K&F Concept KF-2515T Tripod Review
K&F Concept KF-2515T Tripod Review. This article is the second in my series of kit reviews and is focused on this fabulous K&F tripod which I have owned and used for a couple of years now.
Before I launch into this, I would like to point out that is not a paid review. I do have an affiliate link to the company, but they are not direct advertisers, and this review is completely independent based upon my use of their products.
As I hinted at in my disclaimer I have been using the K&F products for some years now. Personally I think that they are the perfect blend of quality and affordability. I don’t know about you but I just cannot justify spending hundreds of pounds on a tripod, or any other accessory.
At the moment this fab piece of kit is available on the Kent & Faith website, where it is on offer for £67.99 instead of £108.99!
I have tried several tripods, all of which have worked perfectly fine, but none are exactly what I was looking for until I took a chance on the KF2515T. Nifty name eh.
Why was it a gamble? I’m sure if you ask most photographers K&F isn’t one of the first names to trip off their tongue if you ask them to name some good tripods.
However, in my opinion, compared to a lot of tripods out there, the K&F Concept is reasonably priced for the build quality and pure ‘bang for your buck‘.
I paid around £60 for my first one, the K&F Concept 2534, and about £10 more for my current one, the K&F Concept KF2515T. I bought this model, because I wanted the increased flexibility it offered, namely the built in extending side bar feature.
Shooting Macro with the TM2515T
Like a lot of other tripods, the centre arm can invert for low angle shooting. This is very useful when getting in close with macro subjects which don’t move around.
You can also combine the inversion with the extended beam to get into some awkward to reach positions. As you can see in the image below, even with the arm fully extended it has no problem supporting my heavy kit.
Locking the central shaft
As I mentioned previously I have been using my version for a couple of years now, however the only difference I can see between mine and the one currently on offer, is that the central shaft locking grip seems to have been updated from a rubber twist grip to a more sturdy and ergonomically shaped metal locking grip. I am sure it features more upgrades, and I will update this post when I get my hands on the latest version.
Using the KM TM2515T Tripod
Right from the start the tripod felt sturdy and had a decent amount of heft to it. The joints were metal with a solid ratchet mechanism, which automatically release when folding the legs inwards if the tripod needs adjustment or to packing away. It can be collapsed with the ball head outside of the legs or with it inside. It all depends if you need to pop it into the carrying case.
The legs were nice and chunky and featured twist grip leg releases rings. Everything was textured and of a size that didn’t get lost in my big hands. The centre column also has a hook on it from which you can hang a bag or something heavy for extra stability.
K&F Concept KF-2515T Tripod Review – Monopod
This tripod also has an extremely useful feature, in that you can remove one of the legs, which then becomes a mono-pod! The mono-pod leg has a foam padded section for those really cold days. To access the mono-pod, you simply unscrew it from the top of its main leg and hey presto – you have a mono-pod! It only takes a couple of seconds to do, and it’s an extremely handy feature which I have used on many occasions. Simple but brilliant.
KF-2515T Tripod – Spec
It has 25mm maximum tube diameter manufactured from durable magnesium alloy. The load capacity is 10kg which provides a stable support for camera when using normal gear with the ball head.
There is a maximum angle of 88 °between leg and center axis, and it also features axis inversion allowing you to get very close to ground level.
The height adjust between 42cm to 162cm and has a net weight (head included) of 3.73lb (1695g)
It comes with a sturdy carrying bag to protect the tripod during transit but I prefer to carry it on my camera bag along with the rest of my kit. Depending upon the type of camera bag you use it is very easy to carry around. I normally slide one of the legs through a loop and let the weight keep it in place.
The 360 °metal ball head features a bubble style spirit level help lining up the horizon.
The leg ratchet mechanism is metal and once again feels nice and solid. Simply depressing the leg release lever allows you to alter the angle of each leg independently. Folding them down is even easier as the ratchet lets the fixing plate pass without intervention from you.
The leg extension is dealt with by three twist grips. The beauty of these is that you don’t have to release them very far for them to be loose enough to alter the leg length. There is a handy spike at the bottom for anchoring the leg when the terrain is less than ideal. I have even used it successfully in rivers – and yes it was as uncomfortable as it looks!
K&F Concept 2354 Tripod Review – Ball Head
As with the tripod the ball head is very sturdy. The locking function on the main ball head is very good. It copes admirably even when I load up my heavy 7d mkii together with a long telephoto. I normally use a gimbal head, but it’s nice to know I can use the ball head as well.
I’m not going to lie, it’s never going to give you the kind of frictionless maneuvering of something like a high-end Gitzo, but it works perfectly fine. It also has a quick release plate and integrated spirit levels.
In addition it has a degree counter for panning, and supposedly this is to make panorama shooting easier, although I don’t really need it with my style of photography.
Usability
I’ve used this tripod with a couple of different cameras. I use it predominantly with my heavy kit, a 7d mkii DSLR together with my 100-400mm mkii lens, on top of Beike gimbal head.
The camera and lens combination is far heavier than the tripod, so I tend to have the legs firmly anchored, with a weight on the centre spring. I’ve used it in a variety of field situations many times and I really cannot fault this tripod.
I know most modern tripods no longer use the twist type locking mechanisms, but I find it fast and reliable.
The thing with a lot of photography, the best shots are always off the beaten path. Using a heavier tripod means that you’re less likely to want to want to hump it through the countryside for any kind of distance. I have happily trudged to the top of Snowden with this baby on my back without any issues at all. This is a perfect size for me and what I use it for. It is no doubt the reason I won’t have any qualms about buying another K&F tripod in the future.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Please leave me any comments below.
Roger
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