Velbon El Carmagne 640 - Heavy Duty Carbon Fiber

The Velbon El Carmagne 640 tripod has carbon fiber legs that provide excellent strength at a reasonable weight.

The load capacity is 25 pounds, suitable for large telephoto lenses such as the 400mm f/2.8 or 500mm f/4.

The height adjusts from 10 to 58 inches. Lever lock legs are easy to set up and adjust, and neoprene feet grip well on most surfaces. The 4 section legs allow this tripod to collapse to a very compact 18 inch length, and the lever-type quick release locks allow it to be set up in an instant. The downside—its not quite as sturdy as the Giottos heavy duty tripods.

The carbon fiber tripods are most popular with wildlife shooters and those who will be doing some hiking with their gear because of the lighter weight.

Please Note: This item is a tripod only. Its is not a tripod with ballhead. If you don’t have a tripod head you will need a tripod head also, or you may prefer to order a tripod/ballhead combination.

Specs

Maximum height

64 inches with center post fully extended

Collapsed height

22 inches

Weight

4.6 pounds

Leg Sections

4

Max Load

11 pounds

We carry a lot of tripods. Here’s a comparison between each of them (from lowest to highest load carrying capacity) to help you pick the tripod that’s right for you.

Giottos MT-7370 is a versatile, lava fiber tripod. Its lava fiber composition makes it light, strong, and rigid (stiff in comparison to carbon fiber, but just as light). It is perfectly suited to nature or macro photography. The MT-7370 rises to 68 inches with a fully extended center column. It is a sturdy tripod allowing for big lenses, featuring a three-section leg and spiky rubber feet. Realistically capable of handling about 12 pounds.
Giottos MT-9261 is a great, sturdy general-purpose-oriented aluminum tripod. It features a three-section leg, and it is heavier but less expensive than lava or carbon fiber tripods. A professional SLR camera and this tripod work well together. Realistically capable of handling about 15 pounds.
Velbon El Carmagne 640 – Heavy Duty Carbon Fiber offers a load capacity of 25 pounds in a lightweight carbon fiber package. It can also be set up in an instant using the quick release locks. The Giottos tripods we carry are sturdier, but are much heavier. If your passion is wildlife shooting, then this is the tripod for you. Realistically capable of handling about 15 pounds.
Novoflex Quadrapod has 4, not 3 legs. A four-leg system provides greater load carrying capacity, of course, but more importantly provides much greater lateral stability for working on uneven ground, higher winds, or when there’s a lot of twisting force (rapidly panning a supertelephoto lens, for example). Realistically capable of handling 25 pounds.
Induro CT313 Heavy Duty The heaviest capacity legs we carry that also has a center post. Not quite as sturdy as the Gitzo 353S1, but very close and it has a center post that gives it a bit more height when you need it.
The Gitzo 353S1 Heavy Duty is for when you need to use the big guns. It features an impressive load capacity rating of 39.6 lbs (think big camera and supertelephoto lens).

Still looking for more information on tripods? Check out our article titled Choosing a Tripod.