Travel Tripods ?

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Hi - thinking about getting one.  Just wondered if anyone had any recommendations ?  Would need to hold a Nikon DSLR.  I dislike the Manfrotto ones😉

 

Thank you in advance....

 

Carol

 

 

[Harry Harrison]

There was a recent thread on this:

 

https://discussion.alamy.com/topic/11484-tripod-recommendations/?tab=comments#comment-208851

 

I don't use one but it's going to depend a lot on how much you want to spend, how high you might want it to go, how short you want it to fold up to, how light you need it to be etc. etc. Carbon fibre is pretty pricy and I actually like a tripod to have a bit of heft. Quite fond of Gitzo but mine' are pretty old school.

 

The type of head is important as well of course, ball heads are generally more compact.

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Harry Harrison

[Ed Rooney]

I have a Slik Pro 804 CF (carbon fiber). It came with a sling case that hangs from my shoulder and feels almost weightless. I've used it with DSLR Nikons including the D700. I have lighter Sony mirrorless cameras now. 

 

Extended fully, this model is a little short for me. It would be best if you get one that lets you view without stooping down any. I use a Leitz tabletop ball-socket head which adds about about 5" in hight. I'm about 5'9" -- I think. 

 

Good luck.

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Hi many thanks both, I have a Gitzo GT 3531 which is fantastic but not a travel tripod.  Edo I will certainly take a look at the Silk you mentioned, I'm only about 5'4" 😉

 

This one seems to have quite good reviews also - ho hum

 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/mefoto-roadtrip-a1350q1g-tripod-green-1537663/

 

Carol

[Allan Bell]

27 minutes ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said:

Hi many thanks both, I have a Gitzo GT 3531 which is fantastic but not a travel tripod.  Edo I will certainly take a look at the Silk you mentioned, I'm only about 5'4" 😉

 

This one seems to have quite good reviews also - ho hum

 

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/mefoto-roadtrip-a1350q1g-tripod-green-1537663/

 

Carol

 

I have the Mefoto Globetrotter kit. Nice well built tripod. One leg is detachable to make a monopod too. Never tried using it as a bipod though.🤣

 

Max load 26.5 lb  (12kg)  Max height 64.2" (1630mm)   Folded length 16.5"  (420mm)  Weight  3.7 lb  (1.70kg) carbon fibre.

You can get an aluminium model but it is about 1 lb heavier.

 

Allan

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Allan Bell

[Harry Harrison]

Maybe this is an option given Allan's recommendation

 

Maybe not - tripod head is missing

Edited January 21, 2020 by Harry Harrison

[Ed Rooney]

If you use a shoulder bag with lenses and stuff in it, it can hung between the legs and add stability. 

 

For most of what I've been shooting recently, IS and a higher ISO have replaced my tripod. But I do like to change my approach from time to time and go for those only-possible-with-a-tripod snaps. 

 

Vietnam looks like such a friendly place now, Gloria.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by Ed Rooney

[MizBrown]

Carbon fiber, and take a look at Acratech heads.   I have an Induro set of legs that are a trifle light, would prefer the one step from from the lightest.  Have my second Acratech head, but not the lightest one of those.  Don't plan to sell the head ever again. 

 

If you're going to be going after birds with a long lens, try the Wimberly Sidekick or the full Wimberly gimbel head.   The Sidekick fits on a regular ball head and makes more sense if birds aren't a major part of what you photograph.  I used an old Nikkor manual focus 400mm f/5.6 lens on mine when I lived in the US. 

 

Look at the Gitzo Systemic if you plan to shoot at ground level but they're pricy.  I got a short center column for my Induro. 

 

I prefer heads that take standard Arca Swiss plates.   I went with screw clamp because Arca Swiss plates from different manufacturers may not be exactly alike.   Clamps are faster.

 

 

 

 

[Chuck Nacke]

Over the years I've had two Gitzo's, one over priced set of legs is now a "monopod."

