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2026-06-08 Velbon Sherpa 435 Tripod


    I was searching through a thrift store for anything photographic. It has been harder and harder to find anything and I had almost given up. Then I spotted a bag that looked a lot like something that could hold a tripod. It turned out to be a Velbon Sherpa 435. At first glance it had a very wobbly head assembly as well as a broken handle. The two-part handle had very sticky plastic handles. Of course the quick release plate was missing, but we will leave that for a moment.
    
   On the plus side the multiple levels—one two way, one straight—were still fluid filled. The black finish was stunning. All the leg locks worked. While in the store—before purchase—I managed to unscrew the furthest out handle and screw it into the head tilt assembly. This turns out to be the problem. With both handles installed the tripod will not fit in the bag. So clever Velbon had designed the existing tilt-handle with a socket to store the other handle!
    As it was a 30% off sale day I could buy the tripod—tax included—for $4.71. Sure, it isn’t that I need another tripod. But to be fair this tripod is a beauty!
    
    For starters the legs can be set to three angles with simple sliders. All legs sections are indexed so they maintain the same orientation for their locks. All locks are flip levers. All legs have large rubber tips.
    In a side matter—since the leg angle can be almost at right angles to the column—the column is in two sections. It takes some re-rigging, but as you will see, you can locate the head with full adjustments very close to the ground.
    The sticky plastic handles are the subject of several suggested solutions on the internet. The simplest is using a tablespoon of baking soda in a small container of water. Soak the handles for 15-minutes and see if they get less sticky. I tried it and the grips are much less sticky. I did misplace the small shiny washer on the tilt handle in the process but my wife showed me what she had found in the kitchen sink in time to save the part. 
    The exact QR plate may not be available anymore from Velbon, but I saw a strong hint another Velbon QR plate would substitute. Not to mention plates from other suppliers (I think the plate is 1⅝ X 1¾ inches with two square sides and two sloped sides). I can see a 3-D printer in my future if I keep collecting tripods!


The Column is in two pieces, screwed together.




The column has to be shortened when the legs are angled out as far as they can go.

    When the tripod lowered, the spread legs take up a lot of area. 















    The "cap" on the bottom of the long column can be switched to the bottom of the short column. But note in the earlier image how close the thread gets to touching the ground!










    Another somewhat strange thing that sets this tripod apart is it stores upside down in its case. The head ends up down so the bag is smaller at the top. Once you carry it you can see how clever this is as the leg small tips take up less room next to your shoulder. 

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