CT-3442 Tournament Rapid 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod

I don't normally write product reviews but I feel it's important to get the word out on this great product. Agree with all the positive reviews so far, so I won't repeat what others have said. I would like to add some information about my experience. After looking at specs online of several competing brands I came to the conclusion that these set of legs give the best combination of low weight, extended height, compactness when folded of any set of legs on the market. For the price, it under cuts several big name tripods that don't even have the specifications these do. I like the wide base plate of the tournament series and the stability it offers. In the six months or so I've owned my tripod I have visited three national parks and several other smaller trips. I bought the CB-50DC with it and I like how it the legs fold backwards to make it very compact. I also bought the short spikes and long spikes and have found that I only use the long spikes in really soft soil or sand. The included rubber covers for the feet work great on most surfaces and I like how tight they fit so they won't fall out when going in mud or other loose soils.I also purchased the adjustable center column, which I felt is a reasonable price. I use it for extra height and fast height adjust-ability when I shoot real estate and interiors. I generally don't use the center column when shooting landscapes.Only two negative things I have found:1) scratches. I don't really care, but the legs show scratches really easily. One trip to the sand on in Washington state and they were completely scratched up after getting some sand on the tripod and collapsing the legs. The scratches seem only cosmetic, but my buddy who has a RRS doesn't have any scratches. Otherwise, saltwater and sand do no bother this tripod.2) vibration in extreme conditions. In very high winds (25+ mph) I have had high frequency vibrations induced by the legs themselves when using the long spikes on hard surfaces. I was unable to make a shot in these conditions without shielding the tripod from the wind. I believe that with the rubber boots on the feet I may have had better luck damping the vibrations but I'm not convinced there would be no vibrations.I experienced similar vibrations in a fast moving stream in waist deep water. In this case I had to take special care to re-position the tripod and brace it between some rocks to prevent the vibration. My buddy with the RRS has thicker legs and did not have a problem. I would never buy the RRS since I like the fact mine are more compact and even lighter for the height these offer.I don't want to take anything away from the quality of the tripod, but this is the price you pay for a very lightweight 4 section tripod. The lower legs are comparatively thin and are prone to what I believe is vortex shedding induced vibration. Granted this is in what I consider very extreme conditions, so please consider that and the fact I still gave them a 5 star rating.I found it very interesting that the packaging that Feisol uses is really really good, very surprised by that.I am going to try to add some photos using this product.

This is what a tripod should be. Forget the center column. You don't want it. This tripod goes high enough without it (I am 6'2" shooting a full frame camera body) and center columns wiggle. Plus they get in the way when you need to be low to the ground. The twist locks work with a quarter turn. The legs fold over the head to make it incredibly compact, and it weighs next to nothing. You need a tripod to be tall when it needs to be tall, short when it needs to be short, as compact as you can make it, solid as a rock, and as light as possible. These legs win on all counts.And you should not fail to recognize the value of shorter legs and lighter weight. Shorter dimensions from folding the legs over changes the center of gravity which makes the thing more manageable. I can strap it to a pack and hike or walk and the weight doesn't fling around. I don't even notice it is there. A conventional tripod or ordinary length whips back and forth as you walk. The physics is against you. I have been banged in the arm, shoulder and head. This one straps on and is easily kept still because it is shorter and lighter with the weight closer to the middle when you flip the legs. I literally forget it is there even when it is strapped to one side of a pack and not in the middle.Smaller and lighter sound good, but they are actually much better than you think.

I really am glad i purchased this tripod. Not only is it super high quality but its also light and strong as well. The legs come out so smooth too. Just everything about it is quality. I dont know its a tripod not much else i can cay other then Im extremely happy.

As others stated, the legs are not sturdy and made of what seems of low quality carbon. This tripod is not made for anything remotely rugged or even casual trails. Leg broke off while holding expensive gear. But I wouldn't use it for a spotting scope either. The vibration on this thing is on par with mid high aluminumat a much lower price and more sturdy. Pay the extra money and get something better. Bought this as my secondary tripod and it rarely got used from the purchase date of April 2018. Hundred bucks a year for this pile. My other tripod as been used and ubused and is still great after around 16 years. Good luck.

I LOVE this tripod. Perfect height, weight and stability. With that said, I have use it extensively for a few months with no problem. Until I took it to Iceland. The legs started seizing up until they no longer would release. In desperation, I had to force them apart to even use it, which is turn broke the legs from operating correctly, but could at least be tightened. 2 of the 3 legs did this, and I barely made it through the trip. Weather was 40-50 degrees. NOT cold. I am worried about the durability of these tripods, as this tripod was treated well and completely fell apart.I’ll update this review after talking to customer service.Edit: talked to customer support. They repaired the tripod. But also said it was a one time repair and that it was my fault because I used it on sand. They said you need to brush all sand off the legs each time you collapse. I am nearly certain I never jammed sand into the seals. But possibly.With that said. Excellent tripod. Be very careful about using it in sand. Clean the legs when retracting.Tripod is still going strong. Updating review to a 3.