94“/240cm Aluminum Lightweight Travel Tripod Monopod with 360° Ball Head - T254A8 + BH-28L(SA254T1)
SKU: KF09.086
I finally found a tripod with a built-in monopod that replaces my selfie stick. It is possible to take pictures with the Pentax from a height of approx. using the remote control. What's also important to me is the camera's smooth, wobble-free panning for capturing wildlife and landscapes. Works very well. Thanks to the ball joint, the Pentax can be adjusted and locked in any position in no time. And thanks to the rotating center post, the camera can also hold a few millimeters above it for ground shots without me having to lie in the mud or have the DSLR touch it. The materials used make a very good impression on me.
17/01/2024
So the first thing standing out is the striking color of some of the details of this otherwise black tripod. That alone is worth a consideration, but looks isn't everything.The first contact with the tripod is to set it up. it folds over to hide the center column and that keeps it compact when stored. Overall, however, that also takes a bit away from the stability. Extend all the skinny legs, and you'll find it to be somewhat shaky. That's nothing a timer for hands-off trigger release can't reduce, but it also makes the camera susceptible to gusty wind or simply walking by on anything other than rock-solid ground.But described stability issue may be an acceptable compromise as this is light and relatively compact. What less expected is how tall this thing can extend between the legs and the center column. The taller the shakier, but still better than trying to take a picture on your tippie toes with your arm extended out. That's about as tall as this thing is or at least feels (depending on your stature). Of course, you need some form of remote for that, so make it a wireless one to prevent vibration of the camera.Another cool feature (in this price range) is the ability to mount the camera off center. You do so by extending the inner tube of the center and turn it 90 degree and lock it there. You have to fully extend the shaft as there are two possible orientations in the head with no in-between, so you have to disengage and put it in the second hole.Overall, it's a cleaver tripod with quite a surprising amount of features for the price, but it comes with the caveat of being somewhat flimsy. For professional work or macro photography, you may want to invest in a sturdier design, especially as lenses then to grow in size and weight. Others should be safe considering this tripod, and if nothing else, it sure is pretty.
16/01/2024
I traveled rather frequently for sporting events so I had done brief research and ultimately decided on this tripod. I only regret not getting this sooner considering its portability, weight and versatility. Other people have actually come up to me and asked where I had obtained this tripod. This tripod actually goes up HIGH with ease and STABILITY. Very impressive. I might buy second just to keep spare in hand.
16/01/2024
I was looking for a tall tripod and found this one. Fits the need for a taller then normal tripod but as I used it more it seems very versatile. So have to give it a check in the "lot of bang for the buck" box. I may change the head to one that has a arm on it. There is a reason you do not find real tall tripods, once you have one up over 72" it is tough to look thru the camera unless you bring a step ladder. I have found that if you have a monitor or app you can see if your shot is what you want. If not then you can rotate the "mast" to adjust the horizontal and if you put one of the tripod legs to the rear of the direction your shooting you can adjust that leg for the vertical. Not the toughest (You give up some of that for lightweight) but for the price I would not hesitate to by another if I lost this one to a mishap.
15/01/2024
This is exactly what I needed for my video blogging. This is a very versatile lightweight tripod that looks excellent. It is very sturdy and easy to manage. It has many settings which makes it useful for many applications. I highly recommend it.
14/01/2024
I would say this is the nicest tripod I currently own (and also the most expensive). I am more of a hobbyist than a professional.
This comes in a nicely padded carrying bag. The bag has large metal zippers and a nylon zipper. It open wide to make removal or replacement of the tripod easy. There are no interior or exterior pockets. There is also an adjustable strap so you can carry over your shoulder.
The included instruction manual is pretty basic. There is also an included hex key. I would say if you want to keep this with the tripod you can use some Velcro ties to strap to one of the legs.
I like the height of the monopod at full extension. When I place the ball head on top of this & then my camera, I don't need to bend over at all (I am about 6'2"). If I don't use the head then I need to just slightly bend over when using the view finder. There is also a padded grip in this leg. You can also use this as a hiking stick.
The legs have a few angles of adjustment. The bottom rubber feet are removable. This does not come with different feet so if you want spikes for example for use in dirt / sand you will need to purchase those as none are included. At full height this will tower over a crowd. There is also a hook where you can hang your backpack or weights to help keep this more stable. You can unscrew this so you can then reverse the center shaft to use as a low or macro tripod.
