Travel tripod

Longimanus

Longimanus

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Lee
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I'm on the lookout for a travel tripod for an upcoming holiday with the family.

I think I have narrowed it down to the following:

Manfrotto Befree
Mefoto Roadtrip
3Legged Thing Punks Vyv

I currently use an OMD EM1

I can go and have a play with the first 2 at Park Cameras but the 3Legged one I can't.

Anybody got any views on any of the above so I can take this into consideration before going to look at them

Cheers
 
The Mefoto Roadtrip looks almost identical to the 3Legged Thing other than the centre section on the 3LT is split into two sections making it slightly shorter when collapsed. As you are best off using the tripod without extending the centre section it becomes of bit of moot point. I went for the 3 Legged Thing as it was severely reduced in Jessops (down to about £90) and it was one of the shortest when closed half decent tripods I could find for a reasonable price (Gitzo GK1580TQR5 too pricey for me!). It fits perfectly in the top of my messenger bag with a collapsed length of 350mm, much longer and it wouldn't fit. In contrast the Befree collapsed length is 400mm, the Mefoto 390mm. I found a few negative reviews on the Befree which also put me off it.
I'm quite happy with the 3LT, it's quite sturdy but obviously not the same as a heavier tripod so don't expect miracles. For an OMD EM1 it should be fine except in really windy conditions, adding your bag on the hook should help with that.
 
Many thanks for the feedback

I too had seen a couple of negative comments on the Befree tripod and I believe this has the lowest weight rating of the 3.

I must admit the folded length of the 3 legged thing is appealing and it's good to hear that you have positive feedback on them
 
I have a BeFree and it works well enough although I haven't used it with anything weighty. I like it because I prefer clamps to twist locks on the legs and the BeFree is one of very few that has them. However, it is for sale as I treated myself to a rather more expensive CF Sirui. If you're interested in a budget option I'll put it in the appropriate sales section.
 
Many thanks for the offer, I may be interested.

What sort of price are you thinking and have you got any pictures?

I would still want to check out the mefoto at a local store before making a decision
 
I've a SIRUI T-005X tripod alu black, ballhead C-10X black which I bought for an upcoming holiday, just after I bought it I got a 3 legged thing CF travel tripod and I also bought an Airhed Mohawk, so my mint, unused Sirui will be on classified shortly.
 
I have the 3LG Punks tripod (as one of my collection of tripods). I have the aluminium one, as the CF one, was a very small weight saving.

What I like - it folds down very small, the ball head arca style is great, it's light, and very easy to carry, fits nicely in hand luggage. Seems stable given it's weight.

What I don't like, the bag is very tight, you spend longer getting it in/out of the bag than you do erecting it.
 
jimgallaher said:
I've a SIRUI T-005X tripod alu black, ballhead C-10X black which I bought for an upcoming holiday, just after I bought it I got a 3 legged thing CF travel tripod and I also bought an Airhed Mohawk, so my mint, unused Sirui will be on classified shortly.
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What do you think of the 3 legged one? Which model did you go for?
 
Mr Perceptive said:
I have the 3LG Punks tripod (as one of my collection of tripods). I have the aluminium one, as the CF one, was a very small weight saving.

What I like - it folds down very small, the ball head arca style is great, it's light, and very easy to carry, fits nicely in hand luggage. Seems stable given it's weight.

What I don't like, the bag is very tight, you spend longer getting it in/out of the bag than you do erecting it.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the feedback, great to know that someone with the exact model is pleased with it. I had also read that the bag is a bit of a pain in the backside :)

Can I ask what camera you use it with?
 
I bought a 3LT keith from here. It's a nice tripod, but the legs are a bit short (two sections) the centre column has two stage extension, making it a wee bit unbalanced in my opinion, I'll be using it for landscapes mostly on holiday, so I dont need height, so it should be ok for me. It's a well made tripod.
 
jimgallaher said:
I bought a 3LT keith from here. It's a nice tripod, but the legs are a bit short (two sections) the centre column has two stage extension, making it a wee bit unbalanced in my opinion, I'll be using it for landscapes mostly on holiday, so I dont need height, so it should be ok for me. It's a well made tripod.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the feedback
 
The Sirui is a really nice tripod but it can only take a max of 4KG I bought the 3LT as I'd like to use it with my Canon 5D3 and long lenses as well. On holiday i'll only be using my Fuji X cameras,
 
Longimanus said:
Many thanks for the feedback, great to know that someone with the exact model is pleased with it. I had also read that the bag is a bit of a pain in the backside :)

Can I ask what camera you use it with?
Click to expand...
The bag (choob) with the Keith looks good, but it does add quite a bit of bulk, I plan to leave it at home and throw the tripod in my case.
 
Have a look at the Hama traveller pro. It's not the really small one. I have changed the head for a manfrotto type one for abut £10 on Amazon and love it. Light but sturdy enough and doesn't break the bank
 
My Redged TCA-522K arrived this morning, very nicely made, compact enough to easily fit into my bike luggage and it feels fairly light - I haven't carried over hill and dale yet though :/

Worth looking at I'd say.
 
Mr Bastable said:
My Redged TCA-522K arrived this morning, very nicely made, compact enough to easily fit into my bike luggage and it feels fairly light - I haven't carried over hill and dale yet though :/

Worth looking at I'd say.
Click to expand...

I also have that tripod and I am very happy with it, its survived 3 longhaul plane journeys and its light enough to go trekking up hills with! I also had a problem with the rubber ring on the large knob snapping (I'm guessing due to temp changes from a 38*C country to a very cold plane cargo hold) and they sent me out 3 new ones at no charge without even looking at a receipt from a different country.
 
Just my opinion - I never liked the Three Legged things when I was looking - I bought a Redged and it has been very good and I take it most places with me, even use the Nikon 300mm f2.8 VR on it - but I believe Redged has gone bust
 
Many thanks for all the input here, Ive managed to see a BeFree, it was nice and small, but the legs didn't lock out at all which was quite surprising, I just want to look at a Mefoto if possible.

I will look ion the Redged as well to see what all the fuss is about :)
 
Can I throw the Velbon ultra rexi l into the mix? I bought this for ultimate portability and think it's excellent. Very very compact when folded but tall enough for me at 6'4" when raised, lightweight, easy to use and very sturdy considering. The leg lock system is ingenious, one twist locks and unlocks all sections but can be done in stages if you wish. I use my D750 on it without any concern, and even used it with the Tamron 150-600mm which is 1.9kg alone. Granted it's not the perfect tripod for this particular combo but I never had any concerns it wouldn't take the weight.


View: http://youtu.be/CrFyf_UdVLY
 
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I have this tripod already, I was looking to move this on and get something smaller as its a bit too big to take as hand luggage in my opinion, agreed though it is a good tripod!
 
Longimanus said:
I have this tripod already, I was looking to move this on and get something smaller as its a bit too big to take as hand luggage in my opinion, agreed though it is a good tripod!
Click to expand...
You can't get this in your hand luggage? That surprises me as it's only 36cm when folded. I've not tried it for myself but hand luggage can be 50-55cm so would have thought it would fit easily, maybe even with the head attached.

Edit: just looked at the be free' and I guess they will be a touch more compact as are 40cm with head, but with the 4cm or so you lose in folded state you lose a lot more in height when extended.
 
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