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Overview : Tripod legs are made of magnesium aluminum alloy that can be folded for light and easy to carry. The magnesium aluminum alloy with good stability, and it has adjustable angle suitable for different locations. Inverted central axis to achieve macro photography abd automatic stability suspension system. Tripod can also be converted into a monopod by removing one of the legs.
Features :
- 25mm 4 section aluminum alloy legs adjust to 25, 50, and 80-degree angles to enable extreme low angle photography
- Compact The tripod legs can be inverted and folded back 180 degrees making it small enough to carry just about anywhere.
- Smooth fluid-like ball head rotates 360 degrees and includes a quick release plate and bubble levels.
- Hexagon-shaped central column moves from 0 to 180 degrees
- FOUR Leg Sections: Get the height you need and ultimate versatility. Twist Lock Legs with Anti-Rotation System: innovative rubberized locking grips combined with anti-rotation legs enable fast and fumble free set up plus weather and dust resistance.
- This complete tripods comes with 2 Sections Center Column: Get the height you need and ultimate versatility.
- Folded height: 14.76", Extended height: 72.24", Weight: 3.04lbs/1.38 kg
- LIGHT WEIGHT: It's ideal for indoor and outdoor photography, you can take it anywhere making it perfect to all events, such as sports activities, camping, family gatherings and much more.
Quality/Usability : I currently own a Manfrotto 190XPROB 3-Section Aluminum Tripod. One of the best tripods I have used and use the most because it allows me to position the center column horizontally. This is great for product photography such as a top-down shot as well as very low shots. However, the tripod is a little big and on the heavy side and the leg doesn't convert to a monopod.
I was contacted by a company called K&F Concept to see if I would be interested in reviewing any of their products. I took a look and noticed that they had a tripod that was similar to the Manfrotto 190XPROB. The tripod was the KF-TM2534T and is black with red accents. I'm a sucker for black and red products.
I have never heard of this company before but one of the purposes of this site is to explore new products and brands and share it with our readers.
Inside the box, you'll find the tripod, column extension, screw, tool, felt cover bag, carry case with strap and instructions.
The instructions was barely understandable even with pictures. So I had to figure out some of the stuff on my own such as what the column extension and screw was used for or even how to use it.
The brand name and model of the tripod was printed on a sticker and was slapped onto the tripod. Typically, these are etched and printed onto the product itself.
With the K&F Concept TM2534T, the center column of the tripod is slightly longer than what I am typically use to or seen from other tripods. At the very top, you have your ballhead. Underneath looks like another ballhead but its not. This portion allows you to rotate the center column 90° which I will talk about more a little further in the review.
Here is a view of the different sections taken apart that make up the center column.
There are three tripod legs and each have a latch system. This locks legs in place at certain angles. The red latch system that is shown in the picture felt flimsy when not locked in place but once its locked, its stiff and doesn't move. In other words, it has a lot of play when its not locked but I guess this is expected.
One of the tripod legs with a padded foam cover is the tripod leg that can be detached to allow you to convert it to a monopod. Each leg has three sections that uses a twist lock. When all three legs are fully extended, the tripod can stand 72" tall.
The rubber on the twist locks on the legs hold the legs fairly well but the rubber grips can twist. Majority of tripods have a spiked foot or allows you to change into one but with the K&F Concept TM2534T, none was included and it does not convert to you. So if you plan on using this outdoors, just know that there is nothing on the feet to secure it to the ground.>
The ballhead has a bubble leveler and uses a Arca-Swiss type system. So any standard Arca-Swiss plate will work with this. It uses a knob system to lock the plate in place which is good but I personally prefer a clamp system. There are two knobs on the side of the ballhead. The bigger know locks the ballhead in place and prevents your camera from tilting. The locking system is fairly strong and was able to hold my Canon 5D Mark IV with EF 24-70mm f2.8L II.
The smaller knob is for panning. When tightened, it prevents the ballhead from rotating. Typical stuff for a ballhead.
The quick release plate is included and is fairly basic. The plate is light and doesn't feels cheap compared to other quick release plates from other brands. As stated above, luckily the ballhead lets you use standard Arca-Swiss plates with it. There are four rubber pads on the plate to prevent it from rotating. There is a screw with a D-ring to help you secure it to the bottom of your camera. There are also two stoppers built into the plate to prevent your camera from sliding off the ball head.
The second portion of the TM2534T is the part I am most interested and intrigued about. When I first saw this, I was interested to know how this worked and I thought it was the ballhead since it looks like one and it has two knobs. In reality, this is what converts the vertical center column into a 90° horizontal column. The knobs are similar to that of the ball head. The smaller knob towards the bottom controls the panning and the bigger knob locks the column in place when in a horizontal mode.
This is great for product photography if you need top-down shots. Unlike the Manfrotto 190XPROB, you won't be able to get low to the ground with this since you'll still have the center column in the way. However depending the weight of your gear and how you have the legs positioned and how far the column is sticking out, it may get front heavy and cause the tripod to fall over. With the Manfrotto, I didn't have to worry about this as much.
Here is a close-up view of the second portion that converts the center column into 90° horizontal mode. The base has a 3/8 screw to attach to the ballhead. Unfortunately, it can not be removed from the center column pole as it is attached. Once the bigger knob is loosened, you can slide it up and once it reaches the end, you can turn it 90°.
Once it's horizontal, you can slide it forward or back and lock it in place by tightening the screw.
There is a big red knob on the center column. When loosened, it allows you to slide the center column up and down freely. When tightened, it locks the center column at your preferred height. You can also unscrew the bottom of the center column, slide it out and rotate it. This will allow you to turn your camera upside down and get low to the ground if needed.
As mentioned before, one of the tripod legs can be removed and turned into a monopod. It simply requires you to unscrew the one leg from the tripod and removing the center column. Once both are detached, you simply screw the center column and monopod leg together to form a monopod.
The tripod comes with a nice thick and sturdy carry case. A shoulder strap is also included and attaches to the bottom of the bag. I would of maybe preferred the attachment points to be at the ends of the bag. There are no pockets to hold small accessories such as the included tools, so everything will have to sit inside the main compartment with the tripod.
Conclusion : Overall, the K&F Concept KF-TM2534T Aluminum Camera Tripod is a nice tripod. There are certain areas such as the rubber twist locks on the legs and tripod leg locks can be improved slightly. I love the 90° center column but depending on leg and center column placement, it can get a little front heavy.
Manufacturer: K&F Concept
Site: Buy from Amazon
Site: Buy from Amazon
