Tripods & Monopods.

Velbon DH30 Tripod.

Velbon Ultra Luxi F Tripod.

Velbon CX Mini Tripod.

Manfrotto 190 CX3 Tripod.

Marumi MOT-S-3 Mini Tripod.

Velbon PHD-41Q Three Way Tilt Head.

Velbon RUP-40 Mono Pod.

7 Day Shop.Com Mono Pod.

Free Camera Weekly Component Tripod.

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Velbon DH30 Tripod: (Purchase price around £25). Quick Release Cam Locks.

The Velbon DH30 Tripod was a relatively cheap tripod which was reasonably good for use with small camcorder, DSLR or compact cameras. Weighing in at just under 2 Pounds it was fairly comfortable to carry around although because of this relatively low weight it was not the most stable of tripods especially with larger cameras. The legs were extendable and lockable at any length using quick release cam locks which made it simple to level the tripod on uneven terrain. However, due to the centre brace mechanism, each leg on the tripod could not be moved individually which produced some limitations of use. This particular tripod is the oldest out of all the ones I have but is also the one I use the most due to it's simplicity, I have made a few extras for it over the years for certain applications the main one being the Tripod Extender Kit which also features on this site. Specifications: Min Folded length: 485mm (With Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 1360mm (50mm Of The Centre Column Inserted). Min Stand Height: 465mm (With Pan & Tilt Head Attached). No. of Leg Sections: Three-Section Extruded Aluminum Legs (Centre Braced). Locking Mechanism: Quick Side-Lever Leg Locks. Centre Column: Non-Geared Thumbscrew Lock Center Column. Column Length: 360mm (Riser Tube Only) . Pan & Tilt Head: Three-Way Pan head. Quick Release Head: No, (Fixed Thumbscrew). Boxed Dimensions: 95mm x 95mm x 510mm. Weight: 900 grams, (2 Lbs approx.)

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Velbon Ultra Luxi F Tripod: (Purchase price around £95). Quick Release Twist Locks.

I purchased the Velbon Ultra Luxi F Tripod because I wanted a more sturdy tripod than the Velbon DH30 that I already had. I also wanted a tripod that would pack down smaller for transportation purposes but still extend to good working heights, at four times the price of the DH30 I expected it to be more robust, unfortunately I was wrong. Like the DH30 the legs are extendable and lockable to any length using quick release twist locks. Unlike the DH30 the legs are un-braced and can be moved independently which makes it more versatile but less stable. In fact taking in to account the extra tube sections and twist locks it becomes rather unstable. What I have taken to doing where possible is to just use the top three largest sections of leg tubing and the centre column riser section which gives a reasonable working height of about a meter which is much more robust. The Velbon Ultra Luxi F comes with the easy to use quick release 3 way Pan and Tilt head (PHD-41Q) also available is the optional ball head (QHD-51Q) that also has a quick release. The head is mounted on a threaded split center column, the smaller section of which gets as low as 190mm from the ground. Specifications: Min Folded length: 390mm (With Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 1610mm (Max Recommended use height). Min Stand Height: 190mm (Smaller Section Split Centre Column). No. of Leg Sections: Five-Section Extruded Aluminum Legs. Locking Mechanism: Twist Cam Leg Locks. Centre Column: Non-Geared Thumbscrew Lock Center Column. Column Length: 295mm (Both Sections). Pan & Tilt Head: Three-Way Pan head. Quick Release Head: Cam lock And Dovetail Block. Boxed Dimensions: 110mm x 150mm x 410mm. Weight: 1320 grams, (2.9 Lbs approx.)

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Velbon CX Mini Tripod: (Purchase price around £20).

I was in a bit of a hurry to find a small lightweight tripod to take on holiday with me and I came across this one which was on offer at Jessops and was bought in a bit of a rush. As it turns out it is not the best tripod in the world because of it's limited working height, (usable anywhere between 300mm to 640mm) however the Velbon CX Mini Tripod is ideal as a tabletop or low level tripod. It is basically a mini version of a full size-tripod, three section legs that are centre braced, vertically extending central column and three way pan head with a quick release block that fits to the bottom of the camera. With a recommended maximum weight limit of 1Kg it can handle most compact cameras and some of the smaller DSLR cameras, (seemed OK with my Olympus E500 body and zoom lens). The construction seems sturdy enough for a small tripod and the black coating gives it a good looking finish and at 790grams in weight it is not to much of a chore to carry around. Specifications: Min Folded length: 308mm (With Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 640mm (Max Recommended use height). Min Stand Height: 300mm (With Pan & Tilt Head Attached). No. of Leg Sections: Three-Section Extruded Aluminum Legs (Centre Braced). Locking Mechanism: Quick Side-Lever Leg Locks. Centre Column: Non-Geared Thumbscrew Lock Center Column.. Column Length: 200mm (120mm Maximum Extra Extension). Pan & Tilt Head: Three-Way Pan head (PH-446). Quick Release Head: Cam lock And Dovetail Block (QB-4LC ). Boxed Dimensions: 125mm x 125mm x 380mm. Weight: 790 grams, (1.74 Lbs approx.)

