Rollei Compact Traveller No.1 – best all-round travel-tripod!
I was looking for a very small and reasonably light travel tripod for my 90D, so thanks to Prime Day I came out with the Rollei Compact Traveller No.1. There is one version of the tripod made of aluminum and one made of carbon. I deliberately bought the slightly heavier aluminum version. You will find out why I did that further down in the post. The following review will therefore mostly refer to the aluminum version.
If you have already dealt with travel tripods, you will have quickly noticed that they are characterized by the fact that the legs are folded to the central column. This reduces the size of the tripod quite a bit and makes it easier to transport. When folded, the tripod is about 34cm long and weighs 1.2Kg. The working height of the tripod is 33-142cm, which is perfect for me.
To make it easier to transport the tripod, Rollei has included a small case in which you can also put the cell phone attachment for the tripod and the Allen key. My iPhone 13 Pro Max just fits in without the case. Even with a thin case, the holder no longer fits. No Big Deal honestly, as I saw the smartphone to 1/4 inch “adapter” only as a nice addition. I use the tripod in the absolute majority of cases for long exposure shots or Timelapse videos with my Canon Camera.
Especially for long exposures it is important not to move the camera and to keep it at the same position on the tripod.
In order to be able to guarantee this even with some wind, Rollei has placed a small hook for a backpack at the bottom of the center column of the tripod, which makes the tripod more stable. Even if the tripod moves just a few millimeters, it can be that the whole photo is “broken”.
In general, the tripod makes a high-quality and very good impression. You always have to keep in mind that the aluminum version costs less than 65€, which is a really good deal. The carbon version, which is slightly lighter, currently goes for 90€ on Amazon.
Carbon vs Aluminum
For 25€ more I get the carbon version of the tripod instead of the aluminum version. So why should I go for the heavier aluminum version? Simple. The aluminum tripod is slightly more stable than the carbon tripod. With the aluminum version, I can retract the center column until the ball head reaches the top ends of the legs. With the carbon version, I cannot retract the lower part of the center column in the picture. This part is always located out and therefore costs a large part of stability and flexibility. So if I want to move my camera down a little bit I can’t just move the lower part of the center column in the picture down a little bit. I have to individually retract all three legs a bit. Thanks to the quick-release fasteners, this is reasonably fast, but never as fast as the aluminum version.
Since I previously used a cheaper tripod without a proper ball head, I am very happy with the ball head of the Rollei tripod. However, I noticed that you can not turn the camera individually in the horizontal, but with the screw which loosens the ball head can also move the camera vertically at the same time. There is no way to turn the camera only in the horizontal or only in the vertical. A small disadvantage, which was better solved in the carbon tripod.
Thanks to the quick-release plate, which both tripods include, the camera can be placed quickly and securely on the tripod. The plate is permanently attached to the bottom of the camera with the 1/4 inch screw. Then you only have to align the plate correctly using the two water levels on the ball head and you’re ready to go. Sometimes the plate on the camera bothers a little, because the camera now no longer lies flat on the table.
You can also use both tripods as a monopod. For this, you just have to unscrew the matching leg with the included Allen key and put on the ball head. It works perfectly, even if I will never use it.
For me, the Rollei Compact Traveller No.1 Aluminium is the perfect tripod. It’s small and compact, which makes it easy to take with you on any vacation. The tripod is quick to set up thanks to the rotating quick-release fasteners on the legs and is also quite stable for the weight. I think for the price of 65€ the tripod is an absolute nobrainer. So if you are looking for the perfect travel tripod, I can only say GO FOR IT!
Update (January 2023): When taking long exposures, the camera shakes even when there is no wind and the top extension is not unfolded. I would definitely buy the tripod again, but if someone mainly takes long exposures I would purchase a more stable tripod.
