Travel tripod?

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Matt.

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I would like to replace my old tripod with something a little more suitable to my needs. I travel around and need something compact. It has to be capable of fitting inside a backpack (eg. for taking on a plane), and has to be easy to fit to the outside of a backpack for hiking. I am 6ft4, so it needs to go somewhat high (I don't expect it really high, but I don't want to have to sit down to use it!). I use a Canon 5d/7d and various L lenses.

I currently have a Manfrotto 725B. It has served me very well, but in reality isn't really capable of carrying the weight of gear I use. However, it's size is really good, and I've taken it all around the world.

I don't want to spend huge amounts of money, so am looking for something sensibly priced. I've been considering Benro carbon tripods, but am a little lost with the number of options there are.

If anyone can recommend a tripod for my needs that would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks
 
Julian Elliott said:
Benro Mach 3 TMA38CL Tripod and GD3WH head
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This one is a little too heavy for my needs, but it's good to see Benro looks like a good option. Ideally I'd like to be sub 2kg with head, preferably closer to 1.5kg. This is mainly because I hike a lot and go up hills/mountains and need to be fairly weight conscious.
 
Have a look at the 3 legged thing range, corey, patti, travis, billy or brian models - one of them will probably meet your choice of compromises on a travel tripod
 
The Gitzo Traveller range would meet your needs, except perhaps for the 'sensibly priced' bit. The current models with the new G-lock design (e.g. GT1545T, GT2545T legs or GK1545T-82TQD, GK2545T-82QD kits with heads) stand tall for tripods that pack down so small, and for lightweight tripods they take heavy loads.

Speedgraphic have pretty good prices (by Gitzo standards) right now:

https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk

e.g.:

https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/carbon_fibre/gitzo_gt1545t_traveller_tripod/25504_p.html
https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/carbon_fibre/gitzo_gk1545t82tqd_traveller_tripod_kit/25500_p.html

For specs (and scary undiscounted RRPs), see:

https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/gitzo/tripods/traveler
 
What budget are you looking at?

After a lot of research I bought a SIRUI ET-1204 Carbon Fibre travel tripod at the beginning of this year and I'm very pleased with it.

Light, folds up small, decent load capacity for the weight and feels well made.
It has flip leg locks which I prefer. I paid 300£ on amazon for it.
 
Unicronatron said:
What budget are you looking at?

After a lot of research I bought a SIRUI ET-1204 Carbon Fibre travel tripod at the beginning of this year and I'm very pleased with it.

Light, folds up small, decent load capacity for the weight and feels well made.
It has flip leg locks which I prefer. I paid 300£ on amazon for it.
Click to expand...

+ 1 for the Sirui... Paid less though :)
 
Retune said:
The Gitzo Traveller range would meet your needs, except perhaps for the 'sensibly priced' bit. The current models with the new G-lock design (e.g. GT1545T, GT2545T legs or GK1545T-82TQD, GK2545T-82QD kits with heads) stand tall for tripods that pack down so small, and for lightweight tripods they take heavy loads.

Speedgraphic have pretty good prices (by Gitzo standards) right now:

https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk

e.g.:

https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/carbon_fibre/gitzo_gt1545t_traveller_tripod/25504_p.html
https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/carbon_fibre/gitzo_gk1545t82tqd_traveller_tripod_kit/25500_p.html

For specs (and scary undiscounted RRPs), see:

https://www.manfrotto.co.uk/gitzo/tripods/traveler
Click to expand...


Unfortunately I really am too poor for Gitzo. I also don't think my skills warrant it. Though I have spent a lot of time checking eBay for used Gitzo traveller tripods over the last few years. They look ideal for me, but I just can't afford it :(

Budget wise we're looking at upto £300, but preferably as cheap as possible as I'd rather spend my money on travel to somewhere I can use it!
 
