I've FALLEN IN LOVE ... with a tripod? - K&F SA254T1 review

K&F SA2541T1 - bit.ly/35Yj7nm
10% off code: KF10US
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction & apology
01:37 - The tripod & disclaimers
02:35 - Weight & payloads
03:54 - Working heights
06:58 - Low shots
07:58 - Bonus feature
09:49 - Summary & price
10:27 - Rusty returns
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[@alexanderrr1825]

I wish K&F and other makers did a guide to explain the differences between the different versions of tripods they do.

[@alessandrocwilliam]

I swear it feels like going through a labyrinth with all their different model names and variants.

[@raw_pc]

This tripod is a huge win. Also you don't have to disassemble the center column to put it into low position. You may just flip the legs around 150 degrees and job done :)

[@trouwfotomakerij]

Dave, no need to apologize for anything ever. I appreciate whatever you create here. I'm a father too, no need to explain anything :-) Besides, if you really can't find any time to do videos, just set up a live stream of Rusty. That'll keep us quiet for a while.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks Bart ... A Rusty livestream doesn't sound like a bad idea ;-)

[@ernestosavarese9924]

Thanks for the review and the discount code Dave... just ordered one!! :)

[@turbomullican4853]

Great review. I love your shirt

[@amigocasalli5910]

I Saw at least 15 reviews about this tripod and this one is for far the best. I'm allready buying mine.... THANKS!!!

[@comfortablyblind6853]

I took a chance on a Facebook add. Just got it today. Seems sturdy and, almost, infinitely mode-able. Now, my wife wants one. I don't have a problem with that, at all.

[@StefanGenov7]

Thank you very much I need this tripod 😀 Great review.

[@projectunk.4792]

Very informative and hilarious video. You’ve convinced me to get one. Subbed.

[@intellectualnomadsss]

Man I was looking at the Zomei m8, saw this come up as an ad on google. Came to KZbin and your video sold me! Thanks!

[@charlesdavis6371]

Really getting to enjoy your work ... but I gotta say - I LOVE you dog!

[@BrianTheCameraGuy]

That is a pretty neat tripod. I like that monopod feature. That is pretty slick.

[@isolatedanthony]

amazing review. just picked one up!

[@amykr7018]

Amazing review!! Thank you 😊

[@CharlieVN]

Fantastic review, don’t really have a giant tripod, definitely checking this out. Simple and ingenious design.

[@randydean23]

Seems like excellent value for money. If I can scrounge it up between now and the end of the offer I think I will snag myself one. Cheers

[@smestadmedia1383]

Ordered one. Can`t wait!

[@apislapis]

Wow that's given me food for thought. I'm not a fan of twist lock legs which is the only issue. Thanks Dave, just bought one.

[@robroyig-robroyphotography9225]

Just when I was happy with my tripods (Regular and travel), I see this! lol, Thanks Dave for the wonderful review. Very detailed and has now got me looking. I love the double center column, great idea. Thanks again for great review!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Sorry to be an inconvenience Rob :P

[@fumezart1437]

Thank you for this video this was very useful

[@DrewMtl]

OW that horizontal extension feature blew me away! I would have really liked that when I was shooting product back in the good old days.

[@markadams99]

1st rate production from the lighting to the use of a human as a prop. Respect.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thank you Mark :)

[@MohamedKeita]

When you started the video I was like "well that's a tripod" ... now I want one even though I don't even need it :D

[@selvaweddingphotography3060]

KF09.086V1 vs K&F SA254T1 which one is best ?

[@zogun]

thanks for the awesomeness test review

[@jamesfullwood5054]

I think i just found my next tripod.

[@guyjordan8201]

Only negative is not so travel friendly but that's the choice and the extra++ height possible makes getting a second tripod appealing. One question, where do you store the little hook center column cap when you remove it? Does it install in the socket of the leg removed for mono-pod duty or get lost through the hole in my jacket pocket? BTW, your delivery is so fearless that even your rant's are encouraging. Be well my friend.

[@trouwfotomakerij]

It actually looks a lot like the Redged tripod that I have, which doesn't have all the features but the legs and the 'hinges' look very similar. On the Redged, you can press the red 'clips' on the hinges to enlarge the angle of the legs in two steps. Is that the same with the K&F?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Yes the K&F can have regular angle, wider angle, completely flat or flipped fully over for smaller pack down.

