Velbon Ultra Maxi SF Tripod with Ball and Socket Head | 
| Brand: Velbon
List Price: $159.95
Buy New: $115.79
You Save: $44.16 (28%)
Rating:  10 reviews
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5
Dimensions (in): 13.3 x 3.5 x 3.5
MPN: ULTRA-MAXISF
Model: ULTRA-MAXISF
UPC: 017915911017
EAN: 0017915911017
ASIN: B00020H3H6
Release Date: April 23, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Compact, lightweight travel tripod suitable for modestly sized digital and film cameras | | • | Twist-lock leg system requires simple twist and pull to adjust leg height | | • | 2-section center column and multi-angle legs for low-angle photography (6.2 inches) | | • | Sturdy die-cast aluminum alloy ball-head system with suggested 6.6-pound load capacity | | • | Includes carrying case; measures 12.87 inches when folded, weighs 1.65 pounds |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Whether you need a tripod for a digital, 35mm, medium or large format camera, video camera, binoculars or scopes, Velbon has a model with the quality, craftsmanship and exact features to meet your needs. Ultra MAXi series are new Twist & Lock leg systems designed for fast and easy set-up, with the benefit of other MAXi features.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Perfect Travel Tripod July 30, 2007
J. Beers (Washington, D.C.)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I'll admit I was skeptical of paying $120+ for such a tiny tripod, but my skepticism was unfounded. This tripod is great. I just returned from 10 days in Eastern Europe and the compact size and ultra-light weight of this tripod made it perfect for the killer stairs of the Prague Castle. The legs deploy and collapse with a simple twist and the unit feels very solid considering its light weight. I was shocked to see guys walking around with full-sized tripods, I can only imagine what a pain that was.
One recommendation: pick up the Velbon QRA-3 - Quick release adapter, as manually fastening the camera to the tripod for each use will get old quickly. I just ordered mine from B&H PhotoVideo (about $30 w/shipping). There are other quick-releases out there, but the velbon unit weighs just 2 oz and should compliment the tripod well.
Love this tripod! February 25, 2006
J. Stewart (Rochester, NY USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This tripod is light weight and still sturdy. It folds down very compact and easy to carry. The legs twist and lock for height adjustment. Great design to make the flat platform for low angle shots. This was simply a great buy!
What a great tripod! May 9, 2007
jlow (San Francisco, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I bought this tripod right before a 12 day trip to China. It was light and compact, but very sturdy and versatile. I took group pictures on the Great Wall (go to Mutianyu site outside Beijing-tram to get up to the wall, toboggan slide back to the tour bus-awesome!), night photos in Xian (Gold and Silver pagodas). Steady as a rock, quick to compact down, it held my Nikon dSLR and zoom lens without any fear of camera being too heavy. I've been looking for a ultracompact tripod for travelling and such and this is THE one!
light, easy to use, sturdy. May 13, 2007
Richard D. Fields (Los Osos, CA United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a quick, easy to use tripod that is well built and remarkable stable, ultra light tripod. It is the best for the wilderness traveler who requires light weight dependable equipment.
 Ball and socket is lacking, but size, wieght and sturdiness are second to none July 19, 2007
Samir Jain (Raleigh, NC)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I'm fairly new to the world of photography and I needed a tripod that was relatively inexpensive. My other primary concern was that it's light and folds up small. I was planning on taking this tripod with me hiking and travelling so it needed to easily fit into my backpack and shouldn't add too much weight. After reading some reviews of the more inexpensive brands, I decided to spring for it and spend the money on this Velbon.
Sturdiness:
Very sturdy, even with extension arm. Wind really wasn't a problem at all and never did I feel like it was going to collapse under the weight of my dSLR.
Portability:
This is where this tripod really shines. Folded up, it's a little over 1 foot long. It fits across the bottom of my backpack with ease, takes up no space at all. It's also very light, I really don't notice a difference on my back when it's in the bag and when it's out of the bag.
Height:
To be honest, I wish it unfolded just a few inches taller. It comes up to about my chest (neck if the extension arm is extended). That can make composing hard shots sort of a pain on the back, but for it's folded size, it's a concession I'm glad to make
Ease of use:
The ultra maxi both shines and falters here. The twist lock motion of the legs took a few days to get used to, but once I got the hang of it, it was incredibly easy to use. Just 4 clicks when twisting one way unlocks, 4 clicks the other way locks. VERY nice, VERY simple (once you get used to it). The real setback of this tripod is the included head. First, the lack of quick release is a REAL hindrance. I found myself not using it sometimes because I didn't feel like screwing/unscrewing my camera onto it. I'm also always afraid I'm going to drop the camera during this process. Once I did get it screwed on, the ball and socket were hard to adjust. In essense, you can only adjust one tilt plane at a time (first, you have to adjust the forward/backward tilt, rotate the ball socket, then adjust the left/right tilt. This was sincere pain.
So in conclusion, I'm very happy with this purchase. I'll probably be replacing the head with a quick release version that's also easier to adjust, but all in all, I'm glad I spent the money (it was a little out of my budget).
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