Matt. said:
Unfortunately I really am too poor for Gitzo. I also don't think my skills warrant it. Though I have spent a lot of time checking eBay for used Gitzo traveller tripods over the last few years. They look ideal for me, but I just can't afford it :(

Budget wise we're looking at upto £300, but preferably as cheap as possible as I'd rather spend my money on travel to somewhere I can use it!
Click to expand...

Persevere! I have 4 Gitzo tripods (3 bought brand new) and only one of them would exceed your budget. They are out there but they are not common.

One that might be of interest to you is my tiny G1550T - great for my 24-70 F2.8 + 1dx and passable with the same camera and a 70-200 F2.8. I bought it used in nice nick for a reasonable price. Unfortunately I don't get to travel these days so it isn't getting used much. My most expensive Gitzo was £375 but that is a 4 series Systematic, lovely, but a bit of a monster for your needs.

Keep an eye out for used Feisol Tournament tripods too - a friend picked one up a little while back for £90 from FleaBay. They are a "sort of" mini systematic, his is the 3 leg section version. It does not collapse as short as a proper Traveller tripod but is significantly stiffer and a little lighter - great for up to a 300 F2.8 and Pro body. A new one is a bit outside your budget - but a used one? There is some ifo here:

https://www.feisol.eu/product/feisol-tournament-tripod-ct-3342-rapid/?lang=en

Happy hunting.
 
I’m also in the market for a new tripod and the Manfrotto Element is top of my list. I tried it in Jessie’s the other day and it felt sturdier than I was expecting.
 
Craikeybaby said:
I’m also in the market for a new tripod and the Manfrotto Element is top of my list. I tried it in Jessie’s the other day and it felt sturdier than I was expecting.
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That looks like an interesting option. The big carbon version seems to fit my requirements.
 
tijuana taxi said:
This is a decent travel tripod https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/carb...MIhKCE1ZeY3gIVwrDtCh0guQiVEAQYASABEgKurvD_BwE
I have the four section model and it's light, strong, compact and well made in Germany with a ten year warranty
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I'll +1 for FLM. I've got the (non-travel, non-cheap) CP30XL which is a lovely 1.9M without the centre column. The build quality is outstanding though and it's sturdy as a rock. I wouldn't hesitate to buy FLM if I wanted a travelly thing.
 
I'm another Sirui fan but, due to an upgrade, I have an ET-1204 spare. If you're interested I'll put it in the appropriate Sales section.
 
I managed to buy a brand new Gitzo 1542T a few years ago for about £300 from Amazon as part of a flash deal. Very happy with it and I often fly with it, handles everything from my DSLR up to my 5x4 kit. If you aren't in a rush, good deals are to be found now and again.
 
I think the Manfrotto Element is very tempting at £150 for the carbon version. Far cheaper than Gitzo. I’d prefer Gitzo but can’t imagine I’ll see many deals near £300. I can see that the G1542T was near that last year very briefly but is now not stocked. The G1555T has rarely been below £500. I’d also need a ball head.

For me I think Gitzo is a little out of reach right now. Shame as I want one!
 
Snapsh0t said:
I'm another Sirui fan but, due to an upgrade, I have an ET-1204 spare. If you're interested I'll put it in the appropriate Sales section.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer but I don't think it's tall enough for me. I'm 6ft4 so need something a little higher than the ~140cm of the ET-1204. Looks good otherwise!
 
I think I'll get the Manfrotto Element Carbon Big. It's ~£110 on Amazon which seems very good value!
 
I have actually decided to stay with what I've got and look out for a Gitzo 1542T. It probably makes some long term sense, but I'll probably get bored looking again soon and end up buying a Manfrotto.
 
After much searching and spec-checking I took the plunge a last year and bought a Gitzo GK2545T-82QD from Speed Graphic. Yes it was pricey although they had a deal on a free travel bag(!) but the weight support and portability is superb. It fits inside a suitcase and is also lightweight to cart around for London headshots, via public transport. Worth checking the used market though if you have time.
 
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