Saying something is the best is a big claim, but, in this case it rings true. Certainly, for me, it’s the best tripod I’ve used in the mountains, the one most suited to my needs. I’ve used lots of other brands, Gitzo, Manfrotto, Benro etc yet the T3240CS leaves them standing.
As they say, your mileage may vary, your needs may be different but let me tell you why the T3240CS works so well for me.
1. Weight
This is a major criteria for me since any ascent of a mountain is a big effort and involves not just photo kit, tripod etc but also survival kit and possibly gear for an overnight bivi as well. At roughly 1.8 KG, the tripod and embedded head are very light for their capabilities.
2. Bulk
Bulk, or lack of, is a major attribute of the higher end Sunwayfoto tripods. With no centre column, the legs close up neatly. Overall packed length is only 55 CM which fits easily on the side of my pack or even goes inside. The short size is great and makes it less likely to snag on rocks and trees and the like.
3. Design
Love the simple design and especially the waterproof legs. No centre column and the embedded ball head make for a low centre of gravity and greater stability. Despite the small packed size, it has a maximum height of 144 CM which is perfect for me.
4. Stability
These tripods are super stable and I’m happy to use my Sony 70-200mm F2.8 lens at very slow shutter speeds knowing that the shots will turn out crisply sharp.
5. Sturdyness
These tripods are super sturdy and easily capable of supporting any kit I might use even in mega high winds.
6. Simplicity
With mountain photography, simplicity is key. Simple and easy helps me get the shots. It’s easy and quick to set up to grab that fleeting moment of perfect light. The twistlock legs are a breeze to use and lock rock solid making setting up the tripod swift and easy.
The T3240CS has been the peak of an evolutionary process using Sunwayfoto tripods. First, I had a T3240CM which was a superb design and ideal for winter work in the Cuillin, it’s superb stability and strength being perfect for high winds and inclement weather. It was my first Sunwayfoto tripod and I loved it. Paired with the XB52 ball head and it seemed perfect.
My next tripod was the T3240CM which was like the T3240’s little brother. The same, sturdy design yet a bit smaller and lighter. I was delighted as was my back since photo trips always seem to involve carrying hefty packs of gear.
The IB65 inverted ball head was a bit of a game changer for me. Very low centre of gravity and considerably lighter than the XB52, I loved it. When ordering it, I had hoped to use it with the lighter tripod, the T3240CM but Sunwayfoto’s super knowledgeable support staff were quick to point out that they weren’t compatible.
No sooner had I produced a review of the T3240CM than Sunwayfoto started advertising the T3240CS. It was marketed as a tripod for hunters and snipers but was basically the T3240CM with the IB-40 inverted ball head built in. Joy of joys. All of the advantages of the lighter tripod combined with an inverted ball head.
Let’s see how my perfect tripod evolved with a few statistics;
T3640CM and XB52 ball head; 2.69 KG Packed length 64CM
T3240 and XB52 ball head; 2.24KG Packed length 61.1CM
T3240CS and IB40 ball head; 1.8KG Packed length 55 CM.
Thus, you can immediately see a huge weight saving and much shorter packed size yet the T3240CS still has a maximum height of 144CM (only 6CM shorter than the T3640CM).
That was the good news, the bad being that I couldn’t find any reviews on line. Well, I could find reviews, lots of reviews but all were using the T3240CS in it’s intended role as a support for a rifle. Loads of reviews from hunters and snipers but nothing landscape specific.
I was excited and asked for one but there were still lingering doubts at the back of my mind about the tripod’s suitability for photography. Sunwayfoto didn’t help and their advice was that the tripod was very much geared towards the shooting market, that the ball head only had a restricted range of movement, that it might not be as smooth as a photo specific head.
Ignoring all this, I went with my gut feeling and nervously awaited it’s arrival. Would the limited movement of the ball head prove to be a deal breaker? Would the lighter weight ball head be man enough for a large lens? I don’t know why I was worrying since there are videos on line of it being used with half inch sniper rifles.
