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In the summer of 2018 I left my Velbon Ultra Rexi L tripod behind at a camping in France since it was far too big and heavy for a bicycle traveller. However I can really recommend you this tripod since it is the most handy (fullsize) model you will find anywere.
Then the disaster with the Hama Traveller Popup tripod 🖱️ happened. I left that tripod behind in a hostel in Spain in the autumn of 2018.
I then still had one (Redged) tripod left. But that also was a traditional quite big and very heavy type, although it was a smaller macro model.
Yes indeed, YesTrip started with 3 tripods on board. To end up with (only) this fourth one 🙂 ...
Then I discoverd the Cullmann Neomax 220 tripod. And I knew it has exactly those details you want if you are a real traveller (so have to transport it all by yourself). That is simply because it has the same lightning fast system to adjust the legs the Velbon Ultra Rexi L tripod has.
That system implies that you only have to turn 1 ring to adjust the whole leg, regardless of the number of segments the leg has. That makes it very fast and easy to use, and (far) more leightweight.
I ordered it, had a thorough look at it and tested it shortly inhouse hotel with my
Panasonic FZ1000 camera 🖱️.
But first I removed the centerpole since you have to screw it on and off manually. It is not retractable so extends the tripod enormously and must be removed everytime you pack the tripod. And it creates flex, unstability, weight and loss of precious time. I don't need the height anyway but just a handy, fast and stable tripod. Plan is to pack it on top in the left frontbag at the bike so I can get to it easily while on the road. Tip : if you do need the height choose for a higher version and then still remove the centerpole.
The usual tripod height is often not the best height while too heigh. I use a tripod solely to make nice timelapses and sometimes a selfie 🙂. You can read all about creating timelapses in my special article HowTo Artikel timelapses (Tip !) 🖱️.
I also removed the carabin hook since it is only there to be able to hang on some extra weight in case there is too much wind.
The original Cullmann ballhead has a special feauture namely a round groundplate. That makes it easy to turn the camera if you want to make (single pictures for) panorama pictures. A nice idea but worthless since there is no bubblelevel available. A bubblelevel that you actually only need if you use a tripod.
Then you don't need a tripod to create panorama pictures. Anyone with a more ore less "horizontal eye" can make the pictures you need. Then the panoramasoftware will stitch them within few seconds et voila ! You can read all about creating panorama pictures in my special article HowTo create panoramapictures (Tip !) 🖱️. Take a look there since that article could bring you a very nice new hobby !
It was obvious that this original ballhead was the critical item. The Cullmann specsheet states that "it" has a carrying capacity of 3 kilos. That might be true for the tripod but is for sure not true for the ballhead ...
Already from the first second on was the camerafront slowly but surely sinking. No matter how much force I used to tighten the knob. The Panasonic FZ1000 weighs some 850 grams.
So I ordered another ballhead with a larger knob which costed a whole € 3 allin.
And I ofcourse ordered a quickreleaseplate with a price of € 8 allin. Of which I removed the bubblelevels since they are useless. I also removed the plate-lockspring since the Panasonic FZ1000 has no (room for a) hole to use it. It has a double handle for unlocking it so it is very secure for not dropping your camera. And it locks the camera automatically as soon as the cameraplate pushes down the lockingpin. So you actually don't have to lock the combination yourself. This releaseplate works fine.
That ballhead however had exactly the same problem, it didn't work either for exactly the same reason. The screw to tighten (push) the ball to the head (-wall) is not able to hold the combi. The ball just slips over the end of the bolt. There is just not enough surface to create enough friction there.
However while I was surfing for that ballhead I had also noticed another type of ballhead. This type does not use the end of the screw to pinch the ball. The screw tightens the two halfs of the head towards each other. So here the ball is clamped by a very large surface and because of that the screw has a much more relaxed job. An extra feature which is really very handy is that you can easily turn the knob into your own favorite position. I had ballheads like this type before at all my tripods, but not as small as this one.
I ordered this ballhead for the price of € 11 allin. But it would come with it's own quickreleaseplate of a type I didn't know and of which I could not find any information about.
I easily managed to dismount the original quickreleaseplate and to mount the one I had ordered before. It fits exactly and even has an anti-turning facility (by accident). So now this tripod, ballhead and quickreleaseplate form a very stable and sturdy combination.
The only other minus is the black color that turns into a brown-golden shine more and more.
And these are some examples of what I use my tripod for
Back in the old days, my beautiful aquarium.
Hello Moon (San Luis de Sabinillas, Spain 🖱️)
Let's wakeup together, it's Another Beautifil Day !
Whishing for a Star (Campo Maior, Portugal 🖱️)
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