Oben

Oben CT-2410 Tripod Review

Mar

2013

March 27, 2013

This is a review of the Oben CT 2410 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with BA-1 Ball Head. As photographers, a sharp photo usually means a steady camera. Regardless of what you photograph, I think every photographer will eventually need a tripod at some point. Personally, I don’t use a tripod for any of my portrait work, but I have found them to be useful when shooting wedding details inside of a dark reception hall. Additionally, I tend to use a tripod if I’m photographing any products or even occasionally when I’m shooting personal work around the city or in the mountains. Since I don’t use a tripod that often, I prefer a smaller, lighter tripod that’s easy to take with me and doesn’t take up much room. Sometimes the trade off for a small and light tripod is a lack of stability or durability. Would this tripod be able to deliver on both size and performance?

If you need help deciding how to purchase a tripod, consider reading How to Choose and Buy a Tripod.

1) Product Specifications

- 16.75 lb Load Capacity
- 63.9″ Maximum Height
- Extremely Lightweight at 3.2 lb
- Non-Rotating Twist-Lock Legs
- 6x Carbon Fiber Legs and Center Column
- Single-Lever Ball Head
- Dual Lock Mechanism for Quick Release
- Retractable Spikes in Feet

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Ballhead, Gear Reviews, Oben, Product Reviews, Tripod, Tripod Head

Oben CT-2320 Tripod Review

Oct

2012

October 31, 2012

By Tom Redd 18 Comments

While tripods aren’t glamorous, are a hassle to carry and despite gains in vibration reduction/image stabilization, it is still almost essential to have one in every photographer’s tool bag. When looking to photograph landscapes or wildlife, many times the difference between a nice photo and a great photo can be whether a tripod was used or not. Long exposures and long lenses both benefit from camera stability. So if you haven’t got a tripod and you are looking to improve some of your photos I would suggest you consider adding one. A quick search for a tripod will reveal to you that there’s a wide range of styles and materials with equally wide ranging pricing. So if you are new to this and somewhat confused on what to buy, check out Nasim’s article, How to Choose and Buy a Tripod. With that said, here is a review of a good, affordable carbon fiber tripod and ball head, the Oben CT-2320 with BB-2 ball head kit which has been kindly provided by B&H Photo.

Oben CT-2320 3-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod-with BB2 Ball Head Kit

1) Product Specifications

1.1) CT-2320 Tripod:
Load Capacity: 26.4 lb (12Kg)
Maximum Height: 67.2” (170.1 cm)
Maximum Height w/o Column Extended: 57.7” (144.7 cm)
Minimum Height: 12.6” (30.4 cm)
Folded Length: 25.2” (63.5 cm)
Weight: 2.95 lb (1.330 kg)
Material: 6x carbon fiber
Head Attachment Fitting: ¼”–20 & 3/8”–16 (reversible screw)
Leg Stages/Sections: 2/3
Leg Lock Type: Twist lock
Independent Leg Spread: Yes
Spiked/Retractable Feet: Yes/Yes
Center Brace: No
Center Column Type: Rapid
Center Column Sections: 1
Bubble Level: Yes

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Gear Reviews, Gitzo, Oben, Tripod, Tripod Head

Oben CTM-2500 Carbon Fiber Monopod Review

Oct

2012

October 18, 2012

By Tom Redd 10 Comments

For low light shooting or when using a large lens, a tripod is generally your best bet but wildlife and sports photographers often will opt for a monopod when a tripod is not convenient or when they need a break from hefting a heavy rig. In this review, we will take a look at the Oben CTM-2500, a 5-section lightweight carbon fiber monopod as well as a tilt head, the Oben VH-R2. Both items have been kindly provided by B&H.

