COMANProfessional Camera Tripod Zero F38, 62" Lightweight Carbon Fiber Tripod with 360 Degree Panorama Ball Head and Quick Release for DSLR Camera, Video Camcorder

I bought my Coman Carbon Fiber Tripod Zero F38 in December of 2022, and after using it all this time, it is time to write a quick review.I always sought an excellent quick-release mechanism; while proprietary, it didn't disappoint. It is the most straightforward implementation of a quick-release I've used. I can quickly push the knob on the side, slide the camera in place, and twist the knob counter-clockwise to lock it in place. To release the camera, you only have to do the process in reverse. The camera feels secure and tight even if you don't lock it in place, hence the quick-release functionality.When you think that the quick-release was the easiest thing to do, increasing or lowering the height of the center column, and making the ball head position to portrait, is as easy as releasing a couple of levers.For panoramic fans out there, there is something for you here. Turn the knob for it, and you can take your camera for a spin!On the plus side, when folded, the tripod doesn't have that many negative spaces between its legs. The tripod legs themselves are quick-release as well! When folded, the tripod is around sixteen inches long and very portable due to its weight!The Zero F38 is the most effortless tripod I've ever used, and since my purchase, I've enjoyed it every time I've used it compared to my other tripods. I'll be using this for a very, very long time!

The COMAN Zero F38 tripod is another high end carbon fiber entry with professional quality material and fabrication and some odd features that are either innovative or annoying depending on your point of view. The first exceptional feature is the proprietary quick release plate which is incompatible with Arca Swiss/RRS style plates which are on all of my camera gear, but if this is your first tripod purchase, it will not be an issue. They do provide a blank column with a 1/4 inch stud for mounting your own preferred ball head or gimbal, but this necessitates removal of their hidden or inverted ball head and its innovative lever lock mechanism, which is one of my favorite features. The triangular center columns are another unique feature, which is of questionable benefit.Overall, the F38 Zero is a really nice tripod which tries too hard to differentiate itself from the competition. It is not a nice enough travel tripod to make me switch all of my gear to the Coman proprietary quick release, but I am not certain if or where it will fit in my travel gear.

