Designed jointly by Ulanzi and COMAN, Zero Y is my brand new travel tripod. Boasting build quality and an innovative design, the Zero Y caught my attention as I was looking for replacing my previous (heavier) travel tripod.
The Zero Y tripod weighs only 1,1 kg. It is made of carbon fiber with the addition of aluminum parts. Despite its light weight, you don't have the feel of having a cheap and poor product in your hands as other light tripods I had before gave me this feel instead. Ulanzi & COMAN Zero Y travel tripod looks well built and enough sturdy. Its innovative compact design and features come to challenge the famous (and very expensive) Peak Design travel tripod which Ulanzi and COMAN seems to have inspired from.
The Zero Y Lightweight travel tripod has an integrated 360º panoramic ballhead with a built-in bubble and lock lever. The ARCA-SWISS compatible plate provided makes it really easy to attach your camera. You can set the ballhead vertically for portrait shooting but, unfortunately, the tripod ball head is not detachable. You can only remove the ballhead along with the center column to which the ballhead is permanently fixed. If you want to replace the Tripod ball head, you have to buy a 1/4 Center Column.
Specifications
- Material: Carbon fiber
- Weight: 1,1 kg
- Folded length: 42 cm
- Maximum height: 157 cm (center column raised) or 133 cm (center column down)
- Minimum height: 15 cm
- No. leg sections: 5
- Center Column Maxload: 18 kg (ballhead maxload: 5 kg)
PRO
- Very lightweight
- stable
- 360° panoramic ball head
- lifetime warranty
CONS
- Tripod ball head not detachable
- Allen key unscrews easily and you can loose it
Personally, I prefer to use the Ulanzi & COMAN Zero Y lightweight travel tripod original integrated ballhead despite its reduced maxload (5 kg). The integrated 5 kg maxload is fine even when I mount my Nikon Z 100-400 mm lens (the heaviest I have).
By doing so, I can benefit from the reduced space of this tripod, which is its premium feature, in my opinion.
The center column is stable even when completely raised at its maximum height.
Providing not be windy you can shoot long exposure photos with confidence. Considering its weight (1,1 kg) is far away more stable (and reliable) than other similar light tripods.
Flip-lock levers are another feature I really enjoy about this tripod. Differently from most of carbon fiber tripods, which come with twist lock legs, the Zero Y's flip-lock levers make easy to pack or unfurl the legs and much faster. Clip strength feels solid while legs open and close smoothly with no effort at all. The tripod legs can spread out at 20º, 55ª, and 75° angles.
Another useful feature I like of this tripod is a small screwdriver provided at the bottom of the central column to tighten any locking section in case of need. It is a little life-saver when shooting outdoors. The nice thing is the screwdriver (Allen key) is part itself of the tripod and you don't have to remember to bring it with you whenever you go out for shooting. This means you have always the Allen key with you whenever you have the screw come loose. The Allen key shortens the center column’s length thanks to the screw hidden under the ball head. turn into little life-savers when shooting outdoors.
Always make sure the Allen key doesn't unscrew from the central column. In the last month of use, three times the allen key unscrewed and felt down but luckily I noticed and haven't lost it.
In case of outdoors shooting in the sand or dirt, you can substitute the regular rubber feet with the metallic spiked ones.
Ulanzi guarantees its Zero Y travel tripod with a lifetime warranty. All the parts are serviceable and replaceable.
Overall, I can say be satisfied about this new purchase. As I travel a lot with my camera gear, I was searching for the right tripod in terms of size, weight and functionality. Having used it a lot for over a month in different outdoor situations, this new tripod fully met my expectations. It's really a perfect travel photographer's companion.