the quick-release plates brings up another issue with compatibility. The L-bracket uses proprietary Manfrotto 200PL-14 quick-release plates. They’re naturally compatible with a wide range of Manfrotto tripod heads, but not all of them. However, Arca Swiss has become much more of an industry standard and, if you don’t use a Manfrotto head with this particular type of quick-release clamp, the L-bracket will be incompatible.

Little extras include a safety peg, which pulls out and rotates after loosening an Allen screw with the same sized head as the others, so everything works with the same Allen key. On one end of the base section there’s also a bubble level, although it naturally only works when the camera is in portrait orientation.

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket: Performance

The Manfrotto Q2 L-bracket is certainly tough and sturdy. The main body of the bracket is machined from a single piece of magnesium alloy and has a mighty 15kg payload rating. That’s an overkill really because if you’re using a big heavy lens, it’ll have its own rotational tripod mounting collar anyway, helping to give a much better center of gravity. Either way, the Q2 is certainly very strong and resistant to any flexing or wobble, whatsoever.

When it comes to switching to portrait orientation shooting, the Q2 covers half the brief. It’s quick and easy to remove the bracket from the tripod head, rotate it through 90 degrees and mount it back on again. The camera feels equally well balanced on the head, with the shooting button at the top so it feels natural, and without any risk of the camera loosening on its fixing screw. That covers most of the attraction of using any L-bracket, but not all of it.

For me, the only real problem is that all of my cameras have a fairly small distance from the bottom of the body to the lens mount, as they lack a built-in vertical grip. I can adjust the side arm’s quick-release plate so that the same lateral position is maintained when switching between landscape and portrait orientation shooting. However, the height changes. Sure, it doesn’t change very much but the optical axis rises noticeably when swapping from landscape to portrait, and that’s a major minus point for an L-bracket, as far as many photographers are concerned.

Manfrotto Q2 L bracket: Verdict

The Manfrotto Q2 L Bracket is certainly tough and dependable, its body being made from a single piece of magnesium alloy with a load rating of 15kg. It succeeds in making it quick and easy to swap between landscape and portrait orientation shooting, as well as maintaining a good balance for your camera on the tripod in both situations. There’s a flaw, however, in that there’s not enough latitude in the ‘universal’ adjustment to maintain the same optical axis when rotating the bracket through 90 degrees. On top of that, the proprietary Manfrotto 200PL-14 quick-release plates aren’t even compatible with all of Manfrotto’s tripod heads, let alone those of other manufacturers. All in all, it’s a good L-bracket but only ideally suited to a relatively small number of users.

Alternatives

Rock up to an air show with your heavyweight camera and telephoto lens combo and you might be in for a tiring and uncomfortable day out if you’re shooting handheld. The same applies to photographing birds, wildlife, action, sports and anything else that involves tracking movement for long periods of time. That’s especially true if the object you’re tracking is moving up and down as well as from side to side.

One solution is to use a monopod but, if you’re like me, you’ll find that while it supports the weight of a heavy lens, tilting and panning feels less than intuitive. Engineered to be one of the best gimbal heads on the market, the Benro GH5C sets out to transform your shooting experience with heavy lenses, effectively making them weightless while enabling a full and fluid range of movement. It’s almost like an anti-gravity machine.

Benro GH5C gimbal head: Specifications

Benro GH5C gimbal head: Price

Good gimbal heads don’t come cheap and this Benro is one of the more expensive examples of the breed. Even so, I feel that the selling price of around $435 / £485 / AU$900 is very reasonable, given the exotic carbon fiber construction, which sets it apart from the usual aluminum or magnesium alloy fare.

Benro GH5C gimbal head: Design & Handling

Benro has been in the business of making tripods for almost 30 years. Naturally, a good set of legs isn’t much use without a smart head and, sure enough, I’ve been impressed by Benro’s range of tripod heads which often combine design flair and innovation with quality materials and precision engineering, like the Benro GD3WH Geared Head and Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head. The GH5C that I’m reviewing here is very different from both of those, firstly because it’s designed as a gimbal head for heavyweight telephoto lenses, and secondly because it’s made from carbon fiber.

The Benro comes out of its smart blue retail box with fitted foam insert in two pieces, plus a bag of bits. The bag of bits in question includes a couple of extra 1/4in fixing screws for the quick-release plate, a 1/4in to 3/8in adapter (more on those later), an Allen key and an instruction booklet. The two main components of the gimbal head are easy to join together in no time at all.

Once you’ve joined the two separately packed pieces together, the gimbal head is pretty much ready to roll but I couldn’t help taking a few minutes to be thoroughly impressed by the look and feel of its carbon fiber construction. Akin to a specialist automotive part from a top-spec racing car, the Benro is more lightweight than it looks and doesn’t feel cold to the touch, unlike metal gimbal heads. That can be a big bonus in terms of handling if you’re out on a long shoot in chilly weather.

Typical of Benro kit, this gimbal head has blue accents and, starting at the bottom, these include the panning base. It’s calibrated through its whole 360 degrees of operational movement, with numbered markings at 15-degree intervals and incremental lines every 5 degrees.

At the back of the lateral section of the main L-shaped arm is the lock/release knob for the panning clamp. It’s comfortably large and rubberized for a secure grip, and requires very little rotation for locking off the base plate or enabling panning.

Another feature that’s highlighted with a blue accent is the top of the panning mechanism on the base of the main L-shaped arm, which includes a bubble level. This can come in handy for leveling the legs of your tripod before you start shooting, especially if you’re working on tricky and uneven terrain.

The swinging arm is again calibrated, this time in millimeters along its vertical height. If you’ve got a good memory for numbers, this enables you to quickly and easily return to the ideal height adjustment for your lenses, so that the height is centered in line with the tilting pivot at the top of the gimbal. The tilt mechanism has a similar lock/release knob as the panning mechanism, but this time it’s larger and placed at the top of the main bracket instead of at the bottom. Again, that’s the typical convention for gimbal heads.

The bracket for holding the lens via its tripod mounting collar and foot has an Arca Swiss type quick-release plate. I like that the plate is relatively long, making it possible to fine-tune the balance for long lenses when they’re fitted. Again, there are calibrated markings along the top of the bracket, which you can use as a ready reference when refitting the same camera and lens combo.

If you’re in the habit of panning vigorously in an anti-clockwise direction, you might have experienced the mounting foot of a lens’s tripod collar working loose on its quick-release plate. Those additional fixing screws that I mentioned earlier can help to avoid the problem, as some large lenses have multiple threaded fixing holes in their tripod feet, and you can use the 1/4in to 3/8in adapter for one of them if the foot has large and small sockets.

Benro GH5C gimbal head: Performance

You can lock off this Benro gimbal head so it’s solid and stable, and simply won’t budge. The carbon fiber build is an additional asset, as it’s resistant to vibrations. However, that’s not really the point. The whole idea of using a gimbal head is to enable a free range of movement, and it’s here that the Benro really excels. I tested it using a Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR telephoto zoom, with a combined weight of 2,845g / 6.27lb.

Spend a little time and effort ensuring that the lens and its attached camera body are properly balanced front-to-back, and that the center of the lens along its length is in line with the upper pivot. You’ll then be richly rewarded with an effectively weightless heavyweight lens that you can tilt and pan with the touch of a finger and no effort whatsoever. Performance is simply superb, with a wonderfully smooth and fluid feel in both lateral and vertical planes. There’s also full 360-degree rotation on offer in both planes, although unlimited tilting relies on the lens being short enough to clear the base of the main arm.

Benro GH5C gimbal head: Verdict

I think the Benro GH5C gimbal head is a fabulous bit of kit. It gives solid, sturdy support and really comes into its own for enabling freedom of movement with big, heavy lenses that attach via tripod collars. With the front/back adjustment balanced and the lens positioned on the level with the upper pivot, the Benro enables wonderfully responsive movement in what essentially becomes a weightless setup.

Alternatives

Not to be confused with gimbals for handheld run-and-gun videography, this is a ‘gimbal head’ designed to mount on a sturdy tripod. It aims to be one of the best gimbal heads available, based on the usual L-shaped main bracket mounted on a panning base, and a swinging arm connected by a pivot joint at the top. It’s designed to support the weight of heavy lenses attached via their tripod collar, while also enabling effortless tilting and panning for tracking anything and everything from birds in flight or aircraft at an air show to pretty much any subject that’s highly mobile, especially if it’s moving up and down as well as laterally.

Benro GH2N gimbal head: Specifications

Benro GH2N gimbal head: Price

For the sake of comparison, the carbon fiber Benro GH5C costs around $435 / £485 / AU$900, which is pretty much par for the course when it comes to gimbal heads. This aluminum head undercuts most of the high-performance competition, selling at $350 / £360 / AU$599. I reckon that’s quite a bargain, especially as it’s only 120g / 4.2oz heavier than its carbon fiber sibling. There’s not much difference in the maximum load rating either, the GH5C being specified at 30kg / 66lb and this aluminum version being rated at a still very strong 25kg / 55lb. Even the biggest and heaviest telephoto lenses and cameras that I tend to use don’t come anywhere near that.

Benro GH2N gimbal head: Design & Handling

Pan and tilt heads can be useful for enabling movement when tracking the action using a monopod or tripod. The Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head is a fine example of the breed but, while it works very well indeed, it falls short of the load-bearing potential and the kind of performance you can expect from a proper gimbal head. This one comes well protected in a retail box that’s the usual cardboard on the outside, but with tailored foam padding on the inside. It’s actually packed in two separate parts, along with some accessories and a user handbook.

Unpacking the head, the first job is to connect up the horizontal plate to the swinging arm. The task is accomplished in double-quick time, as it simply slides on from the top, after which you can tighten the clamp to lock it in place. There’s actually something to be said for separating the two items when you’re stowing the gimbal away, to keep everything neat and tidy.

When I said that connecting the two main parts together was the first job, it’s actually pretty much the only job. Once you’ve done that, the gimbal is ready to use. However, just holding in your hand and feasting your eyes on it for a few moments gives a good impression of the high standards of smart design work and precision engineering that’s gone into its manufacture. I particularly like the hollowed out ribs of the swinging arm and lens plate, which retain strength while reducing weight.

The head connects to a tripod via its panning base, which has the usual 3/8in threaded socket of heavy-duty affairs. To help keep track of movements and replicate angles if necessary, the 360-degree panning base has numerical values printed at 15-degree intervals, as well as marker lines at every 5 degrees.

The clamp for the panning section has a screw that runs the horizontal length of the main L-shaped bracket, hooked up to a large knurled and shaped aluminum knob at the rear. It feels comfortable and secure in use, and only needs minimal rotation when you want to swap between panning and locking off the mechanism.

Looking at the panning section of the base from the top, there’s a handy bubble level which you can use for leveling the tripod legs when you’re working on uneven surfaces, or just setting the tripod legs anywhere between the minimum and maximum lengths of each leg section.

