Review Details

FEISOL Tournament Tripod CT-3442 Rapid

Product Review (submitted on December 12, 2015):

So I finally went out and bought myself a lighter carbon fiber tripod. Being a student and working part-time, money is at a premium, and hence I couldn't afford the higher priced CF tripods.

So after doing my "internet research" for close to four months, I finally settled for the Feisol CT-3442 Tournament class tripod, which comes very close to the Gitzo GT1540, but is lighter than it.

Along with the tripod, I bought the center column kit, and I decided to not buy a ballhead, but use my existing Manfrotto 486RC2 from the older bomb-proof Manfrotto 055CL tripod that I had.

First of all, I must say the guys at the US distributor (yes, they now have a North American distributor), are very helpful, and will make it a point to return replies to almost every stupid question you could come up with.

I received my tripod last week, and I am shocked to find out that it is so LIGHT!!! Feels like a feather in my hand compared to the 055CL. The build quality is really impeccable, the finish really sweet.

I tried it out on the weekend, and I am really happy I bought this tripod. The tripod folds in very nicely over my center column and the ballhead still inside it, so that is a big plus - I don't have to dismantle it everytime.

I would strongly reccommend this tripod to anybody who wants a lightweight but strong and affordable CF tripod, to hold a 5D with a 24-105 on it (and possibly 70-300mm).

I don't buy the logic that it's a "cheap ripoff", and one should only stick to Gitzos and the like - because by that logic, we should all only buy Mercedes-Benz and not other "cheap ripoffs", because MB invented the internal combustion four wheel passenger car as we know today.

Cheers! Here's a photo with the camera planted on the Feisol:

www.naturephoto-graphers.net

Ashutosh Rajekar