For travelers and hikers who love shooting panoramas, the LEOFOTO RANGER : CARBON FIBER TRIPOD KIT is as good as it gets. These models have a levelling half-ball built into the apex of the tripod which allows quick and easy leveling of your shooting platform on uneven terrain. Leveling systems have traditionally only been available in very large tripod systems and manufacturers have been scratching their heads about how to offer it in more travel-friendly models. The only solution over the last few years has been to buy a modular leveling base, which is installed between the apex and the head, but these are heavy and tall, making the tripod dangerously top-heavy and just heavy, full stop. 

Incorporating the leveling ball into the apex offers several advantages

• Weight saving – by using the apex as the cup for the half-ball, these tripods can be made lighter than their standard versions with a modular leveling base like the LB-60 added.
• Lower camera and head position – keeping the center of gravity lower, which helps with overall stiffness and safety in windy conditions. The built-in half ball protrudes just 20mm above the apex, compared to the 50mm height of the LB-60.
• Improved stiffness due to a simpler design – as the leveling half-ball connects directly to the apex, instead of being screwed on via more connections and layers.