The vertical section of the swinging arm is again calibrated, this time in millimeters. This can be useful because part of the setup of any lens for use with the gimbal is to alter the height of the platform so that the center of the lens is on the same level as the top pivot that’s used for the tilt mechanism. Make a note of the measurement on the calibrated scale when you first set up your lens, and you can simply put it in the same place every time you use it again. Up top of the vertical section of the main L-shaped bracket is a similar but larger knurled and shaped aluminum clamping knob, this time for the tilt mechanism.

When you’re fitting heavy lenses to your gimbal, complete with an attached camera, balance is all-important. It’s good that the mounting platform of the head and its Arca Swiss type quick-release plate are generously long. That gives you the latitude to move the plate around and find the optimum center of gravity.

Another good thing about the long Arca Swiss plate is that you can use two screws rather than one (three are actually provided in the kit) for securing the plate to your lens’s mounting foot, if it has two or more. This greatly reduces the risk of the lens coming unscrewed on the plate when you’re panning in a counter-clockwise direction. You’ll often find that tripod mounting collars with feet that have two or more sockets include a 3/8in socket as well as a 1/4in socket. Although all three screws that come with the kit are 1/4in, there’s also a 1/4in to 3/8in adapter, so everything’s covered.

Benro GH2N gimbal head: Performance

This Benro is a good looking gimbal head and it performs admirably. The precision build and classy finish translate into solid, steady support for the quieter moments in life, along with super-smooth and agile movement for tracking. I tested it using a Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR telephoto zoom, with a combined weight of 2,845g / 6.27lb. That doesn’t venture awfully far into the weight range covered by the head but it’s typical of modern high-performance cameras and super-telephoto lenses.

I found that it’s well worth taking the time and trouble to make sure the camera and attached lens are really centered in terms of weight, so that the gimbal head is perfectly balanced. The same goes for ensuring that the center of the lens is positioned absolutely on the same level as the tilting pivot at the top of the head. Get those two facets of setup sorted and you’ll find that your camera and lens feel entirely weightless, and that you can position them anywhere on the pan and tilt range with the slightest touch of a finger. And your outfit should stay in place when you take your hands away, even without tightening any locking clamps. All in all, performance is absolutely top-drawer.

Benro GH2N gimbal head: Verdict

Up until I started testing this Benro GH2N gimbal head, the companion carbon fiber GH5C was one of my all-time favorites. I still like the carbon fiber build of the pricier version but I found that the aluminum GH2N performs every bit as well. All things considered, I’d be inclined to go with the GH2N and save the extra money.

Alternatives

We will get two new Sony products, designed to enhance video recording and still capture for solo content creators and vloggers: the GP-VPT3 Shooting Grip and the RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander.

While the GP-VPT3 is slightly increased in price compared to its predecessor, the GP-VPT2BT, it comes bundled with the RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander (detachable) and more features.

These new features allow for intuitive on-grip operation and one-handed wireless shooting, so no assistance is longer required for solo content creation.

Both products are compatible with Sony's Alpha and vlogging line.

Let's start with the GP-VPT3 Shooting Grip
You can connect your camera via the tripod mount. The grip features a flexible head that allows for a 360° panning angle and generous tilt angles. It functions as an ergonomic handle, placing essential camera controls right at your fingertips for comfortable one-handed shooting.

You can unfold the grip, and it transforms into a compact tripod. One benefit of the new grip is that it supports heavier weights – up to 1.5kg – so you can pair your Sony with heavier lenses.

Now to the RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander
Designed for intuitive use, the RMT-VP2 (of course) features a shutter button and a movie record button. Via rocker control, you can control zoom or focus settings to enhance your content's visual language.

To customize the remote control to your specific needs, the C1 button can be programmed with a function of your choosing.

Sony's remote works via Bluetooth with a distance of up to 10 meters (33 feet) away – just be mindful of your camera's view when shooting remotely to this distance in busy environments.

Availability and prices
The GP-VPT3 Shooting Grip bundled with the RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander will be available from June 2025, with pre-order prices at $159.99 / £120.00 / AU$279.

The RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander is set to retail for $89.99 / £75 / AU$159.

As Sony offers the commander separately, it's up to you if you want to upgrade to the full package or invest in the RMT-VP2 remote only, which can also connect to the older GP-VPT2BT. If you are interested in the products, you want to be quick. Both are expected to be popular and may already be sold out in some countries.

Specifications

GP-VPT3 Multi-Function Shooting Grip

- Dimension (approx.): legs folded: 49.5 x 173 x 39.8 mm (2 in. x 6 7/8 in. x 1 5/8 in.), legs unfolded: 146.3 x 133.5 x 164.6 mm (5 7/8 in. x 5 3/8 in. x 6 1/2 in.)
- Weight (approx. without battery): Black: 179 g (6.4 oz) and White: 174 g (6.2 oz)

- Maximum Load: 1.5 kg (53.0 oz)
- Panning Angle: 360°
- Tilting Angle (down): Grip: 90° Tripod: 90°
- Tilting Angle (up): Grip: 80° Tripod: 40°

- Operating Temperature: -10°C - + 50°C (14°F to 122°F)*also refer to the operating temperature of camera

RMT-VP2 Wireless Remote Commander

- Dimension (approx.): 98 x 32.8 x 12.2 mm (3 7/8 in. x 1 5/16 in. x 1/2 in.)
- Weight (approx., without battery): 29.9 g (1.1 oz)

- Wireless / wired: Wireless
- Standards: Bluetooth(R)
- Battery Type: Lithium coin cell battery CR2032
- Number of batteries required: 1
- Frequency Range: 2400 MHz - 2483.5 MHz

- Operating Temperature: -10°C - + 50°C (14°F to 122°F) *also refer to the operating temperature of camera

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If you are into content creation, check our guide to the best Sony cameras for vlogging, the best phone for video recording and vlogging, the best YouTube cameras, or the best wireless microphones.

3 Legged Thing is a quirky and fun-loving yet deadly serious British company in the business of designing tripods and other supports. Back in 2011, it took the unconventional approach of naming its first range of tripods after rock gods, the first ‘Rock Legends Range’ kicking off with Brian, after Brian May of Queen. Right from the get-go, the names have tripped off the tongue (and into search engines) much quicker and easier than interminable alpha-numeric product codes. The current Legends range includes the likes of Ray, Bucky, Jay, Mike, Nicky and Tommy, all named after skateboarding heroes.

It’s the Tommy that I’m reviewing here, which is the largest of the collection, stretching slightly taller than the Nicky, despite having 3-section rather than 4-section legs. And in case you’re wondering, it’s named after Tommy Guerrero, a suitably epic skateboarder who later became a successful musician, qualifying on two counts. Long story short, the carbon fiber Tommy aims to be one of the most legendary and best video tripods you can buy.

3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy: Specifications

3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy: Price

If you’re into pro-grade videography and cinematography, kit doesn’t come cheap. Sure enough, Tommy has a weighty price tag of $800 / £730 / AU$1,669, and that’s just for the legs with no head or leveling mechanism. You’ll have to buy those separately. Even so, the price of this set of legs is very competitive, considering the build quality and performance, and some of the even pricier video tripod legs on the market.

3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy: Design & Handling

I’ve reviewed several tripods and other supports from 3 Legged Thing over the years and if I had to sum up the company in two words, they’d be ‘design flair’. Even the box that the Tommy comes in is a work of art and gives you an instant feelgood factor before you’ve got as far as the tripod itself.

Unpacking the box, things only get better. First out is a beautifully crafted padded soft case, complete with internal and external accessory pockets and detachable shoulder strap, finished in deepest blue. Next up is the tripod itself, which positively oozes class and quality.

Naturally, any tripod is only as good as the quality of its legs. These are carbon fiber, which is more exotic than aluminum but no guarantee of quality. Let’s just say that carbon fiber certainly isn’t all created equal. In this case, however, the leg sections are made of top-grade Japanese 8-layer carbon, with a look and feel to match. Moreover, having only three sections rather than four or five in each leg, even the bottom sections have a wide diameter and are highly resistant to any unwanted flexing or vibration. That counts for a lot when you’re using a tripod at or near its maximum operating height. The uppermost section has a particularly wide diameter of 38mm / 1.5in, enabling the lower sections to remain a generous width.

The 3-section design equates to two twist-action clamps per leg. Again, these are chunky and have a really tactile feel. Like the other metal components of the tripod, they’re made from hard-anodized aerospace grade T6061 magnesium alloy, which means they’re tough yet lightweight. Three rubberized grip areas around each clamp add to the attraction and enhance the handling characteristics. Each joint features 3 Legged Thing’s ‘nylon anti-rotation chicken lips’ which, in practical terms, results in smooth operation and minimal twisting being required to loosen or tighten each clamp. To put it simply, the twist clamps work as good as they look, and they look great.

At the bottom of the legs are large and firm rubber pads which give the tripod a particularly solid footing. Typical of the company’s tripods, you’re not limited to these, however, as alternative footwear is available. This includes the likes of Heelz spikes for use on hard surfaces, Stilettoz for soft or rocky ground and Clawz that are ideal for snow or sand. There’s also the option of Vanz, which I’ll come back to later.

The narrowest lockable operating angle of each leg is 23 degrees to the vertical, which gives a generous spread even with the leg sections fully retracted. This helps to give firm and solid support to your camera, as well as avoiding unwanted twisting of the tripod when you’re panning. Fully extending the legs elevate you up to a height of 162.3cm / 63.9in. That might not sound exactly ‘towering’ but bear in mind that’s without a leveling aid or head attached, so it should be plenty tall enough.

Two alternative angles of 55 degrees and 80 degrees are available, via stupendously simple locking levers. Using the legs at different angles can help you keep everything on the level on tricky terrain or work around obstacles. Set all three legs to their widest angle and you can shrink the minimum operating height down to just 15.6cm / 6.1in, for ultra-low-level shooting.

Up on top, there’s a magnesium alloy flat plate. As with the other alloy parts, it’s CNC engineered for the utmost in precision and this time around it’s also got a stylish cutout design. Not just for style over substance, the cutouts help to allow air to flow through for enhanced ventilation, which hot-running cameras might thank you for. The flat plate isn’t the only option, as Tommy comes complete with an alternative 75mm bowl mount.

It’s a quick and easy process to swap between the two, based on removing and refitting three Allen screws with the tools provided, which are of similarly high quality and impeccably finished. The dual options make the tripod fully compatible with the 3 Legged Thing LevelHed which works with pretty much any tripod, and the more specialist 3 Legged Thing 75mm Half Bowl, shown below and featured in our 3 Legged Thing Nicky review.

Whether you’re using either of the leveling aids or none at all, you’ll still need a top-quality video head to make the most of the Tommy legs. Personally, I’d look no further than the 3 Legged Thing AirHed Cine, which I reviewed a while ago and is a perfect fit for this tripod.

