Review: Leofoto LM-364CL Tripod with G20 and G2 Heads for Landscape photography
How did I discover Leofoto?
I headed to The Photography Show in March 2024 with a clear goal in mind, like thousands of others, I wanted to finally check out that “thing” I'd been mulling over for a while. For me, it was a new geared head to replace my old, slightly bulky one that I’d been using since 2018. It had served me well, but it was showing its age. With a realistic budget of around £500, I was hoping to find something that offered precision without being over-engineered.
That’s when I came across the Leofoto G2 head, it looked perfect, was well within my budget and no matter how hard I tried to get it to show some play and potentially show some flaws, it didn’t, so I grabbed my new geared head and started the 3-hour drive home to Norfolk. About a week after the show, I started using it, and I was immediately impressed by its build quality, accuracy, and smooth operation. The precision movements felt intuitive from the start, and I enjoyed how effortlessly it handled panoramic landscape setups.
That said if I was to be a bit picky about things, during the time I was using the G2, I did find some of the controls a little bit fiddly, I’ve got fairly chunky hands and a slight lack of grip, so some of the smaller knobs could be a bit awkward in the field if you are like me, especially in cold conditions. It still worked fine and was so smooth in its refined control to help line up my compositions, but it got me thinking about whether the slightly larger G20 might be a better fit. The fact that it also offered a few extra degrees of tilt was a complete bonus.
Wanting to complete the setup with a tripod that matched the same high standards, I started asking around to see if I could try out a set of legs before committing. That’s when I got chatting with the lovely folks at South West Optics here in the UK. Super helpful and down-to-earth, they know their gear. If you’re not already following them on the usual socials, it’s well worth it – they post some really handy, bite-sized content covering a great range of the kit they stock.
From that point on, everything just clicked. By autumn 2024, I was fully up and running with the Leofoto LM-364CL tripod paired with the G20 head – and it’s been my go-to setup ever since. It’s taken on everything the UK coastline has thrown its way: salt spray, high winds, crashing waves, and countless long exposures, and it hasn’t missed a beat.
So far, I’ve used this setup with my GFX 50S II and a range of lenses, including the 20–35mm, 32–64mm, 45–100mm, and 100–200mm. Each of them has been put through their paces in tough, often unpredictable conditions, and the tripod and head have delivered solid, stable performance every single time, location after location.
Let’s start with the tripod.
The Leofoto LM-364CL is an absolute carbon fibre beast, in the best possible way. It nails the balance between weight and stability, making it light enough for long walks along the coast, yet rock solid when you're shooting long exposures in strong winds in Snowdonia National Park, or standing knee-deep in the North Sea at home in Norfolk.
The chunky leg sections and twist locks are a real win, especially on freezing mornings. The coldest I’ve used this setup in so far was -4°C, gloves firmly on, and I had no trouble setting up, the legs locked off smoothly, and I was straight into using the geared head without fuss.
The locking nut for the tripod’s central plate holds firm and secure, and you can swap it out for the included bowl adapter for video work or even a centre column if that’s your thing. Personally, I’ve never needed one. I’m 5ft 8, and with the geared head and my GFX system on top, the tripod’s already comfortably taller than me and is very stable in all sorts of weather.
The specs speak for themselves:
Max height: 170cm (plenty tall even for someone like me at 5ft 8")
Folded length: 59.8cm
Weight: Approx. 2.05kg
Max load capacity: A hefty 30kg
Leg sections: 4
Material: 10-layer carbon fibre
Feet: Interchangeable (rubber/spike options)
Centre column: None, it’s part of the Leofoto Summit Series for maximum stability
Leofoto G2 & G20 Geared Heads.
Both the G2 and G20 geared heads from Leofoto offer excellent precision control and solid, reliable performance, perfect for landscape and long-exposure photography. I’ve genuinely loved using both. The G2 delivers smooth, compact adjustments in a lightweight form, while the G20 edges it slightly for me, thanks to its increased tilt range, multiple level bubbles and more accessible controls, especially useful when working with gloves or in cold conditions.
To this day, both the geared heads still perform exactly as they did the first time I used them, which is pretty remarkable, considering the amount of salt, sand, mud, and who-knows-what-else it’s been exposed to, not to mention all the time it’s spent rolling around in the back of my van.
I’m also considering picking up a smaller set of legs to pair with the G2, something lighter that I can hand over to students during my workshops. It would make a great introduction to geared head precision without the weight of a full pro setup.
And looking ahead, I’ve got my eye on the Leofoto PG-1 gimbal head, mainly so I can get back into shooting aviation, and who knows, maybe even have a go at some wildlife photography too.
G2 Geared Head
Material: CNC-machined aluminium alloy
Adjustment: Dual-axis geared movement (tilt & pan) with micro-control knobs
Tilt Range: ±10° (approx.)
Load Capacity: Up to 10kg
Base Diameter: 50mm
Weight: 505g
Quick Release: Arca-Swiss compatible clamp
G20 Geared Head
Material: CNC-machined aluminium alloy
Adjustment: Dual-axis geared movement (with additional tilt range)
Tilt Range: ±15° (approx.)
Load Capacity: Up to 10kg
Base Diameter: 60mm
Weight: 615g
Quick Release: Arca-Swiss compatible clamp
Standout Features: Higher-positioned control knobs for easier access (especially with gloves); more generous tilt range for added flexibility
Conclusion
In the end, discovering Leofoto at The Photography Show turned out to be a real turning point in refining my landscape photography setup. What started as a search for a new geared head ultimately led to a full system that has now become an essential part of my workflow.
The LM-364CL tripod and G20 geared head combo has proven itself time and again in harsh coastal environments, the remote Scottish mountains, and everything in between. And just to give you an idea of how well-built this kit is, all the images above were taken without the gear ever being cleaned. The tripod’s spent a fair bit of time rolling around in the back of my van, yet it’s still performing like the day I got it.
One small but underrated detail: I love the tripod bag. It’s properly durable and, crucially, it actually fits the tripod with the geared head attached, no cramming or swearing required.
If you're local to me and fancy trying the setup out for yourself, just ping me an email and we’ll sort something out, always happy to talk gear and let people see it in action.
Oh, and if you’re tempted to grab some Leofoto gear for yourself, the folks at South West Optics currently have 20% off the Leofoto range using my code LEO20FG, its definitely worth a look.