Adorama recently announced its new line of in-house tripods, which they are calling the 3Pod by Flashpoint tripod series, and today I had a chance to try out the 3Pod P4CFH 8X Carbon Fiber 4 Section FlatFold Tripod with the 3Pod H2 BallHead. I have to say I’m really impressed with what they’ve come up with. See below for my 3Pod tripod review and find out if this is the right piece of gear for you.
The 3Pod P4CFH retails for about $225 right now on Adorama.com and the 3Pod H2 BallHead retails for about $70 on Adorama.com.
The 3Pod by Flashpoint tripod series offers products for pros or beginners, video or photo shooters, and studio or traveling folks. I like this specific piece of kit, the 3Pod P4CFH tripod, for a few reasons: it folds flat, it is very light, and it can become a monopod as well.
It was hard for me at first to understand what they meant by “folds flat,” but imagine this: the three legs of the tripod, when folded down and collapsed, lay side by side in a line instead of in a triangular cluster like most tripods. This makes packing for travel much easier with the 3Pod P4CFH tripod.
The 3Pod P4CFH tripod goes down to 13″ and extends to an impressive 65.5″.
It comes in a slick little case. How about that?
This is what comes inside. How often does your ballhead come in a velvet case?? Velvet.
A close up of the 3Pod H2 BallHead. Its movements are smooth and feels solidly built.
The 3Pod P4CFH tripod is extremely flat and small when fully collapsed. Here it is next to a banana for scale. It’s a big banana too, FYI.
The center leg of the 3Pod P4CFH tripod detaches to become a monopod. Very handy for traveling in case you want to save space.
The 3Pod P4CFH comes with a two-section extending center column, which is removable. This is one part of the design that didn’t blow me away. I generally like tripods with center columns that collapse in the tripod, below the mounting plate, but that would not be possible given the “flat folding” design of the 3Pod P4CFH tripod.
The quick release adjustments on the tripod legs are easy to use and they feel reliable.
The carbon fiber construction makes the tripod light, but sturdy. You can also see here how the 3Pod P4CFH tripod folds flat.
Thanks for reading this 3Pod P4CFH tripod review and I hope it was helpful.
Tripods such as the one you reviewed here are great. But man these are expensive. I am really expensive for most of the photographers. Very few pros might consider the pricier ones. Rest of them want to invest more in camera or the glass and seek for a cheaper alternative. and Very rarely you see products that offer more than you pay for them. Ravelli 65″ Ball Head Camera Photo Tripod, the APGL5 is one such product. I really love the way this tripod is put together and I love the price even more. This thing is mostly metal and that justifies its durability and strong build. You can find more about it at http://pixelarge.com/ravelli-apgl5-cheap-65-ball-head-camera-photo-tripod/
Also i look forward to see reviews for more “value for money products”… 🙂