I’ve seen plenty of tripods which enable you to detach one leg and couple it with the center column, for alternative monopod duty. That’s not possible here, as the videocentric design precludes the fitment of a center column. Even so, rather than just being able to remove one leg, you can actually remove all three.

I’ve enjoyed the same option of removing all three legs with my 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 tripod. Why? Because you can buy an optional set of Vanz footwear that I hinted at earlier, and screw these directly into the hinges, effectively turning the Tommy into a tabletop tripod or enabling ultra-low-level shooting in confined spaces without the legs sticking out, adding even more versatility in the process.

Back up on top, the platform has a wide diameter that caters to sliders and other video-friendly supports, as well as large fluid heads. A bubble level is featured, to aid quick and easy leveling of the legs, and there’s also a 3/8in accessory socket with a 1/4in adapter, which can be handy for attaching a magic arm, monitor, LED lamp, mic or pretty much anything else that takes your fancy.

3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy: Performance

Dipping into the rock and roll archive of which 3 Legged Thing is so fond, there’s no Twist and Shout with Tommy. From its lowest, virtually ground-level configuration right up to its generously tall maximum operating height, there’s excellent resistance to any tortional flexing when you’re panning for all you’re worth in a video take. You can keep your calm while enjoying smooth freedom of movement. The tripod is equally resistant to any unwanted flexing when you’re tilting up or down. In both cases and particularly with panning, three grub screws built into the flat plate enable the head to be held firmly in place, so there’s no risk of it working loose when you’re panning in an anti-clockwise direction.

The middle setting of the three leg angle options enables a really solid platform for fairly low-level shooting. The wider circumference covered by the feet make the tripod highly unlikely to topple over, even if someone knocks into it accidentally.

At their widest setting, the legs enable ultra-low shooting, which can give you a whole different perspective for the likes of sports, wildlife and other scenarios, or just for a little extra creativity and putting an alternative slant on things.

As well as being super-stable and giving ultra-solid, rock-steady support, an important performance factor can be the speed and ease with which you can set up a tripod. Again, the Tommy wins through here by being extremely quick and intuitive in use. And when you’re pushed for time or trying to capture fleeting, definitive moments, that can make all the difference between getting the shot, and missing it altogether.

3 Legged Thing Legends Tommy: Verdict

I’ve really fallen for Tommy. I think it’s a video tripod for all reasons and for all seasons, with endless versatility thanks to its generous range of operating heights, rock-solid dependability and optional footwear that caters to any terrain. On top of that, it can be easily transformed into a tabletop tripod or for ultra-low-level shooting in the tightest of spaces. Yes, it’s a very expensive tripod considering that you have to buy a head and probably a leveling base separately. But Tommy has the kind of quality and performance that should last you a lifetime, and be a great 3 legged friend for your journey.

Alternatives

I’ve tested a fair few Leofoto products recently, including the rather fabulous Ranger LS-365C carbon fiber tripod legs and a variety of ball, tilt & pan and gimbal heads. It’s become clear to me that Leofoto specializes in high-end supports and accessories for professional and enthusiast photographers. The name trips easily off the tongue, arguably more so than the registered company name of Guangdong Laitu Imaging Technology Co. Either way, the outfit has been making high-quality photographic accessories in China since 2014. The Leofoto G2 that I’m reviewing here aims to be one of the best geared heads on the market. Let’s see how things pan out, so to speak.

Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head: Specifications

Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head: Price

Think of a tripod manufacturer and Manfrotto is a name that night well spring to mind. I’ve been impressed by the Manfrotto 410 Junior geared head, which costs $299 / £285 / AU$575, less so by the technopolymer (plastic) Manfrotto XPRO geared 3-way head, at $249 / £179 / AU$476. The Leofoto G2 is competitively priced at $199 / £200 / AU$319, but is actually very different to both of these Manfrotto heads in design. It’s more reminiscent of the Novoflex Qube Goniometer Head Pro-Kit, which retails at $1,750 / £1,250 although the Novoflex is rather more compact and very much more affordable, making it look rather a bargain at the price.

Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head: Design & Handling

If you’re familiar with geared heads, you’re probably conjuring thoughts of tripod heads that sprout big knobs which stick out at various angles for adjusting tilt, swivel and pan. Each of the 3-way adjustments typically has its own control knob that operates with micrometric precision for really fine and precise adjustment. A whole 360-degree turn of each knob is generally required for just a few degrees of adjustment, and there’s usually a release clutch to enable speedy course adjustments. Okay, now you can forget all of that! The Leofoto G2 is completely different by design, more akin to the Novoflex Qube Goniometer Head Pro-Kit, which costs around six to nine times as much to buy in various regions around the world.

The G2 doesn’t aim to give the generous range of movement that’s available with typical 3-way heads. Instead, it’s geared (literally) to small and precise adjustments over a much more limited range. Typical scenarios include architectural and landscape photography, where you want to get things precisely on the level, as well as extreme close-ups for macro shooting where tiny adjustments make a big difference.

With the small but precise range of tilting adjustments firmly in mind, the head features two control knobs, one nominally being for forward and backward tilt, the other for side-to-side tilt. Both of the main control knobs work in exactly the same way. You simply turn the knob one way or the other for up to 10 degrees of maximum tilt in the respective direction. Each axis has a calibrated scale marked in 2-degree increments, and there’s a subtle click-step in the central position.

Glaring shortcomings in the design are that, with such a small range of tilting adjustments, you can’t shoot vertically downwards or at any extreme angles. And you also can’t shoot with the camera in portrait rather than landscape orientation. But don’t worry, there are easy fixes.

The base of the head isn’t the regular circular affair but instead has an Arca-Swiss type dovetail. You can therefore mount the head on top of a regular ball head or 3-way head. You can then use the bottom head to get your camera into the right ballpark position, before using the G2 head up on top to make fine adjustments. Indeed, the Arca-Swiss dovetail comes complete with security pins fitted and if you want to use the G2 on its own (I generally would) you need to remove the two pins with the supplied hex key.

Naturally, if you’re using the G2 in combination with another regular 3-way or ball head, that puts portrait orientation shooting on the menu as well. However, with the G2 putting the center of gravity of your camera even further off-axis from the tripod in portrait orientation, it’s far less than ideal. I’d use an L-bracket instead, so that you can quickly and easily swap between landscape and portrait orientation while maintaining a good balance for your camera on the tripod.

While the range of tilt is fairly limited in both axes, panning is comparatively generous with a full 360 degrees of rotation being available. To keep you in control when accessing all areas of adjustment, there’s a separate locking lever for panning, and you can pull it out on a spring-loaded mechanism, rotating it on its shaft so that sits at its most convenient orientation.

Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head: Performance

Performance is excellent, as far as it goes. Although the range of tilt is limited to +/-10 degrees on either of the dual-axis mechanisms, that’s plenty for precisely positioning your camera to make it absolutely level. You can then ensure that your horizon is perfectly level in landscape photography, and that your walls are perfectly upright when shooting architecture. The bubble level featured in the top of the head is helpful to some extent, although it tends to be partially obscured by the Arca-Swiss profile quick-release plate. I prefer to use the artificial horizon in the viewfinder or rear screen of my camera anyway, as I find it’s more precise for leveling that a bubble level or a pair of spirit levels.

Tilting adjustments are really smooth and precise in both directions, which is exactly what I need from this type of head. Setup is quick, easy and highly effective. What’s more there’s no unwanted sag or flexing when adjusting the head, which I certainly can’t say about many ball heads on the market. It counts for a lot when precision is the key element to successful shot.

What came as more of a surprise to me during testing is the smoothness and delightfully fluid feel of the head’s panning mechanism. This puts shooting video as well as panoramic sequences of stills on the agenda. I really like that the panning mechanism is at the top of the head rather than at the bottom. The big plus point is that you can use the two tilting adjustments to ensure that the upper platform is completely level, then pan to your heart’s content, safe in the knowledge that your horizon will remain level and your buildings will remain upright through an entire 360 degrees. That wouldn’t be the case if the panning section was at the bottom of the head, and panning would run the risk of wonky horizons.

Leofoto G2 Geared Pan Head: Verdict

I feel that the Leofoto G2 is entirely useless if I want a geared head with full 3-way movement that can take extreme angles and portrait orientation shooting in its stride, without the aid of any additional kit. But that’s not what this head is all about. I love its fine and precise 2-way tilting for keeping my camera dead-level for landscape and architectural photography, and it works really well for macro shooting as well. I’m happy to use an additional head if I want to shoot vertically upwards or downwards, as well as using an L-bracket for portrait orientation shooting. Ultimately, the head works supremely well for leveling and the smooth, fluid feel of its panning mechanism for video or stills is the cherry on the top.

Alternatives

Leofoto has been going about the business of building tripods, heads and other photographic support systems since 2014. It’s built up a wide range of innovative and exciting products, currently available in more than 40 countries around the world. Unlike some Chinese manufacturers, Leofoto (part of Guangdong Laitu Imaging Technology Co.) majors on high-end kit with the emphasis on top-class performance and luxurious build quality. The products still tend to be good value but they certainly don’t come cheap.

That’s definitely the case with the Ranger LS-365C carbon fiber tripod that I’m reviewing here. It’s generally sold as a set of legs, to which you can add any Leofoto (or other make of) head separately, although some full kits are also available. When folded, the Leofoto is compact and lightweight, yet it reaches a generous maximum height and is super-sturdy. It therefore qualifies as one of the best travel tripods but also as one of the best tripods for photographers and best carbon fiber tripods.

Leofoto Ranger LS-365C: Specifications

Leofoto Ranger LS-365C: Price

There’s carbon fiber, and then there’s carbon fiber. Tripods of this type certainly aren’t all created equal, and there can be a big variance in the quality of the material. The same goes for the aluminum or magnesium alloy used in making other components. The Leofoto Ranger LS-365C uses some of the finest carbon fiber and top-quality aluminum for its fixings, so its price tag of $290 / £275 / AU$569 is easily justified. And putting its money where its mouth is, Leofoto backs up the tripod with a 10-year warranty.

Leofoto Ranger LS-365C: Design & Handling

In these days of optical and in-body image stabilization, I’m more tempted than ever to leave my tripod at home when I’m venturing out on a photo trip. The bigger and clunkier the tripod, the less chance it has of coming along for the ride. The Ranger LS-365C is sufficiently compact and lightweight to earn a place on my packing list, as it folds down to just 48cm / 18.9” in length and weights a mere 1.77kg / 3.9lb. I should point out though, that’s just for the legs, which don’t have a swing-up design, so you need to factor the height as well as the weight of your tripod head into the equation.

Like many travel tripods that set out to be super-small for stowage, the Leofoto has 5-section legs. We all know what that means. The compact form factor with 5 telescoping sections means that the bottom section of each leg is horribly thin and spindly, prone to flexing and vibrations. The Leofoto bucks the trend, bigtime. The top section has an oversized diameter of 36mm / 1.4” and as you work your way down to the bottom, even the lowest section still has a relatively chunky 22mm / 0.87” diameter.

