I’ve split this test into three; standard tripod, mini tripod and universal ball head system.
Before I start, I’ll point out that, unlike other travel tripods, there is nothing flimsy or weight-cutting in the design; it’s just a very solid and compact travel tripod. So while it is lightweight, it’s lightweight in as far as it’s lighter than a full-sized tripod and a similar weight to a decent travel tripod, not light in the way of a cheap travel tripod.
I point this out because everyone who has had a look has stated that it’s heavy or rather heavier than it looks. But that is because it looks small, and you expect it to be lighter – it is, in fact, 200g lighter at 1.2kg than the Manfrotto BeFree at 1.4kg, so it is light and only feels heavy because it’s small when packed down.
Opening the Main tripod out, the carbon legs appear from behind the Sub tripod legs that hang down from the canopy in the same way as a standard centre column.
The Main tripod legs are five sections and extend the full height of the tripod to 128cm, and with the centre column extended, this reaches 150cm, which is not bad for a tripod that packs down to 44cm.
The leg sections are held in place by metal lever locks, and a single hand can grip and release an entire leg lock array easily in one go. When relocking, each gives a satisfying click when locked back, but I found you must check that these are all properly secured before use.
At the top of each leg is a leg angle adjuster; these could be easily missed, but a quick push and enable three different angle options. A sprung ratchet system inside ensures each angle locks in position. Under the tripod canopy is a bag hook if additional weight needs to be added.
Around the canopy is a rotating ring that locks and releases the Sub tripod. Releasing enables you to draw the tripod height up to the full 150cm, and locking it back in place creates a firm base with markers on the Sub tripod highlighting just how far it can be raised before it’s unsafe or removed. A quick-release safety mechanism here would have been a nice touch, but there’s no need if you pay attention to the WARNING wording on the legs.
The ball head is larger than most travel tripods and beautifully designed with built-in features. A small knob on the side enables you to rotate the head through 360º and gives a small click for each 10º of rotation; this is a nice feature, however, if you don’t like the click, then loosen the small Allen Key bolt, and the click will be no more.
The main ball release is a single leaver, and while this works well and fits the tripod’s design, it doesn’t have the fitness you see with the Vanguard or 3LT tripods. In cold weather, the small size of this release lever can be a little fiddly compared with a more common knob style. In use, however, it works just fine, just not quite as ergonomic.
Finally, the camera can be mounted to the tripod with the large Arca Swiss compatible base plate or a cage or other Arca Swiss compatible plate. The solid build of the tripod instantly pays off, and everything feels very secure.
What stands out here is that raising the centre column feels sturdy; there’s none of the usual waver you can get from a single centre column design.
The support offered is exceptional, and it’s a real pleasure to use. The steadiness makes it an ideal partner for the LEE ELEMENTS series of Variable ND filters, as it supply’s the right amount of support for long exposures. The lightweight and small size make it ideal as an everyday tripod as well as a travel model.
The other small feature worth mentioning are the rubber feet; unscrewed from the base of the leg section, a spike is revealed, which can be unscrewed and used. It’s a very clever hidden feature.
In the next part of the test, I looked at the Sub tripod. To release the Sub tripod, you loosen the large ring around the canopy and then withdraw, and that’s it; it’s all essentially ready to go. The ball head is already in position, so switching from Main to Sub takes no more than ten seconds. The legs of the Sub tripod are fixed and made from Aluminium with leg angle adjusters enabling a choice of three different heights.
In use, the lightweight design of the Sub tripod is simply superb, especially with the full-sized ball head enabling plenty of flexibility. While the Sub tripod is a great feature, a small feature elevates it further. On each leg is a small 1/4-inch thread into which accessories can be attached. It’s inspired and enables you to mount lights, friction arms, microphones etc. These threads align with thread on the canopy when everything is slotted back together.
The final part of the test focused on the ball head. Again, this design tries to be different and works for the most part. I’m not keen on the lever release; it works, but I prefer a more traditional knob.
Moving away from the lever, the size of the ball makes it extremely easy to position, and when locked, the head locks good and tight, which means that it has a load capacity of up to 55kg, which is substantial.
The head, as mentioned, is Arca Swiss compatible, which works well, being fully compatible with all accessories I tried with it; including the SmallRig Black Mamba cage. What is different is the release and lock system that they have designed. Click the base plate in and it automatically locks, and then to release, twist the lock around the head. At first, I was a little cautious of the design, but over the testing time, I have to say I have grown to love it.
The ball head also has some hidden features; the first is the bubble level, which is less of a hidden feature as it’s in plain sight before the camera is mounted, but covered once the tripod is in place. It would have been good to have a system where this level was visible even with the camera in place. Saying that it’s probably viewable with small-bodied cameras. The other feature is hidden beneath the base plate. With base plate removed a Smart Phone holder can be extracted. You wouldn’t see it unless you knew it was there; pull up, slot your Smartphone in and off you go, a very expensive smartphone tripod.
Finally, lock the pano knob and twist, and you can remove the head from the Sub tripod. As a note, an Allen key bolt can be tightened to stop the head from being removed from the Sub tripod; I recommend this. However, it does stop the three in one point of the tripod.
With the head removed, it can be used on sliders or any accessory with a 3/8-inch thread. I have to say that despite the lever lock of the ball head, the head itself works incredibly well. Fixing the head to YC Onion Chocolate Cheese slider and the head integrated nicely, what made the system work was the quick-release system that is effectively similar in action to the Manfrotto Move mount. Through this test, I only had one head, so the system’s usefulness is limited, but switching from tripod to slider with one head style has obvious benefits.
At the end of the test, the HEIPI W28 Travel Tripod proved effective as a travel tripod with a huge amount of flexibility across a range of disciplines.
