What goes behind the scenes when recording and producing content is a whole universe in itself. Today let’s have a look at a very exciting product that is a must have in any content creator’s inventory – the tripod. Not only any tripod, but an aluminium one from K&F Concept, with a remarkable versatility due to its ball head and transverse bar design.
This is the SA254T1 that can offer up to 94.1″ in height (239cm) and can even be used as a monopod which can go all the way to 98.4″ (250cm).
Their logo is “For better Photography” and was founded in 2011, aiming to be a one-stop refined photographic solution provider. They specialize in design, research, manufacturing, and marketing of photographic accessories. They are committed to creating professional and innovative products backed by friendly, responsive service to delight their distinguished customers around the world.
Prices and Availability
It can be had from their website or Amazon and K&F has kindly provided even 10% promo codes for the readers.
1) Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SL1G5s
Coupon code: KFCUK001 (10% discount, valid until 20/06/2021）
2) Website: https://bit.ly/3gnLiln
Coupon code: KF10UK (10% discount, valid until 31/12/2021）
*07.06.2021 – Don’t forget to check out the video review as well!*
Presentation, Specification and Visual Inspection
Buckle up, grab a drink and get ready to scroll since this tripod is full of specs and features.
• 【Transverse Centre Column】- The column moves from 0 to 180 degrees, can be rotated 360°horizontally, to realize panorama shooting.
• 【Strong Stability】- 25mm large diameter aluminium alloy tube, the load capacity can reach 22.04lbs (10kg), provide security and stability support for your DSLR camera.
• 【Detachable Monopod】- It can be turned into a lightweight monopod or walking stick alone to make your photography more diverse.
• 【360° PANORAMA】- The 28mm large KF-28 metal ball head provide 10kg load capacity, it can be rotated 360 degrees, helping to expand DSLR camera activity range when panoramic shooting.
• 【Easy Set Up】 4 sections tube leg and the max diameter is 25mm; Spiral type locking knob allows you to adjust the working height in seconds; The height without column reaches 67.7″ and the height with 2 sections centre column is 93.8″, making standing shooting easier.
It comes shipped in this all black background box with minimal yet elegant branding in orange accents.
Inside, you even get a great carrying case with a shoulder strap which will protect the tripod anytime you transport it.
Also you get a quick user’s guide and an Allen wrench which you will need if you want to adjust the tension in the bolts that pivot the legs.
So here it is, the aluminium SA254T1 tripod. As you can see when folded it has a very compact and minimal footprint. In this form it’s no longer than 57cm (22.4″).
At a quick glance, the construction quality is excellent and everything feels rock solid.
The silver piece is a metal hook so you can attach your bag for extra stability for the tripod if the situation requires it.
Flip the three legs onto their 3rd position and we get its standard resting position, at 69cm (27.2″).
The legs have three positions to select from and make a very healthy click when going through the stages (check the video review so you can hear them) because the clamps are spring loaded. Also here is where you can adjust the tension with that Allen wrench but as per my sample, I didn’t feel the need to intervene. Goes without saying that you will have a wide range of configurations thanks to these adjustable positions.
On the other end, the legs have these excellent angled anti-slip rubber pads.
They have three height adjustments extensions via these thumb-locks. What I love about this style of locks is the quick access nature meaning you can grab all three locks in this position with your palm and twist them at the same time and, boom!, you can fully deploy the tripod.
When fully deployed, we get these incredible numbers.
The last excellent feature of versatility regarding the legs, is that one of them (the one with the foam) can be used as a monopod! Just unscrew it and done. This will extend all the way to 250cm (98.4″).
Now let’s explore the top complex looking head assembly because it includes the ball joint for the crossbeam as well.
The big locking ring is to unlock the main shaft.
With this knob you can lock or let the main assembly swivel.
The big knob on the same assembly is to release the secondary inner shaft which later becomes our transverse option.
Thanks to the ball design, when the secondary shaft reaches all the way to the top, you can now pivot it 90 degrees and obtain the transverse configuration. This is such a highly useful scenario because it will let you do excellent top-down shots. Also notice the ‘Stop’ sign on the bar so you know not to overextended it.
Now you can get even more creative and set it up into the let’s say macro mode, and place your camera as low to the ground as possible. This is such an awesome tripod !
To achieve the above for the minimum ground clearance you just need to flip the main ball-head assembly on the other end thanks to the modular design.
Moving into the last assembly, the universal 28mm (1.1″) ball head module.
The first knob is to lock the swivel into place.
Love the full 360° marking (increments of 5°) so you can take your fine adjustments to the next level.
Then the big lock is for the ball head. The oversized 28mm ball will offer support up to 10kg! (22lbs).
Finally here is the baseplate with the quick release plate which isn’t compatible to other tripods. Alas, it’s all metal with a very strong screw. You can even offset the base plate in either direction on the ball-head.
Love the attention to details like the rubber pads that are cut into the ‘k’ and ‘f’ letters. The baseplate even has a spirit level and +/- 10mm markings.
Testing and Feedback
Everything works perfectly and the tripod gives such a solid and quality feel every time you handle it. More importantly it gives you that confidence to install your expensive and heavy gear. My Nikon D7000 is a pig of a camera and as you can see I put it in as many angles as possible and it was always fully secured.
All the knobs are easy to reach and interact with and both swivel mechanisms are very smooth, fluid and precise. This is very important since my DSLR for example, can’t autofocus while recording videos so a butter smooth platform is a must to solve this issue.
Outdoor usage and even on a windy day (like I had) with uneven terrain can be tackled now with confidence given the amplitude of configurations you can set up this K&F Concept SA254T1 tripod.
Conclusion
This tripod is the perfect example of a balanced philosophy between versatility, quality and functionality for the price. The build quality is there, the smoothness for the swivels is spot on and basically this is a great tool to get the job done. Love the built-in monopod option, again this will save you an extra item to carry along with you. Then we have a nice bonus in form of the carrying bag and if the sheer options of how you can configure this thing, don’t convince you, I don’t know what will. This is, plain and simple, an awesome piece of gear which is excellent even for beginners or those who what this level of versatility and peace of mind.
The good:
+ Excellent build quality
+ Highly versatile
+ Built-in monopod
+ Very tall configurations
+ Can handle up to 10kg of camera gear
+ Clever design for the transverse secondary bar
+ Fluid and smooth swivels
+ Spirit level
+ Easy to use and interact
+ Compact footprint when folded back
+ Comes with a carrying case
The bad:
– Proprietary contact plate
Glob3trotters “Editor’s Choice” Award – 5 out of 5
Many thanks to K&F Concept for supplying us with this epic piece of gear!
