Ulanzi F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod Review

Oct 17

I received the Ulanzi F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod a few weeks ago and immediately started putting it through its paces. The tripod came in a decent quality carrying bag which I have found convenient to put in while storing or in transit on my way to a destination. When I first took the tripod out of the bag I was immediately impressed by the weight of the tripod, which is constructed form carbon fiber. The carbon fiber helps keep the tripod light as well as still structurally strong and looks great. I have another brand all aluminum tripod that is a similar size, but weighs noticeably more. I have primarily used a the Ulazni F38 with my FujiFilm x100s as well as my FujiFilm X-T3 with vertical battery grip and found that it was able to handle these cameras easily. The x100s on the Ulanzi tripod is an incredibly lightweight rig and while the FujiFilm X-T3 with battery grip is quite a bit heavier I found that it was still a pretty manageable travel photography setup.

There was a moment after I started to get the tripod set up that I became concerned. I put my camera onto of the tripod and noticed that the ball head had some play in it that wasn’t keeping the camera stable. It took me a few moments to realize that there is an Allen screw in the center that I just needed to tighten a little more and it corrected this. It should be noted as well that the Ulanzi F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod also has an Allen tool that screws into the bottom of the center column. This tool comes in handy so you can tighten any screws that might come loose.

The Ulanzi Tripod is a travel tripod and so the light weight and the small compact size is ideal. While folded up the tripod is 16.7” and when extended can be 62.6” tall. I found the size and weight factor make me want to grab the tripod and bring it along with me. Over the last couple of weeks I have taken the Ulazni F38 with me on a bunch of different adventures and found no problem taking it to a bunch of different landscapes. I also found adjusting the legs to different angles was easy to do.

I found the ball head easy to use and adjust quickly. At first I wasn’t crazy about the flip locks that the tripod has because I am so used to using the kind that you screw to lock and unlock. I got used to these after a few times using them and now I almost prefer them. The tripod also comes with a quick release plate which is a must for me. When I am going out photographing different landscapes I am often taking my camera on and off the tripod when moving from one location to another and the quick release helps speed this along. From my experience the quick release plate seems to work really well, though sometimes I had trouble getting it onto the tripod the first time. This came down to the plate needing to be lined up so it would slide right now and might be more user error than anything. My other tripod has a different style quick release plate and I don’t have that issue, but I do think the quick release with the F38 is maybe more reliable especially the way you can lock it in place.

Overall I think the Ulazni F38 Quick Release Travel Tripod is a great lightweight quality tripod. This tripod works great for photographers looking for a sturdy tripod that won’t be too cumbersome to carry with them through all different landscapes. You can view more about the Ulanzi F38 Tripod here.