The 3 Legged Thing Charles 2.0 is a full-sized tripod that features swing-up legs, more akin to a travel tripod, so the feet encircle the head when it’s folded down, reducing the carrying size. And then there’s the weight. Aluminum is often seen as the poor relation to carbon fiber when it comes to tripods, but the Charles 2.0 goes its own separate path, being made from aerospace-grade magnesium alloy. That’s actually a great choice for stability and lightweight construction.
Let’s play the numbers game for a moment. Magnesium alloy is actually 75 per cent lighter than steel, 50 per cent lighter than titanium, and 33 per cent lighter than aluminum. Better still, it has more damping capacity than any other structural metal, to soak up vibrations, while delivering a class-leading load capacity for its weight.
Read more: Is carbon fiber still for you? Find out the best options in our guide to the best carbon fiber tripods.
Essentially, the Charles 2.0 is a magnesium version of the 3 Legged Thing Winston 2.0 carbon fiber tripod, both being from the ‘Pro 2.0’ line-up. As such, it has the same feature set, dimensions and super-hefty load rating. It’s 0.39kg or 14 ounces heavier than its carbon sibling but shaves about £70/$100 off the purchase price.
