KetDirect Portable Lightweight Travel Tripod
KetDirect Aluminium Compact Portable Lightweight Professional Camera Tripod
The Pro’s
Lightweight Aluminium construction
Secure screw tension tightening of legs
Legs can be adjusted out wide for low angle photography
Detachable rubber feet with spares
Lightweight for a mid-sized tripod
Convenient carrying case
Outstanding ball head
Easy angle measurements for easy panoramic photo stitching
Ball head holds camera steady even at odd angles
Camera plate goes on either way, making for fast and easy placement
Vice like operation around camera plate for secure camera placement
Column hook on bottom for extra security of your gear and stability
Attractive looking blue color
No hassle warranty
Similar to the MeFOTO A1350Q1T at half the price!
Universal Mounting Plate are cheap and easy to find.
The Cons
Monopod option requires disassembly of tripod
Level on the head is small and fairly useless
Flimsy above 5’8”
In the accompanying video I do an unboxing and explanation of the features of the tripod. It was better than I expected and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ball head. This is a good mid-sized tripod which offers a lot of versatility in shooting angles. The ballhead makes panoramic photo stitching a breeze by offering a large, easy to read scale.
Though I have been a professional photographer for 20 years and do own other ball heads this ball head is by far the best one I’ve ever owned. A decent ball head will cost at least $60 for an off-brand. I also showed how you can replace the head with other heads, thus not making this tripod obsolete when you want to use other types of heads in the future.
Though I was able to set up the monopod without much difficulty it is unrealistic to think that you would want to do this out in the field. Monopods aren’t horribly expensive and I suggested you buy one if you have more than an occasional need for it.
The thing that gets difficult to gage when trying to evaluate tripods online is really how usable they are. There is a certain height where a tripod becomes flimsy. When you touch the camera you can feel it flex. You do have to keep in mind that your expensive photo gear will be sitting on top of this tripod and one accent can be extremely expensive. The Ketdirect tripod is really ideal for people who don’t plan to get it beyond 5’8” in height, though it can go up to six feet five inches. I also wouldn’t use it for anything more than five pounds of weight on the tripod though the ad claims to hold up to 40 lbs.
This tripod is a good choice for an aspiring amateur or a beginning professional. I’ve used mainly larger tripods and do own a very small one for low to the ground photography. As i mentioned in the video if I am going places on my own for personal shooting I don’t want to take along large gear. I’ve made those mistakes before with big tripods and big bags. It slowed me down and made traveling with me not a fun experience. When I traveled England I brought one small bag, three lenses and one body. This tripod would have been a perfect addition.
This is a good first tripod, much better than what you can find at the mass retailers for under $30.
