VicTiv T80 Tripod Review
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My old tripod broke and so it was time to replace it. I decided upon this one from VicTiv, a company new to me, because of the £49.99 price, the relatively sturdy build, the quick-release clips for the leg extensions, and the excellent head unit.
In the box, you receive the tripod itself, a phone/tablet clamp, two quick-release plates (one fitted) and a well written and easy to read user guide. Build quality seems fine for the low to midrange price with nothing looking likely to fail anytime soon.
The tripod is made from heavy duty plastic with aluminium alloy braced legs and mechanical parts. It extends from 23" to 71" in height with three leg extensions secured with quick lock clips - I much prefer clips to any other way of securing the legs as they are speedy in operation with the locked status easily confirmed from a distance. This tripod lacks a crank to elevate the head unit, a great pity, and the reason for this is that the head and centre column which fits through the apex of the tripod can be quickly removed for use as a monopod, a very useful feature some users although not for me. The tripod seems good and stable even at full elevation but I was pleased to see a hanging hook to allow weights to be suspended below the tripod for added stability.
The head unit came as a very pleasant surprise as it exceeded my expectations in several respects. It comes with two mounting plates to which the camera is secured for quick release from the tripod. The quick-release mechanism is one of the best and easiest to use I have yet encountered and can be used with one hand, there is no need to hold a lever open when returning the camera to the tripod mount. In use, the head is fully adjustable through every plane with a well tempered mechanism and a large removable hand grip. The only criticisms I have are of the largely plastic construction of the head and locking nuts and the lack of a vertical plane spirit level, although there is one for the horizontal plane.
Tripods these days always come with adapters to allow a phone to be secured to the head and these are usually very similar. Not so here as the included adapter will allow a tablet of up to 10" to be fitted, a nice bonus.
My last tripod failed when the plastic tripod body snapped where the legs enter the body. This tripod is also made from plastic at this point but here the plastic seems heavier duty and so I am optimistic it should last longer.
I would describe this tripod as being a mid range device. It is a distinct step up from the light weight budget rivals but lacks the weight and metal construction needed for professional use.
Nevertheless, this is a well made and cleverly designed tripod/monopod that comes with some useful add-ons and I think is rather a good buy for the £49.99 price.
