All Tripods Feeds

Uniloc System 1700 with 30 ball head

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Uniloc tripods use a curved centre bolt to link both their legs and their centre column.

The legs and the column can move independently, and much more rapidly than conventional tripods.

Until you get used to it, though, it's like trying to wrestle with a robotic octopus, but once you master it there's a good chance you'll never use a conventional tripod again.

Unique design

The design means you can use the centre column as a horizontal or diagonal boom at any angle, and it takes just moments to set up.

The 'System' version has a multi-section column that can be assembled and reassembled using inset grub screws and an allen key. You can have a short column, a long column, an extra-long 'hinged' column.

Disadvantages? The two-section legs are long when folded and don't give the same height as the others when extended.

National Geographic Expedition NGET1 with NGEH1 head

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The NGET1 is actually 'engineered' by Manfrotto for National Geographic.

It doesn't take too much detective work to spot the similiarities between this tripod and Manfrotto's 458B tripod and 468MG hydrostatic ball head.

Interesting design

Some leg-warmers and articulated 'cup' feet have been added, along with protective rubber bellows around the shaft of the head.

The leg-warmers are too loose to grip the tripod properly, and the cup feet are better suited to polished floors. The bellows feel thin and delicate.

Underneath, though, this is a very interesting tripod. There are no leg catches. Instead, an internal clutch mechanism enables you to pull the leg out but locks it rigidly in the new position so it won't push back in. The legs are released by a button right at the top.

It's very clever and a fast tripod to set up. The centre column splits and reassembles as a boom.

Manfrotto 055XB with 804 head

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The Manfrotto 055XB doesn't have the rotating column which can be found on the 190XPROB. If you want this, you'll have to pay £15 more for the 055XPROB.

This version is cheaper and lighter than the 'rotating' version, which could be important because this is a more substantial tripod, with thicker, longer legs that give a higher and stiffer platform to shoot from. However, it's only 600g heavier.

A sturdier tripod

The extra size and sturdiness make a big difference. Whereas the 190 doesn't always feel up to the job, the 055 does. It's not much larger when folded, either.

Low-angle shots are easy because the 055 enables you to remove the centre column completely, and it goes high enough without the centre column to make this practical for outdoor photography.

The 804 head is a trifle 'sticky', but the weight and stability of the 055 make this less of an issue.

Manfrotto 190XPROB with 804 head

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The 190XPROB is a straightforward mid-range tripod from Manfrotto, but with a neat twist.

It has a unique column clamp design which means that if you release the column and pull it up to its full height, then press in a sprung catch in the base, you can rotate it through 90 degrees and use it as a horizontal boom.

Versatile tripod

This doesn't have the flexibility of some of its rivals because the column can only be vertical or horizontal, but it's useful for overhead shots or low/awkward angles. It's quick to do, too, and the column can be rotated and clamped in 15 seconds.

The tripod is good without being great. The leg catches are quite stiff (stiff catches are painful when you've got cold hands) and it's not as rigid at full height as some other tripods.

Manfrotto's 804 three-way head is quite compact, thanks to its short handles, but a little 'sticky' in its movements.

Gitzo GT2330/G2272M 3-way head

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Gitzos are the Rolls-Royce of tripods, and the GT2330 is expensive for an aluminium one, but surprisingly light.

Gitzo claims to use standard-thickness aluminium to maintain strength, but to have saved weight elsewhere in the castings and by using a basalt centre column. The legs are fixed using twist locks, which are a bit quicker than flip-catches, less likely to trap your fingers or break your nails.

Excellent engineering

At full height, it's the most rigid of all the tripods on test. However, it's also one of the least flexible for close-ups because the column can't be turned into a horizontal boom.

You can entirely remove the column and mount the head directly on the baseplate. This makes it easy to take low-angle shots and, unless you need the extra height offered by the column, it's probably an ideal configuration for general use.

Simple and comparatively limiting, but the engineering is superb.

Giottos 9351B/MH7001 ball head

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The 9351B here is a prototype model from Giottos' new range. We tested it with Giottos MH7001 ball head.

It's quite compact when folded, but opens out to a good height. The centre column is released via a locking knob, and the vertical movement is nice and smooth.

Flexible tripod

If you pull it all the way up, the column actually comes out altogether, revealing this tripod's special trick. A second locking knob lets you adjust the angle of the column clamp, so you can rotate it slightly, re-insert the column and use it as a boom.

You can do this with several rival tripods, but where they only allow a horizontal boom, the adjustable clamp angle on the Giottos gives you more than 90 degrees of movement.

It has much more versatility in this mode and, thanks to a Head Rotate Control, it's easy to rotate the column/boom to point in any direction.

