Slik Pro 700DX kit (with three-way pan head) £170, $170

The heaviest tripod in the group – by quite a margin – complete with a three-way head

Bucking the current trend, this kit includes a threeway pan head rather than a ball head. It tips the scales at 3.6kg, making it the heaviest tripod and head combination in the group, but it’s more of a lightweight when it comes to maximum load, its 6.8kg rating being one of the lowest. This is quite surprising, given that Slik claims its AMT (Aluminium Magnesium Titanium) material gives a 40 per cent increase in strength-to-weight ratio compared with aluminium.

The three-section legs are chunky, with greater diameters than most competing tripods, measuring 30mm, 27mm and 24mm from top to bottom. Clip locks enable secure fixing, along with smooth travel. At the top of each leg, a sliding pull-out mechanism gives three locking leg angles. The three-way head features two spirit levels.

Performance

The Slik is one of the more rigid tripods in the group. This is maintained even at its impressive maximum operating height of 191cm, which is only beaten by the 212cm of the giant Gitzo. Low-level shooting is catered for with a two-section centre column, the lower part of which can be unscrewed. It’s a good performer, and the supplied three-way head can be easily swapped for a ball head.