Oben CQL-20
One-Touch Locks & Unlocks All 5 Leg Sections: World's Best Ultralight Full-Sized Carbon-Fiber Tripod.
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
Oben CQL-20 Tripod with Included Ball Head & Arca Plate (30.0 oz. (850 g) total, 5½" ~ 62" (14 ~ 158 cm) high, 17" (44 cm) long collapsed, 20 lb. (9.1 kg) capacity, $200). bigger. I got mine at B&H.
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August 2026 Better Pictures Oben Robus Canon Nikon Sony Fuji OM SYSTEM LEICA Zeiss HASSELBLAD All Reviews
CQL-13 Tripod: slightly smaller version of the same thing.
Introduction top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
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I've been using tripods for well over 50 years, and this, along with its slightly smaller brother the CQL-13, is by far the most brilliant tripod I've ever used because all five sections of each leg lock and unlock with just one twist of a rubber foot!
Just a single twist locks or unlocks all sections of each leg of the Oben CQL-13 Tripod & Head. bigger.
The original CQL-13 is and was brillaint, but it was never tall enough to hold a camera's finder at eye level for most people over 5' 2" (157 cm), so it was mostly for travel.
This new CQL-20 is now tall enough so people up to 6' 0" (183 cm) can have their viewfinders exactly at eye level. Hallelujah!
The original CQL-13 and this new CQL-20 are the same thing, except this new CQL-20 goes 10" (25cm) taller, is 5.8 oz. (166g) heavier and is rated to hold 7 pounds (3.2 kg) more.
This and the CQL-13 are the only tripods I've used that let me lock and unlock all five sections of each leg with just a gentle, two-fingered twist of the rubber nubbin at the end of each leg! Just twist and pull out all the sections as far as you want them, then twist the other way to lock; its the same knob! DONE!
These are major steps forward in tripod design. These amazing things set up and strike many times faster than other tripods, which in the real world means everything.
I have yet to use this in dirt, sand or mud, however the locking twist-knob is bonded to the bottom leg section, meaning it ought to work fine with the bottom 10 inches (25 cm) of the leg submerged into anything, so long as you clean it off before collapsing it back into itself.
It's all very smooth and precise, which is unusually good for a Chinese-made tripod. I'm curious how well it will hold up over time. It seems sturdy, certainly sturdier than other tripods this light.
Even without this brilliant innovation, I've never seen a tripod this light and short…
Oben CQL-20 Tripod & Head. bigger.
…that extends to full height (62.4" or 158.5 cm) to the top of its Arca plate:
Oben CQL-20 Tripod & Head with Nikon FM and NIKKOR AI 55mm f/1.2 "Starshine." bigger.
Be careful: even heavier tripods have blown-over on me and destroyed cameras, so I avoid walking away from this unless it's calm.
With its legs alone this CQL-20 is as tall as the original CQL-13 is with its center column raised (52" or 133 cm).
Finally, a tiny, full-featured and full-sized tripod that easily fits inside my Think Tank Airport Commuter or EDC Backpack!
Here's the included ball head and Arca-style plate. The legs and this head use the universal ⅜″ × 16 TPI threads for compatibility with almost all other heads and legs:
Included Ball Head & Plate, Oben CQL-20. bigger.
There is a hex-headed setscrew in the orange metal plate on the top of the center column to lock the head, if you like.
The legs pivot and lock at three different angles the usual way.
It includes a stub to replace the center column, as well as tools for adjustment and locking the set screws (no tools needed to replace column with the stub):
Included short stub. It also comes with two 4mm and one 3mm Allen key for maintenance (not needed for the stub). bigger.
Once stubbed-out, you can make the tripod do the Limbo:
Oben CQL-20 in Limbo mode with stub. bigger.
Or work upside down with just the stub:
Oben CQL-20 in upside-down mode again with stub. bigger.
Or work upside-down with the column:
Oben CQL-20 with its Center Column Reversed. bigger.
