I have been taking pictures for over 35 years and one of the best pieces of gear I ever bought was a Manfrotto 3021BN aluminum tripod. It served me well when I was younger and didn’t mind the weight. I had pared it with the Gittos MH3000 Ball head modified with a video QR system. The combo weighs about 10 pounds, is rock solid, but can be very tiring to carry when hiking. It is also top heavy so mounting it a pack is difficult.

I tried some less expensive light weight tripods and even a carbon fiber travel tripod that I managed to snap the leg on during my first outing. While these tripods were light and easier to carry on 3+ mile hikes they really did not have the stiffness needed for large format or even long lenses on DSLR bodies.

So I spent about 6 months seeking reviews and recommendations for a carbon fiber tripod to be my next forever tripod. I had many must have items on the wishlist, and here were some other optional features but I will get into those in this review.
Price: ~$500
Height: 60+ inches down to ground level – no center column
weight: 5 pounds or less
stiffness: Need something that will not vibrate in moving water or light wind
support: While my 4×5 camera + lens is less than 10 pounds, the DSLR + 400 lens can be more. I am also purchasing a 5×12 view camera so will need to support that.
durability: I hope for it to be last tripod I ever purchase.

I read many reviews and watched youtube videos about various tripods and my wishlist soon began to limit what I could obtain at this point in time. The pros were all touting their RRS big carbon fiber models for use in the field. But at $900 plus that put them out of my reach. But I did see several reviews of FLM’s CP38 L4 model which has similar specs to the RRS offerings. That began my research into FLM, Feisol, and some other brands that had lower price offerings. I eventually narrowed my search down to two models the CP30 and the CP34. The FLM CP30 is a great bargain and checked off many of my wishlist items but was on the edge of being just good enough. I feel the CP34 will serve me better in the long term. And when it went on sale for 15% off I could no longer resist. I purchased directly from the manufacturer/distributor in Canada and even managed to get free shipping and no taxes. I have also seen many reviewers praising Ari, the owner at FLM Canada, for his guidance and service. So I made my purchase with confidence I was getting a great product with the features I desired.

First Impressions
The Tripod was shipped double boxed and well protected and arrived in a matter of days. I unboxed it and made sure all was firmly attached and working as desired. The bolts and leg locks were adequately tight straight out of the box and moved with ease. With all legs extended the tripod base sits at nearly 68 inches so with a head and camera I could use it over my head height when needed. Or use a long leg on a slope as I often do in the mountains. I attached my Manfrotto 3-way head and tightened the friction bolts on the base to secure it. I did not purchase the half ball adjustable base for the 75mm bowl but do not need it since the 3 way head can be leveled. The cork and friction bolts on the base are great feature if you walk with your camera mounted, since they will not allow the head to spin or come loose. The diameter of the upper leg sections and the leg locks are much larger than I expected but still quite comfortable in hand. I tested the different positions/angles of the legs. There are only 4 positions Closed, and other positions are about 30,60,90-ish degrees (angle not measured). The tripod comes with exchangeable rubber feet or spikes which thread into the bottom leg section. The included allen wrench fits all the bolts. I fiddled with the leg locks, base, and head once more and made sure all was ready for the trip, then packed it in the car.

First Outing:
After a couple of days of rain we finally had a merely cloudy morning so I set out to the beach to find something to shoot just after sunrise. The clouds and water were dull and would not have been much to look at in grey tones. I turned my attention to the islands curved oaks instead. Most of them had brush and undergrowth or distracting backgrounds so I had to hunt along the edges of the woods and property lines to find something. Carrying the tripod was no more difficult than my travel weight tripods. In a nearby beach access parking lot I found a bent tree with an interesting shape with an aged fence behind it. So I set up the tripod with the 3 largest sections extended only and leveled it. All of my other tripods have clamp style leg locks so the CP34’s twist lock will take some getting used to. Even with only 3 of the 4 leg sections extended I found the tripod height to be taller than what I have been used to, so using the reflex viewer was a challenge. The ground glass was about my eye level which will was nice for dark cloth use.

After taking my shot I left the camera attached and walked around a bit more until I found my next shot. The head nor base budged while walking around and the weight was comfortable. I found another stand of curved oaks that had the underbrush mostly removed and landscaped. The ground was a bit uneven so I had to work to get the base level to start with. I will get used to the twist locks and the direction of tighten and loosen. Shortly after my second shot it began to rain so I threw a bag over the camera and headed for shelter. I did not get to go out the rest of the short trip to see if there were any issues of note.

One flaw/design issue I encountered that could be improved is the lack of a zero leg position when closed. If the legs are short, the rubber feet act as a stop to each other. However when walking around with the legs extended they can cross and move between each other like an X. I like the leg angle lock mechanism and can use it with gloves in winter. I have not decided whether I will use mainly with spike or rubber feet yet. I have seen tripods that have an adjustable foot which can be spun so that the rubber foot exposes a hard spike, but it is not very long. Maybe a spike QR system could be designed as an accessory.

Missing nice to haves. In my mind the Half Ball should be included in the price or as an option instead of the fixed base. The half ball can be purchased if desired. A carry case would be nice but I will likely get a strap of some sort to use instead. Padded upper leg cover – I tend to carry the tripod extended on my shoulder and in winter they reduce the cold. These are available from various manufacturers.

Overall I think this is great tripod. The quality is obvious in feel and smoothness of operation. The height to weight ratio, features, stiffness, and a mid range price makes this item near perfect combination for a hobbyist use in the field or maybe even studio. To get an idea how this tripod stacks up agains other models I recommend spending some time at The Center Column website. The CP34 L4II tripod and its siblings are available in select camera retail stores or can be purchased directly from FLM Canada. FLM also has a variety of Ball heads and other accessories.