When Sunwayfoto released their brand new lineup of full-size professional tripods I was intrigued, having used Sunwayfoto T2C40C as a second tripod for over a year, I knew it was only just a matter of time before Sunwayfoto released a professional line of tripods to rival the giants of the industry like Gitzo, RRS, Leofoto and Buddiesman.
Sunwayfoto have introduced 5 different ranges, each aimed at a specific need. These are: Ultra Compact Series, Traveler Series, Explorer Series, Knight Series and Master Series.
The Master series is Sunwayfoto’s top of the range, heavy duty professional range of tripods.
I chose the Sunwayfoto T3640CM as it was exactly what I was looking for as my main tripod since my Gitzo GT3543XLS was a little heavy for long hikes, especially when carrying camping gear.
The Specs:
Model: T3640CM
Number of Leg Sections: 4
Tube Diameters (mm)：36 / 32 / 28 / 25
Height with legs folded: 55cm
Height with legs extended: 9-150cm
Platform Diameter: 81mm
Weight: 2.01KG
Load Capacity: 30KG
Leg angles: 23° / 55° / 85°
Mounting Thread: 3/8
As mentioned in my blog about choosing the right tripod (Which you can find here), the main things to look out for are the following:
Durability
Design
Weight
Leg Tube Diameter
Material (Carbon Fibre / Aluminium)
Maximum height
Minimum height
Maximum Load
Number of Leg Sections
Type of Leg Locks
Ability to use Spikes / Claws
Price
First Impressions
The Sunwayfoto T3640CM is incredibly sturdy, a good working height for a main tripod, short and light enough for long hikes, and is incredibly well built! The T3640CM has a minimum height of just 9cm and a maximum height of 150cm (Without a head), this is a great range for an everyday tripod!
The 55cm closed length makes it ideal for hiking with, and it can easily be packed into my checked luggage when travelling. The leg tubes are slightly on the heavy side, but this is what gives them their incredible rigidity and sturdiness. The spider (Apex) is very intricately designed and machined out of hard anodised aircraft grade alloy. The centre section is hollowed out to help keep weight down.
The Sunwayfoto brand is synonymous with high quality camera gear and has been in the market for 14 years.
When I started getting into photography and decided to buy my first tripod, I was shocked to find that some tripod legs cost over a grand! How could I justify spending more money on a tripod than I had on my camera and kit lens? How could I justify spending so much money on a simple device which would just be used to hold my camera?
I quickly learnt the hard way that you get what you pay for, cheap tripods don’t just ruin your photos, but they can ruin your precious equipment too! After having a tripod fail and destroy my camera in Iceland last year, I decided to buy something that would never give me trouble again!
The above specs really show that Sunwayfoto have put a lot of R&D into making these new tripods a professional quality product. A tripod which weighs 2.01 Kg and is rated to carry 30Kg of photographic equipment!
What’s in the box?
Sunwayfoto T3640CM
Rubber Feet
Spiked Feet
75mm Video Bowl
Apex Platform
Tripod Bag
Allen Key / wrench
Build Quality
As mentioned above, I was super impressed with the build quality of the Sunwayfoto T3640CM, it rivals my Gitzo GT3543XLS and leaves nothing to be desired. The tripod is a work of art and a clear statement of intent from Sunwayfoto to announce that they have arrived on the scene (Of professional quality tripods) and mean business!
This tripod has been well thought out and designed. There is no corner cutting, it is designed and built for exacting professionals who require the highest quality in the products they use. This tripod has done away with all the issues I have had with previous tripods.
The Spider (Base Plate)
The spider is the central point which the legs connect to (The apex). The spider on the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is similar to ones found on Gitzo’s Systematic tripods, it is machined out of billet aluminium, it is also hard anodised to prevent corrosion and scratches, and can accept a 75mm bowl for videography or a platform for photography. The platform has been hollowed out to save weight. It is this platform that he head is attached to using the ⅜ thread.
The centre platform has a neat hook on the underside and a 3/8’’ thread on the top. Attaching any head to these legs is a simple task. The hook can be used to tie the tripod down or hang your camera bag for added stability.
Leg Angle adjustment Locks
Like most other tripods, the legs can be adjusted to different angles, this is controlled by the leg angle adjustment locks or levers where the legs meet the spider. These adjustment locks allow the user to adjust the spread of the legs to allow the tripod to be used at different heights, but also move the legs independently of each other to use the tripod in uneven terrain.
The leg angles which can be set are 23 Degrees, 55 Degrees and 85 Degrees.
The leg angle adjustment locks on the Sunwayfoto T3640CM are the pull-out type, meaning you just pull out the tab to adjust the angle and release it to lock the legs at the desired angle.
Sunwayfoto have really nailed the professional feel with these tripods. Sunwayfoto have designed and introduced a brand new leg angle adjustment lock technology which prevent these from loosening over time, meaning less frequent need to retighten them.
Center Column
Like all professional tripods, the Sunwayfoto T3640CM does not have a center column, this ensures maximum stability and helps reduce unnecessary weight.
Leg Tubes
The leg tubes are a vital part of any tripod, the number of sections, their length and thickness dictate the minimum and maximum height of the tripod, but also how stable the tripod is. Leg tubes are telescopic and can be made out of aluminium (Heavier and more prone to corrosion) or Carbon Fibre (lighter, better at absorbing vibrations and more resistant to corrosion). The leg tubes of the Sunwayfoto T3640CM are made from 8 layers of carbon fibre, making them very rigid and still light weight. The leg tubes of the Sunwayfoto T3640CM are in 4 sections with the following diameters: 36mm, 32mm, 28mm, 25mm.