[@sjm.photos]

great video and im sold. i dont need one yet but that is a good price aswell

[@artychap8817]

I'm getting the dreaded drooping with my manfrotto element , don't want that happening again , can anyone confirm that's their no drooping ?

[@derbi123]

Great video that led me to buy one.

[@050224011]

Great video! Will likely buy this product based on your review. Quick question please - Can you use the horizontal mount, but still have your camera in a verticals orientation?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

If you mean that the centre column is horizontal but the camera is still sitting up as you'd normally have it then the answer is yes you can. You can rotate the camera round on the ball head to your desired orientation

[@050224011]

@@DaveMcKeegan thanks for your answer, will purchase via your link if it’s still live

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thank you, the link is still active as far as I know

[@ekevanderzee9538]

Only from you I would consider buying anything like this. For thatbprice and it comes with an Arca Swiss mount! How do the leg friction hold feel? I'm partial to those lever cips, as I tend to level the tripod by varying.leg with and those threqds also tens to get sand in them qnd my hands hurt when twisting them.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

The legs grip very well when tightened, although I know what you mean about the noise when sand gets in them, I ended up stripping one of my other tripods and hosing it down once to fix it :D

[@fraud1able]

Hi Dave, does the rubber feet detach so that you can add spikes?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

The rubber feet are a stand 1/4 screw which can be removed, leaving the option of screwing in spikes however there are no spikes included

[@sesamesprinkles]

can i use my peak design plate on this tripod or do i have to strictly use the specific one given with this tripod

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Any Arca Swiss plate will work, I use an L-bracket rather than the plate that came with it

[@MrChrissk]

Think I maybe getting the tm251.... I like the colour, work well with the Sony.

[@longrider9551]

Congrads DAD!! 🙏

[@ua6523]

I'm planning to get the K&F TM 2515T 60 inch. Do you think I should upgrade to the 67 inch or keep this? I'm not a professional photographer but every purchase I make I do with the intention of term-long gain for music editing and recording. I do videos for concerts as well. So I'm just thinking out loud here and would grateful for your input. Thank you very much!

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I can't give a definitive comparison between the two as I've not used the 2515T, however if I was looking at it to buy myself Vs this one the points I would note are: It's smaller when packed down so easier to transport and it's cheaper, however obviously not as tall (which depends if you need the height or not for say shooting over crowds) Also it's 5 section legs Vs 4 sections - more sections generally mean smaller packed down size but less stability at longer extensions And the centre column is smaller which may be a problem if you are likely to do overhead shots But it depends on what you need from the tripod, ultimately it's your decision

[@ua6523]

@@DaveMcKeegan thank you for replying. The point you made about stability with 5 legs makes a lot of sense. Infact I want the centre column to be much longer as well. So I've sent them an email asking for upgrade to the model you own. I am hoping for them to give me a favourable reply.

[@chronicfish]

I was going to buy the Manfrotto 190 for my Mamiya RB67. Is it worth the extra money (seeing as I am not a professional photographer), or is the K&F stable enough? Any thoughts from anyone reading, would be greatly appreciated.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

The RB67 + 127mm lens + roll holder is showing as weighing 2.7kg which is approximately the same weight as the A7III + 150-600 combination which I used on the full height stability test So I see no reason why the K&F wouldn't be stable enough at regular heights unless you had some very heavy lenses

[@wesew]

I love your dog bro 🙂. I am Mexican and just yesterday I ordered that tripod, it was very difficult for me to find the differences between the K&F models, I had to look for many videos to understand.

