This review is meant to be a bit of an introduction to tripods as well as a review of three Oben tripod kits.  It has some tips on what to look for when shopping, what features you might want or “need” and to help guide you to making the right choice in your next (or first) tripod.  Personally, I use an induro CT-313 tripod with an arca-swiss P0 ballhead.  I’m also using a really right stuff lever clamp with their L-bracket on my 5Dii.  To top it all off I’ve added a set of gitzo retractable spiked feet to my tripod so I can use rubber feet inside for architectural shoots and spikes out on the slick rocks while landscaping.  I’m 6’4″, so my height comes into my personal setup a bit (it’s eye level for me w/o needing a center column).  This is my third tripod after an introductory bogen (so old it’s model number doesn’t exist anymore, 3211 IIRC) and a fancy gitzo that was too short for me.  Using those three tripods over the last ~15 years has taught me a lot about tripods.  B&H was kind enough to loan me 3 oben setups of my choice for this review.  Here is my current personal setup as well:

 

Here are a few pointers:

• make sure it is easy to use, if it’s not you won’t use it or will be frustrated.
• make sure it’s the right height for you.
• DON’T always use a tripod at it’s maximum height, find what works for that shot
• Generally speaking, subtract ~12″ from your height to get to the height of the tripod you need for eye level.
• Try to avoid using the center column if you can, it’s significantly less stable.
• Get a ballhead that is easy to use.  Eliminate the controls you don’t need.
• There are different tripods for different purposes.  You might need more than one, or to compromise.
• Tripods are an investment.  (Thom Hogan has a great article urging you to spend $1000 now or $1700 later because you need to upgrade).

Here you can see the three different tripod kits B&H sent me:

Left to right, that’s the AC-1310 w/BA-0, CT-3420 w/BB-1T then the AC-2320L w/ BA-1.  The three tripods represent three different classes or levels of tripods really.  The AC1310 is a basic entry level tripod and costs around $100.  The AC2320 is ~$180 as a kit and offers a lot more features, while also being taller.  The CT3420 is the most expensive in the group with a price of ~$450 as a kit, it’s also the smallest and lightest and makes for an excellent travel setup.  Let’s take a look at each tripod on a more individual basis:

AC-1310 w/BA-0 ballhead:  This is your basic entry level tripod.  No frills, nothing over the top, no exotic materials.  But what you get is a great value, or entry level tripod.   This setup is designed to hold an 11lb camera/lens combo (my 5Dii w/plate, battery, card, filters & 17-40 weighs 3.69lbs or 1672g).  It weights 3.4 lbs itself, and is ~51″ tall w/o the center column (I only use a center column if I absolutely have to, and actually have it removed from my personal setup).  This tripod has flip locks which means they’re very fast to setup and break down.  It’s a 3 section tripod so there’s 2 locks on each leg making things simple.  This tripod is also surprisingly light (it’s actually lighter than my induro, but it’s also much smaller).  Personally, this tripod is too short for me to consider, but I will say it’s a great entry level option for <$100 including the head if the height works for you.  The head here is a very basic ballhead with a single knob for both panning and locking the ball.  This means you can’t loosen JUST the panning lock to do a panorama, but personally that’s not a deal breaker.  I like the simplicity of the head with the single knob, but if you want to do panos, I’d opt for something with a suitable head.  The included levels on the clamp are amazing making it a snap to level the head.  A similar setup from Bogen/Manfrotto would be their 293 aluminum setup.  That tripod costs 50% more, holds less weight and isn’t as small folder while being very similar in extended height.

AC-2320L w/BA-1: This tripod is an excellent mid ranged setup.  It’s got an articulating center column which is AWESOME for macros or using REALLY wide lenses…  For macros, it allows you to move the center column closer or further away from your subject to focus and compose more easily (if you’ve tried macros w/o this feature you’ll know how important it is).  I’m really a wide angle guy and I’m alway playing with REALLY wide lenses…  I have a rockinon 14mm for my 5Dii, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shot images with a tripod leg in the frame.  Using this center column, I was able to “project” the camera and lens out away from the legs so they were completely out of view.  The tripod itself is stable enough to do this w/o it becoming too unstable (always keep a hand on it though, I do even w/o this feature).  This is the feature that will either make this tripod EXACTLY what you’re after, or one to avoid though.  Why?  Because this column adds some weight to the setup (that’s why it’s so strong and stable) and it also makes the center column a bit tricky to use at first.  I was able to quickly learn which knob did what, but there are 2 knobs and a lever there that you need to adjust to get everything just where you want it.  Control freaks will love this, but those of us who prefer things as simple as possible, it can be a bit tricky super early in the morning before the coffee kicks in. 😉  The leglocks on this tripod are flip locks again, but improved over the 1310.  You can take them appart and clean them should the need arrise.  There are also some spikes hidden inside the rubber feet on this model that are actually nicer than the gitzo spikes I have on my induro tripod.  This tripod weighs in at just over 6lbs and is ~56″ tall w/o needing the center column.  The head included with this kit is the BA-1.  It’s the next step up from the head on the previous setup, so it’s rated to 17lb now.  It still uses the same, love it or hate it, lock setup though.  Both heads also feature EXCELLENT levels on every surface you’d ever want to level.  A similar bogen/manfrotto setup would be the 190xpro legs with a 496rc2 head.   These two options are very similar in other specs though, with the manfrotto weight enough less (4lb -vs- 5lb for just the legs) I might take a serious look at the 190xpro instead…

