Rollei Compact No. 1 Carbon - a perfect travel tripod. A review
After years of traveling together, my beloved travel companion, the AmazonBasics Travel Tripod, decided to retire. Due to all that traveling, it became frail. As the tripod was unavailable when I needed a new one, I researched for a new travel tripod for iPhone and bought the Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller Carbon Tripod.
In this review, you'll read why I bought it and how it performs out in the field.
Table of Contents
Sample Photos taken with the Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 tripos
Here are a few sample photos I've taken with my new Rollei tripod in Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria.
UFO Bridge in Bratislava shot on iPhone mounted to the Rollei Compact Traveller Tripod
Headquarter of the road side assistance in Vienna, shot on iPhone mounted to the Rollei Compact Traveller Tripod
Requirements for a travel tripod for iPhone
As I travel with carry-on luggage, a travel tripod has to fit into my Osprey Farpoint 40 - across! So, folded, the travel tripod has to be smaller than 14 inches.
Though I need a tripod that folds small, it also has to extend as much as possible. I'm 6.3 feet tall, and I want to keep my back intact. My old tripod extended to 52 inches.
As a travel tripod, it has to be as light as possible. My old travel tripod had 2.45 pounds.
Lastly, it must have a ball head, a standard plate, and a standard screw.
After carefully reviewing and comparing the specs of a dozen travel tripods, I decided to buy the Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller Carbon Tripod. So how does the Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller (what a name!) compare to my old tripod?
Two versions of the Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1
The Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 tripod is available in two versions:
- An ultra-lightweight edition made of carbon that weights 2.16 lbs.
- A lightweight edition made of aluminum that weighs 2.58 lbs.
As I wanted a lightweight tripod for traveling with carry-on luggage I bought the carbon edition of the Rollei Compact Traveller tripod, and this is the edition that this review is about.
Independently, the Rollei Compact Traveller tripod is available in different colors:
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Orange
- Titanium
Specifications of the Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller Carbon Tripod
Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 Carbon
The Rollei tripod folds relatively small to 13.39 inches, which is slightly bigger than my old tripod. But still, it's within the range that I need to carry it comfortably and across in my carry-on backpack.
The tripod extends to a maximum length of 55.91 inches, which is 3.9 inches more than my old one.
As for the weight, my old travel tripod had 2.4 lbs. The Rollei Traveller Carbon Tripod is a bit lighter. It weighs only 2.16 lbs.
My old and the Rollei tripod have 4-segment legs that you lock into position using rotating locks. The Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 comes with rubber feet caps that you can remove. Removing the rubber feet will reveal spikes. I haven't tried the spikes yet, but they may be helpful if you plan to use them on a surface like grass.
Spikes hidden by rubber feet. Just pull them off
Like my old tripod, the Rollei travel tripod has a center hook. You can and should use the center hook to add some weight to the tripod to stabilize it in windy situations. I recommend adding some weight if you use a light camera like an iPhone.
Center Hook
Though I do not use this feature, I mention it for completeness. The Rollei tripod supports an invertible center column that should be useful for close-ups and macro-photography. I'm saying "should" here because that's not my kind of photography; I need to leave it up to you to judge.
Lastly, you can turn the Rollei Compact Traveller No. 1 Tripod into a monopod. Unscrew one leg from the tripod and attach the tripod's ball head to it. This will result in a monopod that's 42.1 long. For me, that's a bit too small to use when standing.
Rollei Traveller Compact converted to a Monopod
Using the Rollei Compact Traveller Carbon Tripod
I've used the tripod on a few occasions so far. My first impression is excellent. The tripod is easy to handle, and you can set up and stow it quickly. You can lock the ball head tightly, and it works perfectly with the Griptight mounts that I use to mount my iPhone to a tripod.
It didn't feel much lighter (just 0.3 lbs lighter) than my old travel tripod. But the added 3.9 inch when extended makes it a bit more comfortable and convenient to use, given my size.
The Rollei tripod comes with a nylon bag with a way too short carrying strap. Plus, you get four spare rubber feet and two different hex wrenches to tighten the screws if they start to work loose.
The Verdict
The Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller Carbon Tripod is a great travel tripod. It folds small and extends more than my old tripod. And it's a bit lighter.
Handling the tripod is pretty straightforward, and you can even turn it into a monopod by removing one leg and combining it with the center column, which I still have to try.
In 2014, I paid roughly 95 USD for my old tripod - I just looked it up in my Amazon order history.
When I wrote this review, you could get the Rollei Compact No. 1 Traveller Carbon Tripod at Amazon for 112 USD; a reasonable price given its features.
And finally, please mind that you also need an iPhone tripod mount. I recommend and have been using the Joby Griptight Tripod Mounts for years and can recommend them without any reservation.
