Most tripods may be thought of comparatively common instruments that can be utilized for absolutely anything inside their weight class. Even the tripod I’m reviewing at this time – the FotoPro E7 Camo – might, in principle, be used for one thing like studio pictures. Nonetheless, its camouflage coating and different design options clearly mark it as a companion for a unique sort of journey!
Based on the producer, the E7 Camo is an expert tripod for chook pictures. So, I took it with me on a month-long journey to Ecuador and the Galápagos, the place I put it via some correct area testing. On birds, in fact.
Technical Specs
The FotoPro E7 Camo tripod stands on four-section legs fabricated from traditional carbon fiber tubes (10 layers), particularly Mitsubishi 30T Carbon Fiber. The highest leg part has a diameter of 32mm, with the thinnest part measuring 22mm. That is on the thick facet for a tripod – it’s meant as an ultra-stable platform, not a lot as a light-weight journey possibility.
The minimal working top (measured from the bottom to the mounting platform with the legs totally unfold) is 0.18m (7.1 inches), whereas the utmost top reaches 1.52m (59.8 inches). Its folded size is 0.71m (28 inches), however a part of that features the gimbal head itself. In the event you take away the tripod head, the folded size is decreased to 0.61m (24 inches), making it viable even for worldwide journey. For instance, most airways restrict carry-ons to 22 inches, and putting the tripod diagonally in your suitcase ought to enable it to suit.
The tripod legs weigh 1795g (3.96 kilos), and the top provides one other 980g (2.16 kilos), bringing the whole system weight to 2775g (6.12 kilos). Like I mentioned – not a light-weight journey tripod, however as an alternative, a platform for optimum stability with supertelephoto lenses. Tripod load scores should not accomplished by a scientific normal, however in the event you care about them nonetheless, you can be happy that this tripod’s 10kg ranking can comfortably deal with any fashionable digicam and lens mixture.
The superior capabilities of the FotoPro E7 Camo don’t come low-cost. The present value of the tripod + gimbal on the producer’s web site is $1,199.
Design and Options
1. Camouflage
Probably the most hanging function of the FotoPro E7 Camo tripod is the camouflage coating. The sample resembles traditional navy camouflage, and it really works very nicely to cover the tripod in the event you’re capturing in a forest or different vegetated surroundings. In the event you set the tripod down on the forest flooring and get caught up within the second, you’d higher keep in mind precisely the place you left it. I as soon as absentmindedly tossed it into the undergrowth and later had fairly a tough time discovering it.
The considerably keener eyesight of notoriously suspicious birds will in all probability not be fooled by camouflage, however it could enhance their willingness to categorise you total as largely innocent. The identical applies to your clothes and different parts of camouflage. I assume that for mammals, camouflaging your tripod might play a higher position in making your tools really “invisible.”
2. Leveling Base
One in every of this tripod’s greatest options is its built-in leveling base. In the event you’re used to working with a ball head, you may not totally respect how vital it’s to have a correctly leveled gimbal head. With an everyday ball head, loosening it enables you to transfer the digicam freely in all instructions. That’s nice for pace, however when working with telephoto lenses, issues get extra difficult.
Wildlife photographers often depend on fluid video heads or gimbal heads as an alternative. Nonetheless, these usually should not have a built-in solution to degree the horizon. You should both depend on the rotating tripod collar in your lens, or, as an alternative, take the time to completely degree the tripod legs when setting it up.
To resolve this, photographers generally add a leveling base between the tripod and the gimbal head. This enables for fast changes — sometimes inside a variety of round +/-15° — to degree the top with out twiddling with the tripod legs. The draw back is that third-party leveling bases add further weight and complexity, they usually hurt the tripod’s capacity to shoot at floor degree.
With the E7 Camo, the leveling base is constructed proper into the tripod. You merely alter the leveling platform utilizing the bubble degree on the gimbal head, tighten the facet screw, and also you’re able to shoot.
3. Tilting Gimbal Arm
Historically, a gimbal head rotates round a central axis to permit panoramic motion, whereas a secondary arm permits the digicam to tilt up and down. This secondary arm basically acts like a swing mounted to a inflexible body. The E-7HS head, nonetheless, additionally lets you tilt the principle vertical arm itself — and that opens up a number of attention-grabbing potentialities. In brief, it has two other ways to tilt the digicam up and down.
The largest profit is that the E-7HS head permits a higher diploma of tilting in comparison with most gimbal heads. If a chook perches within the branches above you, or you are attempting to {photograph} the moon overhead, it may be a really helpful function.
One other useful use for this function is when capturing very low to the bottom. Generally, it’s essential to get your digicam as near floor degree as doable. For instance, when photographing shorebirds feeding alongside a seaside or wading in shallow water. By tilting the gimbal arm 45 levels, you may decrease the digicam plate to 0.15m above the bottom whereas retaining full horizontal rotation. Tilting it to 90 levels drops it to only 0.08m, although at that angle horizontal rotation is restricted to about 30 levels.
Let’s follow the gimbal head for a second. If you wish to shave 213 grams off your setup, you may go away the secondary arm — the “swing” portion — at dwelling. By eradicating it, the E-7HS transforms right into a side-mount gimbal head. Along with lowering weight, this setup lets you mount a digicam immediately onto the top utilizing an L-bracket.