It was guaranteed for a "lifetime and one reincarnation" and when one leg broke

Manfrotto, who took over Gitzo's U.S. distribution wanted $300.00 to replace the

leg....  I will never purchase a new Manfrotto product.  The old Gitzo's can be had

for a reasonable price, but without the Lifetime and one reincarnation guarantee...

 

True Story....

 

Chuck 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Chuck Nacke
English

[wiskerke]

From the previous thread: https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/travel-tripod-rankings/

Click on any of the tabs to rank accordingly.

 

Yeah Chuck, like Leicas; Hasselblads and Rolls-Royces, Gitzos can and do actually break. And contrary to common knowledge repair is very seldom free. It's probably even very expensive for all of those premium priced items, which they are in the first place. I still like my Gitzos though. 4 or 5 on recent count. Oops make that and a half, because of that old wreck of a Reporter  in the corner of one of the lockers.  Aluminium/Aluminum Reporters were junk. The legs would just shear off. My carbon Explorer is a bit like a wet noodle, still useful in some cases though. (I have a carbon bike that rides like a wet noodle according to most reviews. That's where I learned not all carbon is created equal. - But my bottom likes the wet noodle bike better.)

 

There are good alternatives, have a look at that website. However Gitzos are still hard to beat. I like RRS a lot, but don't own any of their tripods, just some of their heads and plates.

Recently I bought a Leofoto LS-324C after doing some of the ranking at the Center Column. I managed to shave off a little bit of weight by mounting different feet. But that's a test still in progress. It just about fits in my regular carry-on: removing those bulky rubber feet helps.

My favorite tiny Sirui travel tripod comes in last or almost last. It's still really useful, but needs really careful handling. And an RRS ballhead.

 

wim

[Chuck Nacke]

3 hours ago, wiskerke said:

From the previous thread: https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/travel-tripod-rankings/

Click on any of the tabs to rank accordingly.

 

Yeah Chuck, like Leicas; Hasselblads and Rolls-Royces, Gitzos can and do actually break. And contrary to common knowledge repair is very seldom free. It's probably even very expensive for all of those premium priced items, which they are in the first place. I still like my Gitzos though. 4 or 5 on recent count. Oops make that and a half, because of that old wreck of a Reporter  in the corner of one of the lockers.  Aluminium/Aluminum Reporters were junk. The legs would just shear off. My carbon Explorer is a bit like a wet noodle, still useful in some cases though. (I have a carbon bike that rides like a wet noodle according to most reviews. That's where I learned not all carbon is created equal. - But my bottom likes the wet noodle bike better.)

 

There are good alternatives, have a look at that website. However Gitzos are still hard to beat. I like RRS a lot, but don't own any of their tripods, just some of their heads and plates.

Recently I bought a Leofoto LS-324C after doing some of the ranking at the Center Column. I managed to shave off a little bit of weight by mounting different feet. But that's a test still in progress. It just about fits in my regular carry-on: removing those bulky rubber feet helps.

My favorite tiny Sirui travel tripod comes in last or almost last. It's still really useful, but needs really careful handling. And an RRS ballhead.

 

wim

Wim,

 

You evidently you did not read what I wrote?  a problem with the forum...

 

I said my Gitzo was guaranteed for a "lifetime and one reincarnation"

and Manfrotto wanted to charge me $300.00 for repair, I had not died

once at that time.  I do have direct experience with Leica, Hasselblad

still no RR, but Leica and Hassy have always been great, Nikon has been

OK and yes I did buy the Gitzo new and I would never buy an Aluminium

tripod.... 

 

I have four king Pelican equipment cases that were guaranteed for "life"

and every time during the last 25 years that one has broken, they have

sent me a new case without question.

 

Can I make it any more clear?

 

Chuck

Edited January 22, 2020 by Chuck Nacke
English

[dustydingo]

I have a Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 full-sized carbon-fibre tripod (aka tall enough that my 6' 1" frame doesn't have to bend over to use it )  . . . if I need it, I need it, regardless of where I am in the world, so if I travel, it travels with me. Does that count as a travel tripod? . . .