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Manfrotto 190 CX3 Tripod: (Purchase price around £200). Low Height Adapter. 804RC2 Photo Head.

I have been considering buying a new lightweight Manfrotto carbon fiber tripod for ages but never quite had the funds, thankfully I got this as a present so it did not cost me anything. The three section Manfrotto 190CX3 boasts the new style three layered rounded full carbon fiber tubes with an aluminium tubular centre column, ( a carbon fiber centre column is available for the PRO version at extra cost) this gives improved rigidity and lightness. The legs are variable adjustable for height anywhere between 500mm to 1250mm and can be set to any of four preset positions for angle using the new aluminium angle selector levers. The aluminium center column includes a low height adapter at the bottom which can be used as a short column to attain a minimum height of 60mm. The Manfrotto 190CX3 can accept an assortment of heads with a 3/8"-16 UNC thread, I opted for the Manfrotto 804RC2, a three-way photo head which cost around £45. The Manfrotto 804RC2 head is made from a brand new light-weight material developed by Manfrotto called "Adapto", it similar in strength to Aluminium but half of the weight, (about 750 grams). Specifications: Min Folded length: 550mm (Without Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 1460mm (Max Recommended use height). Min Stand Height: 60mm (Without Pan & Tilt Head Attached). No. of Leg Sections: 3-Section 3-Layered Rounded 100% Carbon Fiber Tubes. Locking Mechanism: Quick Side-Adjustable Cam Leg Locks. Centre Column: Non-Geared Thumbscrew Lock Center Column.. Column Length: 310mm (260mm Maximum Extra Extension). Pan & Tilt Head: Optional Three-Way Photo Head (Manfrotto 804RC2). Quick Release Head: Cam lock And Dovetail Block (200PL-38 ). Boxed Dimensions: 125mm x 125mm x 590mm. (Tripod Only) Weight: 1300 grams, (2.86 Lbs approx.)

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Marumi MOT-S-3 Mini Tripod: (Purchase price around £8). Sprung Steel Pin.

The Marumi MOT-S-3 Mini Tripod has metallic grey legs and wrist strap attachment. It has a ball socket head and cork pad with a 1/4" UNC standard camera thread fitting screw for direct attachment to the camera. The ball socket head allows the camera to be set in any position and is then locked by a locking screw, this also serves as the wrist strap fitting point. The construction is three steel tube sections, the largest tube diameter being 10mm and the smallest section capped off with a rubber foot, each section locks into place by a sprung steel pin. The Marumi MOT-S-3 Mini Tripod can only be adjusted to three set lengths due to the nature of the sprung pin locking system, (145mm, 215mm and 272mm). This tripod is designed for light compact cameras and is not suitable for use with larger DSLR cameras however it is small, light and easily carried around. Specifications: Min Folded length: 145mm Max Extended Length: 272mm Min Stand Height: 145mm No. of Leg Sections: Three-Steel Tubular Sections Locking Mechanism: Sprung Loaded Pin . Centre Column: N/A. Column Length: N/A. Pan & Tilt Head: N/A. Quick Release Head: N/A. Boxed Dimensions: 30mm x 50mm x 152mm. Weight: 110 grams, (0.24 Lbs approx.)

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Velbon PHD-41Q Three Way Tilt Head: Included with tripod. (Individual Purchase price around £35).