First of all I want to say that this is a extremely well-made well put together tripod. The fit and finish are excellent and then construction is first class all the way. The fact that I’m giving it four instead of five stars reflect a little bit of my own personal preferences as well as some of the minor inconveniences created by the unusual construction of this tripod. It is by no means a criticism of its overall quality.I’ve use hundreds of tripods in my life and I have to say this is the most unusual unique one I’ve ever seen in a full size form factor. There are plenty of crazy little tripods out there, but as far as professional ones design for full-size cameras, this is very unique.Let’s talk about a few of the standard features first. It’s carbon fiber so it is very light and it is a five star segment leg, so it’s very compact. Although the legs do not flip over to cover the tripod head so it’s slightly less compact than a standard travel tripod. The legs have rubber feet with interchangeable metal spikes for soft ground, and the tripod head is interchangeable however in a more unusual fashion. It requires replacing the center column. A blank column is provided that allows you to install your own head such as a fluid head, arca-Swiss, or a panoramic.It also comes with a phone mount of good quality and a small magic arm that you can screw into the side of the tripod collar and have a phone set up next to and slightly underneath your camera.The center column has a hook in the bottom to add weight for stabilization and the hook screws out and contains an Allen tool for making tripod adjustments. All fairly standard stuff on a high-end tripod. The head has a locking quick release plate to attach to your camera although it is non-standard so this will not work with a Arca Swiss or Manfrotto type plates. This only allows you to dedicate a single camera to this particular tripod at any given time.Now the unusual part of this is that the ball head is integrated into the center column and essentially is upside down. The ball is integrated into the center column and in the sleeve at the ball rests in is at the bottom of the mounting plate. Instead of a knob before adjusting the ball head you have a lever. This takes a little bit of getting used to although there are two notches for lowering the head down to the vertical orientation instead of the usual one found in most ball heads.I’m not exactly sure what the purpose of doing it this way is. It’s definitely unusual and Wally doesn’t hurt anything I fail to see the advantage of doing it this way. They have to provide a completely separate center column to allow you to use interchangeable heads and plates. And the oddest thing I found with this is that the center column is triangular rather than tubular. There is a picture in the listing that would indicate that the triangular center column allows the legs to be brought in closer to the center and making the tripod more compact. This seems to be the case however the difference is not that significant. The legs are actually resting against the circular tool at the bottom of the column so it would’ve made a difference if the entire column was tubular with the same radius as the tool. It’s really the hinge placement around the collar that determines the circumference of the folded tripod.The center column is locked with another lever but this one is in a vertical orientation.That covers most of the features and like I said this is a well-built well featured high-quality professional carbon fiber tripod. My biggest issue with this is that the center column does not smoothly move up and down inside of the tripod collar. I suspect that having a triangular prism shaped column creates corners that can bind more easily against the bushings therefore creating a little more up-and-down friction. The column will not twist which I guess is another possible reason for them to use a triangle shape however most cylindrical columns are made in such a way that they don’t twist either.My other smaller issue is that while the tripod comes with a decent carry bag, it does not contain room for the accessories that you will need to carry with the tripod. You could toss the spike feet in the bottom but it would be much nicer if it had a little pocket. And there’s no room for the extra column which you’ll definitely want to carry with you if you are thinking about swapping out the heads, and no room for the phone mount which again you probably want to keep with the tripod.So if you want to keep everything together you’re need to buy a different tripod bag. One with an accessory pocket and possibly an internal sleeve for the extra column.Certainly this is an extraordinarily well-made piece of equipment suitable for professional work. It is a travel tripod which means it is small and light and designed to be carried with you. It will not be as stable as a larger heavy tripod but no one expects it to be.I’m actually happy to own something that’s just so unusual.

This Coman carbon fiber tripod has five sections, but is still as solid as my tank of 3 section Manfroto 190, and it weighs just half! It also comes with ball head mounted to center post that acts as a leveling base when set in the bottom position. It also weight LESS than my Manfroto Elements Travel tripod Small (which is nowhere as sturdy or tall btw). This Is clearly aimed at people considering the P.D. travel tripod, and it's HALF THE PRICE!Now I'm not saying this is perfect. The ball/leveling head is NOT Arca compatible. It's a shame, but they do include a flat base so you can swap in a head of your choice. The base is also a little small width wise when I tried mounting my ioptron star tracker, but it still felt solid. And this is a travel tripod, that still sits at normal height without center column extended.Tripod comes with phone holder and 1/4 screw mount. Unfortunately it doesn't open wide enough for my behemouth of a phone (Samsung note ultra with case), but it held my spare battey just fine.Tripod/heads were weighed together as shown in the photo. The Coman came in as 2.4 !!! Manfroto were 4.5 for the 190XL with Leofoto leveling baseand, 2.8 for the Elements Small. Proline with gearhead was 3.2.Head adjustment lever moves about 2 inches, and has some pressure to it. Half of the movement gives some grip similar to a gear head. The rest of the motion locks it tight.This is my new go to tripod. Heck, I may even sell a few of the others!

The media could not be loaded.  Recently, I've seen that there's been a surge of carbon fiber tripods coming out into the market. This is COMAN's variant of it, and I can honestly say that this is the most high-end, grandeur tripod.The entire thing is lighter than my other tripods. I'm glad that there's a center column on this tripod because it does allow for more stability and security that this tripod will not fall or tip over.What may come as a surprise is the price, but given that COMAN is more of a name brand than it was last year (because I personally spent money on several COMAN-brand accessories last year), then it's good to say that this is worth the money for what it brings to the table.Honestly, I do recommend this if you're willing to spend more in the short term to save money in the long run. This tripod will last you a very long time given the materials and the quality in which the materials were forged to make this a great tripod. I absolutely recommend it.