Tripods
£74
transcontinenta.co.uk
3 Legged Thing Nicky & Tommy £699&£729
3leggedthing.com
Cullmann Rondo 460M RB8.5 Ball & Socket head
The tripod ’ s three legs can be detached for conversion to a table tripod with Vanz footwear, and Rapid Latch for speedy leg angle adjustment, even when you are wearing gloves. Not only are both pods rugged, solid and great to use, they are pleasing on the eye, too. The Nicky has a guide price of £699 and Tommy is £729, including flat plate, 75mm bowl mount and carry case.
The company recently updated its Legends range with the Nicky and the Tommy. Both are high-end still and video tripods that share several key features common to the rest of the range. But a new addition is an interchangeable plate to suit photographers and a 75mm bowl mount for videographers. The four-section Nicky and three-section Tommy share common features, including a 60kg maximum load capability, twist locks and eight-layer carbon-fibre legs.
a single-action pan and tilt head. All Rondo tripods feature aluminium alloy legs and the 460M can extend up to 159.5cm with the centre column used, and for low-level shooting, you can get as low as 43cm. Folded down, it is just 43.5cm and weighs in at 1.46kg, with a 4kg payload. If stability at a budget is your requirement, this is worth checking out.
German company Cullmann is a long- established and renowned camera
accessory supplier. It has a wide range of tripods available and the six- strong Rondo family is the latest on offer. The Rondo 460M RB8.5 comes with a ball and socket head and is attractively priced. Or, if you prefer, the 460RWM RW20 is also available at the same price but with
£69&£249
ukdigital.co.uk
Novo Mantis T3 & Explora T10
The Mantis T3 is also versatile, so if your specialist interest is fungi, the Mantis works really well for that and for botanical and low-level subjects generally. If you want a stable support for vlogging, or to hold your camera webcam, the T3 offers excellent stability with flexibility. And if you are looking instead for a full-size travel tripod, you should really check out the carbon-fibre Explora T10, which is £249 with a ball head. This stretches up to an impressive 172cm, can get you down as low as 15.5cm and folds up to a neat 49.5cm.
As mini and table-top tripods go, you would be hard-pressed to find a product as impressive as the Novo Mantis T3. The £69 price does not include a head, but Novo offers the MBH-20 or MBH-25 Micro ball heads at £49.90 and £59.90 as options if you don't have one suitable. The carbon-fibre Novo Mantis T3 weighs 500g and has two leg sections, measuring 21.5cm when closed. Fully extended, it reaches 27cm and its minimum height is 4.6cm. If more height is required, the two-section ET25 Column Extender at £29.90 delivers an extra 35cm.
£85
intro2020.co.uk
£199
kenro.co.uk
Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel kit 401C
Velbon UT-3AR
Alloy and carbon-fibre products feature in Kenro’s tripod collection, and if you go for this unit, then you get a lot of tripod for your money. The kit means you also get a Arca- Swiss compatible BC2 ball head. The carbon-fibre legs are locked in placed with twist grips and you get a rubber and metal spike kit so you have the option of footwear. Minimum working height is 20.5cm and from there you can get as high as 187cm, and this in a tripod that measures 48cm when completely folded down. The use of carbon fibre keeps the weight down to 1.93kg and the whole unit has a maximum load of 10kg.
If travelling light is key, the Velbon UT-3AR could be just the ticket. With the supplied ball and socket head, the UT-3AR weighs just 787g, yet is capable of supporting 3kg of kit. This five-section travel pod folds down to 29.5cm, so it fits inside a photo backpack or even a large shoulder bag. It extends to 135.5cm with the centre column is used, or 118.2cm without it. Legs are locked in position with Velbon’s Ultra twist-locking system, and the supplied head
uses the Arca-Swiss plate. The price includes a carry case and a carabiner clip.
Benbo Trekker Mk 3 kit £125
patersonphotographic.com
The Trekker 3 kit price includes a ball and socket head, plus a carrying bag. Also available in the Trekker family is the Compact, which extends to 114cm and weighs 1.6kg, and the Mini, which reaches a height of 71cm and weighs 1.5kg. If you are looking for something more substantial, then the Benbo Classic No 1 can extend to a maximum of 157cm, while the Benbo Classic No 2 can reach 256cm.
work, when subjects are often not to be located in tripod-friendly positions. The Trekker is the lighter and more compact model, extending to a maximum height of 160cm and weighs 2kg. The latest version also features redesigned leg castings, making it even more compact when folded down – it closes to 76cm – and there’s a ballast hook at the end of the centre column when extra stability is needed.
Benbo tripods, and ball heads are made in the UK and have been around for years. The Bent Bolt concept (hence Benbo) is just as effective and practical as it was when the first model came out. Essentially, the three legs are independently adjustable so you can get the camera into almost any position you can think of and the legs are then locked into place with the single locking handle. Its versatility makes it perfect for nature
24 Photography News | Issue 85
photographynews.co.uk
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