The Photography Show 2019 is now over and I managed to spend 2 of the 4 days there checking out the new gear, listening to talks and catching up with some fellow photographers.
My friend and I usually go to the show with an idea of what we want a closer look at and what items from our list we would like to buy (the list appears to be getting longer). We do lots and lots of research beforehand, and let’s be honest the research is half the fun or is that just me. But what I find the Photography Show great for is being able to get hands on with the gear, getting first hand knowledge and advice from the Pros that use it, and if you’re lucky you come away with a great deal or two.
For me this year the items I was on the look out for were fairly specific;
L Bracket
Soft Graduated Filter/s
Tripod
The first two are just additions to your existing gear but tripod, why? You must have one already? And yes I do, however as much as I like my current tripod, it was only after moving to the Lake District and exploring a lot more that I started to realise what I really needed from my tripod. My requirements from a tripod have now changed. Maximum height and weight are now factored in more than before. I would always look for a sturdy tripod, the height and weight were more of an after thought as my photography was focused more around macro and portraits. Now my photography has developed including more of the outdoors and nature, particularly landscapes.
So the research began starting with the brand I currently own to see what they had to offer. It was a good start with a potential contender. Very lightweight with a good maximum load but it was looking like I would need to sacrifice some height. Now bring in other well known brands. I was finding it difficult to find exactly what I wanted, something lightweight, sturdy and have a maximum height that was taller than my existing tripod. It was starting to look like I would have to compromise on one of them and settle for 2 out of the 3. Thank goodness for the Photography Show where all of the tripods were available for me to try out.
Disclaimer: Before I go on I would just like to point out that at the time of writing this blog post I am in no way associated or endorsed by the brand. This is simply my opinion.
My friend and I went round testing them all and taking note of all the specs. We went for a cup of tea and a review of our findings. There are many many excellent tripods available, all with their pros and cons but for me the clear winner is Winston by 3 Legged Thing.
Now I will be perfectly honest, I had nearly ruled out Winston. When I first looked at Winston compared to the other 3 Legged Thing tripods I thought he was going to be a lot heavier than the rest. So I went straight to their Punk range and took a look at Billy and Brian. I also looked at Albert but he was by far the heaviest. All excellent tripods, but didn’t quite tick all the boxes for me. I think it was mainly due to the maximum height relying too much on the centre column. However on all the 3 Legged Thing tripods you can remove the centre column, stretch the legs out and get really low to the ground. One of my favourite features.
Winston for me beat most competitors in nearly all areas. Now there was no way I was going to find the sturdiness of Winston in a tripod weighing 1.5Kg, but coming in at just over 2Kg including the Airhed 360 ball head I was very impressed. That is already a saving of 0.5Kg in weight on my existing tripod.
When fully extended Winston reaches a height of 1.95m with the ball head attached, that for me is an extra reach of 25cm. Winston can then fold down to 60cm saving me 10cm in space. Doesn’t sound like much but it all makes a difference.
What’s the catch? It must be the maximum load…nope. Winston can take up to a 40Kg payload, that’s incredible. I don’t think all my gear put together weighs that much. I could hang my 3 kids off it and still have room for more.
Winston, like all 3 Legged Thing tripods, comes with a detachable monopod leg. A feature that I may not use a lot but handy to have either way.
A few product images borrowed from their website https://www.3leggedthing.com/winston
As you have probably gathered by now I went ahead and purchased Winston. I went for the stylish Winston Kit with Airhed 360 ball head in Grey. If I wasn't impressed enough with the tripod along came the Airhed 360. I thought my existing ball head was good with the panning feature but this one takes it a step further allowing you to pan the whole head or just the clamp. This will definitely come in useful especially when you can’t quite get the whole tripod level.
From doing a little more research it appears the Airhed 360 has been tested to take a payload of up to 200Kg, well over the amount the Winston tripod can take. There should be no issues with this combination supporting any gear.
My new Airhed 360 on Winston Centre Column
Note I did see some other brands that offered ball heads with similar features.
In summary, I am very impressed with my choice of tripod. Winston and the Airhed 360 are tough, lightweight, well designed and easy to use. Not only are 3 Legged Thing providing a great tripod, but they also include a very nice canvas bag and Toolz multitool. I believe I have found myself a tripod that will last me a very long time. Anyone looking for a new tripod should definitely consider 3 Legged Thing’s range.
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