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Archive 2020 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

FrancisAlberto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

I've been looking at tripods, and the original plan was to get an induro kit. Since the last time I looked the prices have crept up. I mainly looked an induro because the university had some that we could take out as a loaner and I got to use it a few times. I really liked the 3 way head that was on it. It was never an issue when took it to the woods, pano work, long exposure, ect.

I noticed in the forums when people recommend tripods it's usually a travel tripod.

Have you guys found that the saved weight is worth the trade-off for losing height?

Can a decent deal still be found for a good tripod without breaking the bank?

So far I have looked at. I am 6'2.

Benro TMA47AXL Extra Long Series 4 Mach3 Aluminum Tripod which check most things, but it's heavy compared to a lot of the other choices out there.

Sometimes I see deals on the FLM CP30-L4 II 10X Carbon Fiber Series II Tripod, only negative I could say is that there's no center column on it, id assume it's nice to have the option to do so if one chooses to.

I've also looked at the Centennial Tripod from colorado tripod company, but there's not much on it besides a partial review on the center column site.

Another option is to lurk the 2nd hand market, and try to get something older and nice.

People also recommend some sirui tripods, I only played with their monopod at an expo.

Do the ppl who usually get a travel tripod end up using them more and leaving their regular ones at home due to weight, and encumbrance? or do they find that there's still a role for the regular beast in their lives?

I am really torn because I want to say height is not a factor, but having something closer to eye level helps. Tall tripods seem to cost quite a bit more. It it possible to put together trying to keep it under $400 usd?

Jan 10, 2020 at 07:04 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

My preferred travel tripod is the Feisol CT-3441S, which I've used for about five years. I have three centre columns with; (i) Arca-Swiss C1 Cube, (ii) RRS BH-30, and (iii) Acratech leveling base + Feisol PB-70 panning base + clamp.

For light-weight travel, including long hikes, I use the much lighter (and more expensive) Gitzo GT-0540 CF, with RRS BH-25 head.

At home, I use an old Manfrotto 055GS on 3137 dolly in the studio, and I keep another 055GS (with 468MG head) in the car trunk. I also use the Feisol 'at home', if I want to use the Cube or pano rig.

I'm about 6'-1". Sometimes, I use the centre column extended, sometimes I bend over, and sometimes I sit down; you don't have to use all of the leg segments, just because there there.

Jan 10, 2020 at 07:22 AM

chez
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

It's a very rare situation that I use my various tripods at full height. I much prefer being closer to the ground, providing unique compositions. The flip out LCD helps with not needing to bend too far down to compose the scene.

Jan 10, 2020 at 10:46 AM

DaveTCC
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

I really need to finish up the Colorado Tripod Co. review. I was hoping to get the rest of the tripods they are making first, but that has taken much longer than expected. In summary though, it is an exceptional tripod for $300. Excellent build quality, quite stable. It is a little short though. I will be testing the FLM CP30-L4 soon. Should be very good, similar to its smaller sibling.

Most of the tradeoffs you mention are very personal and depend on your workflow. I like shorter tripods because they are lighter. With my camera I then happily shoot using the tilting rear screen. Many cameras don't have one though and you may therefore prefer an eye level tripod. Center columns are mostly useful for making quick height adjustments. I typically don't need to do that, so prefer my tripods sans center column. It makes them lighter, more compact, and more stable. Moral of the story is you need to figure out what will work best for you.

Jan 10, 2020 at 10:56 AM

Frogfish
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Obviously a lot depends on what you are shooting and with what lens. Landscapes with a tele can be used at a comfortable height however tall you are because relative to the distant subject it makes no difference. However if you are shooting with a WA or UWA to include the foreground not far from your feet then a much lower position is often used (not always though if the foreground is indeed your subject).

I have no problems, and have never had any problems, shooting with a travel tripod, not even in high winds in Iceland or on a temple top in Myanmar (though standing to block the wind was necessary - as well as hooking my bag on the centre column hook).

If you are shooting landscapes or in low light then a tripod is often a prerequisite and I know without one many shots wouldn't be possible. However when my porter lost one of the legs to my tripod I once used rocks as emergency tripods and that worked out just fine (though my shooting position was somewhat restricted as I wasn't strong enough to relocate the 1 ton boulders into the right position) !

Jan 10, 2020 at 11:07 AM

Faraday
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Do you need a travel tripod for travel? Depends how you travel. If you check bags , are not subject to extreme weight limits on those bags, your regular tripod can fit in your baggage, and either it's light enough to hike with or you never need to hike - then probably not.

If you travel carry-on only, deal with serious weight restrictions, and/or need less weight for hiking/climbing/etc., a travel tripod is priceless.

Jan 10, 2020 at 12:00 PM

Abbott Schindl
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

As for tripod height, I like tripods that open tall because they're useful in the field when their feet need to be positioned lower than my feet. Think "I'm on a rock; it's on the ground", "I'm on the shore; its feet are in the water" and so on. For my full-size tripods, I'll also use full extension to get interesting perspectives of various things. I don't use the height just to get the camera to my normal standing eye level.

