Photography News Issue 34

Photography News | Issue 34 | absolutephoto.com

20 First tests

Nest Traveller NT-6264CK Tripod/ Monopod kit £249

Specs

Price

£249

The legs and head are very well built and not once during my extended testing did they stop being smooth and responsive 150cm, centre column extended 125cm, centre column retracted Min height 26.5cm Max load 15kg (NT-630H head 10kg) Closed length 41.5cm Weight 1.52kg Contact nest-style.com In the box Traveller NT-6264CK carbon-fibre tripod, NT-630H ball head, quick release plate, carry case, shoulder strap and tools Leg sections Four Material Legs 8x carbon fibre with aviation- grade aluminium and twist leg locks Max height (with head)

Here’s what you really need from a travel tripod; it shouldpackupsmall, be light in weight, easy to use and sturdy. Without wanting to make the this the shortest review ever, Nest’s Traveller NT-6264CK does pretty much all that andmore. I took it on a week’s shooting in Crete and found it to be an excellent tripod throughout. Let’s start with the size and weight; in its folded position, the tripod is only 41.5cm long, including the NT-630H ball head, and weighs just 1.52kg. This makes it a good fit for carry-on luggage, and with its included case it can be strapped to your bag if required. The shortness when packed is thanks to the NT-6264CK’s folding design; to pack it up, the centre column is raised, the leg angle locks released and the legs themselves folded upwards, so that they close around the head. This basically saves the length of the head, meaning you don’t need to take it off to save space. It also provides some protection for the ball head, and for a snug fit between the legs, it’s a simple case of slackening the pan control and turning it. It workswell; my onlyminor complaint being that the action of sliding the leg locks horizontally, then lifting the legs feels like you’re trying to push in two directions at once and causes a bit of a strain. The tripod’s low weight is thanks to its carbon- fibre construction, and it really is surprisingly light in the hand. The four leg-sectiondesign also helps keep the folded length down, but four-

section designs generally mean a less stable platform. Not so in this case, it seems; the legs were very rigid thanks inpart to the thickness of the sections (a chunky 2.6cmat the top). The specified load-bearing weight of the legs is up 15kg (the head is 10kg), but pushing down and twisting the legs saw very little flexing or movement. When using slow shutter speeds, I was impressed with the sharpness of the results from this pod. The rubberised twist locks open and close quickly and securely, and their grooved surface provides an excellent grip. They unlock with just a ¼ turn, but unlike levers I did find I needed to be more vigilant in making sure they were fully locked to avoid slipping. Faster still, because of the spacing, it’s possible to release all of them with a single turn, and while like most locks, they could be overpowered with a good push, in testing with a Nikon D800 and 16- 35mm and a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and 10- 14mm, they were rock-solid. The legs have rubberised feet, which add to the solid feel; I tested them on rough and smooth surfaces and they grippedwell, though it would be nice to have had the option of spikes, too. There are three leg angles possible, and as these can be locked independently, it makes setting up on uneven terrain easy. Thanks to the speed of the leg-locks, the tripod can be stuck at its full height of 150cm in well under ten seconds. At its lowest, you can shoot at around 26cm, which is plenty low enough for

most circumstances; the centre-column canberemovedandinvertedifyouwant to go lower. Adding to the versatility of the kit, one of the legs canbe unscrewed near the top, just under the main joint, turning it into a monopod. The centre column is then removed and screwed onto the top. It’s not aparticularlyquick process, but then it doesn’t need to be, and if you tend to shoot off a monopod for sports, action or wildlife it means you’ve got the option without bringing extra gear. The monopod leg, and one of the others, have foam rubber wraps, making them more comfortable to carry, but a shoulder strap and soft case (with handles and facility to attached the strap) are also included. The case seems durable enoughandoffers a little

protective padding, plus a side pocket, which is ideal for storing the included tool, but while the strap is welcome, its fabric top surface was beginning to split after little more than a few weeks use, so don’t expect it to last a lifetime. Conversely, the legs and head are very well built, and during my extended testing, not once did they stop being smooth and responsive. The NT-630H ball head included in the kit matches the legs for strength at a low weight. It’ll accept up to 10kg of camera and lens (and probably more), andoperatedverysmoothlyontest.The head uses an Arca-Swiss compatible quick-release plate, although I found the locking mechanism on the head a bit fiddly. KS

Top The Nest Traveller NT-6264CK has four leg sections, each controlled by a rubberised twist- lock. This means makes it quick to set up, while the folded height is kept to a very short 41.5cm.

Verdict

Testing the Traveller NT-6264CK on a typical shooting holiday, it didn’t disappoint. The kit is light, easy to use and fast to set up. I used it with Nikon D800 and Fujifilm X-Pro2 bodies neither of which is lightweight, and had no problems at all. There are some fiddly aspects, such as the ‘legs in the air’ closure and the included head’s locking mechanism, but it doesn’t take long to get used to them, and what you’re left with is a versatile and reliable set of legs. Pros Light, quick, sturdy and very well made Cons Some fiddly aspects, and not the cheapest out there

Left The NT-6264CK’s legs fold over the head to save space. Above Thanks to its four leg sections, we had no problems setting up the tripod on uneven ground and it still gave a rock-solid performance.