Description
Meet the Leofoto Agulhas; this tripod combines the best of Leofoto’s technologies to offer a large tripod ideally suited for nature photographers who need serious camera support.
It isn’t by coincidence that this tripod bears the name of Africa’s southern tip. It’s a custom model we had made for the South African market. If you’re not a tripod nerd, then all you need to know is that this is the last tripod you’ll ever buy. If you are a tripod nerd, keep reading to understand why we love this tripod so much and why we went to the effort of asking Leofoto to make a custom tripod for us.
Tall 36mm, 4-Section Model
The Agulhas features fat 36mm legs (2nd largest size) to ensure excellent stability in testing conditions like wind and moving water. It is a 4-section model, which ensures a reasonable folded size. One of the biggest issues with Leofoto’s 4-section models is that it is too short for anyone over 1.75m, which is a LOT of South Africans. We made sure that the tripod is tall enough – at full extension it reaches 170cm, which is tall enough for people up to 1.95m or offers much needed spare length for people of normal height. Spare length is critical when shooting on slopes or uneven terrain and something that most people overlook when investing in a good tripod.
Poseidon Joint Tech + Protective Coating
The Agulhas features Leofoto’s newest generation of joints, which have several massive improvements over a standard Ranger. These joints feature a double gasket, designed to keep water and dirt out, which greatly increases lifespan and ease of use. The joint is designed to a much higher overall standard – the body is made from a high-density composite and all tolerances are much better. The result is incredible leg rigidity thanks to an improved connection between leg sections. The blue legs are not about aesthetics – it is a durable protective vinyl wrap designed to extend the life of the tripod. The final touch is titanium endcaps; the “plug” that is mounted to the end of the tube, which the feet screw into. This also extends the tripod’s lifetime when used in corrosive environments.
CEX Leveling Base
By far the most underrated model from Leofoto is the CEX Rangers that feature a high-quality leveling base incorporated in the apex. A leveling base is something that absolutely all tripods should have as it is critical for panoramic and video work. Compared to modular versions, having it built into the apex simplifies design, reduces weight and lowers center of gravity. This was thus an absolute must-have feature for the Agulhas as it increases its versatility and function exponentially.
47mm Clamshell Ballhead with Lever Release Clamp
The finishing touch is the head – Leofoto’s LH heads are without a doubt the best value-for-money tripod heads in the world. Very few manufacturers do clamshell design as it involves complex and expensive milling, but it is very well worth it. The design is simpler than conventional heads, which extends lifespan. It is also much stronger than other heads of the same ball size due to a larger contact area between the ball and the housing. It is also lower, which again lowers center of gravity. After 4 years we are close to 1000 Leofoto LH ballheads sold in SA and the failure rate so far is a whopping 0%.
We chose to pair this with a 47mm ball, the second largest they make, as it can then handle anything up to 10kg video rigs or super-tele lenses.
The cherry on the cake is Leofoto’s premium lever release arca clamp, which just makes it a dream to lock and unlock your camera compared to screw release clamps.
Conclusion
Our original vision was to offer the best possible value in a large tripod that can handle wind, waves and super-tele lenses. The Summit tripods are absolutely fantastic, but the large modular apex comes at a hefty price tag. A simple comparison is the Summit LM-364C, also a 36mm and 4-section, which will also cost R14 999 with the same head. Except you won’t have the Poseidon joint tech or a leveling base; add those two and you’ll end up well over R20 000. it’s also too short for tall people and you’ll get a screw-clamp at that price. While the modular Summit apex is great, it does increase folded diameter drastically, so the Agulhas also folds up a bit smaller, which makes it more travel friendly.
We hope and trust that this tripod will become a recognizable go-to camera support solution for serious nature shooters in SA. With the support of the amazing people at Leofoto, we put our heart and soul into this tripod to offer the best possible value in a versatile ultra-premium tripod.
