Hands-On Review: Oben CQL-13 Compact Carbon Fiber Tripod

Although it's relatively new, the Oben CQL-13 Compact Carbon Fiber Tripod has already made quite a name for itself, garnering praise, popularity, and a growing list of five-star reviews. Available only at B&H, the CQL-13 features an equally exclusive stat sheet, especially for a travel tripod. Its alluring feature set includes an incredibly lightweight, pound-and-a-half design that extends up to 51.1” and folds down to 14.5”, all while offering a load capacity of 13 lb—more than enough for a full-frame camera and a big telephoto lens. The CQL-13 also features a unique twist-lock mechanism that other reviewers have praised for significantly reducing setup and strike times.

Despite the CQL-13’s glowing reputation, I was a bit underwhelmed when I first handled it. In my initial haste, I mistook its lightness for slightness. Also, I was admittedly skeptical of the tripod’s legs and peculiar locking mechanism—which, to be fair, did take me a minute to figure out and master. That's the risk of innovation: turning people off because they don't want to learn a new process, even if it does save them time. Here, the conceit is that to extend the legs, you twist the leg’s rubber foot clockwise, with the leg giving haptic and sonic feedback by clicking as each section is unlocked. To lock the extended leg in place, twist counterclockwise, akin to tightening a bottlecap.

Took me a few tries, but eventually I got it down, and once mastered, the setup process was as quick and easy as everyone said. The ball-head and Arca-type quick-release plate were the pieces that immediately read to me as sturdy and well-made, if conventional. The tripod also has a center column that extends to the top of the tripod’s 51.1” range and features a ballast hook for counterweight.

So, while my initial impressions were admittedly mixed, I was still eager to take the little guy out for a spin and see how it fared with some long exposures, where the tripod’s sturdiness would ultimately be revealed

My first go with it was doing some night shooting down at Coney Island, about a mile walk from my apartment. I brought the Oben CQL-13 along with my Nikon D800, a 28-105mm lens, and some snacks. The tripod was by far the lightest item in my inventory (I had a lot of snacks), so much so that it was a little awkward to sling over my shoulder, because it kept sliding under my arm. Eventually I switched to carrying it like a purse, which, given its featherweight design, was the most natural way to carry it.

Unfortunately, the park was closed, so I set up in a few different spots for some exposures of between six and ten seconds. Eventually I moved beyond the park and was on the way to shoot on the platform of the West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium elevated subway station, but an angle of the empty park enticed me, and I had to stop and set up again to play around.

That was when it clicked for me that I didn’t feel like setting up the tripod would be too much of a hassle not to try something out. It opened the experience of shooting for me in a way that I wasn’t expecting, especially since I’m a relative amateur when it comes to world of long-exposure night photography. A bulkier, clumsier tripod might have dissuaded me from pursuing certain shots, or have worn me down even upon arrival, or increased my equipment load (and reducing my mobility) by having to load it into a pushcart. Instead, I felt free to experiment to my heart’s content. I knew that I could trust the tripod to work as needed, to endure whatever rigors my journey brought, and that I could carry it indefinitely.

I walked the mile back home after about two and a half hours of shooting with a few photographs I was pleased with. While the Oben had worked very well for me, they were relatively favorable conditions, with a small(ish) camera and lens and a remarkably windless South Brooklyn evening.

I don’t often use a tripod in my own work, and when I do, it’s almost always while shooting a Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 camera with the Lomography LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back—equipment that is as heavy, bulky, finicky, and fragile as its multisyllabic mouthful of a name implies. I took that setup with the Oben CQL-13 to the beach the following morning, where the evening stillness had been replaced by restless, midday, easterly winds. This is where the tripod’s Arca-type quick release plate really shined, because it was able to secure the ungainly, seven-pound setup without issue.

As for the rest of the tripod, it stood fast in the 16mph gusts, the camera shaking more with the press of the shutter release cable than the force of the wind. I mentioned earlier that the center column has a ballast hook—I never once felt like I needed to use it. The feet withstood the sand, and striking the tripod was as easy the next day as it had been the night before. Once again, and in a higher-stress environment, the Oben had proven itself as a reliable piece of equipment I could trust to just work, so I could simply focus on shooting.

Effusive praise aside, I did have some quibbles. For one, I wish it was a little bit taller. Given the choice, I would gladly accept the slight wieght increase some additional height would incur. Some users have complained that the ball-head’s locking mechanism locks in a counterintuitive direction. While the locking direction didn’t bother me, the notch did seem to have its full range of motion blocked by the center of the ball head, making me a little anxious about its security—an anxiety that proved to be unfounded, but it’s a strange design quirk nonetheless.

Minor quibbles aside, the Oben CQL-13 flat-out delivers. It’s well-made, sets up and breaks down quickly, and does its job without fuss. It’s the rare piece of gear that gets out of your way so you can give your full attention to executing the shot—that alone is worth its weight in gold (or five-star reviews).