Naturally the major attraction of 5-section legs is that they enable a tripod to fold down small, yet reach a generous maximum operating height. That’s typically further boosted by a center column, sometimes having its own dual telescoping sections for adding even more height. The center column in this case again bucks the trends, because there isn’t one. For many, that’ll be a disadvantage, but the maximum height is still pretty good at 152cm / 60" (again, without a head that adds extra height). There are actually a plus points in the absence of a center column. First up, you can shoot from ultra-low-level angles without having to remove and invert the center column, shooting with the camera upside down. An even bigger attraction for some will be that the absence of a center column enables a more slimline design, further boosting the tripod’s travel-friendliness.

Sticking with the 5-section legs for a moment more, that equates to four section clamps per leg to content with, making 12 clamps altogether. The Leofoto uses twist-action clamps. I’ve often seen these advertised as requiring just a quarter of a turn to enable full release and full clamping of each section, but the reality can be very different. In this case, the tripod lives up to its claims. Operating the twist clamps is superbly quick and easy, and they’re based on single-piece shims rather than 2-piece units, making them easier to clean and less prone to failure.

Let’s take a look at the actual quality of the carbon fiber. There are certainly no corners cut here. Despite the tripod being made in China, the ‘Toray 100%’ carbon fiber comes from Japan and has a full 10 layers in each section, complete with a cross-rhombus design to add strength and rigidity, while reducing unwanted vibrations.

The metal parts of the tripod follow suit in the quality stakes, being CNC machined from aircraft grade aluminum and finished off with military grade hard-anodizing. As I’ve mentioned, the lack of a center column enables a slimline design and the metal spider at the top of the legs is suitably small. Even so, it has a generously sized 60mm / 2.36” diameter mounting plate, for attaching heavy-duty heads. I’d expect nothing less, as the legs have a beefy 20kg / 44lb load rating. To fit the head, there’s the usual 3/8” threaded stud, along with no less than three hex screws to firmly lock the head in place so it doesn’t work loose.

You might want to fix more than just your camera on a tripod, especially if you’ve got the likes of a magic arm, LED lamp, microphone or maybe a monitor screen to support. The Leofoto obliges with a 1/4” threaded socket on the side of the spider, and another one on the underneath.

Another option for the lower socket is to use a weight hook, for adding ballast and helping the tripod to stand firm in blustery outdoor conditions. The one supplied with the tripod is based on a carabiner that attaches to the lower socket via a 1/4” screw.

Naturally, you won’t want to attach anything underneath the spider if you’re taking advantage of the ultra-low-level facility. As with many tripods, there are three separate locking leg angles, in relation to the center column. These are often tackled with varying degrees of difficulty but, in this case, the system is super-simple. You simply pull out the locking plate and swing the leg to its uppermost position. As you swing the leg back downwards again, the lock springs into action automatically as it passes each locking position. Wider leg angles make the tripod more secure in low-level shooting, while the availability of different angles make it easier to work on tricky terrain, or around obstacles.

The feet attached to the bottom of the legs are large and firm rubber pads, which work very well on most surfaces. That said, metal spikes are generally preferred for very loose ground and, catering to this, the tripod is supplied with an additional set of screw-in spikes which are easily interchangeable.

Leofoto Ranger LS-365C: Performance

I’ve touched on various aspects of performance already but let’s focus on all the key aspects in one place. For a tripod to ‘perform’ it needs to be sufficiently compact and lightweight for me to consider taking it on the journey. This one fits inside a backpack, as well as just giving the option of strapping it to the outside, so that’s the first hurdle overcome. It also has to be quick and easy to use. Despite having five sections per leg, the Leofoto is amazingly quick to set up. The twist-action section clamps operate with speedy efficiency.

A nasty trick that I often use to test a tripod’s resistance to vibration is to set it up at maximum operating height on a hard floor, then to give a sharp tap to a leg with one of my knuckles. I’ve used travel tripods and even full-sized tripods where the legs carry on oscillating for several seconds after being tapped. The Leofoto absorbed all vibrations almost immediately. It’s also very firm and rigid at its maximum height, with all five sections of each leg fully extended.

For shooting video as well as stills, I often find that I can get a more interesting take on things by shooting from a really low level. The omission of a center column enables the Leofoto to shrink down almost to absolute ground level, and I like that I can do this without having to remove the center column, invert it, refit it and then shoot with the camera inconveniently upside down. The mechanism for actually selecting different leg angles is again very quick and easy to use. All in all, performance is absolutely top-drawer.

Leofoto Ranger LS-365C: Verdict

I love this Leofoto tripod. It’s small enough to pack away in tight spaces and refreshingly lightweight, with a really luxurious carbon fiber construction. The omission of a center column has upsides including the fitment of really chunky, heavy-duty leg sections packed into a small overall diameter when the tripod is folded down. It also enables ground-level shooting with speed and ease. The maximum operating height of 152cm / 60" (legs only, without head) isn’t overly generous but generally proves more than adequate for my needs. All in all, this is one seriously great set of legs.

Alternatives

Think tripods and you’re probably thinking about rigid, inflexible supports that keep your camera solidly locked in place with no unwanted movement. That’s usually the idea but it’s not always the case. What if you’re tracking fast-moving subjects that might well be moving up and down as well as to the left and right, and in pretty much any other direction that takes their fancy. Likely scenarios include birds in flight, air shows, animals that like to run and jump and various types of sporty humans, including those on the likes of motocross and BMX bikes.

Naturally, you could track the action with handheld shooting but if you’re using a big and (more importantly) heavy telephoto lens, you could well find yourself worn out sooner rather than later. That’s where a gimbal head comes in. It supports the weight of your camera and lens combo, making it essentially weightless with a maintained center of gravity while tilting and panning, along with a full and free range of friction-free movement.

The Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head that I’m reviewing here is a classic example of the breed. It’s made by a Chinese company that specialize in high-end and fully professional photographic tripods and supports, and is definitely one of the best gimbal heads on the market.

Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head: Specifications

Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head: Price

The Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head costs around $458 / £420 / AU$789 to buy, putting it pretty much in the middle of the price band for high-quality gimbal heads that are generally available. In my books, that actually makes it very good value, considering the top-end standard of design, construction and build quality.

Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head: Design & Handling

Built on classic gimbal design principles, the PG-1 has an L-shaped profile and panning arm. However, its skeleton build makes it look more unusual than most. It looks even more unusual if you go for the camo option, rather than the plain anodized black edition that I’m reviewing here. The camo version is sure to find favor with bird photographers and wildlife shooters. Either way, it’s based on tough and rigid T6061 aluminum which Leofoto says ‘required the team of engineers to program their CNC machines to their limits’. Why bother? Well, the skeletal design with all of its cutouts enables a relatively lightweight yet strong build. That equates to an easily manageable carrying weight of 1 kg / 2.2lb, yet with a super-heavyweight load rating of 25kg / 55lb.

The base section of the main L-shaped supporting bracket rests on a rotary panning plate. This is clearly marked in major intervals of 30 degrees, with incremental 2-degree lines, throughout its full 360 degrees of rotation. The lock-release clamp is an impeccably engineered knob at the rear of the base plate, which is sufficiently large to be operated even if you’re wearing a thick pair of gloves.

The upper surface of the base plate features a bubble level, which helps with quickly and easily leveling the tripod legs. That can be an important consideration if your horizon is likely to feature while you’re panning and shooting sills or video. Unless the tripod legs are leveled, your horizon will tend to go on the slant as you’re panning, even if it started off perfectly level.

Underneath, the bottom section, the circular mounting plate has a 60mm / 2.36" diameter. That should prove ideal for use with most tripods that have a similarly hefty maximum load rating. As I’d expect, it’s also a perfect fit for Leofoto’s own heavy-duty tripod legs, like the excellent Ranger LS-365C carbon fiber tripod.

Moving on up, the upright section of the main framework continues the skeleton design, as well as delivering a generous overall height of 255mm / 10". Again, there’s a big and purposeful locking knob up on top, matching the one at the base. This time, it’s for forward and backward tilt action. To increase versatility, the upright section of the frame features four 1/4” threaded holes, two on each side, for attaching other accessories or items like a mobile phone bracket.

Good gimbal action is all about maintaining a sense of balance. First up, you need to attach your camera, typically via the tripod mounting collar on a telephoto lens, to the cradle. In this case, attachment is via a long 100mm Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate. The plate has a marker for positional reference, that lines up with a calibrated scale on the cradle, marked off in a +/-20mm length in 1mm increments. The long travel enables you to ensure that the camera and lens are positioned with a perfect center of gravity, neither tilting forwards nor backwards when released.

The final step in balancing the camera is making the height adjustment. Like all top-flight gimbals, the PG-1 has a generous range of height adjustment for the cradle. The range actually stretches through 90mm and, again, has a calibrated scale marked in single millimeters. The idea is to adjust the height so that the central cross-section of the lens is exactly on the same level as the tilting pivot of the gimbal arm. The locking/release lever for making this adjustment is large and comfortable to use, and can be rotated on its shaft so that the protrusions of the lever are at their most convenient orientation.

As I’ve mentioned, the PG-1 is available on its own but you’ll sometimes also see it advertised complete with the Leofoto Ranger LS-365C carbon fiber tripod legs. If you buy the complete kit, a padded carrying bag is also included, and it’s tailored to fit the head and legs. You can also buy the bag separately.

Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head: Performance

Whereas tripod performance is usually about rock steadiness, gimbal head performance is all about freedom of movement. Sure, you can lock off the PG-1 so that it maintains its position with excellent rigidity but, more importantly, the friction-free feel of its movement is simply superb.

For both tilting and panning, the latter through a complete 360-degrees, the gimbal feels wonderfully smooth. With the camera and lens correctly adjusted via the QR plate position and the height of the cradle, even big, hefty telephoto lenses with a chunky camera body attached feel weightless and perfectly balanced. Overall, performance is fabulous.

Leofoto PG-1 Gimbal Head: Verdict

To me, the Leofoto PG-1 is as good as it looks, and that’s really saying something. I love the eye-catching skeleton design, not only because it looks great but also because it sheds a lot of unnecessary weight. Even though the frame is largely hollowed out, it’s super-stiff and rigid, and completely impervious to flexing. And most importantly, I love the supreme balance and the effortless, super-smooth range of panning and tilting movement that the gimbal enables. It makes it easy to track even the most erratically moving subjects when using a big and heavy camera and telephoto lens combo, while literally taking a load off.

Photographic retailers and other online outlets are awash with cheap Chinese ‘me too’ products that are vaguely similar to big-brand items, but at a fraction of the price. Leofoto is a different kettle of fish, so to speak. Yes, it’s a Chinese brand, from a company by the name of Guangdong Laitu Imaging Technology Co. that was founded back in 2014. But no, they don’t make cheap knock-off products. From the outset, the company has concentrated on making some of the best tripods for photographers and best carbon fiber tripods on the market and the LH-36LR sets out to be one of the best ball heads that money can buy. And unlike many Chinese offerings, it costs serious money to buy.

Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head: Specifications

Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head: Price

For the sake of reference, one of my all-time favorite ball heads is the Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head. It’s an up-market, very substantial and high-performance head that’s available with Manfrotto’s proprietary 200PL-14 quick-release plate for $199 / £152 / AU$311 or as a ‘Top Lock’ edition with an Arca-Swiss type QR plate at $249 / £193 / AU$443. The Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head costs $179 / £170 / AU$319, and comes complete with an Arca-Swiss type QR plate, similar in price to the more expensive version of the Manfrotto offering.

Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head: Design & Handling

The low-profile design of the Leofoto LH-36LR ball head aims to enhance stability and it certainly has a heavy-duty load rating, equating to 18kg / 40lb. The ball itself, at the center of the head, is generously proportioned at 36mm / 1.42”, and machined to a tight tolerance of 0.01mm. Again, this helps with stability and smoothness of movement, as do the high-grade materials used in the head’s manufacture. In the main, it’s based on SUS 304 stainless steel which is hard anodized in black for a tough and attractive finish.

The main locking knob is large and comfortable to use, with or without gloves on. It only needs minimal rotation to lock or unlock the ball and enables smooth, free movement. Directly opposite the main locking knob on the other side of the head are two smaller knobs. The upper knob is for adjusting the friction of the ball’s movement within its socket, greater friction better suiting heavyweight camera and lens combinations. The lower locking knob is the panning clamp/release.

The panning base operates with smooth precision and has a calibrated scale marked in 15-degree intervals, with longer lines at every 5 degrees and shorter lines at interim 2.5-degree intervals. These are laser-engraved, continuing the high-quality theme.

The base for connecting the head to a tripod has a diameter of 52mm / 2/05", suiting fairly heavy-duty tripods which match the load rating of the head. There’s the typical 3/8” threaded socket for securing the head, and it’s supplied with a 1/4” adapter for use with tripods that have a smaller fixing stud.

An unusual feature of the ball head is that it has two cutouts placed at different angles at the front, rather than just one. This enables more freedom with shooting at extreme angles, or fully vertical upwards and downwards, as well as for switching from landscape to portrait orientation shooting. Given the low-profile design of the head, it also helps to you’re your options open if one of the drop-notches happens to be positioned over one of the tripod legs.

Up on top, there’s an Arca-Swiss type cradle for holding the quick-release plate. Again, there are helpful markings from a central zeroed position to +/-20mm to the left or right. A bubble level is also featured, to aid leveling of the camera.

One thing that’s often a chore with Arca-Swiss type quick release systems is that there can be a lot of screwing and unscrewing involved for fitting and removing the plate. The Leofoto speeds things up with a simple lever at the rear of the cradle. Push it one way and it’s firmly locked in place, fully the other way and it’s quick and easy to remove the plate.

At the locking lever’s halfway position (shown above), the QR plate is loosened but, as a security measure, remains fixed to the cradle, while pins at either end of the QR plate avoid it accidentally slipping out sideways. To remove the plate, you need to fully sift the lever from one side to the other, as shown below.

The kit is nicely finished off with a padded drawstring pouch which holds the head as well as the supplied Allen wrench and multi-tool, which are supplied as part of the overall kit.

Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head: Performance

The Leofoto LH Series LH-36LR ball head is advertised as delivering silky-smooth movement, and that was certainly my experience during testing. Unlike some ball heads, there’s no greasy lubrication applied to the ball and it’s as dry as a bone, but it feels thoroughly well lubricated regardless.

A downside that I’ve experienced with many ball heads is that if I hold the camera where I want it to be, then tighten the main clamp, there’s noticeable sagging when I let go of the camera. That really works against you when you’re trying to position a tripod head precisely. I’m happy that I didn’t find any sagging at all with the Leofoto ball head, which is a major plus point.

Just as with the main ball and socket arrangement, the panning mechanism also works with a really smooth and fluid feel. That’s another upside for shooting video instead of just stills. The panning section is at the bottom of the head, rather than up on top, so you do need to level the tripod legs accurately before panning, otherwise your horizon will start to slant when you’re panning.

My only slight niggle with the head is that I found it easy to accidentally adjust the friction damper when handling the head or stowing it away. It can be a little frustrating if the friction for the ball and socket change as if on their own but it’s not a major issue. All in all, performance is absolutely excellent.

Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head: Verdict

During testing, I became an instant fan of the Leofoto LH-36LR Ball Head. It’s nicely compact and lightweight but a real over-achiever in terms of sturdiness and load-bearing ability. It’s cleverly designed, thoroughly well made and luxuriously finished. I found the friction adjustment knob a little too easy to nudge accidentally but overall performance is absolutely superb. It’s certainly not cheap to by but is nevertheless very good value for money.

Alternatives

When it’s time for lights, camera, action, the Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head is ideal for the ‘action’ part of the proceedings. It’s a 2-way pan and tilt head that enables you to track erratically moving subjects with ease, from birds in flight to aircraft at an airshow, to all manner of sports and wildlife scenarios. It’s very versatile as well, suiting anything and everything from spotting scopes to cameras with big, heavy telephoto lenses, and for shooting stills or video.

If you’ve not heard of Leofoto, it’s the brand name of Guangdong Laitu Imaging Technology Co. who have been making high-end photographic tripods, supports and accessories in China since 2014. Although the VH-30R is a 2-way rather than 3-way head, it nevertheless aims to be one of the best pan and tilt heads on the market.

Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head: Specifications

Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head: Price

If you thought that a 2-way head would only be about two-thirds of the price of a 3-way head, you’ll need to think again. Leofoto kit tends to be of a pro-grade standard, with really high-end build quality, so it doesn’t come cheap. The VH-30R Two-Way Head is priced at $239 / £180 / AU$329 but I feel that’s still great value, taking its sophisticated design, clever construction and superb performance into account.

Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head: Design & Handling

The VH-30R is often advertised as a monopod head but I feel it’s equally at home on a sturdy tripod. It’s quite lightweight at 0.45kg / 1lb but has a large 60mm / 2.36" and a strong payload rating of 15kg / 33lb. Suffice it to say that it’s built to take the strain of using even the largest cameras and telephoto lenses.

There’s quite a lot of control levers for a 2-way head so lets start with one of the main attractions. Forward/backward tilt is locked off or loosened by a large lever on the left hand side. As with all the other levers on the head, it’s spring-loaded and you can pull it out, reposition it on its shaft and pop it back in again, so that it’s at your ideal orientation. Tilt action comes complete with a engraved scale covering the whole 180-degree range from vertically downwards to vertically upwards, marked at 30-degree numbered intervals with 5-degree interim markings.

Directly opposite the tilt lock/release lever is an adjustable friction damper. Again, this has a marked scale that makes it easy to keep tabs on everything. Increased friction works well with heavyweight camera and lens combinations, and I like that there’s a generous latitude of adjustment to suit personal preferences.

The circular base of the head fixes to a tripod or monopod via a standard 3/8” threaded socket. A 1/4” adapter is supplied as part of the kit, for use with supports that feature this smaller type of fixing screw. The base also features a bubble level which is helpful for leveling the tripod legs, at least if you’re using a tripod rather than a monopod. Leveling the legs ensures that your horizon stays level when you start panning the camera.

The lock/release lever for the main panning mechanism at the base of the head is at the rear. Just as with tilting, there’s a calibrated scale, again engraved in 30-degree numbered intervals with 5-degree intermediate markings.

So that’s tilting and panning all sorted then. Well, not quite. Move on up to the top of the head and you’ll find a complete, secondary panning mechanism. This one has its own lock/release lever and enables you to pan the camera platform through a complete 360-degree rotation. Again, there’s an engraved scale, this time numbered at 15-degree intervals with lines at 2.5-degree intermediate values, so it’s a more precise scale.

A big advantage of the dual-axis panning mechanism is that if you’re working on tricky terrain and it’s difficult to exactly level the legs, you can tilt the head forward or backward to get the camera platform level, helped by the bubble level that sits under the quick-release plate. Then if you pan using the upper section rather than the lower one, your horizon will remain level even if the tripod legs themselves are a bit off.

To enable silky-smooth tilt and panning, the head comes complete with a long operating handle. This screws in to either the left or right side of the rear of the head, suiting either preference. It’s a straight rather than angled arm but feels comfortable in use and has a rubberized grip at the rear.

Fitment of a camera or the tripod mounting collar of a telephoto lens is via an Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate. It’s a long plate with both 3/8” and 1/4” mounting screws. You can use whichever you need for a camera or lens. Some tripod feet for large lenses accommodate both sizes of screw, so you can use both to avoid the risk of the foot twisting on the QR plate while you’re panning.

Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head: Performance

To me, the Leofoto VH-30R felt a bit of an overkill for using on a monopod. It made much more sense for use on a sturdy tripod. The tilt and panning facilities really came into their own in this configuration. I found that the head gave really firm and stable support, while also giving a really smooth and fluid feel to tilting and panning. It’s worth pointing out that the panning handle works for tilt but only for panning when using the lower panning mechanism, and not the upper one. Either way, I really enjoyed the effortless and full range of movement that the head delivered.

Actually, a ‘full range of movement’ is an exaggeration. As I mentioned at the outset, this is a 2-way rather than 3-way head. There’s therefore no facility for tilting your camera to either side. However, that’s not an issue if you’re using a telephoto lens with a tripod mounting collar, as you can simply rotate the lens within its collar. If you’re mounting a camera on the QR plate and want to shoot in portrait orientation, you can do this easily enough by adding an L-bracket.

Leofoto VH-30R Two-Way Head: Verdict

I love the smart design and fabulous build quality of this 2-way head. It’s packed full of features, including dual-axis panning. Best of all, there’s a really smooth, fluid feel to tilting and panning that makes it easy to track moving subjects, no matter how flighty they are. As I’ve said, it works fine on a monopod which is no surprise as it’s often advertised as a monopod head. Even so, I preferred using the head on a sturdy tripod and felt that it was perfectly suited to action shooting in that configuration. It’s pretty pricey to buy but I feel it’s well worth the money.

Alternatives

I’ve long been a fan of Benro. The Chinese manufacturer has been going since 1996 and created some of the best tripods for photographers, best carbon tripods, best tripods for videographers, and best travel tripods along the way. Naturally, any great tripod kit is as much about the head as it is about the legs, and Benro has made some superb heads of all sorts. I’ve recently been particularly impressed by the Benro Cyanbird Carbon Tripod with FS30 Head, which works particularly well as a travel tripod for shooting both stills and video, and I’m also very keen on the highly versatile Benro FS20PRO Video & Foto Head.

In both cases, though, these ball heads can be less than ideal when you need to make ultra-fine adjustments. Typical scenarios include landscape photography where you want to keep the horizon absolutely level, architectural photography where you want the walls of buildings to be perfectly vertical, and close-up shooting where tiny positional changes can make a big difference. That’s where this geared head comes in, with its micrometric adjustments for all three axes of movement.