[@JonathanFreemanRocks]

Awesome. New sub and purchased from your link. 👍

[@AyeeeTV1]

What’s the name of the product rotator you used for the tripod at 2:35?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

It's a motorised turntable, I believe they are sometimes referred to as a 'lazy susan'

[@AyeeeTV1]

@@DaveMcKeegan ok thanks! Do you know the brand name?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Unfortunately not, the one I have is a generic unbranded one that I bought a few years ago. You can get more expensive ones with variable speed settings but mine is just a single speed, switch it on and leave it sort of turntable

[@MrRobovision]

Could you do a video on how to become a freelance photographer or give advice on how you got into it please?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

An interesting suggestion, I'll certainly consider that

[@Thultmark]

Great senaste of humour and a great review, thanks.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Glad you enjoyed it Torbjörn :)

[@GuillaumeBeaudin]

Would you feel safe putting a DSLR with a gimbal and a 150-600mm on it (roughly 4-5kg)?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Yes, I had the 150-600 Contemporary at full height and was holding it fine. That was with the A7III + Small rig L bracket + MC11 adapter which combined is roughly the weight of a dslr If it's a heavier 150-600 such as the Sigma Sport then I would probably be cautious raising it at least the first time, maybe not quite take the centre column fully up, leave a few inches spare for better balance

[@GuillaumeBeaudin]

Many thanks, @@DaveMcKeegan!

[@roykouyoumjian1]

What is the differencr between sa254t1 and sa254t2 ???

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I haven't tried the T2 but comparing the specs it seems the T1 is bigger The T1 is 57cm collapsed and 239 extended, T2 is 48cm collapsed and 185 extended

[@DigiDriftZone]

Would you say this tripod is good for video work?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

In terms of stability it's very good for video, however if you are going to panning the camera around a lot then, much like most tripods, you might want to consider changing the ball head to a fluid head.

[@whatsupdate]

Wish I saw this before I ordered one yesterday. Your affiliate link is $30 less than I paid at Amazon

[@selvaweddingphotography3060]

Good video for tripod

[@WilliamJohnston]

It’s ALMOST perfect! I just wish it had flip locks instead of twisty ones 🙈😭

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I've personally favour twists, I've had a few flip locks work themselves loose to the point where you put a heavy setup on it and one of the legs slowly collapses :D

[@Clogmonger]

@@DaveMcKeeganmy manfrotto does this all the time, I'm regularly tightening all my locks. And the ball head controls always loosen up and want to go flying off. Crazy to happen on a tripod so expensive

[@marshallr.8121]

dang this thing looks good, not much more than the manfrotto one i have and its the same system for upside down shoots this may just have to be my next tripod

[@seonpook429]

Hi Dave, great video. I'd wish to know if this tripod especially the twist-locks could hold up when in contact with moisture, or when partly submerged into water. Have you tried it in river stream or seawater with heights up to any (or probably the lowest) twist-locks? I read a customer's review on US Amazon about KF-TM2534T of similar materials and features, that it's twist-lock and the center column slipped and slided in rain, causing the whole structure imbalance and collapsed. Hope you may clear my doubt. Thanks.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I've had the tripod wet from rain without problems but haven't had in fully submerged, although I've had 2 other k&f tripods in water before without problems to the locks

[@seonpook429]

I found a snapshot of the manual in a review from US Amazon, though printed in poor English, it hasn't mentioned anything about submerging but *keep dry in wet/sandy/dusty environment and not recommended for uses in seawater*. I'll take that as absolutely NO, eventhough slightly irritated for it not being advertised on product description on either Amazon and K&F website before purchase. The KF-TM2534T with similar materials and features (not as tall) even advertised with a picture captioned "Non-Rusting". To be honest, by the time writing my last comment, I have made three attempts leaving messages on K&F website along the week, but only later received an informal, reluctant reply from them saying "this thing cannot be submerged under water". No more. I'm not sure what you suggested was truthful and rensponsible but you're encouraging audience to take the risk that hasn't been approved by the K&F.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

@@seonpook429 well like I said I've had other K&F tripods on beaches and in seawater before, the most that happened was some sand and salt dried on the legs and made a scratchy noises when extending and retracting the leg sections, but that was only because I hadn't cleaned it down properly after use and was easy to fix with a quick strip down and clean I've 2 manfrotto tripods and has issues with the leg clips of those whenever they get sand in them

[@seonpook429]

Dave, I agree that people who care for their gear should do instant or routine cleaning after uses in harsh environment, since it's mechanical (not electronics). Thing is, your experience still poses a discretion for potential buyer to use at their own risk. Does the strip-down cleaning you suggested also includes disassembling the leg section without breaking the twist-lock? Not sure if it's possible at all. I humbly hope you could understand the magnitude of this issue, as most average person have to fork out their hard-earned money, without the priviledges getting free unit from the manufacturer.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