Manfrotto Table Tripod 709B

tech.co.uk staff — 1164844800

On the one hand, £25 looks pretty expensive for a very simple table top tripod, but on the other it's quite something to be able to say you've got a Manfrotto, one of the most highly respected tripod brands. The mechanism is very straightforward.

The rigid metal legs fold out individually, and they're fixed to a good-sized ball and socket head. It only takes a few seconds to set the tripod up, and position the camera ready to take a photograph.

The Manfrotto's construction is in a different league to the rest, and the wide splay of the legs means it can cope with digital SLRs, too. The ball and socket head has a good grip, and there's no 'creep' even with heavier camera/lens combinations.

The only problem is a basic lack of height. You can half-extend the legs to gain a few more centimetres, but it's not what the tripod's designed for and will only work with lightweight cameras. Rod Lawton

Velbon Ultra Maxi SF

tech.co.uk staff — 1146438000

The Ultra Maxi SF's weight might not make your eyes water, but its price will. Even if you shop around, you'll be doing well to get this miniature marvel for less than £60. At that price, it's really got to do something special to earn its keep.

It's certainly small, though it'll still require a medium-large camera bag. However, it will slide neatly into any backpack.

The impressive maximum height is achieved using four-section legs using clever (in theory) twist grips on the top and bottom leg sections which unlock/lock all four sections at once.

This isn't as easy as it sounds, though, and the legs on our tripod were prone to jamming or sliding (the legs would slide back in when we thought we'd got them locked). This slows you down and erodes your confidence in its load-bearing abilities somewhat.

Our Ultra Maxi SF came with a ball and socket head, though there is a variant with a pan and tilt head. The ball and socket worked well enough with lightweight cameras, but its ultimate 'grip' when locked wasn't strong enough to prevent some movement if you gave the camera a firm push.

Actually, though, given its tiny dimensions the Ultra Maxi is much more rigid than you might expect. It's not the same as a 'proper' tripod, but it's better than the Slik U6600, for example.

It's the price that puts us off. "Hmm," you think when you first set it up, "it's fiddly and plasticky maybe, but not bad for a cheap tripod". But of course it's not cheap. Quite the reverse. Ideal for the backpacking photographer, though.

Giottos MT9170

tech.co.uk staff — 1146438000

The Giottos MT9170's quoted 12.5kg weight capacity tells you all you need to know about its solidity. You need a fair amount of muscle to manoeuvre those hefty legs into position, but once you have, you've got an extremely stable shooting platform.

However, it's also a pretty complicated one. The base (not just the head) has a three-way pivot arrangement, and you can remove, invert and tilt the centre column. Two heads were supplied with our head - an MH1000 ball and socket head with friction adjuster and an MH5001 three-way pan-and-tilt head which is firm, but bulky.

Although the Giottos is solid - there's not much wobble even at full column extension - it's fiddly to set up, there's a lot to understand and some of the base movements aren't that smooth.

The column movement is a bit 'sticky', especially when you've got it in the horizontal 'boom' position, and there was some rotational movement in the column that took time to pin down because of the duplication of pan axes on the head and on the tripod itself.

Even after this there was a little slop in the joint between the column and the head mount, though we presume that some adjustments with the supplied clip-on tool pouch would sort that out.

The ball and socket head is very nice, though - as you might expect given that it accounts for £80 of this tripod/head combination's £200 price tag.

This is a massive, strong tripod whose weight and complexity mean it's best confined to the studio and relatively static positions. It's just a bit too heavy and complicated for general use.

Manfrotto 718B Digi Mini

tech.co.uk staff — 1146438000

On paper, the Manfrotto Digi Mini looks like the perfect solution. It's light, it's compact, yet it extends to a very useful height. It has a built-in pan and tilt head, a carry bag is included in the price and the maximum weight capacity of 3.5kg is more than enough for any compact camera or SLR with 'kit' lens.

Given the fact the legs come in four sections, it's not surprising that the Manfrotto takes a few seconds longer to set up than some of its rivals, and once it's at full height, it does look a bit spindly. But there's not much wobble at full column extension and very little twist and flex in the tripod itself.

The centre column movement is a bit jerky, but it's so, so easy to operate - you just pull down a spring-loaded catch to move the column, then release it to lock it again.

While the pan and tilt head looks fairly small, its movements and rigidity are excellent. It has only one handle, which can lock the pan and tilt axes simultaneously.

There's even a quick-release plate, though this has to be screwed into the camera base using a coin to turn a slotted screw head, which is a bit of a fiddle.

Even if you don't choose the Manfrotto as your 'first' tripod, it would make a superb carry-anywhere backup for travelling.

It's not the most versatile tripod we've tested, but the Manfrotto 718B is well made, easy to understand and use and performs extremely well for its size, price and weight. It's an exceptional package.