Tripod Review: Feisol CT-3401 + Photo Clam PC-36-NS

eoren1 · July 31, 2010

Below is my review of my newly acquired Feisol CT-3401 tripod and Photo Clam PC-36-NS ballhead with QR plate. Before I get into the equipment, I wanted to provide a little background on what went into each decision. My goal was to stay around $300-400 for the set.

I was looking for a set of legs to use for landscapes (and multiple exposure HDRs) that would suit my 5'8" frame. Not overly concerned about weight initially as I do not do extensive hiking.

I therefore started looking at aluminum legs. I read multiple reviews and got specs on the Benro A297EX, Giotto MT9261 & 9271, Manfrotto 055xproB & 190xproB, Induro AT213 & 313. The legs all came in at over 5 lbs (again, I thought this would be fine) and cost from $140-190. I had a chance to go to Hunt's Photo and Video and try out the Manfrottos and a slightly smaller Giotto. First impression of the 055 was that it was way too tall for me and that 5.3 lbs (+ ballhead) was a LOT of tripod! I switched over to the 190 which felt a bit too wobbly at the store. The only Giotto I tried was the MT9251. This one actually felt great - only 3.7lb! but was not rated for much load. The next step up would be the 9261 which added a whole pound.

Having felt the weight of these tripods, I returned to my shopping and researching online. Took a hard look at the Induro AT213 - 4.1lb, $143, good max/min height. Had it saved in my shopping cart at Calumet.

However, I decided to do just a bit more searching and happened to remember Scott's Feisol review here. Hit their website and found the CT-3401 for only $219. Seemed to hit all the requirements:
Max height without column - 51.9 inches
Folded length - 18.8"
Min Height - 6.7"
Weight - 2.6 lb
Max load - 20 lb
There is a newer version of this tripod with anti-rotation legs that sells for $284. Seems the major selling point is quicker to set up and break down but I am not frequently in a hurry when using a tripod so I decided to save the $65.

I had previously looked at 3 section tripods as these appear to be more stable however I found several reviews about the Feisol 4 section legs that stated they were surprisingly sturdy.

As for the ballhead…
I was originally planning on getting the Induro one when that set of legs was on the top of my list. However, when I researched the Feisol legs and found great reviews on buying from Kerry at http://www.reallybigcameras.com, I also found that he had a ballhead made by a company called Photo Clam. Sounded like a terrible name but the ballheads looked a lot like the Markin Q3. I had been considering that head as well as the Kirk BH-3. The RRS 40 would have been great but would have crushed the budget. The more I read about these ballheads on sites like fredmiranda, luminouslandscapes, dpreview and photography-n-the-net, the more intrigued I became. Without fail, everyone that had one raved about its quality. In trying to figure out who this company was, it seems that, in 2007, the founder was working at a Korean company called Kyung-Il Machinery. Seems he take their expertise and decided to design a better ballhead. They offer a wide range of sizes: 30mm, 33mm, 36mm, 40mm, 44mm, 48mm, 54mm, 74mm. Many come in different colors (red, blue, gold); one is lined in 18K!! They also include a 2-axis bubble that is not hidden with the camera on the head. Only the gold plated one has a QR latch; others use the traditional knob and all are Arca Swiss compatible.

I decided to get the 36mm head with levels for $209 - this compared very favorably to the Kirk at $275 and Markings at $299.
As for specs on the head, it is rated at a load capacity of 66 lb and has a weight of 350g (0.8lb). It is 3.5 inches tall. Got this at the same site as well as the Photo Clam PC-59-UP3 Quick Release Plate. The plate is nice in that it has cutouts on each side for a strap to attach.

I ordered the above from Kerry and paid by Paypal ($219 Feisol + $209 head + $32 plate + $24 shipping) on Wednesday morning. It arrived Friday afternoon! Came well packaged with no damage to the boxes inside.