Benro GD3WH Geared Head: Specifications

Benro GD3WH Geared Head: Price

For the sake of comparison, Manfrotto is one of the biggest names in tripods and supports and, sure enough, they make a range of geared heads. I’ve been impressed by the Manfrotto 410 Junior geared head, which costs $299 / £285 / AU$575. I’m not quite so enamored with the Manfrotto XPRO geared 3-way head, which is made from technopolymer (plastic by another name) and still costs $249 / £179 / AU$476.

The Benro GD3WH Geared Head weighs in at $225 / £220 but its list price is often discounted. At the time of writing this review, it was commonly available for $175 / £169, and even less if you shopped around. That makes it great value, considering its premium materials and excellent build quality. Benro also sells a GDHAD1 tripod spacer for just $32 / £21, which can be a useful accessory. I’ll come back to that later.

Benro GD3WH Geared Head: Design & Handling

The design is classic 3-way geared head. The Benro sits on a 52mm / 2.05" circular base with a 3/8” threaded socket for attaching it to a tripod. Above the base are a pair of adjustment knobs on the same level as each other but spaced 90 degrees apart. These are for individually adjusting panning and forward/rear tilt respectively. Each has a calibrated scale, panning with a full 360-degree rotation, and tilting for 90 degrees forward (for shooting vertically downwards) and 30 degrees upwards. Naturally, you can swap the extents of upward and downward tilt, simply by rotating the quick-release base in its cradle by 180 degrees.

Further up, on almost the same level as the camera platform, is the third knob. This one is for side-to-side tilting. Again it has a calibrated scale, this time from 90 degrees to the left, ranging to just 15 degrees to the right. You might feel that’s a bit limiting, especially if you prefer tilting your camera to the right for portrait orientation shooting, so that it’s less likely to come unscrewed on the QR plate. Again though, you could turn the quick-release plate around in its cradle to reverse the extents of maximum tilt in either lateral direction.

The gearing of all three knobs is suitably low, enabling very fine and precise adjustments in all three planes. The flip side is that large adjustments take forever, or at least they would do if it wasn’t for the alternative adjustment method. By twisting the coarse adjustment wheel for any of the knobs, you can effectively disengage the respective gear from its drive, enabling free movement over the entire travel. When you’re in the right ballpark of adjustment, you simply let go of the spring-loaded wheel and go back to using the knob for fine adjustments.

Moving on up again, the camera platform has quite a long cradle for its Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate. It’s a very secure arrangement, as security pins stop the QR plate sliding out sideways if the locking knob is loosened accidentally. To enable removal, you have to physically pull the knob backwards and keep on turning, once you reach the safety position.

To help with the business of leveling on any axis, the head features a large bubble level on its camera platform at the top. There are also two smaller spirit levels, one each on two sides of the head.

A particular problem that the Benro shares with other geared heads manifests itself if your tripod doesn’t have an extending center column. In this case, if you try to add a significant amount of tilt in either axis, the control knobs can foul on the tripod spider that connects the legs together. To get around the problem, Benro offers a GDHAD1 tripod spacer as an optional extra, for $32 / £21. It’s a solid chunk of metal that’s very nicely turned out and well worth the extra outlay.

Benro GD3WH Geared Head: Performance

The whole idea of a geared head that enables ultra-precise adjustments is that those adjustments really are precise. Accuracy can be ruined if the head doesn’t stay firmly in the placement to which you’ve adjusted it. I’ve used some geared heads that are less than rigid and tend to drift a little under the weight of a camera, as well as lacking resistance to flexing and vibration. I’m happy to say that the Benro excels in its performance, being totally firm and rock-solid in use.

Another area of concern can be that, to enable a firm footing as it were, the control knobs have a stiff action that makes them less than easy to turn. Again, the Benro does really well here. It’s the payoff for being based on excellent materials and build quality. The main body of the head is made from magnesium alloy, while the moving parts are engineered from carbon steel and bronze. That helps to ensure long life as well as smooth operation.

Benro GD3WH Geared Head: Verdict

When the devil is in the detail and I need the utmost in ultra-fine camera placement, I know that I can count on this Benro GD3WH Geared Head to deliver every time. The mix of coarse and fine adjustments for three axes of movement make it quick and easy to position the camera exactly how I want it, and I can rest assured that it’s not going to budge afterwards, as the head is extremely resistant to unwanted flexing, sagging and vibration. All in all, it’s a thoroughly well designed bit of kit that’s expertly made and lavishly finished. That also makes it excellent value for money.

Alternatives

Whether you’re shooting wildlife, aircraft, motorsports or athletics, wielding a long telephoto lens is hard work, especially for long periods. One of the issues with tripod mounting using a standard tripod head is the lack of movement available, which is where gimbal tripod heads come into play.

The K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head is a budget gimbal head that allows for a range of smooth movements while supporting the weight of large and heavy lenses. Also, once balanced correctly, the head will hold the camera in various positions without being held or locked down.

The K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head offers a load capacity of 44lbs / 20kg, so it’s more than capable of supporting the majority of camera and lens combinations. It’s also highly adjustable to accommodate different lenses and is well-made, making it one of the best gimbal heads for tripods to consider if you’re on a budget.

K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head: Specifications

K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head: Price

Geared tripod heads are traditionally expensive, but the K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head comes in at the bargain price of $120 / £97 / AU$192. It’s not the least expensive tripod head of this type that you can buy, but it’s a long way from the most expensive and the build quality of the Gimbal Head makes it a great value-for-money option for beginners.

K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head: Design & Handling

The K&F Gimbal Head features a solid build thanks to its machined aluminium construction with an anti-oxidation coating, which gives it a quality feel in the hand. The overall design is black with large grey knobs for making adjustments and a couple of grey parts that contrast with the rest of the head.

The knobs and dials for making adjustments to the head are all machined aluminium rather than plastic. This gives them a quality look and feel, and instils confidence in their strength when working with large and heavy lenses. The head is also rigid, with no movement of the separate parts.

The overall design is fairly simple with the main vertical adjustment available for balancing lenses, which works alongside plate positioning. There is, however, an unnecessary horizontal adjustment, and the Arca Swiss tripod plate isn’t particularly long, which could restrict adjustments here with some lenses. But, in all fairness, it didn’t cause any issues during testing.

The horizontal adjustment allows you to move the swing arm inwards and outwards, but having the tripod plate and lens directly above the point where the gimbal head attaches to the tripod makes the most sense. It’s not a huge issue once set up, but it does add an unnecessary moving part.

K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head: Performance

This is a panoramic head with 360-degree rotation so you have full rotation when the base is unlocked. There’s also a scale if you need it, although I suspect that the majority of wildlife, sport and motorsport photographers are more interested in the action that unfolds in front of the lens, as opposed to its exact angle in relation to the camera.

Movements are a little stiff, which introduces a degree of resistance and is likely the result of damping. Movements are smooth, but there’s an absence of ease and fluidity that you experience with more expensive gimbal heads. Reduced performance is to be expected, but it’s still more than acceptable for the price.

As previously mentioned, the K&F Gimbal Head has a load capacity of up to 44lbs/20kg which is impressive. This means that it could accommodate the majority of cameras in terms of weight, but the gimbal head may be too small to support larger-diameter professional lenses.

K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head: Verdict

The K&F Concept Professional Gimbal Head is worth considering if you’re a wildlife beginner or on a tight budget. Build quality is impressive for the price, and the large knobs make adjustments and locking quick and easy. The horizontal adjustment isn’t necessary but can be overlooked. The movements of the gimbal are a little stiff, which adds a degree of resistance rather than easy movement.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for precision over speed, a geared tripod head is the way to go. With these heads, you turn knobs to pan and tilt the head rather than loosening locks to manually position the head. Sure, this works, but geared heads offer millimetre precision for perfect compositions, and the K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head is a budget option you’ll find in our best geared tripod head guide.

Geared tripod heads are extremely useful for landscape photography, and other subjects that require precision, such as architecture. And while they don’t offer the speed of a ball head, they don’t suffer from the extremely frustrating post-lock-off drooping many ball heads exhibit. Instead, they offer constantly locked-off, gear-controlled precision.

The K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head makes no bold design statements and is exactly what you’d expect; three rubberised knobs with three quick-release switches for larger and faster movements are available. The head features a couple of spirit levels, but like with most heads these are less reliable than the virtual horizon on your camera.

K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head: Specifications

K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head: Price

The K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head is one of many lower-cost geared heads that make high-precision movements accessible to all. Some geared heads are extremely expensive, and the K&F costs $189 / £189 / AU$302. This is more expensive than some bigger name brands, but it depends on exactly what you’re looking for in a geared tripod head in terms of features, so this could still be the perfect choice for you.

K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head: Design & Handling

The K&F Geared Head is made of machined aluminium so it looks and feels like a quality head. It weighs in at 1.81lbs / 810g, while the maximum load capacity is 13.2lbs / 6kg. This is more than enough for the camera and lens combinations you’d use with the head, but it’s also significantly lower than higher-end heads of this type.

I own an expensive geared ball head, which costs more than twice as much as the K&F 3-Way Geared Tripod Head. You might be thinking that this is an unfair comparison, which it is in some ways, but it does highlight that while the K&F Geared Head is well-made, it has some way to go to be considered exceptional. This also goes for the smoothness of operation when compared to more expensive heads.

The overall design is standard for a geared three-way head; two knobs control vertical and horizontal tilt, while a third controls the pan movement. Each knob is supported by a spring-loaded quick adjustment knob that when twisted clockwise, allows you to disengage the gear and make larger movements. These are a bright metallic orange and contrast nicely against the black head.

K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head: Performance

The head works well in use and can’t be faulted. It undoubtedly lacks the finesse of more expensive geared heads, but the fine-tuning knobs offer good grip and rotate smoothly, while the quick adjustment knobs are comfortable to use for making larger movements when required.

Each axis of movement features an angle scale so you can see the angle of movement. Whether or not this is useful to you will be personal. For me, this isn’t an important or useful feature, but it certainly doesn’t hurt for these to be available and some photographers may wish to replicate camera angles in some situations.

The head also allows for large movements on both the horizontal and vertical axes, so you won’t be limited when composing your shots. The base can also be rotated 360 degrees. For most of the types of photography you’d use a geared head for, many photographers would use an L-bracket and this head features an Arca Swiss plate, which is compatible with L-brackets.

K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head: Verdict

The K&F Concept 3-Way Geared Tripod Head is a budget option that does exactly what it’s designed to do and does it well. Build quality is good and operation is smooth thanks to the fine-tuning knobs and the quick adjustment knobs that work well. The K&F Geared Head certainly isn’t as impressive as higher-end and more expensive geared heads and is more expensive than some bigger-name competitors, but it remains an attractive option.

Alternatives

Vanguard doesn’t need much by way of introduction. The company has been making tripods and other accessories for photographers for about 40 years, growing in knowledge and expertise along the way, and seeking to supply solutions to changing trends and requirements.

