The Black Rhino is our new flagship tripod featuring two of Leofoto's new technologies that improve overall performance. It is essentially a premium version of the LM-404C and you will see that its specifications in terms of size are exactly the same.
So what's new?
- New higher density carbon fiber weave - the "mountain pattern" carbon offers better rigidity, vibration absorbion and load rating.
- Poseidon Joints - Leofoto combined several new technologies to make the best possible connection between leg sections. The first is the material the joint body is made from - a plastic-metal composite. The first key aspect to this material is a better strength to weight ratio than the highest density plastic while avoiding the extreme cost of finely machined alloys. The second is extremely fine tolerances between interconnecting parts - the new joints lock together much better. Other features include a gland at the bottom and an o-ring at the top to keep out dirt. These joints lock together so well that Leofoto have had to introduce a valve at the top of the leg for the entry and exit of air when collapsing/extending a leg. All of this results in improved rigidity, load support, reduced torsion flex and a longer lifespan.
- The final touch is more black finish on the apex - the hinge tabs and all other controls on the legs are black.
All in all, we've made several key improvements without meddling with the recipe of ultra-simple engineering and premium materials. Tripod technology has for the most part reached a plateau where its difficult to make improvements, but we feel that the Black Rhino offers a substantial improvement to leg rigidity and lifespan while also reducing torsion flex.
Physical Specifications
- Extended Height 1 (all 4 sections extended) - 190cm
- Extended Height 2 (3 of 4 sections extended) - 145cm
- Extended Height 3 (2 of 4 sections extended) - 114cm
- Extended Heigh 4 (1 of 4 sections extended) - 71cm
- Folded length - 75cm
- Weight - 3.3kg
Kit variants
We have created 4 different variants of heads and accessories aimed at commercial and studio photographers as well as filmmakers.
- Legs Only - this option gives you the freedom to add any head to the tripod. All Leofoto Summits include a 100mm bowl adapter for video heads. Check out the BA-75L if you wish to adapt the 100mm apex to a 75mm bowl.
- LH-55LR - the quintessential XL ballhead with a lever-release arca style clamp. Handles any load, smoothly and with ease.
- LH-55LR + YB-75LP - Add instant leveling to your setup, a must have for architectural and panoramic work.
- LH-55LR + YB-75LP + GC-404C + 2 x QS-70 - The GC-404C is a large modular geared center column that allows quick and easy adjustment of your shooting height. This can be swapped instantly in the apex for when you have to change between the leveling base and the center column. This option also includes 2x free sets of the QS-70 quicklink system, allowing you to move your head from the leveling base to the center column in seconds.
Do you have the item in stock?
Products are either in stock, out of stock (sold out) or special order.
- In stock: We have stock at our local warehouse. You can see how many we have in stock, add these products to your cart and check out.
- Sold out: We usually carry stock of this item but it has sold out. Please get in touch to get an ETA and reserve and incoming product. Or use the "Email me when available" button to get an email when new stock arrives.
- Special order: We don't carry local stock of this item. Get in touch to confirm stock availability and ETA to place an order.
Delivery options and what they cost
We pride ourselves on lightning fast shipping, FREE on all orders over R1000. For orders under R1000 a courier fee of R120 will apply. Apart from large f-stop gear orders and large tripods, most of our items ship overnight and the daily cutoff is 13:00. You can read more on the deliveries page.
Can I collect my parcel?
Yes, you can collect your order from our warehouse in Saxenburg Park, Blackheath (08:00 - 14:00). Just choose the collection option at checkout- we'll follow up with the specifics. Please note that we are very strict about payment if collecting. We will not release any goods if we are not 100% comfortable about payment. We accept the following as payment confirmation in order to release the goods.
- Payfast Card Payment (any customers, new or returning)
- EFT from FNB to FNB, pending fund clearance (any customers, new or returning)
- Normal EFT from other banks to FNB (return customers only)
- Instant EFT from other banks to FNB, pending fund clearance (Any customers, new or returning)
- Cash (any customers, new or returning)
What payment options are available?
What is your policy on returns and or exchanges?
We are more than happy to exchange any product for something else or a full refund* if you feel that the item you chose isn’t quite right for you. See our Return Policy page for more.
*If paying with any card, 4.5% of the transaction value goes to the credit card payment facilitation company. "Full Refund" means that we will return the full amount we received after the credit card service fees. If you are at all unsure that what you're buying is ideal for you, rather opt for EFT payment to be safe.
Where is my order? How can I track my order?
You will receive an email with your tracking number once your order has been collected by our couriers. You can also find tracking number for your orders under "My account"
Shop 5 Roeland Square, Cnr Roeland and, Upper Canterbury St, Cape Town
0214653573
Victorian Towers, 2 Palm St, Bellville, Cape Town
Fritz, 0219101380
Boskruin, Randburg
Deon Truter, 0823148308
Stonemill Office Park, Greenstone House
300 Acacia Rd, Johannesburg
Wilhelmus Möller, 0118802885
28 Pearce St, Berea, East London
043 726 2200
Kloof, Durban
Emil, 0844849959
Shop 5 Roeland Square, Cnr Roeland and, Upper Canterbury St, Cape Town
0214653573
Victorian Towers, 2 Palm St, Bellville, Cape Town
Fritz, 021 910 1380
Kloof, Durban
Emil, 0844849959
Durbanville
Bernard Kotze - 0727156743
Ivan Fourie - 0825290593
1032 Silvergrass St, Montana, Pretoria, 0182
Wayne Lesch – 0798834407
Damien Bradshaw
Eastern Cape (Hunting Products Only)
0835749134
Approved Arms
Pretoria
Dirk Pio – 0730556726
We have a no-nonsense approach. If a product breaks due to a manufacturer defect, we will replace it without asking any questions. If we have any reason to believe that the product was put through unreasonably heavy usage, we will have to follow the manufacturer's standard warranty procedure.
Leofoto
The manufacturer offers a 10-year limited warranty on all products and we extend that warranty to our customers. Please read the below very carefully, so you understand your position when something breaks or doesn’t work ideally anymore.
It is critical to understand that this warranty only applies to factory faults and not to standard wear and tear. Tripods are subject to a lot of gray areas in this regard as tripods used outdoors, particularly in sand and sea water, are subjected to extreme wear and tear. We will e.g. replace the affected part of your tripod if a carbon tube snaps or cracks without much pressure applied to it or if the apex breaks. We will not replace your tripod or the affected part if e.g. a joint locks up due to sand or salt build up or if a hinge becomes corroded or stiff/floppy and unserviceable due to corrosion or salt build up.
In sum, if we see that you took good care of your tripod and something went wrong, we will go out of our way to fix or replace it for you. If we see that you dragged it through the mud (literally or metaphorically), then we are unlikely to fix/replace it for you. How you handle your tripod and take care of it, is all the difference between 3- or 20 years of service.
The best of tripods will not last longer than 2/3 years if used regularly in the sea, INCORRECTLY, and never serviced. Always make sure to extend the lowest leg section first, so you keep the joints out of the water/sand. Always rinse with freshwater after use in the sea, wipe down with a wet cloth, leave extended to dry and ENSURE YOU KEEP THE HEAD AND APEX DRY. If your tripod’s joints start feeling sandy/gritty, open them up, give them a proper clean and lubrication and fine-tune the tension on the joints.
If travelling on dirt roads, ensure that your tripod is in its carry-bag when not in use.
Your tripod will not take care of itself – it is up to you to do so. All our tripods ship with an info-sheet on taking care of your tripod. We also offer a full tripod disassembly and service for R1000, including shipping both ways.
