The camera world has become saturated with third-party gear in the past few years, and there’s no exception with tripods. Compared to more traditional big-name brands, some of these third-party tripods are fairly inexpensive – including carbon fiber models. But how do they perform? Today, I’ll review one of them in the hopes of answering that question: the K&F Concept 60″ C225C0 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod.
Table of Contents
Introduction and Features
The K&F 60″ Travel Tripod is a lean travel tripod that weighs just 1.01kg and reaches a maximum height of 1.5m (60″). It also folds down very small – see the comparison below with the popular Peak Design travel tripod.
Therefore, it’s not designed to be a complete tripod solution but rather a lightweight compromise when you have to pack light.
The legs on the K&F Concept 60″ C225C0 have twist locks, although I prefer flip locks. The angle of the legs can be adjusted and locked with a push-pull button system that works fairly well. One of the legs has a foam sleeve that makes it easy to carry the tripod around in colder weather – nice touch. As is typical with travel tripods, there are five leg sections.
The center column is a tube that locks (also with a twist lock) and has an additional section, which means that a significant part of the height of this tripod comes from the extending center column. Without the center column, the tripod’s maximum height is just 1.2 meters (47 inches).
One of the legs detaches to form a monopod. You can put the ballhead on it directly, and it forms a monopod that extends just below my chest. Apparently, some people have had luck attaching the center column to it as well to form a larger monopod, but I couldn’t get it to work. That said, I did find another feature of the center column to work well – flipping it upside down on the tripod for low-angle shooting.
Finally, I like the orange and black design. Not everyone will care about that, but it looks cool.
The Ballhead
Despite the low price of $100, the tripod comes with a ballhead. Since photographers interact with their ballhead constantly, it’s often suggested to buy your tripod and head separately in order to get the optimum version of both. I mostly agree.
That said, the ballhead that comes with the K&F 60″ isn’t bad. It has a smooth panoramic locking base with angle measurements, and a single level that should make panoramas easy. It has an Arca-Swiss plate system that is mostly Arca-Swiss compatible – although I found that the plate did not fit into the Arca-Swiss receptacle of my Peak Design Travel Tripod, even though other Arca-Swiss plates do.
Of course, it’s easy to take the ballhead off and replace it with any other head you like. I attached my Oben BE-177T without problems.
Strengths
The K&F Travel Tripod’s main strength is its light weight. You really can carry it anywhere with you. Thus, if you’re not a heavy tripod user, but you occasionally find yourself needing a tripod, the K&F 60″ is a good solution.
It’s also really small. The legs fold backwards over the center column, and once completely folded, it comes to a mere 35cm (13.8″). I appreciated its tiny size when carrying a bunch of other gear in the field.
I also found this tripod surprisingly sturdy for the price and size. Its tiny nature naturally gives it some flex when fully extended, but it is fairly solid if kept close to the ground. I found that extending just the thickest leg sections was no problem even in windy conditions.
The ballhead feels decently sturdy as well, and the ball locks when tightened sufficiently. Not as much as a high-end ballhead, mind you, but enough that there wasn’t excessive drooping with a medium-weight camera. The head comes with a nice carrying bag with a small pocket that can be used to store the included tightening tool.
Weaknesses
As some might guess, a $100 tripod is going to have a few compromises. What are they?
My main thoughts go to the center column. It’s circular and locks in place with a twist lock similar to the leg locks. Not the greatest idea, because the lock is so close to the legs that it’s very hard to get a grip on the lock and tighten it past a certain point.
Moreover, if I applied a mildly strong force, I could still spin the column even when “locked”. I never had a problem with it in the field, but it might give you pause to hang your camera upside down on it for low-angle shooting. And it does speak to general stability issues in adverse conditions.
I would also say that, although the build quality of this tripod is good, a more expensive tripod like my Peak Design Travel Tripod is noticeably more sturdy, especially when it comes to the center column and overall leg flex. I think that’s just a compromise one has to decide on. After all, the K&F 60″ costs six times less.
Also, the feet of the K&F 60″ are made of a harder plastic, rather than softer rubber with grip. I didn’t find outdoor use to be a problem, but they do slide a little on polished floors.
Who is it For?
I really see the K&F Concept 60″ Travel Tripod for lightweight and occasional use. It excels at being moved quickly from place to place while not taking up too much space. Stability at full height is not the strength of this tripod, but that doesn’t mean it is a bad choice for all situations.
For example, I could definitely see myself using this tripod to record outdoor video on longer hikes with my Panasonic G9. A slightly less stable tripod doesn’t concern me for videography, whereas it might for still photography. You could also consider keeping a tripod like this in your car to use in a pinch, or carry on a hike where you’re trying to save as much weight as possible.
That said, you have to consider the weight of your gear. This tripod has a stated load capacity of 8kg. And although it is strong enough to support a decent amount of weight to be sure, its tiny size and smaller legs makes me think it would be most suitable for loads around 1kg (2.2lbs) or less.
And, like all shorter travel tripods, working with the K&F Travel Tripod will be a bit less comfortable because it’s maximum height is 152cm (60″). That’s just the tradeoff for using such a small tripod, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re tall.
Conclusion
The K&F Concept 60″ Travel Tripod is a decent, lightweight tripod suited for those who occasionally need a tripod on their travels with lighter cameras, and who don’t want to lug around a bigger tripod. It is sturdy as long as conditions don’t become too harsh, and is a good option for the price.
If you’re interested in this tripod, you can support Photography Life by buying it on Amazon:
For those who prefer B&H photo, you can get a slightly older (but essentially the same) model there.
Auto Draft
- Features
- Build Quality
- Stability
- Size and Weight
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
the K&F costs 6 times less….chew on that one for a minute.
Yep, it does as I also mentioned, and that’s why it can still be a solution for certain cases! Budget tripods sometimes have a bad reputation, and they aren’t exactly fit for dunking in a stream against the rocks, but they can be perfectly fine for many in more controlled situations!
K&F Tripods all feel quite cheap. For occasional use with a cheaper camera/lens I wouldn’t mind using it, but putting expensive stuff on top of it is almost asking for catastrophe.
That use case is basically my recommendation: lighter cameras for stuff like indoor video, and maybe as a portable light stand too for a flash. There is really no getting around that if you need a very sturdy tripod and a tripod is a key piece of gear for your photography, you’ll have to pay a much larger price.
What is your take on table top tripods like Sirui AM-223? Are they useful while travelling especially when you cannot carry a full size tripod?
Where and when they can be more useful than handheld photography?
Depends on what you want to use it for. They can be very useful for video, a few shots of yourself for a memory, some long exposure in stable conditions in a pinch, and indoor uses, all providing that you can work at lower heights.
If you rely on a tripod for your style of photography though, such as if your objective is landscapes and you want results again and again without a fuss, then a table-top tripod like the Sirui would not be a good choice. A table-top tripod for repeated use in a variety of outdoor conditions is like taking a 300mm lens for bird photography, instead of a 500mm – not a good idea if a tripod is an integral part of your process.