Trends of late include hybrid shooting of both stills and video, along with content creation. These bring a particular problem in that, when panning a camera, you need your tripod to be absolutely level. If the legs are on the slant and you compensate by angling the head to level things up, everything goes wonky when you start panning.

Kits that get around the problem include the Vanguard Alta Pro 3VRL 303CV, with its removable levelling system, and the Vanguard VEO 3+ 303CBS which has a dual-axis ball head, the uppermost panning mechanism keeping the camera level when panning. The advantage of the Vanguard LVL, based on a levelling system featured in the Vanguard Alta Pro 3VL 304CT legs, is that you can use it with any set of tripod legs and head that you already have, adding the appropriately sized version between the legs and head to keep everything on the level.

As such, it aims to suit almost any of the best tripods for photographers, the best travel tripods and the best tripods for videographers.

Vanguard LVL: Specifications

Vanguard LVL: Price

I grabbed one of the first Vanguard LVLs to come to the market, its launch in the UK being spurred on to coincide with The Photo & Video Show of March 2025. Availability in the USA and Australia is likely to be in July/August 2025. I got hold of the LVL-45 version, which is a perfect fit for one of my tripod kits. As per the naming convention, the lower mounting plate has a 45mm diameter, but there are five different sizes available, ranging from a diameter of 42mm up to 75mm, with a corresponding spread in purchase price of £55 up to £100. Pricing is yet to be finalized for other world regions but the RRP for the size range is currently set at $65 to $120 for the USA, and AU$115 to AU$220 for Australia. That makes them pretty good value, size for size, across the range.

Vanguard LVL: Design & Handling

The Vanguard LVL Universal Tripod Levelling System aims to provide an elegant and straightforward solution to a perennial problem. Even so, if you just shoot stills, you probably won’t need it. That’s because if your tripod legs aren’t perfectly levelled, you can adjust any 3-way head, ball head or geared head accordingly, to perfectly level the camera. Level things up, shoot, job done. Things get trickier as soon as you start panning. If you’ve angled the head to compensate for unleveled legs, as soon as you start panning, your horizon starts to tilt. That can be disastrous when you’re shooting video, as well as for stills if you’re panning to take a sequence of shots that you want to stitch into a panoramic image.

The Vanguard LVL is designed to sit between the mounting platform at the top of a set of tripod legs and the tripod head above. You therefore need to detach the head from the legs, screw the LVL onto the legs, then attach the head to the top of the LVL. That probably sounds simple enough but one hurdle in making the system ‘universal’ is that different sets of tripod legs with different sizes and payload ratings have different diameters of mounting plates.

To make the system as universal as possible, the LVL comes in a range of sizes with lower mounting plate diameters of 42mm, 45mm, 55mm, 65mm and 75mm. Working through the range, the diameter of the top plate also increases through 45mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm and 80mm respectively. The height grows from 36mm for the smallest edition to 43mm for the largest, and the load capacity increases through 20kg, 25kg, 30kg, 35kg and 40kg.

Suffice it to say that there’s a Vanguard LVL to suit a wide range of individual requirements in terms of size and load rating. One thing they all have in common is a full 360 degrees of rotation. All but the smallest LVL-42 enables a maximum of 15 degrees of tilt in any direction, whereas this drops to 13 degrees for the 42mm edition.

One application where the diameter of the LVL can be critical is with the use of travel tripods. The vast majority of these are now designed so that you swing the legs up around the extended center column for compact storage. The smallest LVL-42 and LVL-45 editions in the series are designed with travel tripods in mind, and the difference between them of just 3mm in diameter means that you should be able to get a good fit. These two editions are also relatively lightweight at just 115g and 140g respectively, while maintaining impressive load capacities of 20kg and 25kg.

To suit the largest variety of tripod legs, the base of the LVL features a 3/8” mounting thread and comes complete with a ¼” thread adapter. If your legs have a 3/8” mounting screw but you want to use a head with a ¼” socket, you could also use the supplied thread adapter up top for the head. However, if you need to use it at the base, you might have to buy one separately for the head if you don’t have one, as only one thread adapter is supplied with the LVL.

Vanguard LVL: Performance

For this review, I tested the Vanguard LVL-45 with my trusty 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 Carbon Fiber Tripod and AirHed Pro ball head. It’s a full-sized tripod with a strong load rating, but folds up like a travel tripod for relatively compact stowage. Any additional joint or component in a tripod system represents a potential point of weakness, making the tripod more prone to unwanted flexing or vibrations. I found there was no compromise in performance when using the Vanguard LVL. They’re precision-engineered from solid blocks of aluminum, using CNC machining to very tight tolerances. The high-quality feel certainly translates into high-end performance.

The +/-15 degrees of tilt in any direction in all but the smallest LVL-42 edition (+/-13 degrees) offers a very generous range of adjustment. Adjustment itself is quick and easy although, as with ball heads, larger diameters of the operational component can make really fine adjustments a little easier and less fiddly. Even so, I found the second-smallest LVL-45 easy to adjust precisely.

To help with accurate adjustment, there’s a bubble level built into the top plate of the leveler. It’s good as far as it goes, although I generally prefer to rely on the virtual horizon option generally featured in cameras nowadays, for really precise adjustments.

One thing that I’ve found to be a real flaw in the performance of many tripod systems is that when panning from right to left, the head can start to unscrew from the legs. This makes the camera very wobbly and can ruin potentially great shots and video footage. To keep everything locked firmly in place, the LVL features three locking screws which you can tighten with the supplied hex key. They’re placed at 120-degree intervals around the top plate to ensure a really solid bond between the LVL and the tripod head. For an equally firm fixing between the LVL and the tripod legs, you need to rely on the tripod platform itself having one or more locking screws of its own.

Vanguard LVL: Verdict

Like many of us, I’m finding that I use my camera’s video capture capabilities more than I used to, instead of majoring on stills for most of the time. I generally use a tripod when shooting video but often find it most convenient to take a regular photographic tripod with a ball head that has a pan-only release for catering to the types of stills and video that I often shoot. The Vanguard LVL makes my life a lot easier as I don’t have to spend a lot of time making sure that the legs of my tripod are perfectly leveled when setting it up for panning shots. I think it’s a neat product that’s really nicely made, performs excellently and is very good value at the price.

Alternatives

Selfie sticks unwittingly earned themselves a bad rep, but they remain a great way to capture wider-angle selfies without needing a tripod. The K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod goes one step further being a selfie stick and tripod rolled into one.

Furthermore, the Selfie Stick Tripod features a Bluetooth shutter remote to connect your smartphone and a GoPro-style adaptor for connecting action cameras, so it has quite a few features to enjoy.

The Selfie Stick Tripod has a maximum load capacity of 4.4lbs / 2kg, and connecting my full-frame mirrorless camera at the lowest tripod level provided perfectly adequate support, but raising the long centre column only a small amount made the whole thing unstable. For smartphones and action cameras, this would be much less of an issue.

K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod: Specifications

K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod: Price

As the name suggests, this is both a tripod and a selfie stick rolled into one, and for people who shoot with their smartphone and/or action camera it’s a great compact and lightweight option for travel and days out. Plus, at just $27 / £26 / AU$70 it’s reasonably priced considering the versatility and the long length of the telescopic centre column.

K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod: Design & Handling

The K&F 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod is made of plastic, with a carbon fibre look and aluminium. Build quality, for such an inexpensive Selfie Stick Tripod, is surprisingly impressive alongside the additional features that are available. These include the detachable Bluetooth remote that clips into one of the short legs and the GoPro-style mount adaptor.

The Selfie Stick Tripod works in three modes: Handheld, Tripod and Selfie. Handheld is in the folded state, Tripod is with the three legs pulled out and Selfie is folded but with the seven-section centre column pulled out to the desired length.

You can also extend the centre column when it’s in Tripod mode to increase the height, but stability is an issue the taller you go. In the folded state, the Selfie Stick Tripod is quite long at 13.9in / 352mm but not too heavy at 0.88lbs / 398g.

An orange ring twists to lock and unlock the legs, while the ball head features a dial that needs to be turned to attach cameras or mounting accessories such as the GoPro-style mount. The head also unfolds to become a phone mount/holder that can accommodate even large smartphones and holds them securely in place.

K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod: Performance

In use, the Selfie Stick Tripod does exactly what you’d expect and works best with smartphones and action cameras. As previously mentioned, you can attach larger and heavier cameras with adequate support when the Tripod mode is set to the minimum height, but not beyond this.

The Bluetooth remote is incredibly easy to connect to smartphones and can be used attached to the Selfie Stick Tripod in Selfie mode or used detached when working in Tripod mode. Since many smartphone cameras have long exposure functionality, this latter feature can be incredibly useful if you shoot smartphone long exposures.

I’d say that my only reservation about the Selfie Stick Tripod is its folded length. It would certainly fit in a backpack during days out, but only larger handbags could accommodate it.

I guess this is the trade-off for a selfie stick with three modes, which does make it much more useful than a standard selfie stick. Overall, the innovative design and versatility on offer make this a compelling option for those looking for a multi-purpose smartphone or action camera support.

K&F Concept 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod: Verdict

The K&F 62-inch 2-in-1 Selfie Stick Tripod completely surprised me with the features and functionality on offer, coupled with the affordable price. Build quality is also impressive, which although not the best, it undoubtedly exceeds what you’d expect for the price.

The maximum tripod height and selfie stick extension length are also impressive. My only reservation is the folded length, but the Selfie Stick Tripod can be comfortably carried in the hand or in a backpack.

Alternatives

Think of a genre of photographic accessory, and there’s probably a Neewer option (or several) available to buy. The company has been going since 2011, expanding its product lines with a wide variety of studio and location lighting kits, video gear, lens filters, tripods and more. The LiteTrip LT38 that I’m reviewing here aims to take on some of the best travel tripods, competing with the biggest names in the business.

Neewer LiteTrip LT38: Specifications

Neewer LiteTrip LT38: Price

Manfrotto might well be the first name that springs to mind when you think of tripods but some of the most innovative and exciting travel tripods on the market come from other makers. I’d include the 3 Legged Thing Leo 2.0 + AirHead Pro and the Peak Design Travel Tripod on my hit list. The Neewer goes in to bat against both of these versatile and very travel-friendly tripods. If we stick with carbon fiber across the board, the Neewer costs a bit less than the 3 Legged Thing and only about half as much as the Peak Design, with a list price of $300 / £286 / AU$460. Ultimately, it’s certainly not cheap to buy but I reckon it’s still good value.

Neewer LiteTrip LT38: Design & Handling

There’s been an almost comprehensive convention among travel tripods of late, kicked off by the now obsolete Giottos Vitruvian range. Taking its name from Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the legs swing upwards. And when it comes to travel tripods, the legs swing up by much more than any mere mortal could manage, so they point vertically upwards and surround the extended center column. The upshot is that the feet surround the head, enabling a big saving in folded height and making these travel tripods stow away in smaller spaces. The 3 Legged Thing Leo 2.0 + AirHead Pro certainly follows that design ethos, while the Peak Design Travel Tripod takes a different route. In the latter, the legs don’t swing up but are shaped to fold around the center column, thus making the tripod take up a slimmer diameter when folded.