The Velbon Ultra Luxi F Tripods quick release 3 way Pan and Tilt head (PHD-41Q) is well made and easy to use. The twist lock handles and the cam lock and dovetail block make it easy to achieve almost any setting when the camera is mounted to the quick release block. There are three spirit level bubbles mounted to the pan and tilt head which aid getting a horizontal or vertical flat plane camera setup assuming that the block fitted to the camera base is aligned to the camera lens centre line. The only gripe I have if any is the cost of a new block should you wish to add one to a second camera, (around £25 where by the whole head is only about £35) it is for this reason I decided to make my own spare Tripod Quick Release Blocks. Specifications: Min Folded length: N/A. Max Extended Length: N/A. Min Stand Height: N/A. No. of Leg Sections: N/A. Locking Mechanism: N/A. Centre Column: N/A. Column Length: N/A. Pan & Tilt Head: Three-Way Pan head. Quick Release Head: Cam lock And Dovetail Block. Boxed Dimensions: 120mm x 60mm x 190mm. Weight: 400 grams, (0.9 Lbs approx.)

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Velbon RUP-40 Mono pod: (Purchase price around £28).

The Velbon RUP-40 Mono pod has a matt black body with a cushioned foam handle and wrist support. It has a fixed head and cork pad with a 1/4" UNC standard camera thread fitting screw for direct attachment to the camera. Pan and tilt heads are available as an optional extra and can be fitted to the same threaded screw provided the head houses the same 1/4" UNC thread. The construction is in four tube sections, the largest tube diameter being 26mm and the smallest section capped off with a rubber foot. The mono pod can be adjusted to any length within the range of 486mm to 1584mm and uses lever style cam locks to lock the tubes into position. As the mono pod relies on a single point for added stability and not intended to stand on it's own it can be used with almost any camera. Specifications: Min Folded length: 486mm, (No Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 1584mm Min Stand Height: 486mm, (No Pan & Tilt Head Attached). No. of Leg Sections: Four-Tubular Sections Locking Mechanism: Quick Side-Lever Leg Locks. Centre Column: N/A. Column Length: N/A. Pan & Tilt Head: (Optional Extra Add On Accessory). Quick Release Head: (Optional Extra Add On Accessory). Boxed Dimensions: 40mm x 40mm x 495mm. Weight: 360 grams, (0.8 Lbs approx.)

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7 Day Shop.Com Mono pod: (Purchase price around £10). 1/4" UNC Thread Mount. Metal Foot Spike. Segment Cam Locks.

This is a 7dayshop.com own brand mono pod and is similar in construction to the Velbon RUP-40 mono pod. As with the Velbon RUP-40 mono pod pan and tilt heads an optional extra and can be fitted to the same threaded screw provided the head houses the same 1/4" UNC thread. The construction is in four tube sections, the largest tube diameter being 28mm and the smallest fitted with a rubber foot that can be screwed in to reveal a metal foot spike. The mono pod can be adjusted to any length within the range of 544mm to 1704mm and uses similar lever style cam locks to lock the tubes into position. It can be used with almost any camera. Specifications: Min Folded length: 544mm, (No Pan & Tilt Head Attached). Max Extended Length: 1704mm Min Stand Height: 544mm, (No Pan & Tilt Head Attached). No. of Leg Sections: Four-Tubular Sections Locking Mechanism: Quick Side-Lever Leg Locks. Centre Column: N/A. Column Length: N/A. Pan & Tilt Head: (Optional Extra Add On Accessory). Quick Release Head: (Optional Extra Add On Accessory). Boxed Dimensions: 50mm x 45mm x 565mm. Weight: 325 grams, (0.72 Lbs approx.)

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Camera Weekly Free Component Tripod: ( Free with Camera Weekly magazine). Tripod Components.

This gadget was free with camera weekly and is technically a tripod as it has three legs even if it is somewhat flimsy and very limited in it's use. I have never used it with a camera attached but I have used it to support a flashgun and slave unit in one of my multiple flash set ups. The idea is to clip the three legs to the top section then fit the top section into the thread in the base of the camera by means of the 1/4" UNC screw, one gets the impression this would not be very sturdy being made out of rather flimsy plastic but I suppose it could be used if nothing else was to hand in an emergency. Carrying it around is obviously no problem as all the sections fit into your pocket and simply click together when required. Definitely not recommended for heavy duty work! Specifications: Min Folded length: 93mm, (The Length Of One Leg). Max Extended Length: 87mm Min Stand Height: 87mm. No. of Leg Sections: Three-Molded Plastic Clip On Legs. Locking Mechanism: N/A. Centre Column: N/A. Column Length: N/A. Pan & Tilt Head: N/A. Quick Release Head: N/A. Boxed Dimensions: 20mm x 65mm x 100mm. Weight: 20 grams, (0.044 Lbs approx.)

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