VelbonUltrek UT-53D Tripod with QHD-53D Ball and Socket Head

This is an example of superb design thinking. This is my second Velbon as I own the UT-53 which I have owned for seven years and it has never let me down. I am a professional advertising photographer. In my studio I have a Foba studio stand (look it up), many Manfroto tripods, and Ronford Baker video legs so I do know what I am talking about when I say that the Velbon is a truly professional piece of kit! If you are looking for the finest travel tripod which folds down to only 305mm long and will fit inside a camera bag then this is the only tripod to consider. It is sturdy, light and functional with no downsides! The Peak Design tripod is simply a folly compared to the Velbon. For the ridiculously cheap price which is over £300 cheaper than the Peak Design CF tripod you simply cannot go wrong! Why this tripod is ignored by reviewers on YouTube I simply do not know. Buy it, you won’t regret it!

I love these little tripods, so much so that I have two of them. The folding leg and locking leg design is a really nice. For saying how small the tripod reduces down when all folded up, it's surprisingly solid when in use. The build quality is excellent, no cheap plastic legs and all the moving parts have a good solid feel to them. Fair enough, you're not going to extend the legs to their full height and stick a DSLR with 200mm lens and expect a 10 second exposure in strong wind to be completely successful. However, when taking a full size tripod on holiday or on a long hike is not an option this is the perfect alternative. Not too heavy to be a pain in the backside but not too light to make is useless for the purpose either. I use two of these to support a 4foot slider with a Nikon D750 and 85mm lens for video work. True, I generally use it at the shortest height but it does the job more than adequately.The head too is a great little head. Solid in feel, good strong lock and a nice simple quick release mechanism. Even has a bubble.Bad points...I've used these two tripods extensively for several months and have yet to find any negatives...life is good.

It’s perfect for trips in the hills if you accept its limitations in terms sturdiness. I think it is too expensive for what it is. I’ve adapted mine so a bag or water bottle can be hung underneath to add weight. Quite happy with it.

This tripod folds up to be so small it makes it very attractive to use, so convenient to carry around. But it has one serious drawback, it's incredibly fiddly to erect The legs are locked into position by turning them, each individual section and you are not sure whether they have locked. And sometimes they don't lock properly! If I could find a manufacturer that made the same kind of compact device but with proper clamps that lock the legs into place rather than twist-the-sections I would jump at it and throw this away. But I can't. My advice is, buy this, but you do so knowing how difficult it is to erect and the risk of it not being secure. In use, my advice is, NEVER walk away from this tripod, always keep within an arm's length and your hand on the camera strap so you can catch the camera and tripod if it starts to collapse.Update:Having owned this tripod for some length of time now, and having used it a few times. I absolutely hate it.Yes, it's very compact, convenient to carry around, but the leg locks are totally useless. It takes ages to set the tripod up and get all 3 legs to the same length! Seriously, it's not easy to get that basic requirement right.Then when you've think you've tightened up the leg locks enough, as you're using it, invariably one leg will start to shorten as it pushes backup in the tube of the previous stage of the leg. It's a complete nightmare!It simply relies on friction between the leg sections, as you turn them, the friction increases. Apply enough weight and the friction is overcome and the leg section is pushed up inside the previous section. There is no actual lock to lock the sections into place.Sorry, I have to issue the following advice: don't buy this model, it is not worth the hassle. I am now looking for a new tripod with proper locking leg clamps using levers.

Initial review:Purchased solely as a travel photography tripod. Really compact. Slightly heavier than I anticipated but OK. Seems very sturdy (for its size) when set up. It goes higher than I need. Seems to be a quality, well-engineered product.I note some other reviewers complained about the "twist to lock" mechanism on the 6-section legs, but I would suggest this is a good feature.My main tripod for birdwatching (and also to a lesser extent photography) is a Velbon 4-section carbon fibre tripod. It is a real hassle having to use the 12 "snap clips" every time I want to erect the tripod, so I reckon that once I get used to the "twist to lock" mechanism on this tripod, it will be easier and faster to set up than my carbon fibre tripod.I will update this review after a few week's use.

It's a pretty cool tripod. You don't need my to write up everything about it, check You Tube.One thing to say: the twisty-locky thingy mechanism for extending legs is not always perfect. It's inconsistent and makes you look like a blind drunk giraffe in front of anyone around you that you were trying to impress with your "look at me, I'm a pro" tripod.I've also had (and lost) the manfrotto befree tripod, very similar, but it had standard clippy things for the legs. I prefer them, but this tripod packs away smaller.

Bought this travel for my trip to Sri Lanka in March as a friend has one and it is light for putting in my hold luggage. Only used it a couple of times, and once I'd worked out how to use it, it fits the bill nicely. Sturdy enough to take my Nikon d7200 and lenses and light enough to carry.

Used the tripod extensively during my recent trip to Iceland, where it performed very well. I even managed to set it up in almost total darkness in the lava chamber of a dormant volcano! Although it is quite small it is very sturdy and easy to carry in the bag supplied.