I recently tested the K&F Concept Multi Angle Magnesium Alloy Swivel Center Column Camera Tripod, one that I have been looking forward to trying out for a while. I thank K&F again for this collaboration. If you are interested in getting the product for yourself after reading this:
Click HERE to go directly to K&F Concept's website
or
Click HERE to go to K&F Concept's Amazon page and get a 5% discount with promo code: KF888XXX88
Who are K&F Concept?
K&F Concept, a brand founded in 2012, has been committed to designing, innovating, and manufacturing photography accessories.In the pursuit of product excellence, K&F Concept has obtained more than 150 patents and various international product awards. K&F Concept has been a popular buy in 56 countries and regions and is involved in different markets in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Their official website is under upgrading, so you can browse www.kentfaith.com - the website of K&F Concept authorized shopping mall - for reference. Kentfaith is a comprehensive shopping mall of all kinds of video and audio products, which is popular with users all over the world. All K&F Concept products are available at Kent Faith
Packaging
The only bits of plastic within the packaging was the plastic bag around the tripod, the sandwich bag style packet for the manual and allen/hex keys, a little bag for the screws for the centre column, another sandwich bag for the centre column mount and then a bag for the centre column itself. I am not entirely sure that all the plastic bags are necessary considering it comes in the carrying bag, maybe for the screws and centre column perhaps? The tripod comes in a sleek black box and stylish carrying bag.
What's in the box?
In the box, you will find a smart, compact and well built carrying bag which will protect your tripod well and is pretty convenient and comfortable to carry on short hikes. This bag is slightly bigger than the previous tripods I reviewed due to its' height and it wouldn't fit in the tripod carrier section of my camera bag but then again, is the carrier bag necessary when you have a tripod holder on the side of your camera bag?
If you prefer to carry the tripod in its carry bag, it does have a comfortable shoulder strap within the bag that is easily installed.
The Tripod
Upon opening the box, as always, I was immediately impressed with the build quality. The tripod is quite light (4lbs/1.83kg) due to being built from a high quality military magnesium-aluminium alloy. This material is not as light as carbon fibre but it still manages to keep to the weight down by having a hollowed out design for the pipping.
At its' smallest working height, the tripod has a height of 23.2"/59cm and at its' tallest, the tripod is 91"/231cm which is more than 30 centimetres taller than I am. The amount of customisation in terms of angles in height is really fantastic especially when you add the centre column to the mix. Having the option of top down shooting is a massive bonus when it comes to product photography. Like with most tripods, there are many moving parts so when you initially begin using the tripod it takes a little bit of getting used to but with a bit of practice, you'll be able to hit the ground running quickly in no time.
I didn't find this tripod particularly heavy considering it's height. I'm sure it will not be a burden whilst hiking with it. I particularly like the retractable foot nail but I will go into more detail about this later.
The Swivel Centre Column
The feature I was most interested in testing out was the swivel centre column. Being a product photographer, this option is a real game changer which allows you to achieve top down shooting for a unique perspective. Like the rest of the tripod, it is also made of a high quality magnesium alloy which ensures great durability. The installation of the device is really easy and you'll be shooting within minutes. First you screw off the ball head of the tripod, screw on the centre column of the swivel arm, slide in the arm, screw on the ball head to the swivel arm and hey presto, you're done.
You have to remember to counter balance the weight of the camera with the arm of the column (so don't extend the arm fully to one side) as the weight of the camera could cause the tripod to topple thus resulting in damage to your camera, lens or whatever you are trying to photograph. With the balancing hook on the other side, you could use your camera bag as a counterweight to help offset the weight. The arm comes with a fluid head to help achieve a straight horizon. The column also comes with a long groove down it to help lock in your adjustments.
The swivel arm is also great if you want to get really big panorama shots, it's quite easy to make small accurate adjustments to achieve your desired shot.
