The Oben CT-2391 is a full-size carbon tripod for when travel tripods are too light: tall, solid, and reasonably priced, at the cost of pack size. The field test is below.
More: travel tripod reviews.
I’ve been conducting an ongoing, seemingly endless search for the best travel tripod for a while now. But as much as I love ultra-compact travel tripods, sometimes they’re simply just too small and light for a serious shoot.
Whether I’m shooting with a massive super-telephoto lens, mounting a heavy panning robot, shooting a long time-lapse where I absolutely need the rig to stay super still in the wind, or just needing a tall stance to get my camera over the heads of a crowd, sometimes I just need something that’s bigger, taller, and stronger.
For those heavy-duty shoots, I often use an Induro AT413 alloy tripod. It’s big, it’s incredibly heavy, and it takes an absolute beating in its stride. It sure is stable, solid, and ridiculously tall, but lugging it around is a chore.
Recently, I’ve been trying out the Oben CT-2391. The folks at B&H Photo sent me one to try out in the field. It’s significantly lighter than my alloy Induro, but it still handles heavy payloads and has a solid, tall stance.
First, the basics. It’s a 3-section carbon fiber tripod. Its legs use twist locks for the extensions. It boasts a massive maximum load capacity of nearly 40 pounds, yet the carbon fiber build keeps the weight down to nearly 3.5 pounds. Folded down, it collapses to 28 inches, so it’s definitely too big to qualify as what I’d call a true “travel tripod” (for one thing, it’s way too big to fit comfortably in a standard carry-on suitcase).
Legs & build quality
The Oben CT-2391 is sold either as just a bare set of legs or bundled together with a tripod head. In the measurements and specs here, I’m referring strictly to the legs-only version. For my field testing, I paired it with the Oben BC-166 ballhead, a heavy-duty head that makes a perfectly matched combination.
The legs are split into three sections that extend to a maximum height — without the center column extended — of about 63 inches. *(Note: There’s also a similar 4-section version available that folds down about 5 inches shorter).*
The extensions can be adjusted completely independently and lock securely in place with standard twist locks. The locks are heavily rubberized and grippy enough to use easily in freezing or damp conditions. There’s no special weather sealing at the actual joints, so they require the usual care you would exercise to guard against fine grime and grit getting inside the leg sections.
Each of the legs can be splayed independently at a choice of three distinct angles. The angle lock is fully manual, which means that adjusting it requires physically pulling it out and pushing it in (contrasting to the automatic spring-locks that some higher-end tripods feature).
At the top of the legs, right on the collar, is a highly visible bubble level to help you quickly dial in your horizon line.
Center column & stability
Extending the center column all the way up takes the overall height of the rig to just over 6 feet tall.
However, when fully extended, the column does have a little bit of physical give at the joint, introducing a slight wobble. This isn’t unique to Oben — it’s a common issue with extending columns — but for absolute maximum stability during long exposures, you’ll probably want to keep the center column locked down.
The head base plate is broad and provides a fantastic, wide foundation for mounting larger, heavier tripod heads.
And if you want to shoot extra low to the ground for macro work or dramatic perspectives, you can splay the legs completely wide and actually remove the center column entirely.
Feet & accessories
The tripod comes standard with grippy rubber feet. They’re threaded and fully removable, so you can easily unscrew them and replace them with steel spikes (for shooting on ice or loose dirt) or some other kind of specialized attachment if you like.
What’s in the box?
While it’s sold in various configurations, the bare legs-only version comes with:
- The Oben CT-2391 Carbon Fiber Legs
- A high-quality soft carrying case (which features pretty substantial padding, solid zippers, and is purposefully long enough to hold the legs even with a ballhead permanently attached)
Oben CT-2391 specifications
- Maximum Height (with center column extended): 72.4 inches / 183.9 cm
- Maximum Height (without center column extended): 62.9 inches / 159.8 cm
- Minimum Shooting Height: 7.0 inches / 17.8 cm
- Closed Folded Length: 28 inches / 71.1 cm
- Maximum Payload Capacity: 39.6 lbs / 18 kg
- Weight: 3.45 lbs / 1.56 kg
- Leg Sections: 3
Wrap up & final verdict
Overall, I found it to work incredibly well in the field. It is a lot lighter to lug around all day than the heavy alloy Induro tripod I usually grab when I need a larger rig.
Despite the weight savings of the carbon fiber, it still offers phenomenal stability, even when putting a pretty heavy load on top of the Oben BC-166 ballhead (in my case, holding a heavy Nikon D810 with a battery grip and a massive Sigma 150-600 super-telephoto lens). It also offers plenty of height, which is a massive relief whether you just want a comfortable, eye-level shooting height to save your back or you’re trying to shoot over the top of a crowd in the foreground.
Where to buy
The Oben CT-2391 Carbon Fiber Tripod is available at B&H Photo for around $450.
