Review on 📷 Leofoto LS-324C+LH-40 Tripod Kit: Carbon Fiber CF, 4 Sections & 40mm Low Profile Ball Head by Rachel Streater

This review is for LS-324C legs complete with LH-40 ball head and center column. For context, I'm using a full-size professional SLR (Canon 1D series). ) with various heavy lenses. Full Size Tripod Issue: -------------------------------------------------------- - -------- ---- ------- A tripod should keep your camera steady - a tripod is most useful if it can hold your camera at least at eye level, preferably above that level (um to deal with inclined surfaces). a tripod that does these jobs is large when folded, fairly heavy, and not something you want to carry around unless you know you're going to need it. Therefore, it is often left in the car or at home. Solution? - "Travel Tripod" / Problems with Travel Tripods:----------------------------------- - ---------------------------------- ----- if strong enough to be a full size long to hold exposure DSLR they are not that easy - they mostly use a long center column - which is not dimensionally stable. If you don't lengthen the center post they get very short - they're usually bulky because they fold up on the center post - they don't usually fit in a camera bag, they're still awkward to carry and often left in it. in the car or at home. If they are significantly lighter and compact enough when folded to fit in a pocket, then they are short and do not offer sufficient stability. As such, they are of limited use and,,,,, you guessed it, left at home. Leofoto LS-324C is a good compromise (and nicely made) ------------------------------- ------ ------It's not super light; it doesn't fold up very small, but it's a real tripod that's really handy to carry: - its legs are thick enough to provide enough stability for long exposures with a full-size DSLR - at 130cm without the main stand, it stands the camera at eye level, on level ground - it's slim, fits into the included carrying case with attached ball head and can be carried comfortably over the shoulder or across the body. There is no magic solution to the tripod dilemma, but this one is big and strong enough to double as a tripod and portable enough to carry around. For field trips where photography is only part of the journey, or when I need to travel a long distance with heavy gear, this is a good solution. By the way, the workmanship and build quality of this tripod and the head that goes with it is very impressive. Note the bolt-on center pillar: it's very well made, lightweight, and works well, but all B-pillars are inherently unstable, so I prefer to only use them when absolutely necessary. Compared to LS-284C: ----------------------- ---- is 130 cm versus 120 cm (in both cases without center columns) - this extra height is very welcome - its legs are thicker in all sections - you'll notice the extra stability, especially in flowing water or when it's windy, that you can either carry it in the included pouch or clip it to your backpack.