Our flagship tripod. Premium Tech. All black look.
The Black Rhino is our flagship tripod. When it comes to rifle and optics support, bigger is always better. Whether it’s an ELR chassis, your grandfather’s 30.06 or a Swarovski Spotting scope, Leofoto’s 40mm Summit models are the best possible mounting platform. The Black Rhino is available in a 3- and 4-section version and offers Leofoto’s fully modular Summit apex with all their latest tech in a beautiful all-black finish. Here is what sets the Black Rhino apart from Leofoto’s standard summit tripods -
New higher density carbon fiber weave - the “mountain pattern” carbon offers better rigidity, vibration absorbion and load rating.
PMC 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 an all-black finish, which in our opinion makes it the most beautiful tripod on the market.
All in all, we’ve made several key improvements over the standard Leofoto Summit models. This improves performance without messing with their succesful recipe of simple engineering and premium materials.
Specifications (Legs only)
- Material - Carbon Fiber
- Maximum Height - 161cm
- Folded Length - 72cm
- Weight - 2265g
- Load rating - 20kg
Leofoto’s Summit range is the go-to support platform for the serious shooter.
Building on the best designs in the tripod industry, Leofoto’s Summit tripods combine precision manufacturing with the very best materials to offer a large tripod with a modular apex. This offers a solid support platform with a wide range of accessory compatibility that is an absolute pleasure to use and simple to maintain. Whether you’re heading to the range or the farm, Leofoto’s Summit range is the go-to support platform for the serious shooter.
Modern Apex Design - Summit series tripods feature an apex machined from aircraft grade aluminium. About 30% of the apex chassis is machined away to save weight, resulting in a hollowed out design that doesn’t compromise on strength or rigidity. Atop the apex you will find a standard 3/8” mounting screw compatible with 99% of tripod heads as well as a big, bright spirit level. The bottom features a hook for attaching weight in windy conditions, but the hook can be removed to reveal another 3/8” mounting hole.
The side of the apex features 3 instruments –
- A screw clamp that locks the apex around the baseplate/bowl adapter/center column.
- Safety catch with a simple pull-tab to release the baseplate/bowl adapter/center column from the apex.
- Leofoto 3/8” proprietary attachment port for magic arms and other accessories.
Premium Joint Assembly - The legs attach via stainless steel hinge shafts and brass bushings to a machined aluminium hinge chassis – premium materials you won’t see on many tripods in the market today.
Premium Japanese Carbon Fiber - Leofoto uses 10x layer cross-weave carbon fiber tubes made by Toray Inc – one of the world’s top carbon fiber manufacturers. This ensures strength and rigidity, while ensuring class-leading weight specifications. The hinges feature self-returning angle-selectors, a small feature that speeds up operation. All Summit tripods offer leg angles of 23, 55 and 85 degrees.
Uncomplicated Joints – All tripod ranges feature fat joints with prominent ribbing to provide great grip and torque for easy loosening and tightening of the joints. One of Leofoto’s proprietary features is a single-piece joint-shim (the shim helps legs to lock together more firmly and prevents the legs from being able to rotate within each other); those who have opened up a twist-joint tripod and seen parts fly will know the frustration of disassembling and reassembling those delicate internal components. All Leofoto tripods feature a one-piece shim, which makes maintenance and cleaning of the joints much easier.
Beveled Aluminium Core Feet – A tripod foot is just a piece of rubber, right? Think again! Most manufacturer’s tripod feet are just a steel spike encased in rubber – this makes it heavy and allows a lot of flex/vibration in the malleable rubber. Leofoto’s engineers have gone to great lengths to make the ultimate tripod foot and the result is an internal aluminium frame that minimizes the amount of flexible rubber in the construction. While this is a tiny detail, it adds to the rigidity of the tripod. All Leofoto ranges’ feet feature a multi-angled bevel, which helps it to grip on uneven terrain. All Leofoto tripods also include a set of spiked feet for shooting on ice or slippery rocks.
All aluminium components are treated with a hard-anodization process for durability against scratches and bumps.