@@seonpook429 I completely understand your point Seon, the Manfrotto tripods that I've had problems with were my very own, bought and paid for by me. However I hope you can appreciate that its impossible to review something to cover absolutely everyone's needs and uses since everyone uses their gear in different ways - and ultimately we always use gear at our own risk - very few tripods are actually advertised as designed for use in such conditions and most manufactures will probably say its not designed for it simply to cover their arse in case you have a problem with it. If you look on Manfrotto's website, none of their tripods make reference in the write ups about what conditions it can be used in, everything just refers to its stability, ergonomics or weight. As for dismantling of the leg section, its a piece of cake on this tripod, there is no hard stop to the twist locks so you just fully underscrew them and then each leg section can come straight out - hose/wipe down, and put back in.

[@DimplePoji]

I have one of those but under a different brand name. I think they all got from the same manufacturers and slap their brand on it. Mine is from triopo. There's another one called zomei if I'm not mistaken..

[@DaveMcKeegan]

I know there are quite a few similar styles from different brands, such a one that goes just as high and has the monopod however it doesn't have the ability to angle the camera straight down.

[@venom5809]

Hmm, I might have to grab one of these, been looking for something like this actually. *Edit, ordered. Congratulations on literally being the first person on KZbin I have ever directly bought a product from their links or whatnot. lol

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Thanks, what an honor :P

[@venom5809]

@@DaveMcKeegan I’m glad my first purchase was from Rusty. lol

[@DaveMcKeegan]

@@venom5809 well Rusty says woof 🤣

[@beyondimaginations3635]

Great video thanks. There is another video where the host actually hangs his entire 160lbs body weight from this exact tripod. Might be tougher than you thought. He grabs the ball mount and hangs inside the legs, LOL

[@georgesmith3022]

All these features can be found even in cheaper tripods. The issue is how sturdy it is, and how long it will last.

[@siriusgd4753]

It's crap.

[@CharlieVN]

Now I gotta explain to the wife why I have five tripods 😇

[@trouwfotomakerij]

Along with the 12 bags, you mean :-)

[@CharlieVN]

@@trouwfotomakerij lmao, true story

[@trouwfotomakerij]

@@CharlieVN And we *still* don't have The Perfect Bag. The search continues...

[@CharlieVN]

@@trouwfotomakerij peak 3L and 6L are great EDC bags! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4qyoKpnjKh9bKs

[@venom5809]

@@trouwfotomakerij I easily have more than 12 bags. lol Also I may or may not be looking for another right now 😒

[@ItsPinecone_911]

Damn, that's one hell of a tripod.

[@ItsPinecone_911]

Good price as well. May consider one in my future.

[@sclogse1]

I got mine today, but I notice your 90 (horizontal) degree arm, the inner arm, is longer on your model than mine.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Did you get the SA254T1 or T2?

[@sclogse1]

@@DaveMcKeegan The TM 2515T1. By the way, I noticed mounting a Fuji T-2 on it with a Pentax 135mm 2.8 (oldy and weighty for it size) that no matter how tight I make the ball head, once I let go, my camera will tilt forward a bit afterward. Then I loosen, reposition the camera and lens, then tighten, and let go and it drops to the same amount. This is ridiculous guessing the distance it drops in angle while setting up. It's obvious the camera never gets snug enough on the plate. Even if I have no leather body cover on it. It's a plate issue. Or is it? I think I need a video head on this for long lenses, where you adjust the angle after. But not sure what to buy for it that fits, etc. No contact bar on the K&F web site.

[@aswangdark]

this is 2 years ago, how did it stood the test of time, wear and tear?

[@DaveMcKeegan]

It's still my main tripod

[@aswangdark]

@@DaveMcKeegan amazing! that raises it's value for me! thanks for the prompt reply!

[@stuarttracey2009]

K&F tripods are great. I've been using one for a couple of years and it make it tolerable (I hate tripods!). :)

[@califmike2003]

I heard in another review the arc swiss plate on this is plastic, in fact the whole top where the camera goes is plastic ?????????

