Velbon CX 560 Tripod Review

[GeorgeUK]

Bit of a review of the tripod for those who care...

Finally got to have a play with my new tripod today.
Velbon CX-560. Cheap at only £35ish inc delivery from this company on Amazon.
The stats:
- 1.54kg mass
- 150cm max height
- 56cm folded

First impressions - good.
Comes in a nice little bag...which is nice!

The tripod itself feels light but of decent quality. When extended out it always feels very stable. I was using the 400D with the standard 18-55 kit lens, but I don't think you'd have issues with longer lenses. I was using it on a windy bridge and never once did I consider it unstable.

Has a nice 'quick' release base which allows you to remove the camera quickly as required. I've kept the base attached to the bottom of the EOS so it's ready to use on the tripod.

The controls are quite smooth and it's easy to adjust. Arm for vertical movements, rotary control for lateral. There's a little arm thing which rotates to raise the central 'pole'. It's really easy to change the orientation from landscape to portrait, undo one rotary control and flip round (and yes it makes the whole 90 degrees).

The only criticism I'd have is that they feel a little 'too plastic' and at first you're worried that you might break them. I doubt it has the quality feel of something like a Manfrotto.

I like the little spirit level, which although is a little 'gimicky' can be useful.

Overall, no complains here. For £35 delivered I reckon it is a very decent piece of kit. Light enough to carry and strong enough to use without fear of it falling down. If you're poor like me and looking for a tripod, I can certainly recommend this one.