The head is dampened so when rotating you can get a smooth effect if shooting video. You need to be a little careful as the head can unscrew when rotating if you don't have the lock screw loose. This is also my first tripod where you can bring the arm over to shoot off to the side of the tripod. This is really nice being able to stand next to the tripod instead of behind it in some instances.
There is a bubble level on the top of the head. The camera mount does not use the snap quick release which in nice as it does not wiggle & feels more secure when you have the knob tightened. You can purchase additional shoes for this tripod.
I don't find this tripod to be too heavy for my use & do find it to be very versatile & am so far very happy with this tripod.
This comes in a nicely padded carrying bag. The bag has large metal zippers and a nylon zipper. It open wide to make removal or replacement of the tripod easy. There are no interior or exterior pockets. There is also an adjustable strap so you can carry over your shoulder.
The included instruction manual is pretty basic. There is also an included hex key. I would say if you want to keep this with the tripod you can use some Velcro ties to strap to one of the legs.
I like the height of the monopod at full extension. When I place the ball head on top of this & then my camera, I don't need to bend over at all (I am about 6'2"). If I don't use the head then I need to just slightly bend over when using the view finder. There is also a padded grip in this leg. You can also use this as a hiking stick.
The legs have a few angles of adjustment. The bottom rubber feet are removable. This does not come with different feet so if you want spikes for example for use in dirt / sand you will need to purchase those as none are included. At full height this will tower over a crowd. There is also a hook where you can hang your backpack or weights to help keep this more stable. You can unscrew this so you can then reverse the center shaft to use as a low or macro tripod.
The head is dampened so when rotating you can get a smooth effect if shooting video. You need to be a little careful as the head can unscrew when rotating if you don't have the lock screw loose. This is also my first tripod where you can bring the arm over to shoot off to the side of the tripod. This is really nice being able to stand next to the tripod instead of behind it in some instances.
There is a bubble level on the top of the head. The camera mount does not use the snap quick release which in nice as it does not wiggle & feels more secure when you have the knob tightened. You can purchase additional shoes for this tripod.
I don't find this tripod to be too heavy for my use & do find it to be very versatile & am so far very happy with this tripod.
08/01/2024
I've been into photography for about 35 years, the last 5 of which in a semi-professional capacity. I've gone through a LOT of tripods of various levels, but never one to spend $500+ on a tripod. Photographers today have a lot more economical options, and this one is at or near the top of that pyramid.
Wow, where to start... I read some of the other positive reviews and it seems like they're pretty much covered it, so I'll just throw in my agreement: you'd have to spend a LOT more to get a better tripod than this.
It's at an awkward position in the tripod range - pricey for the beginner, and too inexpensive for the seasoned pro who wants only the best. If this is perhaps more than you wanted to spend, but CAN afford this - don't go through the pain of constantly moving up every few years like I did, jump ahead and buy this one. When I was starting out, to get a tripod anywhere near this quality, you'd have to spend MANY hundreds of dollars (in 1990's money).
The quality and materials are all Good/Excellent. I recently reviewed a similar tripod that was a bit cheaper, but not nearly as flexible as this one and it had a few cheaper-feeling pieces. I felt it deserved 5 stars for value, so this one definitely qualifies for a 5.
First off - this is the TALLEST tripod I have ever seen!!! In addition to having one more leg segment than most, the vertical extension tube in the center has TWO telescoping segments as well! (With two ball-head joints) This can stretch higher than I could even reach. Crazy!
And, as you can see in the description, the center tube can be made to swivel and tilt. I tried it in the (almost) worst-case scenario - my heavy Canon with a mid-size lens in the fully-extended horizontal position with the camera aimed in a "normal" horizontal position. Admittedly, it struggled to hold this position, but it did. It might not have been able to do it with one of my heavy telephoto (100-400) but that would be an odd scenario anyway.) WIth the tube only halfway extended, it should be able to hold just about anything you can throw at it.
The ball head works really well. Smooth and no free play, and no matter what angle you have your camera at when you lock it down, it will stay without any drift. (Okay, maybe a millimeter or 2 of drift, but that's probably just from releasing the upward pressure your own hand was exerting on the whole rig - not the ball head itself that's moving.)
You can flip the center stack so that you can mount your camera on the bottom for a low perspective. I did not actually test this feature yet so I'm not sure how difficult it is to flip the mechanism. Suffice to say, this tripod can probably do any oddball position that you've ever seen any tripod do.
All the legs and latches that matter are aluminum. The plastic and rubberized parts are well above the average.