Or go commando to save a little weight if you don't need to raise the center column:
Oben CQL-20 in Commando mode: Using only the stub rather than the column to save weight. bigger.
It has a spring-loaded hook at the bottom of the center column (unscrew it to remove the column):
Hook on bottom of center column. bigger.
Here's the included padded case:
Included padded case. bigger.
New intro top
Full-size version of the world-changing original CQL-13.
Good intro top
One twist locks or unlocks all five sections of each leg. Bravo!
Count clicks as you twist to unlock to allow extending just that many sections.
Short when collapsed, and extends to full height since each leg has five sections and we have a center column.
Y-shaped center column completely disappears inside the legs when folded!
Super-easy and smooth center-column lock.
Ball head lock lever may be repositioned simply by pulling it out.
Head has a round spirit level.
Inexpensive; this sort of innovation used to cost much, much more.
Base-plate set-screw to lock the head to the tripod.
Precisely made. It feels as nice as my French-made Gitzos used to. It's not gritty or rough as Chinese carbon-fiber tripods used to feel when erecting or collapsing the leg sections.
I'll say it again; I'm amazed at how smooth and precise and sturdy is this tripod, especially considering how it has five thin segments all collapsed inside each other.
Nice case included.
Tools included in the case.
Five year USA warranty.
Bad intro top
The ball-head lock lever turns the wrong way, counterclockwise, to lock. Weird.
Missing intro top
Nothing! I had wished the original CQL-13 went a little higher, and this CQL-20 is that wish come true!
Specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
I got my CQL-20 Tripod at B&H.
Legs specifications top
8× Carbon Fiber.
1.1, 1.0. 0.87, 0.75 and 0.63 inches (28, 25, 22, 19 and 16 mm) diameter.
Three locking angles: 21º, 52º and 82º.
Legs also fold up and above the head (but don't lock there).
One twist unlocks or locks all the sections
Hint: Count clicks as you twist to unlock just that many sections.
Ball Head specifications top
Tilts 40º in every direction, or 90º down into the slot.
Pull-out the lock lever to reposition it; let it pop back in to re-engage.
Sizes, actual measured specifications top
Closed & Folded
17.0 inches (431 mm) long to the top of the Arca plate.
16.7 inches (425 mm) long with ball head flipped over.
14.3" (364 mm) without head.
Open
Center Column Extended: 62.4 inches (1,585 mm) maximum to the top of the Arca plate; 59.7 inches (1,517 mm) to top of the head-mountiing plate (no head).
Center Column Collapsed: 52.0 inches (1,322 mm) to the top of the Arca plate; 49.5 inches (1,258mm) to the top of head-mounting plate (no head).
Short stub with legs spread: 5.5 inches (140 mm) minimum to top of plate, 2.76 inches (70 mm) to top of head-mounting plate (no head).
Box Dimensions
18.0 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches (rated).
Weights specifications top
Actual Measured
30.000 oz. (850.5 g) with head & plate as shown.
Rated
32 oz. (910 g) with head & plate.
As shipped in box: 39.5 oz (1,120g).
Load Capacity specifications top
Rated 20 pounds (9.1 kg).
Materials specifications top
Legs: 8× Carbon fiber.
Center Column, Head-Mounting Surfaces, Ball Head, Arca Plate, Leg Pivots and Locks: Anodized aluminum.
Short Stub: Plastic, with metal threads and metal lock set-screw.
Hook on Bottom of Center Column: Spring-loaded steel.
Temperature specifications top
-22º to 140º F (-5º to +60º C).
Included specifications top
Legs, head & Arca Plate.
Short plastic stub to replace aluminum center column.
Two 4mm and one 3mm Allen key.
Instructions and hang tag.
Announced specifications top
Early 2026.
Warranty specifications top
Five years, U. S. A.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
August 2026
Compared top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
I got my CQL-20 Tripod at B&H.
