Photo gear can be a funny thing. There’s so much of it out there and so many options. The market, as they say, is flooded with variations of every type and model of camera, lens, and tripod. This is a great thing for us photographers because the more companies compete for your hard earned dollar, more choices we have and the lower prices tend to become…well, usually.

As with most things we tend to get what we pay for and what we pay for hopefully fits the needs we have at the time. The hard part is figuring out exactly what we need and how much we should spend. And yes, this is in fact a review of the K&F Concept TM2524 tripod but bear with me for a little longer.

The reason I’m telling you all this is because as a reviewer it can at times be difficult to articulate the good with the bad and to discern the quality of a product in relation to the type of shooter who will use it most. As this review is typed I will attempt to show you all the things I like and don’t like about this latest tripod from K&F Concept. In the end, it will be up to you to temper these opinions with your own judgment and decide if this budget tripod is something you might want to carry on your next shoot. Now, onto the good stuff.

Out of the Box

When I first cracked open the box of the K&F Concept TM2524 tripod I was immediately met with an unexpectedly nice carrying bag which held the tripod and accessories. This is the second tripod from K&F and each one has included this high quality transport bag.

Inside the bag was of course the tripod itself, it’s accessories(short column and base plate), and a shoulder strap for the bag. All of these items fit in their own zippered compartment inside the carry bag. It’s always great to see a company including the tools needed to maintain their tripods. More on these rather novel accessories which are included in a moment.

The tripod itself is small and light which makes sense as it is marketed as a “lightweight travel tripod”. The total weight is just over 3lbs (1.39kg) with the folded size being a minuscule 17.1in (43.5mm). The specs from the K&F Concept website list the TM2524 as having a maximum extended height of 61.22in (155cm) and a minimum extended height of 17.5in (44.5cm) with a maximum load capacity of 6.6lbs (3kg).

Build

In hand the TM2524 feels solid and there are no rattles or loose latches or screws. The three leg locks are of the flip lock variety and are plastic. They lock the legs securely and operate smoothly. I would have liked to have seen metal leg lock mechanisms but these feel secure although the longevity of plastic leg locks could be a cause for concern. This is the first tripod I have reviewed which sports non-metal leg locks. Something that I was glad to see was the addition of a channel which runs interiorly on each of the three legs. This channel mates with each of the extension locks to add extra security to make sure the leg locks remain fixed.

The center column is extendable via a twist ring which tightens down comfortably smooth.

There is also a retracting hook at the bottom of the center column for attaching weight to help stabilize the tripod.

The legs of the tripod also feature plastic angle adjustment locks which are not spring loaded meaning that they must be disengaged with a pull and then physically engaged with a push to lock the legs at the desired angle.

There feet of the tripod are a beefy rubber that strike a balance between aggression and floor friendly softness.

Moving up to the ball head and lock we see a well build construction and one lock knob. This single lock knob is somewhat interesting as it is the only adjustment to be found on the ball head. We’ll address this more shortly. However, the ball head and lock assembly appear to be quite solid and lock tightly.

The plate lock itself is aluminum and features three separate bubble levels. Of note is the two-stage quick release locking mechanism which allows for very placement of your camera. The lock incorporates a spring loaded design which allows the lever to be cocked and then snap into place once the included base plate engages the lock release. The plate is also is also made of plastic but is surprisingly robust.

In Use

I took the TM2524 tripod out with my Canon 5D Mark3 and Sigma 24mm F1.4 Art to see just how well it would hold up under normal use. I have to say that it performed well, better than I expected really, but there is also some caveats. At a basic level the tripod performed as it should by offering a solid platform for my camera. Once setup everything was stable. However, the actual setup tended to be the main problem with the TM2524. Remember those angel locks I mentioned earlier? Their very nature makes positioning the legs quite a chore. Two hands are virtually always needed to lock the legs into place due to the fact the angle locks do not snap into place. This added quite a bit of hassle but once secured the locks hold well.

The ball head operates smoothly and all but silently through all movements. When the camera is positioned for vertical shots there was no drift observed during my evaluation. Overall I was quite impressed with the solidity of the ball head but….

Perhaps my biggest gripe the tripod is the fact that it has only one point adjustment for the ball head. Even though the ball head locks securely the single lock down virtually eliminates any possibility of quality panning because once unlocked the entire swivel also becomes moveable. If you don’t plan to use this tripod for panning then this point become irrelevant but if you do then take heed.

One leg of the tripod also detaches to be used as a monopod.

It works well enough but for a tripod this small the inclusion of a monopod is somewhat unnecessary. Even with the ball head attached the monopod measures roughly 50 inches(127cm). This makes it rather stunted for most users but not altogether unserviceable. And while we’re talking about the monopod something worth mentioning that I alluded to at the beginning of this review is the somewhat unique inclusion of some of the accessories. There is a compass attachment for the monopod…yes, I’m serious.

This seemingly converts the monopod to a walking stick which oddly enough it serves as quite admirably.

Some Final Thoughts on the TM2524 Tripod

If you can’t tell already I’ll go ahead and say it…the TM2534 travel tripod from K&F Concept was not the most amazing tripod I have every handled. At the same time, it costs under $100US at the time of this review. So instead of running down the list of specific things I did and didn’t like let’s try and put things in perspective. This tripod is not one that I would use everyday or in extreme conditions when failure isn’t exactly an option. That being said, do I think the TM2524 is worth the money, yes I do.

It all goes back to what I so oddly talked about at the beginning of this review: know what you need and what you are willing to spend. This offering from K&F Concept is something that would be great for someone who is just getting into photography and needs a tripod that won’t break the bank. It would also be right at home as a backup to keep in your car should some meteorite unexpectedly blaze through the atmosphere and destroy your main tripod. It is capable of functioning well and I even used it with my large format film camera (hey it was handy).

All in all, I am neither impressed or unimpressed with the TM2524. For a tripod that can be had for less than $100 it works as a tripod should. Will it perform to the fullest extent of your needs? Hopefully this review will give you the information needed to decide for yourself.