Leofoto LP-324C X Version Poseidon Ocean Tripod | Water, Corrosion-Resistant with Titanium Foot Spike

Leofoto LP-324C Poseidon Ocean Tripod | Anti-Corrosion with Titanium Foot Spike

I find this Leofoto to be one of my best tripods, and I have *many* of them including top-of-the-line made-in-France legs costing 4 and 6 times as much. The big French models have thicker legs and are somewhat taller, but I rarely need that height. In fact, on level ground I only fully extend two leg sections on this Leofoto, leaving plenty of extra reach for steep slopes or standing on a rock. There is a shorter model if you don't need the height and want to shave some weight. Setup of this Leofoto tripod is very fast, yet with the long sections it still fits into my full-size suitcase.

The Leofoto legs seem quite sturdy and the leg twist locks are flawless. I'm surprised at how easy the legs are to adjust, given the extra O-rings in the locks. The legs slide in/out easily, whereas they can bind and be awkward on big French legs. The Leofoto legs seem to vent from the top (near the spider) when extending/retracting, based on the sound of hissing air. This, apparently, is how Leofoto deals with immersion into liquids. I rarely submerged my tripod legs in the past, but the anti-dust seals are welcome since I'm in desert sand/dust a lot. And I don't worry about putting these legs (at least, the bottom section) into wet sand or mushy snow. As a bonus, the blue color is very attractive and unique: I can always pick out my blue tripod from all of the black/gray ones in a group. Note there is a red model too, LA-324C.

The weight feels very reasonable -- not massive but not flimsy. It's 2190 grams with the added 75mm half-bowl leveling adapter. This levels the head smoothly and gives very fast setup if you shoot panos or use a gear head. Again, it compares well to the Gitzo leveling bowl that I've used for decades. I have been using the tripod bag (provided), which is padded and is just long enough to hold my gear head (a rather tall contraption). This bag is fast to work with, and I don't worry about other people's heavy tripods smashing into my carbon fiber legs or head.

Leofoto LP-324C Poseidon Ocean Tripod | Anti-Corrosion with Titanium Foot Spike

Beautiful blue. Light, sturdy, easy to extend, beach ready- water proof. Looks great with new mirrorless.
Replaces a 15 yo Manfrotto.

Functionally awesome, customer service was amazing....color/paint job on the legs is already coming off :/