I want a lighter tripod ...or do I

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taxboy

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I'm currently using a Feisol CT3372 as my main tripod and I'm very pleased with it's solidity. It also doubles up as my birding tripod but I'd like to lighten my load; I'm considering replacing the Manfrotto MV500 AH head with a Sirui VA-5 and wondered if I could get away with a lighter leg set. I'm using an ATS80HD with a 25-50 zoom

For photography purposes I'm using a Benro geared head for landscapes which Is like to keep

Any suggestions appreciated...other than go to a gym !
 
I have a light tripod, blew over the other day, luckily only my old smartphone on top which survived.
I've used it for togging before and it did get me thinking.
Being light, it's great for walking and carrying, but when it blows, it goes !
 
Well, with birding it's often just about spotting/ID at distance. "Critical image" isn't as big of an issue, so you can get away with a less clear/sharp (stable) view... So yeah, I think you could get away with a lighter set of legs.
 
I would try the head change on the Feisol first, before changing both variables. For the ATS80, compare at 50x and your normal standing height: focus, take your hand away and watch how long the image takes to settle; then check whether it stays centred when you lock the tilt. That tests the part a payload rating cannot tell you. If you can try lighter legs, repeat the same test with the centre column down. It would also let you keep the Benro landscape setup until you know where the useful weight saving is.
 
I've tried in the past to replace my old Velbon tripod, which weighs 2.2kg, with something lighter, the last one nearly blew over while filming around the Thames at night, in the end I just replaced 3-way panhead with a self levelling ball head, saved a little weight but still got a sturdy tripod.
 
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