2009 Mar 08 2009
Short review: Hama Omega Carbon III
At a street price of around 200 € the Hama Omega Carbon III Tripod is to be had in retail. From the high-tech carbon material, including ball and bag, it is classified by the manufacturer as a professional tripod. A bargain?
The technical data: 
- 4-section tripod legs (3-extendable)
- light carbon construction with die cast details
- 3D ball joint for professional applications
- robust precision ball head with separate ball and panorama blocking and friction control
- Quick release plate with safety catch and locking screw
- Be completely removable center column, can be used as full-fledged monopod (height min. 54 cm / max. 158 cm including the head) used
- rotating center column for macro photography (reverse position)
- Tripod legs are spread apart in stages (3-fold)
- Handy, large quick-locks to fix the leg length
- included Allen wrench to adjust the quick clips
- including water level
- including compass
- Rubber feet with ball joint and retracting steel spikes for absolutely secure standing
- Non-slip foam grip at the tripod legs from the cold and for a secure grip
- including high-quality, black tripod bag
- Weight: 3.2 kg
- Profile thickness: 3.2 cm
- Minimum height: 71 cm
- Fully extended height: 202 cm
- load capacity up to 4 kg
- Color: Black
The essential parts of the stand are made of carbon. Carbon is the common term for a composite material consisting of carbon fibers and plastics. Through this huge composite material properties are achieved. Carbon has a multiple of a higher tensile strength than aluminum, an enormous rigidity and is lighter up to 60%. Carbon tripods also show up as less vibration than aluminum tripods, with a positive effect on longer exposure times.
But how now proposes the Hama Omega Carbon III Tripod? Well, it's priced very interesting. For about 200 € you get a big stand with a few extras. So a spirit level (level) installed for proper alignment of the tripod just like a compass. For what the compass should be good to open up to me not quite, but what the heck. The tripod legs are covered with foam rubber, which should make the use at low temperatures are more pleasant. An interesting feature is the removable center column. This can undress them and use them as autonomous monopod (monopod). The tripod legs are triple-extendable, allowing a comfortable pack size for this great tripod. The legs are finished by large rubber feet that are combined with captive spikes (just be screwed up). So that the tripod is certainly problematic on surfaces. The biggest cost advantage would be that this tripod is supplied already includes a ball head with separate ball and panorama blocking and friction control. It must be scheduled in addition to the stand at least 80 other manufacturers €.
Less positively, the relatively high weight appeared to me for a carbon tripod. The Hama Omega Carbon III brings impressive 3.2 kg kg with a payload of only 4 on the scale. Not a very good relationship. But consider also that the ball does not arrive with about 600 grams with the specifications of other manufacturers.
With these considerations, I ordered the stand at a major department store online. As usual with this, the tripod was delivered the next day, so I could investigate it further.
After unpacking, fell to as was expected, once the relatively high weight. My old aluminum tripod was not as much heavier. The feel was very pleasant and gave a good overall impression. But also noticed was the fact that I obviously was not the first recipient of this tripod was. So not only were some scratches on the head, but it also lacked the accessories mentioned (Allen key to adjust the quick clips). This I did not discourage me, the tripod to take a closer look at.
The construction of the tripod is done thanks to the quick clips fix. It was already evident that this tripod is suitable especially for tall people. When extended, without the center column was the finder of my Canon EOS 50D already have my eye level (~ 176 cm height). But that is not negative, because you do not have to take off the tripod to 100%. For me, however, was from the center column. The usefulness as a monopod was the decisive point, this tripod and not its smaller sister, the Hama Omega Carbon II to buy. After removing the center column can move out and precisely in these two steps:
- Not at all: If a record level of about 54 cm (+ camera)
- Ganz: If a record altitude of about 158 cm (+ camera)
Between these two positions there is no catch. So I have to either lay on the floor, or use a stool to look through the viewfinder of the camera. As I watch from biological reasons, a further increase my body size must be considered unlikely, it is useless for me as the center column monopod. This may of course look for users with an inch taller than 190 different.
It is worth to the ball, as the head plays a crucial role in the future usability. From his massive head to look reminiscent of similar heads of Benro / Induro. The KB-series (casting) of Benro is the head of Hama, at least visually very close. With adjustable friction plate and a panoramic scale, including the head offers more features than you could otherwise expect in this price segment. However, it appears, at least in my model the friction adjustment to be very steep. In addition, the finding was probably obvious defect, because the screw was moved in any direction. I would therefore have to work purely with the friction, but this would lead to absurdity.
The quick release is also made entirely of cast aluminum. It consists of a carrier plate with dovetail profile. The top plate can be pushed in both directions and is equipped with a safety pin secured against falling out. The quick release is a bit notchy, but plays possibly an even with prolonged use. The quality I would classify as average.
The enclosed case protects the tripod against dust and light rain. But it is not fed and can therefore absorb shocks is limited. Equipped with a double zipper, it is opened quickly on both sides. The bag fits "very well". This means that the tripod is pretty tight pure. An inch or two more would probably not hurt the pocket. For the function of the compass, unfortunately I can not comment because it was broken on my model. The compass is liquid-stored and delivered me from the stand was, unfortunately, this has already expired ...
My conclusion: The stand looks great, but is no lightweight with 3.2 kg more. The basic structure is stable, the stand is secure. For small and medium-sized people, it is too large to be used to effectively. For very tall people, this tripod is sometimes an alternative. The build quality is average (I hope so, my tripod was a "slip"). Principle would be the lesser Hama Omega Carbon II is an alternative, but there can not remove the center column. Thus it can be used either as a monopod, it is also possible to use them rotated to photograph near the ground. For me personally, but the tripod is unusable because of the shortcomings and limitations outlined above, and therefore goes back unfortunately.