[@DaveMcKeegan]

That's not the case with this tripod, it's most definitely metal

[@Phoenix__98]

It doesn’t work with cellphones unfortunately

[@eduardoribeiro383]

1 - You are forgiven for taking Rusty off the table. We come for him, but the tripod is great. 2- Question from a non native English speaker: 8 foot ? of 8 Feet ? Or is this an American vs British thing escaping me? 3- GREAT VIDEO :-)

[@DaveMcKeegan]

1 - Thanks 2 - Yes its more an accent barrier than a language one, I write it as feet but pronounce it as 'foot' 3 - THANKS ;-)

[@sclogse1]

I answered your question and asked another below...

[@arupian666]

Thoroughly unimpressed with mine. I managed to break, not shear or crossthread, but actually BREAK the threaded part that the locking nuts screws onto to lock the center column via the grommet - 5:47, that bit. I was mounting my 90D with a Tamron 150-600, so I wanted to ensure it was nice and tight as that's some weight... gave it an extra turn once "finger tight" and I heard a CRACK, and it was in 2 parts. Now, either A) I'm a brutish hunk of a man, or B) It's a pretty shoddy product. Let's go with B). I ordered a similarly priced, similarly featured Neewer and it feels more robust.

[@AndrewPenner]

Yet again it appears K&F appears to destroy the competition as far as features and quality for the price point. Now if this same tripod had a Manfrotto label, the price Would probably double... or triple...

[@jimgraves4197]

In the Covid world we now live in, an 8 foot monopod makes perfect sense for holding all manner of microphones and camera's. The TV News location crews all use them and they are said to be hideously expensive, K&F have given us a truly affordable option.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

Also handy for keeping people 2 meters away :D

[@jimgraves4197]

@@DaveMcKeegan and then some

[@otnol]

I'm 165cm tall... Even the Manfrotto is too high for me :D

[@DaveMcKeegan]

🤣 It's a bit niche to target a tripod at people 8ft tall, but it's particularly useful to get over heads in crowds 😉

[@MrPhilbautista]

Many wildlife photographers need tall tripods because they shoot in uneven terrain, where sometimes the tripod base will be lower than where they stand on, like mountain sides or on rivers, creeks, streams and rocky beach sites. But having a tall tripod is useful to any type of photographer if you're looking for a different angle since remote photography is so easy now with digital photography. Many cameras can be triggered with just a cellphone and an app as a remote and you can even use the phone as a monitor.

[@randolphcroft4212]

Sadly, I already own this one. I bought it specifically to offset my camera to shoot old photos.

[@DaveMcKeegan]

How are you finding it, is it up to the task?

[@randolphcroft4212]

@@DaveMcKeegan - Oh, yes. I meant 'sadly' as in my purchase can't pay for your coffee. My grandfather was a research biochemist in NIgeria in the 20's - Yellow Fever, mostly, and has these classic black and white photos - boxes of 'em. So, I needed something sturdy enough and adjustable enough and this fit the bill. Now I'm just doing the slides. Gah, slide scanners are still USB 1 for f'sakes.

[@sclogse1]

@@randolphcroft4212 Used to copy slides with a tube mount on my funky Pentax back in the 1970's with a slot for the slide and a translucent end..aimed it at the sky for light. Now without a scanner I hold slides in front of a white background on my desktop..good luck with that edge dust..

[@randolphcroft4212]

@@sclogse1 - double points for actually overcoming an obstacle with creativity. I had, long ago, a light table. 40mins to shoot, a couple of hours to develop, and a day and a half to edit the scratches out. 1992ish. So, Photoshop 2.5 - 7 floppy disks.

[@trouwfotomakerij]

@@randolphcroft4212 I use an Epson "Perfection V550 Photo" flatbed scanner that has a rack to hold 4 slides at a time (or 6x6 negatives even). Makes excellent scans, beats any 'slide scanner' anytime. Those all suck. I use my scanner to digitize my father's archive. He shot 6x6, slides, 35mm... Boxes and boxes full...

[@jeffrydemeyer5433]

You can use the single leg as a pole to jump over moats kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4GWY5yNpNadpLM

[@sjm.photos]

dont tell the wife :P

[@chelinemagsano6185]

I thought you were gonna review a dog

[@siriusgd4753]

K&F Concept is a horrible company and their customer service is non-existent. If you have problems you're on your own. I wouldn't buy anything from them. You'll be throwing away your money.