When it comes to tripods and support systems I have seen the best and the worst over the years! In my opinion Leofoto certainly takes the cake!
I’ve always maintained that I will not sell you something I wouldn’t be prepared to use myself…
The Leofoto brand already has a proven track record amongst the photographic fraternity having only been Founded in 2014, Leofoto is a young Chinese company headed by engineers with extensive experience in the field of tripod manufacturing. Capitalising on the latest trends in tripod design and affordable Chinese manufacturing, their products rub shoulders with the most reputable and longstanding western brands, while being priced at a fraction thereof. In terms of quality for price, their offerings will make premium cutting-edge tripods affordable to a new market segment in SA. It was by chance that earlier this year I discovered the use of this product in the PRS/SOAR markets and immediately saw potential for our local hunters and competition shooters. Not only from a price point but also the quality and ergonomics of the product until now users have had to settle for RRS (Really Right Stuff) and Gitzo brands you are paying more than double for!
Until now the PRS market has had to settle for clunky impractical options such as Manfrotto or Vanguard!
The models and components that have been earmarked for the PRS/PH market are as follows with our retail prices and links to our online store.
Leofoto Summit LM-404C Legs https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-summit-lm-404c-carbon-fiber-tripod/
Leofoto Summit LM-364C Legs https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-summit-lm-364c-carbon-fiber-tripod-2/
Leofoto Summit LM-363C Legs https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-summit-lm-363c-carbon-fiber-tripod-2/
Leofoto YB75SP Levelling Base https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-yb-75sp-leveling-base/ (shorter handle will allow for the tripod to be completely prone)
Leofoto GS-2 Rifle Mount https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-gs-2-universal-rifle-mount/ (This product is on par in terms of build quality when compared with the original Hog Saddle http://stores.hogsaddle.com/hog-saddle-mod-7/ and the RRS “Really Right Stuff” VYCE https://soar.reallyrightstuff.com/VYCE-Equipment-Support-Mount but lands here at a fraction of their $ price!)
Leofoto GS-1 Adapter Picatinny/NATO to Arca-Swiss Dovetail https://photoquip.co.za/product/leofoto-gs-1-adapter-picatinny-nato-to-arca-swiss-dovetail/ (If you have a rifle equipped with an Arca-Swiss rail there will be no need for this)
So you might be asking yourself what makes Leofoto unique for the PRS and PH Markets?
1) The In-Apex Levelling Base Sport Optics and Rifles – When shooting over a long distance, rifles don’t need nearly as much of a motion range as cameras, which allows SOAR users to use a levelling base with a clamp as a pseudo-head. The in-apex levelling bases allow a vertical movement of about 30 degrees up and down, with full 360 degree horizontal rotation. Simply connect your picatinny adapter or universal rifle clamp to the Arca-Swiss levelling base and you’re ready to head to the range or veld. The use of having a direct mounting point for rifles equipped with Arc-Swiss rails or the capability of fitting these rails is a massive game changer!
2) Premium Joint Assembly – The legs attach via stainless steel hinge shafts and brass bushings to a machined aluminium hinge chassis…premium materials you won’t see on many tripods on the market today.
3) Premium Japanese Carbon Fiber – Leofoto uses 10x layer cross-weave carbon fiber tubes made by Toray Inc ( one of the world’s top carbon fiber manufacturers) This ensures strength and rigidity, while ensuring class-leading weight specifications. The hinges feature self-returning angle-selectors, a small feature that speeds up operation. All Summit tripods offer leg angles of 23, 55 and 85 degrees. Allowing full range of motion from Prone, Sitting and Standing Positions
4) Uncomplicated Joints – All tripod ranges feature fat joints with prominent ribbing to provide great grip and torque for easy loosening and tightening of the joints. One of Leofoto’s proprietary features is a single-piece joint-shim (the shim helps legs to lock together more firmly and prevents the legs from being able to rotate within each other); those who have opened up a twist-joint tripod and seen parts fly will know the frustration of disassembling and reassembling those delicate internal components. All Leofoto tripods feature a one-piece shim, which makes maintenance and cleaning of the joints much easier.
5) Bevelled Aluminium Core Feet – A tripod foot is just a piece of rubber, right? Think again! Most manufacturer’s tripod feet are just a steel spike encased in rubber – this makes it heavy and allows a lot of flex/vibration in the malleable rubber. Leofoto’s engineers have gone to great lengths to make the ultimate tripod foot and the result is an internal aluminium frame that minimizes the amount of flexible rubber in the construction. While this is a tiny detail, it adds to the rigidity of the tripod. All Leofoto ranges’ feet feature a multi-angled bevel, which helps it to grip on uneven terrain. All Leofoto tripods also include a set of spiked feet for shooting on ice or slippery rocks.
What is the culmination of all these features? One of the world’s best tripod ranges at a fraction of the price of the competition. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, well here is the pudding. www.Thecentercolumn.com is the guru of tripods – they do a lot of controlled rigidity and other testing and combine it with a ton of other metrics like price, weight and included extras to give tripods an overall score. On the travel tripod rankings, the Leofoto Rangers hold 3 of the top 10 spots alongside Gitzo and RRS, but if you look at the price of the competition, your jaw will drop. The Leofoto options cost between 35-50% of the other tripods on the top 10 list systematical tripod range such as the SUMMIT score highly as well given its unique use in the PRS field!
Should you require any further information please contact me directly and we will be happy to arrange for a demonstration.
Damien
email: damien@photoquip.co.za