4. Sheep Hooves and Titanium Spikes
No, I’m not describing some legendary creature from Greek legend. “Sheep hooves” is definitely the time period the producer makes use of for the form of the tripod’s rubber foot pads. These pads are asymmetrical and designed to make most floor contact with the bottom. It really works extraordinarily nicely, in my expertise.
When the state of affairs requires a extra aggressive solution to anchor your tripod to the terrain, the foot pads may be simply indifferent by hand, revealing titanium spikes hidden beneath.
After a month of intensive use, the sheep hooves stayed securely in place on my tripod, simply as they have been on day one. They confirmed no tendency to fall off on their very own or rotate into awkward positions. And if the rubber materials does put on down over time, the equipment thoughtfully consists of three spares.
Sensible Area Expertise in a Nutshell
- The tripod’s weight is on the higher restrict of what I’m prepared to hold into the sphere with out hesitation. It’s neither as mild nor as compact as my trusty Peak Design Journey Tripod; nonetheless, I by no means left it behind on a photograph shoot.
- Its stability is great for its weight class. To get one thing extra secure, you would want to go even heavier nonetheless.
- The tripod’s top is nearly excellent for my top of 185 cm. On flat floor, I often stored the final 10 cm of the second leg part retracted. In uneven or hilly terrain, these further centimeters have been helpful for compensating for the slope.
- I’m used to working with a leveling mechanism on my FlexShooter head, and I truthfully can’t think about capturing with out this function anymore. It’s one of many key arguments in favor of E7 Camo for me. Personally, I’d additionally like to see a bubble degree on the tripod’s built-in leveling base in case you decide to mount a third-party head with out an built-in degree.
- In the event you don’t wish to use one head for wildlife pictures and one other for landscapes, I extremely suggest getting an L-plate. It enables you to simply mount the digicam in a facet place after eradicating the “swing arm.” (In the event you do wish to change between the gimbal head and a ball head, you must contemplate the Arca Swiss Fast Hyperlink Set that Spencer reviewed beforehand.)
- To date, the entire gimbal head’s bearings transfer easily. Nonetheless, given how I take advantage of my gear — commonly submerging tripods in water and placing them via varied types of torture — it’s in all probability solely a matter of time earlier than that easy motion begins to fade. The producer assured me that they service each the top and the tripod, not simply within the U.S., however in over 30 international locations worldwide, together with within the EU.
- Initially, the construct high quality made me hesitate. The principle hinge screws connecting the legs to the tripod chassis tended to loosen through the first few days of use (maybe the coating on the contact surfaces wanted to settle?). After a few rounds of tightening with a 4mm hex key, nonetheless, all the things held strong.
- The camo paint took a good beating over a month of heavy area use. Some put on is already seen on the aluminum parts, and there are minor scuffs on the carbon tubes from use in muddy and sandy environments. The producer instructed me that this was a problem found with early pre-production samples and that their crew improved the coating method for manufacturing fashions.
Competitors
Within the $1200 value vary the place this tripod sometimes sells, the competitors consists of some wonderful decisions. At this value level, you’ll discover choices from among the prime names like Gitzo and Actually Proper Stuff (particularly in the event you catch a great sale). Nonetheless, with these manufacturers, you might solely be getting the legs for that cash. The top and leveling base usually have to be bought individually.
The Leofoto LN-404C, priced at $699, may be thought of a competitor that even makes use of partial camouflage. Nonetheless, it belongs to a unique weight class that’s a lot heavier (weight 3.4 kg with out head, in comparison with 1.8 kg). If weight is just not a problem for you, you may actually get a brand new gimbal head and leveling base for the $500 remaining from the worth of the Fotopro.
A extra direct rival in the identical weight class as Fotopro E7 tripod can be the Sirui CT-3204 Explorer Sequence Carbon Fiber Tripod with CH-20 Gimbal Head. For half the worth ($595 to be actual) you’ll get four-section carbon fiber legs in digital camo, a claimed 25 kg most load capability, and, just like the Fotopro, a leveling base included within the equipment. The gimbal head follows a extra conventional design, with a height-adjustable swing arm. Whole weight of the setup is 3.32 kg.
Because it usually occurs although, your largest competitors could be from inside your personal household. The identical applies right here. In the event you can reside with out the camouflage coating, you may at the moment decide up what’s basically the identical tripod (Fotopro E7 with E-6H gimbal head), albeit in traditional carbon fiber end and uncooked aluminum. It’s at the moment on sale for $799 at B&H Picture, down from $1,349.
By the best way, in the event you’re considering of including some camouflage to your present tripod, there are many choices accessible. Simply keep in mind that, as a result of how tripods are constructed, you’ll solely have the ability to wrap the thickest leg part and the gimbal head itself.
Nonetheless, if none of that sounds pretty much as good because the Fotopro E7 Camo, then you should buy this tripod on the producer’s web site for $1,199.
When you’ve got any questions on camouflage and selecting a tripod for chook or wildlife pictures, don’t hesitate to ask me within the feedback beneath the article. I want you sturdy legs and good mild!