Was I overthinking things? I didn’t know but I was dreading getting a tripod which was only of limited use. I need not have worried and once I’d opened the box and had a look I was reassured. The tripod was exactly as expected, ditto the ball head and the combination looked to hit the nail on the head. I was pretty sure this was going to be a dream combination, a tripod set up to rule the roost but only physical use in the mountain environment would confirm things 100%.
I may have only had the tripod for a little over two months but it’s been put through it’s paces big time. It’s been used for 25 days over that period and some of those days have been pretty big. Early o’clock alarm calls to ascend mountains in the dark, three hours of climbing to be in place for sun rise. Long days traversing the ridge to be in place for sunset. A two day trip with a bivi in a cave high on Sgurr Sgumain.
Not many days of use but a lot packed into a couple of months. Certainly, more than enough to convince me that I’d made the right choice. The tripod is nice and compact when collapsed and fits neatly enough on the side of my @builttosend X2 pack or is small enough to go inside if there’s room.
It’s fast to deploy, the twist lock legs being slick and smooth. The ball head is easy to operate using the large green anodised lever; in my opinion, a much better option than more traditional knobs. The lever is large and easy to find and use by feel alone whilst you concentrate on the subject matter. The whole set up is rock solid and stable even in really high winds. The weight/bulk to stability ratio is mind blowing and I’ve used a long lens in 60 plus MPH winds and still got sharp images. Long exposures proved a doddle, all images pin sharp.
The tripod has been used a lot in the mountains but also by rivers and lochs and by the sea. It has been drenched in rain, encased in water which then froze. It has been drenched in sea water and covered in mud. One of it’s big plus points is that the legs are waterproof so no water gets inside. This has two big advantages; it cuts down on post photography cleaning faff. With other tripods after they’ve got wet I’ve had to disassemble them, meticulously dry then reassemble. Knowing no water can get in means that even after a soaking in salt water, all I need to do is rinse with fresh water and leave to dry. The other big advantage in the mountains is that the leg joints don’t risk freezing solid. Water can get in, perhaps it’s raining as you ascend. Then as you get higher and the temperature plummets, the rain drops can freeze. Not a problem with the Sunwayfoto tripod.
No tripod is perfect but the T3240CS is as good as it gets. It has been a delight to use. In fact, it’s been so good that I’ve even used it for low level beach and river photography in preference to the larger models that I’d normally use where weight and bulk aren’t a constraint. The IB-40 ball head is brilliant and the restricted rotation up and down of only 35 degrees is not a problem. Most mountain top photos where I’ve been looking down, the movement has been sufficient. Once or twice, the movement wasn’t sufficient but an easy work round was to simply shorten the leg/s at the front to angle the whole tripod down slightly. The ball head itself works really well, adjustment being so easy via the single large lever.
Sunwayfoto kindly included a set of TP-02 “stainless steel Tripod Foot Claws” at my request. These have proved to be a game changer and work well in pretty much any environment. They provide an amazing grip on rock, snow, ice as well as grass, mud and sandy beaches. They are fantastic for use high in the mountains where the tripod may have to be placed precariously above a huge drop on wet or iced up rocks. The claws bite into ice and hook onto the smallest rock edges. They are so versatile and secure and the only downside would be if you wanted to use the tripod indoors where they could easily mark a polished floor etc.
The claws weigh slightly more than the spikes or rubber feet that come as standard with the tripod but the extra security and versatility is worth a few extra grams. My one request to Sunwayfoto to improve my tripod set up would be if they could make the claws in titanium to reduce the weight a bit. The claws being wider diameter also serve to protect the bottom of the carbon fibre legs from damaging.
Aesthetically speaking, I like the tripod a lot. The green anodised finish on the head contrasts nicely with the black and looks great. Sunwayfoto tripods have a hard to describe quality in that they feel like really high quality tools which are a pleasure to use.
The real proof of how good the tripod is the host of great photos I’ve managed to take during the two month test period. True, there’s a lot of luck involved but without the right skillset and tool box, things would be much harder or impossible. The T3240CS has made my life easier and proved itself a true work tool and is definitely my favourite tripod of all time.
The T3240CS is marketed as a “Shooting Tripod” but, I think Sunwayfoto are missing a trick here. It’s small packed size and fantastic weight to stability ratio make it the ideal set up for landscapes and mountainscapes.