Being aluminum, it's surprisingly light for its size. That said, it's not hard to get a quality, lighter tripod, even in this price range, but it will be a smaller tripod. When you consider the size and flexibility of this one, it seems pretty light.
Most photographers have multiple tripods, and this one makes a good case for that as well. This is a wonderful "does everything" tripod, but it might be a bit bulky and overkill for long-distance hiking. (However, one of the legs can be detached and combined with parts from the center stack to be used as a monopod - so with some effort, this could truly be an all-purpose tool.) Personally, I would have a quality, low-frills, light tripod for travel or hiking, and this one for all staged, commercial, or studio work. It's a great studio tripod - the flexibility lends itself well to product photography.
OK, I feel like I'm rambling without adding a whole lot of new info. EXCELLENT product, excellent quality especially for the price, can go ridiculously tall, lightweight for the size. No hesitation in recommending it.
Hope this helps!
Wow, where to start... I read some of the other positive reviews and it seems like they're pretty much covered it, so I'll just throw in my agreement: you'd have to spend a LOT more to get a better tripod than this.
It's at an awkward position in the tripod range - pricey for the beginner, and too inexpensive for the seasoned pro who wants only the best. If this is perhaps more than you wanted to spend, but CAN afford this - don't go through the pain of constantly moving up every few years like I did, jump ahead and buy this one. When I was starting out, to get a tripod anywhere near this quality, you'd have to spend MANY hundreds of dollars (in 1990's money).
The quality and materials are all Good/Excellent. I recently reviewed a similar tripod that was a bit cheaper, but not nearly as flexible as this one and it had a few cheaper-feeling pieces. I felt it deserved 5 stars for value, so this one definitely qualifies for a 5.
First off - this is the TALLEST tripod I have ever seen!!! In addition to having one more leg segment than most, the vertical extension tube in the center has TWO telescoping segments as well! (With two ball-head joints) This can stretch higher than I could even reach. Crazy!
And, as you can see in the description, the center tube can be made to swivel and tilt. I tried it in the (almost) worst-case scenario - my heavy Canon with a mid-size lens in the fully-extended horizontal position with the camera aimed in a "normal" horizontal position. Admittedly, it struggled to hold this position, but it did. It might not have been able to do it with one of my heavy telephoto (100-400) but that would be an odd scenario anyway.) WIth the tube only halfway extended, it should be able to hold just about anything you can throw at it.
The ball head works really well. Smooth and no free play, and no matter what angle you have your camera at when you lock it down, it will stay without any drift. (Okay, maybe a millimeter or 2 of drift, but that's probably just from releasing the upward pressure your own hand was exerting on the whole rig - not the ball head itself that's moving.)
You can flip the center stack so that you can mount your camera on the bottom for a low perspective. I did not actually test this feature yet so I'm not sure how difficult it is to flip the mechanism. Suffice to say, this tripod can probably do any oddball position that you've ever seen any tripod do.
All the legs and latches that matter are aluminum. The plastic and rubberized parts are well above the average.
Being aluminum, it's surprisingly light for its size. That said, it's not hard to get a quality, lighter tripod, even in this price range, but it will be a smaller tripod. When you consider the size and flexibility of this one, it seems pretty light.
Most photographers have multiple tripods, and this one makes a good case for that as well. This is a wonderful "does everything" tripod, but it might be a bit bulky and overkill for long-distance hiking. (However, one of the legs can be detached and combined with parts from the center stack to be used as a monopod - so with some effort, this could truly be an all-purpose tool.) Personally, I would have a quality, low-frills, light tripod for travel or hiking, and this one for all staged, commercial, or studio work. It's a great studio tripod - the flexibility lends itself well to product photography.
OK, I feel like I'm rambling without adding a whole lot of new info. EXCELLENT product, excellent quality especially for the price, can go ridiculously tall, lightweight for the size. No hesitation in recommending it.
Hope this helps!
06/12/2023
For the price point you get a fairly solid unit with a ton of adjustment options. The arm fully out to its "max" were the line is has some serious sag with a Sony A7iii on it and a small lens. The ball attachment is okay but you really have to twist to get it to stop moving and it makes me question how long that will last tightened and loosening over time. Otherwise it's a decent unit.
04/12/2023
This tripod is the least expensive I could find that will hold a camera for overhead shots. It does that job well. My biggest concern is that it is not fast to set up or tear down. All of the legs have clamps that screw to tighten instead of a faster levered clamp. Overall, it does the job but is missing some features. For what I paid, I would buy it again.
04/12/2023