First impressions: The setup is very light! as for the legs, they are the perfect height for me. Like the foam on all three legs. At first, I was a bit concerned with the rotation of the legs. It wasn't till I played with the tripod that I 'got' the concept of leg rotation and the benefit of the RAL version. Basically, when you open up the twist locks, it allows free rotation of the leg. That makes it very hard to open subsequent legs. The easy fix is to follow a set order: to open, start at the smallest leg and work up; to tighten start at the biggest leg and work down. Got the hang of that pretty quick. My only nits about the legs are that there is not a built in bubble to level them. Also, I wish there was a keyring or other way to attach them easily to my bag. Overall though I am very pleased by the weight and quality for the price of $219.

As for the bullhead, it seems to be very well built. I had been using a crappy head previously and only used a Markins once before (a rental on the Acadia Shootout). This felt just like that Markins with the added benefit of numbers along the main locking wheel which should help me figure out the 'sweet spot'. Coming from a crappy tripod where I had to lock it down very tight to stop creep, this 'sweet spot' concept is going to take some getting used to…. The built in levels are a nice touch. It has the classic quick release with a button to depress the catch and allowing you to slide in the camera, then tighten with the twist knob.

The plate is nice as well. It is generic and has a good deal of allowable movement for optimal placement. On the 50D, I had no problem placing it in a way that allowed opening the battery door. I tried placing it as close to the sensor mark as possible. It also has two strap holes thus allowing me to attach my Smugmug strap to one and my hand strap to the other.

Overall the setup seems to be very solid. Went out today to take a few shots and the setup seemed solid out on rocks, in wind. Was able to set it up and break it down easily. Weight was not a concern at all.

I'll post again in a week or two after this 'sweet spot' concept makes more sense. I welcome advice on using the Markins-style bullhead from anyone who has one.

Hope this helps,
E

Pix:

Comes with a nice quality bag with shoulder strap that easily fits the tripod with ballhead (and has a bit more room after that)

The head

The whole thing with Canon 50D attached

Look Ma! No creep!!

And the base plate (photo provided by Kerry before purchase). The one I received is the upper one which is the improved version of the now discontinued plate on bottom:

ziggy53 · July 31, 2010

Congratulations on the new tripod and head and thanks for the "review".

Looking forward to your impressions after you've used the combination a while.

Awais Yaqub · July 31, 2010

Awesome!
Many congrats

cab.in.boston · July 31, 2010

Awesome! Great pics, good initial review, and like ziggy said, I'm looking forward to hearing more about it after you've been using it a while. I'm also looking forward to getting out and shooting with you at some point so you can show me some of these great landscape locations you have found. ;-)

gtucker · August 7, 2010

Great review, I might have to pick this up, I don't trust the cheap tripod my friend gave me from walmart lol

eoren1 · August 16, 2010

Update
Thought I would update this thread after a few weeks with the combo.

Good:
Very stable during multi-shot HDRs. Picking up very nice details (even in windy conditions) that, in the past, have looked like smudges. Guess that's the point of this whole thing

Bad:
The rotation of the legs is a bit annoying. This mostly gets on my nerves with the last section. I always go in order as mentioned in my review but, if the section above is not tight enough, the last section becomes very difficult to loosen as it will just spin around. Still don't think it is worth the $60+ difference in cost in my use but, if you a rapid option is desirable, it might be worth it for others.

I've had some trouble getting the head to stay tight on the tripod thread. I noticed some wobbling the other day and found that the head had come loose and was elevated a bit on the 3/4" thread. I had tightened the three side screws to secure it but there is nothing at the base of the tripod legs that attaches the head firmly.

I emailed Kerry about this and was advised to use Loctite Blue. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Still getting the hang of the ballhead. I emailed Kerry with the following:
"Should the head hold tight when dialed to 9? I had it there today and was holding the legs and noticed that, with a big step, the head would slip a bit (it was being held horizontally at my side)."
As I said above, the setup seems very stable when shooting. It was only with these 'jarring' movements that the head would slip.
Kerry wrote back:
"The scale is re-positionable. It is designed to be this way so that you
can set the scale = 0 when the friction preset is set to match the
weight of your gear. There is nothing special about the 9 setting on
the scale. Just tighten the ball locking knob firmly, regardless of the
setting on the scale, and it should hold firmly."
Guess I just need to work with this a bit more.

