Nest Traveller NT -6294AK £200, $250
It’s the heavyweight of the group, with rigidity to match – but is it as portable as some of the others?
Impeccably finished in gunmetal grey, the Nest Traveller looks in a different class to the other tripods on test. It’s much chunkier, the bottom sections of the four-section legs having a 20mm diameter (twice that of some competitors). The ball in the head has a similarly oversized diameter, for silkysmooth adjustments, and features an adjustable friction damper and pan-only lock.
The Nest looks every inch a regular tripod rather than a downsized travel companion. The legs and head have a combined maximum load of 15kg, which is nearly twice that of any other tripod on test, and five times that of the Giottos and Velbon. The legs themselves have a 20kg rating. The maximum operating height is also the joint tallest on test, at 166cm, while the Nest folds down to just 46cm (with the head resting between the feet).
Performance
Rigidity is noticeably better than with any competing tripod, and all controls are easy to operate. Clever extras include a detachable leg and centre column for use as a monopod, and spring-loaded leg angle locks for straightforward adjustment. However, the downside is a weight of 2.15kg. That’s nearly twice the weight of the Giottos and Velbon tripods.