Feisol CT-3441T Rapid 4-Section Carbon Fiber Traveler Tripod, 57.48" Max Height

Having bought and used many tripods over the years from Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, Manfrotto, and other companies, what I value most is stability. I want no flexing of the legs with a camera and lens mounted and so often with tripods the legs flex with a fraction of the manufacturer's load rating on the tripod. A notable exception are the tripods/legs from Feisol.There is no noticeable flexing of the legs when they are fully extended which makes this an excellent tripod for long exposures. It will be replacing an Oben tripod that has the same load rating but flexes a good deal.The design is excellent and having the legs fold up and over the head and center column makes it extremely compact for travel and yet it still provides more than 57" of working height (actual height depends on the head being used which will add 3 or more inches to the height of the camera when mounted) without extending the center column.The one caveat with this tripod is that the mounting section for a head is only 35mm in diameter and so a head cannot be kept in place with set screws. I use a wave or belleville washer between the tripod and the base of the ballhead and this works well enough.It collapses down to a lenght of only 18.9 inches and so easily fits either inside a travel bag or can be slid into an overhead bin of an airplane crossways with the ballhead still attached. This is a true travel tripod and one of very few that does not compromise performance in any way.The cases that Feisol supplies with its tripods is first rate and well constructed. Quite different than with the pricey tripods I have bought from Gitzo and Really Right Stuff where all they provide is a cardboard box.The Feison products are manufactured in Taiwan and so not subject to the Trump 25% tax. Taiwan is the favored country for producing the highest quality products for many European manufacturers and it is a step above the productss manufacturered in Japan and China. The Feisol tripods are currently better made than the Gizo tripods being sold in the U.S. by importers.

I've had this tripod for several years, and it has worked great for me. It's lightweight and easy to carry, but it has proved strong enough to support a Really Right Stuff gimbal head, a Canon 1DX, and a Canon 200-400mm lens. I've hiked with it on Alaska's Katmai Coast to photograph grizzly bears, and it met every need. I replaced the long center column with the Feisol CC-2707 short center column because heavy camera equipment is not as stable on extended center columns. Plus, then enables me to set the tripod only a few inches above the ground with the legs folded straight out. Even with the center column unextended, this tripod is tall enough for me to shoot comfortably -- I'm almost 6'4" tall, and I have no problem bending a bit to look through the camera viewfinder. Plus, it folds up small enough to easily fit inside my carryon bag.It's not the sturdiest or most stable tripod available, but it's sturdy enough for photographing wildlife with a long, heavy lens. If you need a rock-solid $1,000 tripod, you won't be satisfied with this one. But it you want a compact, lightweight, strong travel tripod, this one will meet your needs.Feisol also has good customer service. I got trapped in a sucking-sand tideflat once in Katmai NP when I was carrying my camera and tripod, and I slammed the tripod sideways into the dirty wet sand as I caught my fall. I rinsed the tripod off in the ocean to get the worst of the grit off, and the tripod still worked fine the rest of the day -- although I could hear the sand scratching and grinding as I adjusted the legs. When I got back to the lodge, I disassembled the tripod and rinsed everything off with fresh water. When I reassembled the tripod, I noticed that I had lost one of the inner plastic rings for one of the leg segments. The tripod still worked OK, but I contacted Feisol when I got back home, and they mailed me some replacement rings free of charge. Now everything's back to working great again.

This was my first travel-style carbon fiber tripod, and it may be all that I'll ever need. It folds down compactly, and the reversible legs allows you to hide the ballhead between the legs. Just make sure that the ballhead you plan to use can fit snuggly in between the legs. Otherwise, the legs will splay out too much, rendering the tripod less compact. With the center column fully extended, the tripod is at a decent height. I personally use the center column often and find it to be necessary.Out of the box, the legs are a little bit loose. However, that's a pretty easy fix.If you get this tripod, I also think it's worth it to get the version with the anti-twist (AKA rapid leg locks). It makes extending and folding up the tripod a breeze. With the anti-twist, the tripod becomes very intuitive to use. Obviously, this tripod doesn't come cheap, but you do get what you pay for.

These legs are nicely designed and well constructed. I believe they would hold twice the weight Fesiol specifies. Consider getting this longer leg version. A tripod can always be shortened, but......I've had occasion to use a number of CF's, and this one is as strong and functional as any I've seen, and in a traveler size. If I manage to take proper care, it may be the last one I need. Mate it to the CB-40 head, along with their camera plates, as they have a safety feature other brands will not work with. So far, this combination is working well for me. Feisol is a small company and has excellent US support.

Super lightweight and tall. Pretty happy with it.I chose this over a Gitzo , Induro and Benro.

Perfect travel tripod. Light, compact to fit in small luggage, tall enough for me (5'10") without full center neck extension. Carbon-fiber strength and quality at great price.

Ich habe mir das Stativ als Ersatz für mein Manfrotto 190XPROB auf Empfehlung eines befreundeten Fotografen gekauft und bin absolut begeistert. Es ist extrem leicht, dabei zugleich extrem stabil und trägt - wenn man mal leicht unterwegs sein muss - auch einmal schwerere Kombinationen. Selbst dann ist die Dämpfug hervorragend bzw. die Nachschwingzeit nach dem "Anschubsen" sehr klein.Alles ist extrem gut verarbeitet und leichtgängig. Wenn man Schraubverschlüsse à la Gitzo gewöhnt ist, fühlt man sich hier sofort zu Hause. Ich empfehle den Einsatz in Verbindung mit den langen Spikes. Entsprechende Aufnahmen sind vorhanden. Man muss sich allerdings die Spikes von Feisol besorgen, da die meisten angebotenen Spikes 1/4"- oder 3/8"-Gewinde haben, das Stativ aber Aufnahmen mit metrischem Gewinde hat.Man sollte sich außerdem noch drei entsprechend breite Unterlegscheiben besorgen, um das Einsinken zu verhindern.Warum habe ich nicht schon seit Jahren ein solches Stativ ???