Would be happy to hear from those with the Markins head regarding 'best practices'.

Thanks
E

photogreen · August 22, 2010

good info. thanks!

eoren1 · October 25, 2010

3 month follow up:
Well, the tripod has gone back to Kerry to address the recurrent issue of the head coming loose. As I mentioned, there are three small allen screws that are meant to hold the base in place. Despite loctite blue on those little guys, they kept coming loose and would lead to wobbling of the head with instability. I contacted Feisol and Kerry and was informed that neither had ever seen this happen before.
I was a bit disappointed by the very slow response time from Kerry (2-3 days to answer) and am still waiting for the tripod to return. He claims the mainframe was not to blame and that the screws were replaced with good results. I'll have to put it through its paces when it gets here and post again.
In the meantime I have been using my old tripod and have realized how flimsy that $100 Manfrotto model was. I do miss my tripod and hope it comes back in perfect condition. Apart from this issue (granted, a MAJOR one), it has been a good setup with a great head (at a good price).
Hope this update helps those who were/are in the market for a CF tripod
E

billythek · October 28, 2010

eoren1 wrote: »

3 month follow up:
Well, the tripod has gone back to Kerry to address the recurrent issue of the head coming loose. As I mentioned, there are three small allen screws that are meant to hold the base in place. Despite loctite blue on those little guys, they kept coming loose and would lead to wobbling of the head with instability. I contacted Feisol and Kerry and was informed that neither had ever seen this happen before.
I was a bit disappointed by the very slow response time from Kerry (2-3 days to answer) and am still waiting for the tripod to return. He claims the mainframe was not to blame and that the screws were replaced with good results. I'll have to put it through its paces when it gets here and post again.
In the meantime I have been using my old tripod and have realized how flimsy that $100 Manfrotto model was. I do miss my tripod and hope it comes back in perfect condition. Apart from this issue (granted, a MAJOR one), it has been a good setup with a great head (at a good price).
Hope this update helps those who were/are in the market for a CF tripod
E

I see the Allen screws in the photos. That looks like a design flaw to me.

Here is the tripod I am currently using for comparison:
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/forums/thread849.htm

Scroll down to the pictures. (That's not me, but some other fool.) It's a little heavy, but like the thread says, you can prop up your house with it :-).

eoren1 · October 28, 2010

How do other tripods secure the base? I looked on the RRS site and found what look like three screws to hold it in place.

Dan7312 · October 28, 2010

I find the picture/text on the RRS site a little hard to follow. There are three screw but they don't tighten up directly against the plate the ball head goes on. Instead there is a channel in the plate and a ring that goes in that channel. The screws press on the ring and compress it into the channel. I'm not sure why this might be better but my guess is that the ring, which is stainless steel can stand up to the screws better than an aluminum or magnisium plate could.

If the screws are being tightened into an aluminum plate, I'm pretty sure the plate will do something called cold flow. In other words it will squish out from where the screws are pressing in it. So the loctite is working, it's not that the screws are turning, its that he plate they are pushing against is cold flowing away from them.

The RSS arrangement would prevent that.

It would be nice to have an RRS tripod to check out my theory. :-).

eoren1 wrote: »

How do other tripods secure the base? I looked on the RRS site and found what look like three screws to hold it in place.

eoren1 · December 9, 2010

Update:
Sent the whole thing back to Kerry. He found that the included screws were too small. Rest of assembly fine. Replaced the screws and I have been shooting for 3 months without any issues. It seems like this was a one-in-a-million type thing.
E

eoren1 · May 17, 2011

6 months later and this tripod has been really great! Since the hiccup mentioned above, the ballhead has stayed on without budging. Perfect weight for the combo. Great job holding my 50D and 70-200/4 at any angle without any creep.

Tripod Review: Feisol CT-3401 + Photo Clam PC-36-NS

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