![]() Resistance to flexing and vibration is also pretty impressive, especially for a lightweight aluminum tripod. The tripod itself has four-section legs with flip locks, and a single-section centre column but none of the legs can be removed for use as a monopod. The inclusion of three spirit levels helps to keep everything on level. The head features Manfrotto’s ‘fluid drag system’, which enables smooth control for both panning and tilt movements. Unlike most three-way heads, this one is designed with both photographers and videographers in mind. You’d normally expect protruding handles that spoil the streamlined form factor for compact stowage, but they fold in nice and tight, and the legs still swing up so that the feet encircle the head. It, therefore, has independent locking handles for both tilt and swivel functions, along with a locking knob for panning. The vast majority of current travel tripod kits come with a ball head, which makes this Manfrotto something of a rarity, with its more conventional three-way head. As a leveling aid, a bubble level is featured on the camera platform but, unfortunately, it’s obscured during shooting once you’ve inserted the Arca-Swiss type quick-release plate. Up top, the high-performance ball head features a neat adjustable friction damper, built into the main locking knob, along with two pan release locks, one at the base and the other in the camera platform. Interchangeable rubber feet and metal spikes are also supplied in the kit. The maximum operating height of 174cm is also pretty impressive for a travel tripod, and you can shoot from low down as well, thanks to the inclusion of a low-angle adapter. The leg sections are pretty chunky, ranging from 18mm to 28mm in diameter, which helps to deliver the hefty maximum load rating. As with its stablemates, it’s a smartly turned-out carbon fibre affair and there’s no lower-budget aluminum option. Novo used to market a handy, compact, and lightweight Explora T5 kit but that’s now been discontinued, making the T10 the smallest in the range. Overall, it’s an amazingly versatile tripod that also delivers excellent performance. All but the top section of the five-section legs are removable, for conversion to a table-top tripod. The centre column itself splits in two for ultra-low-level shooting and contains a neat mobile phone mount that attaches to the head. ![]() An optional Universal Head Adapter is available if you’d rather use a different head, with or without the centre column. Again, it’s noticeably different to what you’re probably used to, but gives a full range of movement with a quick and easy setup. The head is integral to the tripod, which is another space-saver. ![]() Swing-up legs are commonplace but, in this tripod, they’re specially shaped to wrap around the centre column, cutting out wasted space to enable a sleeker build. In both cases, the same overall design is highly innovative. It’s pretty pricey, but the carbon fibre version of the kit is considerably more expensive, making it unaffordable for many. We’re big fans of the highly capable but expensive aluminium edition of the Peak Design Travel Tripod. Novel head design takes a bit of getting used to This naturally enables a greater maximum operating height. Some go further still, with a two-section extending centre column. To give them a useful operating height, despite their small carrying size, most travel tripods feature four or even five telescopic sections per leg. ![]() Indeed, many of the best travel tripods shrink down to about 30-40cm, making them small enough to fit inside a camera bag or rucksack, rather than needing to be tethered to the outside. This reduces the overall carrying length by up to 10cm or 4 inches. The idea is that you first extend the centre column, then swing the legs up, so that the tripod’s feet end up encircling the head. Thankfully, the best travel tripods stand firm in the middle ground, giving you the best of both worlds.Ī neat trick shared by the vast majority of current tripods is that the legs swing fully upwards for stowage. At the other end of the scale, flimsy little tripods whose loftiest aspirations are only about waist height are underachievers and tend to wobble around in the slightest breeze. Trouble is, they’re heavy and unwieldy, so you tend to leave them at home, where they’re no use whatsoever. There’s no beating a hefty, solid tripod to give your photography a firm footing.
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