Velbon Sherpa 600 Tripod

I wouldn't say that this is either great or terrible, but it does its job, especially considering the very cheap price I paid (£30).

Perfect for static shots, stays in place very firmly as it is pretty stiff. BUT this then causes a problem for panning, as it is so jerky you can't really use it.

Also, although it hasn't happened to me, I can see what people are saying about not being level. Feet are a little flimsy and it can take a while to line up.

Overall, I don't think I'd buy it again, but if you're just looking for a basic tripod for stills or static shooting, it is worth the money.

This tripod (Velbon Sherpa 600A), as part of it's features, has no lower stabilizer. The lack of this mass allows the legs to fold in at the bottom to the point where the top of each leg can be brought against and also bent over a 54mm in diameter structure that is part of the center of the tripod. The resulting damage prevents the legs from ever being extended again, destroying the tripod. I put it in a trunk with luggage once and was never able to use it again.

When the tripod is removed from its box there is a small bit of cardboard in place to prevent the kind of damage I am talking about, useful while its shipped or shelved at the store. But that bit of cardboard is not sufficient for on-going use. This tripod needs to come with a substantial piece of foam rubber with a hole at the center so it can slide over the center shaft and with slots on its outside in which the legs could be retracted into. Then the tripod would survive a vacation in the trunk with luggage.

With out a manufacturer supplied accessory, the best I can recommend is that you take a short length of a circular "pool noodle", the kind with a center hole, and then cut slots in the outside of it to fit the legs.

Velbon Sherpa 600r Tripod

(re: previous reviewer - does he work for Manfrotto?) I put a spirit level on my tripod (built into my Giotos MH5011 Head) and every time, at all three leg spreads, it is virtually perfectly level. Indoors! Outdoors though, I work with the building trade, and FYI no pavement or path or road is level, they MUST be built with a slight gradient (0.5 - 1.0 degrees) to run rainwater away - by law!

I would change the head to one which has separate tilt, pan and rotational controls - the Manfrotto MG460 or Giottos MH5011 are worth a close look. Alternatives are medium ball heads again with separate controls, the Giottos Series 2 are brilliant!

The tripod is very stable, and having just two leg extensions, even when fully erected, it remains rock solid. Each leg can be set to one of three different angles, there's a sliding swich at the top of the legs, near the pivots. Make sure you have set them all 'down' for normal tripod use.

Being able to set each leg independently to the other two makes for a brilliant and very versatile camera platform, as well as allowing very low level photography when the legs are spread to maximum width. 80% of the lower centre column unscrews away when you want to use the tripod at ground level. To be honest, I removed mine and left it off completely, as the height when set to normal angle, with legs fully extended is plenty high enough and you should avoid using any tripod's centre colum, as it leads to instability and extra vibration etc.

When using it with the legs completely spread (low) avoid extending the leg length, or at least, use only the middle leg (not the lowest, thinnest one) as the leverage at lower angles can introduce instability, and the low level was never designed for extended legs (on this or any tripod!).

Finally, the centre column, truncated or full length, can be reversed (inserted from below instead of from above) to facilitate even closer to ground image making. Be very careful with the centre column lock when this (or any tripod) is used in this way. Unscrewing the lock while not holding the camera could allow it to drop out, and onto the floor - only a few inches, but even so!

Generally, the best tripod anyone could want, It performs perfectly as a normal tripod, but with the addition of your own head, and the variable leg angles, it makes it suitable for just about anything.

If you remove the supplied head, the weight is approx 1.5Kg which, for a tripod of this class, is very light! I added my own Giottos MH5011 and it comes in at 1.9KG and a fraction.

100% fully recommended for advanced hobby and light to medium professional use.

After reading all reviews this appeared to be the perfect tripod to support my scope. Unfortunately when it arrived the panning action seemed to move downhill to the right. I discovered, after checking all legs were out and snapped to the right angle, that one leg was at a greater angle than the others. I returned the tripod and was sent another with the same problem-even though I asked Bristol Cameras to check it before they sent it. When phoned they grudgingly admitted their might be a design fault after they asked me to put a spirit level on the head. The problem is it's level at one point, then goes out as you rotate.I still haven't found a replacement to my Slik as yet, but won't get a velbon 600R, unless I try it in a shop first.