I have always lusted after the innovative Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod, and this new Oben eclipses it for weight, portability and ease of setup & strike:
Closed Length |
14.5" 37 cm |
17.0" 43 cm |
15" 38 cm |
15.5" 39 cm |
15.5" 39 cm |
Leg locks |
One knob per leg |
One knob per leg |
One collar for every leg segment |
Four flippers per leg |
Four flippers per leg |
Maximum Height |
51.8" 131 cm |
62.4" 158 cm |
54″ (only with ridiculous three-segment extension column) 137 cm (only with ridiculous three-segment extension column) |
60" 152 cm |
60" 152 cm |
Load Capacity |
13 lb. 5.9 kg |
20 lb. 9.1 kg |
11 lb. 5 kg |
20 lb. 9.1 kg |
20 lb. 9.1 kg |
Weight with included head |
24.2 oz. 685 g
|
30.0 oz. 850 g
|
20.5 oz. 581 g |
44.8 oz. 1,270 g
|
54.3 oz. 1,540 g
|
Price, USA, 7-8/2024 |
n/a |
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Price, USA, 8/2024 |
n/a |
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Price, USA, 8/2026 |
The Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod is a taller, sturdier tripod, but man, I'm not going to mess with all those flippers and it weighs twice as much — not really what I want to throw in my bag at all times as an afterthought.
User's Guide top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
I got my CQL-20 Tripod at B&H.
See Oben's User's Guide.
Recommendations top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Compared User's Guide
I got my CQL-20 Tripod at B&H.
This and the original CQL-13 are the easiest-to-use tripods I've ever used. I hope this design becomes common for all tripods.
This is a very well made lightweight and full-sized tripod.
It's perfect for leaving in a camera bag or stashing in a trunk for any time you need a tripod. I rarely use tripods, so I love this little gem.
If I'm doing something serious that requires a more husky tripod I'll lug my larger ones, but they weigh many times more and take longer to setup and strike.
Even larger, heavier tripods can blow over in the wind. Avoid leaving a camera on this and walking away if it's starting to blow. Consider hanging your backpack from the hook on the bottom of the center column.
This CQL-20 is a hoot to use since it sets up and strikes so much more quickly than anything else.
I'm impressed that it has a five-year warranty. It's super precise and smooth right now while it's new, and I'm curious to see how well it holds up after a few years of use.
While this tripod includes a perfectly good little ball head, like most ball heads the included one is complex and has four different screws, each requiring attention to mount and position a camera!
I prefer my expensive German-made Novoflex Mini Magic Ball because it's also light and precise, and most importantly because just one big knurled control lets me lock and unlock everything about my camera's position. Unless I'm using my huge geared head for precision, I need to set, strike and move fast:
Novoflex Mini Magic Ball Atop My Oben CQL-13 Tripod.
My Mini Magic Ball is also many times faster to attach my camera because it has a direct thumbscrew to spin its 1/4" × 20 TPI threads into or out of my camera. Most ball heads, like the included one, instead make us have to muck around with plates that require tools 😡 to attach and remove cameras. I hate plates because they are literally painful having attached to my camera hand-holding or carrying around my neck, and they seem to take forever to align and tighten or untighten from the head — even after you've pulled out a tool to get the camera connected to the "quick release" plate. Arrrgh!
With one big, fat lock I can control my Mini Magic Ball in all directions immediately, and its thumbwheel attach-detach is the fastest and easiest way to get my cameras on and off it in the field. Bravo!
Yes, the Mini Magic Ball is $300, and it's built to last a lifetime. I’ve beat the heck out of this one for 30 years! I can't even remember when I got it, other than knowing I had it with me in France back in 1997. It’s been all over the world for decades atop numerous other sets of legs. I've dropped it on rocks and it still works like new. See the dents on the left side? I think I paid $300 for mine even back in the 1990s.
They say the poor man pays twice. First he gets something cheap, and whether or not it breaks first, he eventually gets what he really wanted in the first place. He just paid twice. Tripods and heads don't go obsolete and I've never worn one out — not even the cheap tripod my dad got me as a kid back when I bought my first used camera in 1973.
Get what you want and love it forever.
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