Nest Traveller NT-6323CK

All the quality you expect from carbon fibre – but at a high price

Nest is new to the tripod game, but you’d never guess that given the quality of its NT-6294AK tripod we recently tested. Where those legs were aluminium, these are made from eight-layer carbon fibre, with the uppermost sections being a hefty 32 millimetres in diameter. That all adds up to terrific rigidity and an impressive 20 kilograms load limit, while the included ball head is capable of holding even more weight.

The trouble is, the sturdy head and a slightly higher 1.8-metre maximum reach adds weight which even carbon fibre can’t offset, making the NT-6323CK slightly heavier than its aluminium cousin at 2.5 kilograms. You’ll also be hard-pressed to feel any difference in rigidity between the two, yet the cost of carbon makes this 50% more expensive than the NT-6294AK, and that tripod has a nifty monopod conversion feature.

These sturdy legs are capable of supporting an FX-format Nikon and chunky lens, but they’re also pretty weighty