3 Legged Thing Leo Equinox Tripod Review

Features 

Handling & Performance 

Verdict

3 Legged Thing's Equinox Leo is a trendy looking tripod which 3LT says transcends the divide between compact travel and professional tripod systems. With a max weight hold of 30kg, the Leo is one of the strongest tripods we've come across. Designed to meet the needs of the travelling professional, no matter if their kit is mirrorless or medium format, here we find out how it performs. 

3 Legged Thing Equinox Leo Features

The 3LT Eclipse Leo is available as a kit with the Airhed switch or just the tripod. Eclipse defines the colourway of the tripod - black carbon fibre with bronze metal and a touch of orange. An Eclipse Leo is available for those that prefer a darker, more subtle design of black metal.

Included with the tripod in the box is a military grade padded material zip bag with carry handle and detachable shoulder strap. 

The Leo has 5 leg sections and a max standing height of 1.31m. The centre column has 2 sections to make it easier to compact and adjust the height. Legs can be positioned at 23, 55 and 80-degree angles. The centre column is reversible and removable for maximum versatility. 

The tripod is constructed from 100% pure stealth carbon fibre, which 3 Legged Thing say is what gives the tripod its immense strength compared to other brands. It weighs 1.4kg.

One of the legs can be detached to create a monopod. The tripod has twist lock grips - making it easier to undo more than one at once from compact for a quick setup. The grips feature a rubberised design and are very ergonomic - they are chunky and fit in the hand well. 

The model comes with rubberised feet, but these can be unscrewed to allow the use of metal spiked and a wide range of other feet options, sold separately. 

The ball head, an Airhed switch, has a load capacity of 40kg and has a pan control knob, ball locking knob and a reversible clamp release switch. The Switch clamp has an innovative locking mechanism which requires you to depress a switch before unclamping the base plate - no more accidental loosening of the plate with the camera on board. The Switch also allows for the use of different base plates from Peak Design and Arca Swiss. 

Leg angles are adjusted by pulling out the stopper at the top of the leg and pushing it back in at the desired angle. On the bottom of the centre column is a metal loop allowing you to attach ballast if necessary to keep the tripod in place. 

Key Features

• 5 leg sections
• 3 leg angles 
• 2 section, reversible & removable centre column
• 30kg max weight
• Weighs 1.44kg 
• Detachable monopod
• Airhed Switch ballhead included in kit model
• 100% pure stealth carbon fibre construction
• Canvas padded bag included 

3 Legged Thing Equinox Leo Handling & Performance

As is usually the case with 3 Legged Thing, the build quality is impeccable, and the ability to hold up to 30kg of weight is seriously impressive especially when looking at the competition. 

The chunky twist locks are a winner as well, allowing for comfortable and easy adjustment of the legs and centre column. It's rare to see a 2 section centre column, although the design does give you the ability to make the tripod more compact when folded this is really the only benefit. The tripod is easily transformed into a robust monopod if that's what you need - and the ball head can also be mounted onto it. 

The leg angle adjusters can take a while to get used to - you have to push the leg in slightly to then pull out the stopper and adjust the leg to the desired angle. This would perhaps be an easier system if these were push rather than pull mechanisms. This method does give you a very secure hold when in position. 

The ball head is very well damped and feels good to adjust - the switch style plate securing system means that to free the base plate you have to hold a switch down while pulling the lever out - avoiding accidental loosening scenarios. We've bought up before that 3LT plates don't come with any means of stopping them sliding off as standard. This is a deliberate design feature to give you seamless switching of gear but for added security, you can buy plates with a small metal stopper on the bottom if this gives you further peace of mind. 

The versatile nature of the tripod is impressive, with the small things like the addition of unscrewable rubber feet that give way for spiked feet or other options available separately and removable and reversible centre column making it stand out. The weight capability means that you can mount even the largest DSLR and lens without any real issue. 

Value For Money

The 3 Legged Thing Equinox Leo is available for £299. This is the higher end of the pricing spectrum for the travel tripod market but then again, nothing offers the max carry weight of these tripods so if this matters to your there's not much competition.

If you don't mind the lesser weight capacities of other brands then similar tripods include the Vanguard VEO 235AB travel tripod, which has a ball head, clip lock legs and compacts down to 38cm for £119, however it's an aluminium build and doesn't feature a detachable monopod. 

A more premium option is the Benro Travel Angel, available for £362.85. It features a removable monopod, magnesium casting for the metal parts and has reverse folding 9x carbon fibre legs.

For more travel tripod inspiration, have a look at our 'Best Tripods For Travel 2018' article. 

3 Legged Thing Equinox Leo Verdict

The 3 Legged Thing Eclipse Leo is a trendy tripod that may not suit everyone's tastes but is really well equipped and well built. Chunky rubberised twist lock grips make everything easy to adjust and the switch tripod head fastening give peace of mind when it comes to security. You'll not find another travel tripod on the market that offers the extreme weight carrying capabilities of this model - and it doesn't weigh any more than competitor carbon fibre tripods. It's a very sturdy, capable tripod that compacts down small enough to carry on or in a rucksack. As such we are happy to highly recommend it.

The 3 Legged Thing Eclipse Leo tripod can hold a massive amount of weight while still being a compact and lightweight travel tripod.

3 Legged Thing Leo Eclipse Specifications

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