Giottos Silk Road Series YTL8384 4-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with 3D Column, Holds 18 Lbs, Extends to 72", Weighs 3.7 Lbs

The Silk Road YTL8384 not only offers the stability needed to take the perfect picture but the patent pending Y-Tube center column design is 30 per cent more compact when folded compared to a similar sized tripod. This versatile tripod features multi-layer carbon fiber construction, an easy lever leg locking system and foam hand grips. Add to that a 3D center column, graduated leg markings, three leg angle adjustment positions and a screw thread that converts between 3/8-inch and 1/4-inch.

Tough Construction and Design
The center column on the YTL8384 brings a different dimension to tripod design - allowing legs to be stowed in a much more compact way, without the 'bulk' of tripods that use a traditional circular center-column. The legs are constructed from eight multi-layered carbon fiber, with galvanized steel screws to allow the product to be robust and durable over a long time period. Carbon fiber gives you strength and stability whilst making the overall tripod lighter and therefore easier to carry. The YTL8384 supports a maximum weight of 8kg making it ideal for a good range of DSLR and lens configurations.

Y-Tube Centre Column
The 'Y' shaped center column has the added benefit of reducing both the size and the weight of the tripod whilst providing the same camera support that users expect. The overall space saved equates to about 30 per cent verse a traditional design, saving you room in a gadget bag or lightening the overall load that you carry. The tripods versatility is further enhanced by the addition of the 3-D center column function which allows you to remove the center column from its vertical position, rotate it through a 180 degree angle and lock where required. This combined with the variable leg angle settings makes this tripod ideal for a wide range of photography.

3D Adjustable Centre Column
The 3D center column can be moved through a 180 degree arc, giving even more creative flexibility to the user. This model also includes a low angle adapter as part of the tool kit so you can fully remove the column and get extremely low to the ground. These features can often prove helpful for macro or still-life photography where the camera needs to be positioned closer to the subject. The tripod can be set as low as 18 cm for fantastic versatility in use. The column includes a useful hook on the bottom to hang a bag (or likewise) off to gain a bit of extra stability too.

Variable Leg Settings
The four leg sections extend to a maximum height of 150 cm (without center column extended) or 182 cm with the center column raised. Consider this alongside a choice of three leg-angle positions (low, medium and high) and a center column that can be reversed and you have a really flexible working solution for all types of photography.

The YTL8384 features quick action lever leg locks to make set up quick and easy. These can also be individually tensioned with an allen key (included with the kit) if necessary. It has graduated markings on the lowest leg sections to aid when setting up the tripod at less than full extension.

Other Features
The Giotto's Silk Road YTL8384 is a very versatile tripod and will suit a variety of photography types. The head mounting thread on the tripod can be switched between 3/8 and 1/4 inch easily. This allows a wide range of heads from both Giotto's and other manufacturers to be fitted if required. Foam grips on the top of each leg section mean that repositioning of the tripod is comfortable and the quick release locks allow the leg angles to be adjusted independently on each leg for use on uneven terrain or for low level use. The whole unit folds up to only 58 cm and weighs just 1.66 kg making it a popular choice due to it's lightweight design and compact shape being so easy to use.