Visual inspection
The Sabrent TP-CF69 Tripod has a simple design that has as its center piece the carbon fiber pattern present on the three legs. This is a carbon fiber spiral design which is different than the typical woven patterns we see on every tripod.
The body of the tripod is made from solid aluminum that is painted in a glossy black. This pain is thick and seems to be able to withstand a good amount of scratching before getting damaged.
The tripod has a height of 1.75meters or 69 inches with all legs extended and the center column raised to its maximum setting.
The head included with the Sabrent TP-CF69 is made from metal and cannot be had as a standalone product, it’s only included with the tripod. This is a standard ball head that has three control knobs, two for the actual ball head system and one for the rotation mechanism of the base.
The tripod head has a panoramic grid marking on its lower part. This is used to help with panoramic photography.
What is good to see with this tripod head is that it has not one, but two bubble levels installed. One at the top, right on the same plate that holds the mounting plate in place and the other one inside the thumb screw that secures the mounting plate.
The mounting system used to attach the camera to the tripod head is a simple vice system. In essence, you install the mounting plate on the camera body and the vice of the tripod head will clamp the plate in place. It’s nothing fancy and it is certainly not a quick release system like we’ve seen with other tripods.
The mounting plate is made from solid metal. On the surface of the mounting pad, there are textured rubber pads that will prevent the camera from being scratched, in addition, they will grip the camera body and minimize movement.
The center column is made from a single section and it is height adjustable. The adjustment is done by loosening and tightening the main nut of the tripod.
In simple terms, you tighten the nut to keep the column in its place or loosen it to allow the movement of the column.
The bottom of the center column features a classic spring-loaded hook. This is used for two things; one is to hold your camera back or backpack above the ground when you’re not using them. And two, to add weight to the tripod and thus make it more stable, especially in windy conditions.
The main body of the Sabrent TP-CF69 is made from aluminum that is painted black. The legs of the tripod are also using aluminum made hinges and plastic made clips to adjust their angle.
Extending the legs is done by releasing a plastic clip which allows the leg to move up and down. These clips are made from hard plastic and the spring that holds each of them clamped is strong.
The base of each leg uses two types of feet; one is a rotating rubber pad that will grip on most surfaces while the other is a solid aluminum spike. The latter is used for soft ground like grass, sand etc.