 

DD

Edited January 22, 2020 by dustydingo

[wiskerke]

5 hours ago, Chuck Nacke said:

Wim,

 

You evidently you did not read what I wrote?  a problem with the forum...

 

I said my Gitzo was guaranteed for a "lifetime and one reincarnation"

and Manfrotto wanted to charge me $300.00 for repair, I had not died

once at that time.  I do have direct experience with Leica, Hasselblad

still no RR, but Leica and Hassy have always been great, Nikon has been

OK and yes I did buy the Gitzo new and I would never buy an Aluminium

tripod.... 

 

I have four king Pelican equipment cases that were guaranteed for "life"

and every time during the last 25 years that one has broken, they have

sent me a new case without question.

 

Can I make it any more clear?

 

Chuck

 

No no you were perfectly clear the first time! I'm just trying to say that also the big names can and will screw you over. To be honest I have had no bad dealings with most except Hasselblad, and that was many years and owners ago.

The thing is all those things do break (think Apple) and lifetime guarantee, if it's not already a thing of the past, comes with so many clauses that the book is bigger than the product.

But it's good to hear there still are companies out there that do honor their pledge.

 

wim

[Alex Ramsay]

Induro CT13 carbon fibre tripod. Not keen on Acratech - I found mine hard to use in cold weather (and the tension needed constant readjustment), so replaced it with an Arca-Swiss Monoball, which has performed faultlessly.

 

Alex

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

Hi thanks everyone for all your input, looks like I have a bit more research to do.....on the other hand I may go to the NEC in March - try before I buy - if I buy..... I'm quite happy using high ISO but sometimes I find myself thinking.........oh a tripod would have been useful, hence the reason I'm thinking a travel tripod would be useful when I'm away.  I still have my Gitzo with gimbal head.  I used this when I had my 200-400mm F4, although I did tend to use it handheld probably more than with the Gitzo.  Sold that lens a while ago as it was very heavy, though I had good use out of it for many years,  but I'll keep the Gitzo in case I decide to get another longer lens.  If I did it would be the 200-500mm a lightweight compared to the 200-400mm ! For wildlife now I use anything that happens to be on the camera.  

 

Back to travel tripods - I did notice Costco were/are selling a Manfrotto one at the moment, as said I am not a lover of Manfrottos but anyway I took it out of the box to have a look......not for me far to fiddly and spindly so it went back in the box.

 

So as said I think I'll go do a bit more research and maybe  visit the  Photography Show in March  decide...... 

 

Thanks again everyone for all your input....

 

Carol

 

 

[Allan Bell]

14 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

If you use a shoulder bag with lenses and stuff in it, it can hung between the legs and add stability. 

 

Ohhh! PAINFUL.😰

 

Allan

 

[Ed Rooney]

Tripods don't feel pain, Allan. Except maybe for those Gitzos for the things that were said about them. 

 

I had a Gitzo that had a broken leg too. And I had an aluminium Tiltall. That was heavy lifting.

[Harry Harrison]

1 hour ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said:

 

So as said I think I'll go do a bit more research and maybe  visit the  Photography Show in March  decide...... 

There's always a monopod of course, handy when walking.

[Chuck Nacke]

3 hours ago, wiskerke said:

 

No no you were perfectly clear the first time! I'm just trying to say that also the big names can and will screw you over. To be honest I have had no bad dealings with most except Hasselblad, and that was many years and owners ago.

The thing is all those things do break (think Apple) and lifetime guarantee, if it's not already a thing of the past, comes with so many clauses that the book is bigger than the product.

But it's good to hear there still are companies out there that do honor their pledge.

 

wim

Wim,

 

Did not intend to be rude.  I was just trying to point out a company, Manfrotto, that I had a bad experience with.  I should also add that when I was

using Canon DSLRs (film days), Canon's customer support was wonderful.  Have not had to contact Peilican in years, but they are the best.  One of

my king Pelicans has flown over 1,000,000 miles on both the old Aeroflot (Soviet Union) and most of the new "baby folts."