CT-3420 w/BB-1T: This is the “ultimate travel” setup.  Why?  Because it weighs less than 4lbs, can support ~22lbs, is ~55″ tall extended (w/o center column) and is only ~17″ tall when folded up.  This last dimension is often ignored, but one key aspect of a tripod this short is it will EASILY go into a bag that’s legal to carry onto an airplane.  Something crucial if you’re going to travel with your tripod and don’t want any hassles.  The head on this tripod is also a fully featured ballhead.  It works with my RRS L-bracket which is a huge plus.  This is your standard 3 knob ballhead with one for the pan lock, one for the “drag” or friction of the head when unlocked, then a third knob to actually lock the ball in place.  It’s a smaller head, but it worked well my my 5Dii w/17-40 landscaping setup.  This tripod has 3 locks per leg, which is one more than I’m used to, but I did learn to just lock and unlock the group together, so the added time with 50% more locks wasn’t an issue.  This allows the tripod to get VERY short with it’s legs inverted for travel.  Personally, that’s an extra step I’d only take when packing it into a small bag, day to day I’d store the tripod just like I do my induro, legs closed and folded, but w/o inverting the legs.  Another awesome “bonus feature” of this tripod is that you can use one leg and it’s center column as a monopod.  This will eliminate the need for a monopod for some users which is a huge savings.  This tripod is not inexpensive though at $450 for the kit.  Here is a very similar giottos kit for about the same price.  The giottos uses an additional set of leg locks to get the folded size down, I’d always go with less sections/locks personally.

Here you can see my induro next to the three obens.  Remember, I’m 6’4″ so I was after a >60″ tall tripod when I bought my induro.  The AC-1310 and CT-3420 are both right around 50″ tall and the AC-2320L is ~56″.

So, what have I learned after using these three tripods in the field for a month?  Oben is a new brand on the market, at least for me.  B&H is their exclusive distributor (as far as I know in the US).  They’re a quality option when tripod shopping.  The entry AC1310 is a great introductory tripod for <$100.  The AC2320L has an amazing center column that you’ll either fall in love with and “need”, or it will be too much for you to handle and not your thing (the also offer other tripods in that size w/o the articulating center column, don’t feel like it’s that model or nothing at all).  The CT3420 is an amazing little travel tripod.  The monopod feature could save a lot of photographers the extra cost of keeping a dedicated monopod around (I know it would for me).  The bottom line is if you’re tripod shopping, make a list of the features and specs you need/want.  I wouldn’t recommend letting yourself be biased towards or against any brand, and I would certainly include oben in my search.  When in doubt, feel free to leave a comment below or use my contact page to drop me a note.   I’d also highly recommend going to B&H if you’re ever in the area as you’ll be able to see EVERY single tripod they’ve got on display where you can see what everything does and pick out exactly what you’d like in person.  I realize that’s not possible for most of you though, and I myself pour over specs online before buying.

I am a B&H affiliate.  They were kind enough to loan me three tripods (of my choice) for this review.  In return I get a small portion of any sale I refer to their site.  If you use the links in the article to get to their site, I will get credit for the sale.  If you browse over there yourself (using the bookmark I know you have ;)) and then find the product on your own, I do not get credit.  That is your choice, I just want to be completely honest with my readers about what I’m given or loaned for a review.  As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, these are NOT my tripods and this is not what I specifically use.  I’m taller than normal so I use a taller setup to suit my needs.  I would not hesitate to use or recommend an oben tripod to anyone shopping if it fits their needs.  And if they don’t, I wouldn’t hesitate recommending searching B&H for other tripods that better suit your needs, they have the largest selection I know of.  Make sure you get what works for you!