Carbon fiber tripods - £90 vs £300 – Is it worth paying more?
Buying a carbon fiber tripod is a minefield! There seems to be 1000’s to choose from, spanning a massive price range. Well fear not my photography friends, we’ll cut through the confusion and bring you a review of two carbon fibre tripods considered to be the best in their price ranges. We’re going to review the budget K&F Concept TC2534 carbon fiber tripod priced at around £100 and the Manfrotto Befree GT carbon fiber tripod kit priced at around £300.
On top of this, we’re going to put the two head-to-head to see if it’s really worth paying the extra money for a pro carbon fiber tripod. If you’re looking for a carbon fiber tripod and don’t know what one to get, this review is for you!
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Carbon Fiber Tripods vs Aluminum ones - Are they Better?
No! Firstly, let’s get this myth out the way. A tripod is used to keep your camera still during an exposure. If your tripod currently does this, then it’s as good as any other at doing the job.
Tripods can be made from metals such as steel or aluminum, and they can be made from carbon fiber. Carbon Fiber is a polymer material, also known as graphite fiber. It is a strong material that is also lightweight. Carbon fiber is five times stronger than steel but is much lighter. But it costs a lot more to produce carbon fiber than it does steel or aluminum and that is why you see a massive price increase when you start shopping for carbon fiber tripods.
A carbon fiber tripod is not better than a metal one, it’s lighter. So, before you start selling your right kidney to get one, ask yourself, do you need your tripod to be lighter? There is a benefit to having a heavier tripod. Weight holds things to the ground so a heavier tripod will be sturdier than a light one. You’ll also hear across the internet that carbon fiber absorbs vibrations better. In a real-world situation that will make no difference whatsoever. You simply don’t take pictures on a tripod if it’s vibrating!
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Where a carbon fiber tripod is beneficial is when you travel. Clearly, if you have to travel abroad or do a lot of hiking for your photography, having less weight with you will help greatly.
Carbon fiber tripods in camera bag, good for hiking up mountains.
Tripod Specifications
Before we get started in looking at the similarities and differences between the two tripods let’s go through the blurb and specs provided by the manufacturers:
Manfrotto Befree GT Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit
Маnfrоttо'ѕ Befree GТ carbon travel tripod is the ideal solution for professional photographers. Befree GТ is the most advanced solution in Manfrotto’s wide range of travel tripods.
Key Features:
Professional travel tripod kit carbon.
Superior performance with maximum lightness.
New M-lock system allows fast and secure operation.
Centre ball head ensure smooth and precis framing.
Unique premium design, 100% made in Italy.
Specifications:
Colour – Black
Max height – 162cm
Min height – 43cm
Max load -10000g
Primary material – Carbon Fiber
Weight – 1550g
With ball head – Yes
View full product details and current price via the links below:
Rest of World - https://amzn.to/3d314zi
Manfrotto Befree GT Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit
K&F Concept TC2534 Carbon Fiber Tripod
Key Features:
Carbon fiber construction for a sturdy yet lightweight profile
Anti-folded 180 degrees reversely and install inverted, improve the portability
It can be turned into a monopod or walking stick
Center column inverted installation to realize the lowest angling shooting, macro shooting, or other special photography.
Specifications:
Colour – Black
Max height – 168cm
Min height – 45cm
Max load – 10000g
Primary material – Carbon Fibre
Weight – 1500g
With ball head – Yes
View full product details and current price via the link below:
K&F Concept TC2534 carbon fiber tripod
NB: These are affiliate links and TSOP will receive a small percentage of any purchases made.
Similarities between the pro and budget tripods
These tripods differ greatly in their price but in their features, they are the same in many ways.
They are both made primarily from carbon fiber.
They both weigh approx 1.5kg.
They both support the same weight.
They both have:
Twist lock legs – Ball heads – Legs that can be positioned in 3 different ways including lying flat – a case – Quick release systems – Extend to roughly the same height.
Both carbon fiber tripods are roughly the same height
Both carbon fiber tripods lowered
These tripods are generally made for a mirroless cameras with big lenses.
Both tripod ball heads. K&F left, Manfrotto right.
Twist locks on both tripods. Manfrotto left, K&F right.
Leg adjustments on both tripods. Manfrotto left, K&F right.
Both quick release systems. Manfrotto left, K&F right
The differences in both carbon fiber tripods
Here is where both these tripods differ.
The K&F Concept TC2534 Carbon Fiber Tripod features the following:
You can unscrew one of the legs and use it as a monopod. A handy feature for those who may just need a monopod on their shoot.
There is foam on one of the legs. This acts as a hold point which is really useful in cold weather.
There is a spirit level on the top. This might sound like a good idea, but it’s been badly designed as when you put your camera on the tripod, you can no longer see the spirit level!
There is also a strap on the tripod. Personally, I think this just flaps around and gets in the way.
Add images of monopod – foam on leg –
The Manfrotto Befree GT Carbon Fiber Tripod Kit features the following:
A lock system in the ball head. Yes, that’s the only thing extra to the K&F tripod but it’s a biggy! This feature enables you to move your camera on the ball head until your happy then lock it off with an extra twist lock. This ensures the camera doesn’t move when you’ve got it into a position. I’m afraid the same can’t be said for the other tripod!
On the K&F carbon tripod you can unscrew one of the legs to turn it into a monopod
An extra M-lock system is added to the Manfrotto tripod ball head. This makes sure your camera stays put after you’ve set it.
Conclusion
The K&F Concept Carbon Fiber Tripod is clearly a cheaper tripod, as you would expect. After all, it is currently £210 cheaper! The twist locks feel cheap, and the leg adjustments feel like the springs will pop out at any minute. Whether they will or not is yet to be seen but them elements of this tripod certainly don’t feel solid and smooth like they do on Manfrotto one.
The ball head on the K&F tripod is also a problem. You set the camera into a position, tighten the ball head, let go, and the camera drops slightly. I did manage to pre-empt this as I got used to it by setting the camera slightly higher than I needed before I let go, but as you can imagine it is very annoying. The Manfrotto ball head does not do this and comes with that extra lock system to make sure your camera stays still when you need it to.
However, what you have to consider here is the massive price difference. I paid £90 for the K&F tripod and £300 for the Manfrotto Befree GT tripod. At that price, you can buy three K&F’s for the price of one Manfrotto.
I bought the K&F for a second tripod whilst travelling, and for that it does the job fine and saved me £210. I also think if you need a carbon fiber tripod, and you’re on a budget, this is also a good choice. Nonetheless, if you want a product that you know will last forever and budget is not your concern, then maybe invest in the Manfrotto and be done with it!
Both tripods packed down for transport. Manfrotto left, K&F right.
Both tripods laid flat. Manfrotto left, K&F right.
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