Ascend-14 Compact Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod

Amazing Tripod! I bought this about six months ago. Had the TVC 24L with a BH-40 head for years before i got this. Been shooting with a Hasselblad 907x and wanted to get more nimble with my rig. I felt the 24L was maybe a bit of overkill. Bought an Ascend 14 with the BH-30 head and it feels like it was literally designed for the 907x! The portability and form factor are awesome! The BH-40 is an awesome head and is absolutely perfect with the 24L, but the diameter on the base of the 40 is a bigger than the center column base on the Ascend, looks a bit cheesy, so the BH-30 is perfect. I have a Hasselblad 500C/M that i use with the CFV 100c back and mount that on the Ascend with no problem at all. Visually it's close to feeling a bit big for the tripod but because the build quality is so good i don't even think about the head being smaller or the stability of the tripod itself, holds the weight effortlessly. I did a side by side, and the stability absolutely smoked my PD carbon! Sold that instantly (and one of my cars) to offset some of the cost of the Ascend. ;-) I actually prefer the way the center column works on the Ascend a bit more than the 24L, the industrial design is just not quite there for me, but i get why they landed where they did for portability purposes, functions awesome though! The lever action compared to the twist is much faster and the feedback feels more positive. While the Ascend 14 is great, I am a bit sorry i didn't get the 14L. I did try the integrated head version and that WASN'T going to work for me. Impressive industrial design but, mmmm. The Baseplate column with BH-30 version is a no-brainer, there's no compromise on function from the bigger heads, less the friction knob, no biggy with a smaller camera body. When way over spending on a tripod in the first place, i should've just taken the total hit and not looked back. Side note: Wishlist to complete the PERFECT companion tripod to the 907x: A baseplate designed specifically for the 907x. I'm using a RRS generic plate, well it works, but is certainly the weakest link in the rig. I really want that plate locked to the camera and not depend on the friction of a rubber or cork pad. Final thoughts. RRS is of course known for having awesome gear. This definitely holds true with this tripod. The price is just silly, but the build quality, durability, and buttery head at the end of the day make it worth the investment! Thanks RRS team! Your attention to detail as always, is much appreciated! The Best, by far!!! USA!!!

Ok....so I'm a RRS Fan Boy. But that's because they make the absolute BEST gear in the world. This isn't the lightest or even the smallest "travel" tripod out there, but no other comes close to the sturdiness and stability it provides! Yes, that quality comes at a price. But you'll never need another travel tripod as long as you live.

Simply put this is the best optics tripod there is! My plan is to use spotting scopes and binoculars in this for hunting and nature watching. This tripod is more than perfect for this roll! Can’t wait to get more time behind it! Had a few questions about it when it came, RRS techs picked up right away and had all the answers. RRS is the best company in the tripod business and well worth the extra coin!!