The leg tubes are vented with 3 tiny holes at the top of each leg to allow the sealed legs to be easily and quickly closed.
Leg Locks
All multi-section tripod legs will have some sort of locking mechanism, allowing the user to extend the legs as needed, affecting the height of the tripod. The two most common types of leg locks are the flip lock and the twist lock, the Sunwayfoto T3640CM has twist locks on its legs.
The weatherproof quick action twist locks are ultra smooth to operate, only requiring a quarter turn for them to unlock / lock the leg sections. They are covered with soft silicone which is easy to grip, even when cold or wet. The twist locks have internal O-rings which help reduce unwanted dust, sand and water getting inside the legs. Both the rubber and spiked feet have rubber O-rings to avoid water getting into the legs when working on the beach or in rivers.
The size of the quick action locks enables you to grab and loosen all 3 twist locks on each leg at the same time, helping to set up quickly. Even after months of heavy use in harsh environments, the legs still slide out smoothly.
Feet
At the end of each tripod leg is the foot. The feet on the Sunwayfoto T3640CM are interchangeable, with both rubber feet and a set of spikes included. The stainless steel spikes are best for outdoor use, in soil, sand, rock and ice. The spikes on the Sunwayfoto T3640CM are a little short for my personal preference, however they still do a good job of keeping the tripod steady in soft terrain.
Load Capacity (30Kg)
The Load capacity of any tripod is crucially important as it directly impacts the tripod's stability and what gear that can be safely mounted to the tripod.
The load capacity of the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is a whopping 30Kg! Putting that into perspective, my heaviest setup is the Nikon Z7II camera body, FTZ Adaptor, Nikon 300mm F4 Lens, Sunwayfoto PNL-Z6II L-Bracket and the Sunwayfoto EB-44 Ballhead, which add up to roughly 3Kg, that’s just 10% of the maximum load capacity rating for the tripod.
Height
The Sunwayfoto T3640CM has a minimum height of just 9cm and a maximum height of 150cm (Excluding Ballhead). This is a happy medium, but still slightly lower than I would prefer.
Weight
The Sunwayfoto T3640CM weighs in at 2.01Kg, its a decent weight, but I wouldn’t consider it ultra light, especially for its maximum height. The rigidity and stability provided by the very thick leg tubes is was adds to this weight.
Stability
This is one of the main areas in which the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is amazing. Stability is the single most important factor for any tripod and I’m glad to say that the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is ‘As solid as a rock’, with absolutely no movement or vibrations transmitted into the camera.
Speed
The speed with which a tripod can be set up and a composition chosen is critical, especially if trying to catch a fleeting moment of light. In this regard, the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is great as it can be set up quickly, the leg locks are close enough together that all 3 can be opened simultaneously by simply twisting them a quarter of a turn with one hand.
Could the Sunwayfoto Master Series Tripod range be any better?
The short answer is yes, although the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is the perfect height when fully extended on level ground, it is a little short when used on an incline. There is of course the Sunwayfoto T3650CM, which had a height of 160cm on level ground, but this has 5 leg sections, making it impossible to open them all at once and also slightly compromising the rigidity of the tripod (In fact, the Sunwayfoto T3640CM has a max load capacity of 25Kg compared to the Sunwayfoto T3640CM.
I would prefer a slightly longer closed length (Circa. 63-65cm) to give a working height on level ground of about 180cm. This could be because I am so used to my monstrous Gitzo GT3543XLS which has a maximum height on level ground of 202cm, but it makes all the difference when working on steep inclines!
Pros:
Well designed and built with quality materials
Very sturdy and rigid
Can open flat for low shooting angles
Weather and Corrosion resistant materials
Great maximum load capacity (30Kg)
Easy to carry on long hikes
Cons:
I wish it was a little taller (25-30cm taller)
For its height, it is slightly heavy (Ideally come in under 1750g)
Conclusion
When Sunwayfoto sent me the Sunwayfoto T3640CM, I was really hoping that it would be as good as it looked in the pre-launch images, the reality is that it is even better and really exceeded my expectations in every way! With its modest pricing, I can really see this being a favourite for anyone who isn’t dead set on specifically owning a Gitzo or RRS tripod.
Coupled with a reliable and professional arca swiss style ballhead like the Sunwayfoto EB-44 or EB-52, the Sunwayfoto T3640CM is an awesome tripod which if cared for will last for many, many years! The rigidity and stability have made it my main workhorse and my go-to tripod. I absolutely love using this tripod, it does everything that I expect it to do and more! The incredible sturdiness is reassuring and makes working in difficult conditions feel more reassuring!
Disclaimer for Transparency
I have been sent this tripod for free by Sunwayfoto to use and review, I am not being paid by Sunwayfoto to write this review, and therefore this review is purely based on my experience using the T3640CM and how I have found it compared to other tripods which I have used. When reviewing products I always aim to be objective and honest. Through use and testing, I will provide my feedback to Sunwayfoto on how I believe they can improve their future products, after all, Sunwayfoto has become market leaders at making products to suit photographers’ needs as they listen to their customers and implement the feedback they receive.
I have tried my best to be impartial and unbiased in this review.
I review gear as impartially as I can – When looking to buy a new product, I do loads of research and look at reviews. It is vital that the reviews are genuine and impartial, the last thing I would want is for someone to waste their hard-earned cash on something which will not give them the best value in return
The brands I partner with are the brands that I would spend my money on – I would never recommend a product for the sake of it, if I don’t find it suitable to my workflow or it doesn’t perform as I expected, I would not recommend it.