1) Product Specifications:

Monopod:
Maximum Length 65” (165.1cm)
Closed Length 17.3” (43.9cm)
Load Capacity 26 lb (11.8 kg)
Material 6x Carbon Fiber
Leg Sections 5
Leg Lock type Twist lock
Male Thread Size ¼”-20 and 3/8” -18
Weight 1.05 lb (470 g)
Head:
Head Type: Tilt (180 degrees)
Load Capacity 11 lb (5kg)
Quick Release Type Yes, RP-20 QR plate (included)
Male Thread Size 1//4” or 3/8” (with included bushing)
Height 2.6” (67mm)
Weight 10.2 oz (290 g)

2) Handling

2.1) Monopod

The first thing that you notice about this monopod, is its size, at barely over 17 inches in length (collapsed) and one pound in weight, it is small and light. It will easily fit in luggage, a backpack or even on a belt with the included belt clip. Despite being lightweight, it will support a professional body and lens up to 26 lbs. when attached directly to the monopod. However, if the VR-H2 head is used, the weight limit drops to 11 lbs.

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Monopod, Oben, Product Reviews

Oben CTM-2400 Carbon Fiber Monopod Review

Sep

2012

September 22, 2012

By John Bosley Leave a Comment

This is a review of the Oben CTM-2400 4-Section Carbon Fiber Monopod. I have often thought a monopod would be useful to have in low-light situations such as wedding receptions. There are times when there’s almost enough light to get the shot, but my shutter speed is low enough that I’m worried about motion blur. A tripod can be cumbersome, especially at a wedding reception, so a monopod seems like the ideal compromise between having a stable camera and not taking up a lot of floor space with a tripod.

1) Product Specifications

Maximum Height – 59.2″ (149.8 cm)
Folded Length – 18.3″ (45.7 cm)
Load Capacity – 22 lb (10 kg)
Leg Sections – 4
Leg Lock Type – Twist lock
Male Thread Size – 1/4″-20 & 3/8″-16
Operating Temperature – -22 to 140°F (-30 to 60°C)
Weight – 0.85 lb (0.38 kg)

Other Features
Supports Up to 11 lb
Collapses to 20.9″
6x Carbon Fiber Construction
Retractable Spike in Foot
Twist Locks & Anti-Rotation Shaft
Wrist Strap with Belt Clip
Lightweight – Just over 1 lb
RP-20 Quick-Release Plate Included

2) Packaging and Field Use

The Oben 4-Section Monopod comes packaged separately from the VH-R2 head. Both are packaged very well in attractive retail packaging. Included with the monopod are a carrying bag and an allen wrench. The head includes a quick release plate.

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Gear Reviews, Monopod, Oben, Product Reviews, Video

Oben CC-2320L Tripod Review

Sep

2012

September 9, 2012

By John Bosley 6 Comments

This is a review of the Oben CC-2320L 3-Section Carbon Fiber Lateral Tripod with BB-2 Ball Head. As photographers, a sharp photo usually means a steady camera. Regardless of what you photograph, I think every photographer will eventually need a tripod at some point. Personally, I don’t use a tripod for any of my portrait work, but I have found them to be useful when shooting wedding details inside of a dark reception hall. Additionally, I tend to use a tripod if I’m photographing any products or even occasionally when I’m shooting personal work around the city or in the mountains. If you need help deciding how to purchase a tripod, consider reading How to Choose and Buy a Tripod.

1) Product Specifications

Oben CC-2320L Tripod
General
Load Capacity – 26.4 lb (12 kg)
Maximum Height – 68.3″ (173.5 cm)
Maximum Height w/o Column Extended – 55.7″ (141.5 cm)
Minimum Height – 10″ (25.4 cm) [legs at widest position, column at 90° position]
Folded Length – 25.4″ (64.5 cm)
Weight – 3.85 lb (1.74 kg)

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Filed Under: Accessories Tagged With: Ballhead, Gear Reviews, Oben, Product Reviews, Tripod, Tripod Head

Oben AC-1410 Tripod Review

Feb

2012

February 1, 2012

By Nasim Mansurov 14 Comments

This is a quick review of the Oben AC-1410 4-Section Aluminum Tripod with BA-0 Ball Head. While simultaneously testing a number of digital cameras from Sony, Nikon and Olympus, I realized that I need another tripod that is light, easy to use / setup and affordable. I already have a heavy duty Gitzo Systematic tripod with an Arca-Swiss ballhead that I use for my photography needs, but I found it too painful to remove the quick release plate every time I needed to mount a camera. In addition, there were situations when I wanted to use two tripods simultaneously.