The Neewer LT38 takes it design cues from the Peak Design. As such, the legs don’t swing up, but have a flattened profile rather than being based on circular tubes. That makes the tripod elegantly slim when folded. I like that but what I like more is that I don’t have to fiddle about with the center column and legs so much when setting up the tripod, and then trying to arrange the feet around the head when putting it away again. All in all, setting up and stowing away can be much quick and easier.

One thing that can be time-consuming if you need to shoot at anything more than a very modest height is that each leg of the tripod has no less than five individual telescoping sections. That results in a total of up to 12 section clamps to contend with, if you want to use the legs at or near full stretch. Even so, that’s pretty common in travel tripods, as it helps to ensure a small stowage size along with a respectable maximum operating height. It’s the same with the other two travel tripods that I’ve mentioned. A bigger (or rather smaller) problem is that the bottom sections of each telescopic leg can end up being very thin and spindly. That’s not the case here though, as even the bottom sections of the Neewer look and feel chunky and solid.

At the bottom of the legs are chunky rubber feet which grip well on a wide range of surfaces and terrains. Another bonus is that the locking levers for each leg section are quick and easy to use – arguably even quicker and slimmer than the alternative of twist-action clamps that are often featured. For one thing, it’s particularly speedy to grab all of the levers for every leg section in one handful and open or close them when the legs are fully retracted.

To add stability in low-level shooting, as well as helping for setup on tricky terrain and working around obstacles, the legs have three different locking angles, relative to the center column. There’s nothing new in that but, again, the lock/release mechanisms for playing the angles are really simple and effortless to use. Better still still, instead of stopping at the third locking angle, you can keep on going and angle the legs upwards. That can come in handy in tight spaces, if you want to rest one of the tripod feet against a wall.

Tripods these days are often about more than supporting just a camera. With that in mind, there are two standard ¼” threaded sockets in the tripod spider, at the top of the legs. You can use these for attaching support arms, LED lamps, microphones, monitors and other accessories. It’s another one of those little things that helps to add versatility.

It’s easy to focus on the maximum operating height of a tripod, especially when it comes to travel tripods which can be a bit limiting. In this case, it’s 155cm / 61", or an inch over 5 feet, which is pretty good for the breed. What’s equally important in my books is the minimum operating height, as this gives rise to creative angles for shooting video as well as stills. You can remove the center column, invert it and refit it if you don’t mind shooting with the camera upside down. What I like better is that the center column is made from two sections. You can unscrew the lower section, splay the legs to their widest angle, and achieve a really low shooting height of just 15cm / 5.9", while still shooting with the camera the right way up.

Up top, the head is a good match for the legs. It’s simple but highly effective. First up, it’s a ball head which enables speedy setup with just one main locking clamp. For video as well as panoramic stills, there’s also a panning lock which works independently, and comes with a calibrated scale for its full 360 degrees of rotation.

The diameter of the ball is sufficiently generous to offer smooth movement and there’s minimal sagging when locking the ball in place. The locking lever is clearly marked and is spring-loaded on a shaft, so you can pull it out, adjust it to your favored angle and pop it back in again.

The quick-release plate is Arca-Swiss compatible and fits firmly in its base. The base itself has a bubble level to aid leveling of the camera, as well as spring-loaded security pins front and back to avoid the risk of the plate sliding out unintentionally when you loosen the locking screw.

The quick-release plate fastens to your camera of your lens’s tripod mounting collar via a screw that has a D-ring for hand operation, as well as a hex socket and a receptacle for a coin or flat blade.

Neewer LiteTrip LT38: Performance

I’m really impressed with the performance of this tripod. Despite the lightweight build of the complete kit of legs and head, at a very travel-friendly 1.43kg / 3.15lb, it has a hefty maximum load rating of 10kg / 22lb. It feels well up to the challenge as well. I’ve used many lightweight travel tripods that, especially at taller operating heights, feel rather wobbly and very prone to vibration. The Neewer absorbs vibration very well and is relatively resistant to unwanted flexing.

As I’ve mentioned, I like the option of really low-level shooting for creative effect, both for stills and video. Splitting the center column enables this with speed and ease, while also allowing for the camera to be mounted the right way up instead of inverting the center column and shooting with the camera upside down.

The maximum operating height of 155cm / 61" isn’t a match for full-sized sturdy tripods but it’s pretty generous for a travel tripod that folds down so small. More importantly, it feels impressively stable at its maximum height, with the legs and center column all fully extended.

Neewer LiteTrip LT38: Verdict

When it comes to the three-legged race, there are plenty of travel tripods on the market to suit every need and budget. Neewer is somewhat renowned as a company that makes good-quality kit at bargain prices. This travel tripod certainly isn’t cheap to buy but it has a luxury carbon fiber build, a solid yet versatile ball head, and delivers excellent performance in every respect. It’s a winner as far as I’m concerned.

Alternatives

By and large (as well as tall and short) the best tripods for photographers are all about keeping everything locked firmly in place. The best video tripods are a whole different ball game, literally. Sure, you need to be able to lock them off when needed, but videography is often about following the action. Ball heads are out, fluid heads with silky smooth panning and tilting are in. You also need to be able to level the head, even if the legs aren’t perfectly level, which can be a time-consuming chore when you’re shooting on uneven terrain. Leveling is imperative so that your horizon doesn’t start to tilt when you’re panning.

With this in mind, video tripods usually feature a bowl base at the top of the legs. The Neewer tripod I’m reviewing here sets out to tick all those boxes and more. Neewer is a name you’ve probably heard of. The Chinese company has been operating since 2011 and has built up a huge array of photographic kit and accessories in its product lines over the years. A growing range of tripods is very much on the list.

Neewer LL27 video tripod: Specifications

Neewer LL27 video tripod: Price

What price a decent video tripod? Low-budget options start at around $90 / £100/ AU$190 and pro-grade sticks like the Manfrotto 635 Fast Carbon Fiber tripod + 504X head cost around $1,300 / £1,000 or more. Typical of Neewer kit that I’ve reviewed and bought in the past, the LL27 video tripod with fluid head looks and feels well made, and has some nice design flourishes, making it appear good value at $200 / £240 / AU$378.

Neewer LL27 video tripod: Design & Handling

Let’s kick off with feet, which seems kinda logical. The ones for this tripod kit are large, firm rubber pads which are fitted to solid metal balls. They enable a firm footing, and you can angle them to sit flat on the floor. The legs above stick with a certain tradition for video tripods, in that they’re made from multiple tubes of aluminum.

The top and middle sections both feature a pair of tubes, and the lowest section is made from a single tube. The net result is that instead of the leg sections having a concentric, telescoping action with fatter sections at the top and thinner ones at the bottom, the line of tubes glide in and out separately through guides. Even at it’s shortest setting, or folded away for storage, you can therefore clearly see all of the leg-section tubes all of the time.

A time-waster for extending and contracting tripod legs to any desired height is that most feature twist- or flip-action clamps for each and every section. So, for example, if you’ve got a 3-legged tripod (the obvious number) with four sections in each leg, that’s a total of nine separate clamps to contend with. The legs of the LL27 are designed so that there’s only one single lock/release lever for each leg. That makes it relatively quick and easy to set the tripod to your desired height and lock the legs in place. The way the system works also makes it simple to get the legs to an approximation of level.

Up at the top of the legs is the leveling bowl, which is a pretty solid feeling item with a 75mm / 3” diameter. A conventional twist-action handle beneath the bowl enables quick and easy loosening and clamping, and it has a fairly generous amount of tilt in all directions to ensure that the base supporting the head is leveled. A bubble level on the lower part of the head serves as a leveling aid.

Another nice touch is that the platform at the top of the legs features two sockets with standard ¼” threads. These enable the easy attachment of accessories like magic arms, LED lights, a microphone, a monitor screen or whatever else takes your fancy.

Let’s move on up to the head. Naturally, it’s of the fluid variety, designed to enable smooth panning and tilting when you’re following the action in videography. As I’d hope for, the panning handle can be fitted to either side of the head, to suit left-handed or right-handed use, while splines on the mount ensure a secure fit at any desired operating angle.

There are two independent locks, one for panning and the other for tilt. The panning lock is at the rear of the head and works in conjunction with a plate with calibrated markings throughout its full 360-degree turning circle. The twist-action clamp for tilt is on the side of the head and works simply enough. As with the tripod legs, there’s a ¼” threaded socket for attaching accessories, forward and upward of the tilt lock.

That just leaves the quick-release plate and its base section, which are impressive in themselves. The Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate has a generous length for ensuring a good balance with different camera/lens combinations, as well as both ¼” and 3/8” connection screws. Using both screws where possible helps to avoid unwanted twisting of the camera on the plate when you're panning. If you can only use one, a rubber bung enables you to remove the screw that you’re not using. There’s also a spring-loaded locking pin that protrudes from the upper surface of the plate.

The base for the quick-release plate features a locking screw at the side, plus a red safety release pushbutton at the rear. I’m also impressed that a quick pushbutton selector on the top of the base ensures wide-ranging compatibility with dual QR modes, to suit DJI, RS2, RS3 and RS3 PRO gimbal, as well as Manfrotto 501PL and 504PL quick release plates. There’s also a hex key that conveniently slots into the back of the base plate, secured by magnets, for fastening cameras to the quick-release plate.

Neewer LL27 video tripod: Performance

Speed can be of the essence when you’re setting up for unmissable shots, whether they’re at weddings or other events. I like that the single clamp per leg enables a quick setup time and that the clamps lock firmly in place to avoid any sagging. The spreader also helps to firm things up but I miss the option of really low-level shooting.

The feet give a firm foundation to the tripod, which itself feels really solid at low to medium operating heights. However, I found it quite prone to unwanted flexing and vibrations, at or near its (albeit very generous) maximum operating height. I’d have preferred a little more rigidity.

For panning and tilting, there’s a good fluid feel to the head, which works well overall. There’s a nice sprung feel to the tilt action although there’s no adjustable counterbalance system to cater to different weights of camera system.

Neewer LL27 video tripod: Verdict

Nobody wants to spend more than they need to, especially in this day and age. If I was a professional videographer, I could easily make a case for buying the finest carbon fiber video tripod that would stand up to the grind of hard daily use. But I’m not. If you’re like me and you only shoot video in your spare time, this Neewer kit offers a generous set of features and good performance, at a much more affordable price. I like that it reaches such a towering maximum height. I’m not so keen that it feels a bit wobbly at full stretch, and I’d like it to go lower for near-ground-level creative shots. But at the end of the day, it’s a solid set of sticks with a smart fluid head that does the job at a very tempting price.

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