Monopod
As with many of K&F Concept's tripods, one of the tripod's legs is detachable and can be used as a monopod if you so desire. You are essentially getting two tripods for the price of one. I am not sure if this particular monopod can be used as an alpenstock (hiking stick) like other tripods that they produce, as it isn't mentioned within the literature.
The benefit of an monopod is that it can be useful for getting a steady shot when you are on the go and don't have the time to set up a tripod. Monopod's are a great option for sports photographers as well. For me this feature is particularly useful for low light settings as my Canon 80D is quite heavy and hard to get sharp shots.
I found configuring the monopod back to a tripod very easy. The central axis was easy to disconnect and reinsert. This is really great as using a monopod in the past for me has been a frustrating experience as I spent more time trying to put the tripod back together than actually taking my photographs. I found this particular monopod great as it has the added height which other tripods I have tried didn't.
Flip-locks System
Each leg of the tripod comes fitted with a flip-lock system which is great for locking in your desired height or angle. As with all K&F Concept tripods, this system is extremely strong and secure. No leg slippage at all. For a quicker set up, you can open all three flip-locks at the same time to release all the levels of the legs. It's interesting that each tripod that I have used has a slight variation on the flip-lock system. I'm not sure why but I can't fault it as they are all sturdy and robust.
1/4" Screw Head
The 1/4" screw head is the standard one that comes with K&F Concept's tripods. As always, it's easy to attach and balancing your camera for a straight shot is achieved easily using the fluid head. As mentioned before, the swivel arm also with the same fluid head.
25mm Ball head
The ball head is the standard one that comes with most K&F tripods which is made of durable metal built to withstand whatever you need it to do. With 360 degrees of movement, the compositions are endless whether it be panoramas, horizontal or vertical shooting.
The ball head is great and does exactly what it is says on the tin.
Loading Capacity
The tripod has a loading capacity of up to 22lbs/10kg's which is a very impressive in capacity. I unfortunately don't have the camera gear to fully test this feature so I will take K&F's word for it.
Angle Adjustment Buttons and retractable foot nails
The tripod legs can be adjusted and locked to three different levels which helps with stabilisation on varying ground and inclines. I found the set up time pretty quick and balancing the tripod with the fluid head easy. The buttons as I have said before in previous reviews, felt really sturdy and I didn't feel it would break on me.
What caught my attention this time were the retractable foot nails. These nails really help to stop any slippage on the ground. This is a welcome addition to any tripod. I also liked that they were retractable so if the extra grip wasn't needed or if they would cause damage to the floor, they could be hidden away.
Macro Shooting
The tripod, like other K&F Concept tripods can be inverted due to its' central axis to achieve low angle shooting and macro shooting. I find this feature is particularly useful for my product photography. Again, set up for this was easy. I have mentioned in previous reviews that you need a flip screen on your camera as you need to install the camera upside down on the 1/4 head but with the swivel arm, you are able to rotate your camera the right way round. This really is a welcome addition. However the long arm of the swivel column can get in the way when you try to rotate the camera in inverted mode.
Backpack Storage
If carrying the tripod in its carrying bag is not for you and your camera bag has a pouch or straps on the side, the tripod fits well in most camera bags (I presume). The camera may not be the lightest one that K&F Concept make, but it still is relatively light for those long hikes. I didn't feel like any part of the tripod would fall off and be lost whilst hiking. The extra height could be a bit annoying when hiking as the tripod could tower over your camera if the bag is small. I didn't find that the case for myself.
Conclusion
K&F Concept continue to impress with me with their wide range of high quality and affordable tripods. The S210V2 is not an exception. Strong build quality, endless composition adjustments and lightweight make this a great everyday tripod. Maybe you don't need the extra height but I think it's great to have the option. Variety is the spice of life.
The links again:
Click HERE to go directly to K&F Concept's website
or
Click HERE to go to K&F Concept's Amazon page and get a 5% discount with promo code: KF888XXX88