Edited January 22, 2020 by Chuck Nacke
grammer

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

4 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

There's always a monopod of course, handy when walking.

Hi, thanks for the suggestion Harry but I've never got on with monopods.  It would probably get used as a walking stick though thankfully I don't need one at the moment....

 

I'm still leaning towards......https://www.wexphotovideo.com/mefoto-roadtrip-a1350q1r-tripod-red-1537718/

 

just realised the other link I gave was for an aluminium and a lot more ££

 

I definitely prefer the legs that twist......also found a couple of Gitzo travel tripods on Ebay so will keep an eye on them also.  

 

Tempted the try the above.....

 

Carol

[Harry Harrison]

8 minutes ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said:

also found a couple of Gitzo travel tripods on Ebay so will keep an eye on them also.  

 

I've never had a problem buying anything on ebay but I know that many are wary. I would have thought you'd be pretty safe with a tripod, not much to go wrong! By the way I'm with MizBrown for the 'Arca Swiss' tripod plate system. You really need an 'L-grip' from RRS or Kirk but then it's brilliant, vertical formats are a breeze because the camera is still above the head and very quick & easy to switch between landscape and portrait.

 

I use a monopod on occasion, but I prefer a tripod for the rather banal reason that it's a safe place to put the camera whilst I'm sorting myself out and changing lenses etc.

[MizBrown]

9 hours ago, Alex Ramsay said:

Induro CT13 carbon fibre tripod. Not keen on Acratech - I found mine hard to use in cold weather (and the tension needed constant readjustment), so replaced it with an Arca-Swiss Monoball, which has performed faultlessly.

 

Alex

 

What I like about Induro is that they provide a case that fits most heads, too, and, now, a shorter center column, and do or did give the buyer an set of spike feet in addition to the rubber ones and some tools in a pouch, too.   I have the Acratech GV2 Ball Head/Gimbal Head  which is no longer available.   Looks like the Acra-Swiss Monoball is in the same price range.   I bought Acratech because it was available in a store in the Virginia suburbs of DC.   Gitzo legs didn't strike me as as great as the promotional buzz on them, so bought Induro once I had funds to replace what I'd sold when I left the US.

Edited January 22, 2020 by MizBrown
redundant words.

[Harry Harrison]

19 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

have the Acratech GV2 Ball Head/Gimbal Head  which is no longer available.

The Acratech Levelling head is a very nice bit of kit, not tried the ball-head. Very fond of my Kirk BH-3 head, I like having a visible spirit level on the top that isn't concealed once you've mounted the camera, as quite a lot of them are.

[Betty LaRue]

9 hours ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Ohhh! PAINFUL.😰

 

Allan

 

bet you’re right!

[Michael Ventura]

Carol, I used my Mefoto  tripod today with my Nikon D850 and it holds up well.  It is a very compact light weight travel pod that comes with a nice bag.  I am not sure how well it would do with a long lens, I was using a 17-35 nikkor zoom.

 

https://www.mefoto.com/

 

 

[CAROL SAUNDERS]

13 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

Carol, I used my Mefoto  tripod today with my Nikon D850 and it holds up well.  It is a very compact light weight travel pod that comes with a nice bag.  I am not sure how well it would do with a long lens, I was using a 17-35 nikkor zoom.

 

https://www.mefoto.com/

 

 

 

Many thanks Michael, is it the road trip version you have? think that's the one I've been looking at although also the other link I used above was also aluminium not CF, so will check this out.  Do you think it's sturdy enough to take a 24-70mm 2.8.  I have also watched the video from your link and it certainly looks impressive.

 

Thanks also to Harry Harrison and MizBrown for the info on plates and grips.  I need to go through what I have already as I know I have some plates somewhere 😉

 

Carol