Velbon Sherpa 435R

The Velbon Sherpa 435R has a sleek design with thin legs, a smart black finish and a special alloy construction, making it very lightweight.

The Velbon Sherpa 435R weighs in at just 1.48kg and is a good option for those who like to travel fast and light. It comes supplied with a three-way head that has three built-in spirit levels for aligning your shots. The head itself is detachable, and uses a 3/8in thread so will be compatible with other heads. It does sit slightly off centre though, and this, combined with protruding adjustment handles, can make it a little awkward to pack away.
This is a minor complaint though, as the handles can be removed for easy storage, although this will add to the set-up time. With the handles attached the flip-lock system was quick to set up taking just 15 seconds in both directions.
The centre column can be shortened and reversed, and the legs can also be angled and locked at three different height positions. This enables you to shoot at a really low minimum height of 23.8cm, but if you’re after max height the The Velbon Sherpa 435R also scores well, extending up to 161cm.