Oh I’m so happy with my purchase. While packing for the Penang shoot this morning, I thought it’ll be nice to have a lighter tripod than my Manfrotto 190DB. The Manfrotto is a great tripod but I felt it’s a tad heavy for traveling. So with a Gitzo in mind, I checked out Cathay. Steven was there to help me and he recommended the Slik Pro 714CF. Wow, I love it! Plus, it’s at $283, down from the $500 plus retail price. It’s carbon fibre but not as light as the Gitzo, but hey, it’s one-third the price. The stem can be shortened and the legs almost horizontal, ideal for macro shooting. You’ll need to get the head separately but with an adaptor, I could fit my Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head. I originally have reservations about twist lock system, preferring all this while Manfrotto’s locking system. But it’s been giving me problems recently and I thought of trying the twist lock. After trying it out a few times, I find it’s not too cumbersome.

My requirement is it must support up to 5kg, to hold my 1D Mark II and 70-200mm lens. My Manfrotto can handle anything heavier but I don’t see myself traveling with anything heavier than that combination. The Slik passed with flying colours.

One thing about Slik tripods is the sponge on the legs. I’ve no idea what purpose those serve. But as soon as I got back, I cut it out. And with some lighter fluid, I got rid of the marks and it looks even greater! Intricate carbon fibre designs were hidden by the unslightly and bulky sponges. The other manufacturers don’t have them so I’ve no idea what practical purpose they serve.

Besides, the tripod, you’ll also inherit a goody bag of stuff like CF card holder, lens cleaner, mini tripod, camera bag, LCD screen protector, etc. It’s like going through Christmas gifts. Not bad for $283!

I think it’s a really great buy and Cathay have only a few units left, up until the posting of this article. So if you’re interested call Steven at 63380451. Read more about the tripod in Slik’s website.

4 Responses to “A SLICK SLIK”

1. huang says:

   19/08/2009 at 7:49 pm

   The sponge is nice in cold weather.
2. eulee says:

   19/08/2009 at 11:35 pm

   Yah, that’s what I thought. Then again I’ll probably be wearing gloves if a non-metal surface like carbon fiber is cold for me.
3. eulee says:

   19/08/2009 at 11:50 pm

   Sean mentioned that the sponge will be useful to cushion the weight of that 300mm lens during transportation. Good point. Last time I shot with that lens, I had my bag strap supporting the monopod with lens attached.
4. dazza says:

   20/08/2009 at 12:21 pm

   Yeah, I read the sponges are for cold weather. Actually that new price is so attractive for carbon fibre, I just bought a 190 myself.