I recently got my hands on the Oben CT-3451 Tripod and I couldn’t be more grateful. At the first of this year, I made a big change from Nikon to Lumix and was super frustrated with the fact that my Manfrotto tripod was massive compared to my mirrorless camera. I felt weighted down and not interested in hiking much this summer till I could find something to replace it. Then, in walked the Oben CT-3451 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with BE-113T Ball Head and I was ready to hit the trail again.
Weight
This entire tripod weighs just 2.5 pounds and folds down to an easy-to-transport 12″ piece of equipment. This is perfect for a mom like me who is also probably carrying a child, a diaper bag and an entire studio in one trip because I refuse to make a second trip!
Three features I love
- Three different locking angles on the legs. This is a great feature to have when you are in nature shooting and the ground is uneven. It also allows the tripod to completely fold up and be very compact.
- The integrated monopod is genius. You are basically getting two tripods for the price of one!
- I will never own a tripod without the quick release plate for mounting my camera to a tripod. It’s just so easy and kid-friendly, which my little future photographer loves.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a lightweight, compact, durable, carbon fiber, two-in-one tripod you really should try the Oben CT-3451 out.
Editor’s Note: Since this review was written, the CT-3451 has been discontinued, and replaced with the nearly identical CT-3551. The links in this article now point to the updated product.
Looks good! what about top down angle?