First test
PRICES: £349.99
LEOFOTO.EU
LeofotoLS-324C+LH-40
There’s a huge choice of tripods around, available in all sorts of sizes and prices, but many are not as stable or as good to use as they should be. There’s no such concerns with this carbon-fibre model
LEOFOTO IS A Chinese brand that’s making a big name for itself by producing innovative, durable and practical gear, developed from a photographer’s perspective. It now has a global marketing network inmore than 30 countries. In the UK, the brand is distributed by Hahnel. This is the first Leofoto product I have tested and, I have to say, I hope it isn’t the last. The LS-324C legs and LH- 40 ball head arrived with a high-quality padded bag and, since the tripod’s legs do not fold back over themselves, it means the bag is practical to use out in the field. You can get the pod into the bag without having to spend the extra time reversing its legs first. Having a usable bag is also a benefit, because it means you’re likely to have the optional centre column with you. To explain, the LS-324C legs do not feature a conventional integrated centre column. Instead, it's supplied as a separate accessory in the bag that you can add when it’s required. There are advantages and disadvantages with this. With a camera fitted, the eyepiece is 146cm above ground with the legs fully extended. I’mof average height, so I have to crouch a little to use the viewfinder but, thinking about it, it’s rare that I needmore height. If I do, the supplied centre column at full extension gets the camera eyepiece up to 177cm, so that’s high enough tomean I have to use the monitor.
ABOVE This Leofoto carbon-fibre head handles well, is flexible and gives great support for full-frame and medium format cameras
Timing myself, it takes 20secs to unscrew the ball head, screw in the centre column and get the pair on to the tripod – with a few extra seconds to remove and reattach the camera. It is easier without the camera attached. So, the extra time is a downside and so too is fine-tuning height adjustment when the column is not in place, because it means you have to change the height of three legs. Obviously, it depends on how you like to work and what you're shooting. One benefit of having no column means the tripod’s folded down profile is quite narrow. As such, it’s easy to carry and getting a very low shooting position is dead simple, requiring no more than the splaying of the pod’s legs. Speaking of its legs, the LS-324C’s four section legs are made from 10x layers of carbon fibre. With the top tube’s diameter of 32mm and the fourth section going down to 22mm, this makes getting to grips (literally) with the twist grips very comfortable.
The twist grips lock and unlock with just one quarter turn and you don’t have to apply much pressure to get a really solid lock. The legs glide up and down very sweetly, too. The tripod’s stability is excellent. With the legs fully extended, gripping the tripod’s shoulder and giving it a good twist show precious little movement or flex in the legs, which is reassuring and impressive. Its stability – with the centre column on and at maximum extension – is also very good with the various mirrorless and DSLR cameras I tried. I took out the LS-324C and LH-40 on several autumn photo walks and really enjoyed using it. It was quick to get very low to shoot fungi. It was also very stable for light trails and long exposures with extreme ND filters. The LH-40 ball head locks firmly even with a front heavy camera or lens combination. For example, I did some shots with a FujifilmGFX 50R and 120mmmacro lens that doesn’t have a
ABOVE No fixed centre column means this tripod has a narrow profile, which is helpful when carrying it around. The twist legs lock firmly and with little effort
tripod foot and the head held the pair tightly, without any creep. The low profile ball head takes Arca plates and there’s a bubble head on the mounting plate that is usable even when the camera is fitted. The head’s tension can be adjusted and the large locking knob is great to use, even with gloves on. For upright
format shooting, the head has not one but two drop notches, which is a neat and practical innovation. Should you need to add extra weight, a screwable ballast carabiner clip is supplied. There are 1/4in screw holes to the side and under the tripod shoulder. Spiked feet, a couple of hex keys and a multi-tool are included, too. WC
SPECS › Prices £349.99
› In the box LS-324C tripod, LH-40 ball head, DC-282C centre column, spiked feet, hex keys, multi-tool kit, ballast hook › Legsmaterial Toray 100%, 10x layers of carbon fibre › Load capacity 15kg › Folded length 57cm › Leg sections Four › Leg angles 23°, 55°, 85° › Max height (no centre column) 139.5cm › Max height (with centre column and extended) 170cm
Verdict
It is difficult not to be impressed with the LS-324C tripod and LH-40 ball head. The build quality is excellent and handling is first-rate. The legs glide in and out and lock rigidly with minimal effort, while the ball head is smooth, locks solidly and the dual drop notches for upright shooting are a welcome benefit. I really enjoyed using the combination and the stability on offer is impressive. A carbon-fibre tripod and ball head combination at this price is excellent value for money, so the LS-324C+LH-40 is well worth checking out. PROS Great stability, lovely handling and great to use. An excellent ball head with dual drop notches CONS The optional centre column concept won’t suit everyone
› Minimumheight 16.5cm › Bubble level On ball head › Weight 1.38kg › Head LH-40 comes with QP-70 plate › Max load 20kg › Weight 496g › Plate fitting Arca-Swiss Contact leofoto.eu
ABOVE The Leofoto LS-324C+LH-40 comes with a bag and useful extras, including spiked feet and a tool kit. A carbon-fibre centre column is supplied, too
Issue 83 | Photography News 69
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