I've shot with Gitzo Series 3 tripods for decades and love them. But for travel, especially air travel, I prefer my Gitzo GT1545 Traveler. The Traveler's also going on more hikes because it's so light and stable.

For what I do, having a heavier-duty tripod is essential, but I've been surprised at how useful the Traveler's been. I know several others with similar setups to mine that find the Traveler essential.

When I'm driving to a site, I always bring a Mountaineer and/or Systematic. When I'm flying, either it's only the Traveler (carryon) or, rarely, the Traveler (carryon) with the Mountaineer (checked bag). On a big trip, I just don't want to risk the airline losing my tripod with the checked bag. Carrying the Traveler is both "gotta tripod insurance" and functional.

Jan 10, 2020 at 12:53 PM

daggah
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Travel tripods can also be great in urban environments. Some of them fold up small enough to fit inside your camera bag, which means that it won't get in the way in a crowded train or when dodging other pedestrians on a busy city street. A travel tripod's center column may also come in handy when raising your camera above obstacles or railings, even in situations where you may not have the space necessary to fully deploy your tripod legs at their full height. You may find that the environmental conditions in an urban environment aren't nearly as harsh as you might encounter in a landscape photography excursion, so the extra weight and space savings may be more useful than that extra bit of stability.

Jan 10, 2020 at 02:12 PM

dmcphoto
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

I suppose over 95% of my photography is done when traveling. If I had a less sturdy "travel tripod" it would be the one I'd use for nearly everything, including my rarest and best photo opportunities.

Because of that I've never had or even considered a travel tripod. Right now I use a RRS TVC-33 with a RRS BH-55 head for almost everything. Before that I used (and still have) the Gitzo 3-series carbon fiber equivalent of its day (a G1325 MK II) and a Kirk BH-1 ball head. Before that I had a similarly sized Gitzo aluminum tripod and a very large Foba Superball head. These have gone to every place I've ever been, domestic or foreign, over a 40+ year period.

Sure it's a bit of a hassle to travel and hike long distances with a full sized tripod and large ball head, but that's nothing compared to being someplace special and having your tripod vibrating in the wind or otherwise deficient. Each of these has gone on some long hikes, none of which has killed me yet.

I said "nearly everything" above because I've always used an enormous Gitzo 500 series tripod with a Wimberley gimbal head for supertelephoto work. It's ancient now but it's the sturdiest and most vibration free camera platform I've seen or used. It's heavy and the leg diameter is much larger than the RRS TVC-33. Like my RRS tripod there are only 3 leg sections they are longer. I'll carry this with the other necessary stuff a couple miles if I have to, but definitely not on long hikes. This has a hard case for air travel, but when traveling domestically I drive unless there's some reason not to.

The only reason I've come up with to not drive to domestic locations is that a location is more than 3 days drive away and I just don't want to do that or I don't have the extra time for the round trip.

Edited on Jan 10, 2020 at 02:19 PM · View previous versions

Jan 10, 2020 at 02:15 PM

LeeRatters
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Buying a tripod is one of the hardest photography related purchases I think!!

I have a 10 year old RedSnapper tripod here in the UK. 4 section, goes to about 63" max, aluminium, level, ball head & about 2.4kg all in. I use it for landscape, woodland, walking & hiking. Yes, I would like something lighter & I've been looking on & off for a while now but I just can't find something that appeals......

Some don't have a level for panoramas. Some lighter ones aren't tall enough. Some appear a good weight, but don't come with a ball head. Some look a little flimsy. Some are too pricey for the advantages they give.....

I think it's a case of working out what you want & going from there.

Jan 10, 2020 at 02:17 PM

Andre Y
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

I think I posted this somewhere else, but one of my favorite landscape photographers makes a reasonable case for why he travels with a 6-section 5-series Gitzo (GT5563GS), including to pretty remote places. Basically, you don't want your tripod limiting your photographic opportunities after having spent all that time, money, and effort to get there.

https://www.brucepercy.co.uk/blog/2018/12/15/the-economics-of-tripod-sizes?rq=tripod

When I've travelled with a tripod for a trip that's focused on being a photo trip, I've only ever carried my RRS TVC-34 along with the PG-02 gimbal head. If I'm traveling for vacation, and have my lighter photo kit with me, then it will probably be with a lighter, smaller tripod (eg. Peak Design Tripod).

Jan 10, 2020 at 04:11 PM

jharter
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

The thing about travel tripods is that you want the cheapest, lightest, most stable, most durable, most field cleanable, tallest, smallest, packable tripod available. In other words everything is a tradeoff.

My criteria in descending order:

Must fit in a carry-on bag
Must support a quality ballhead
Must be relatively easy to clean in the field to remove sand and salt
Must be strong and rigid
Must be as tall as possible given the above constraints
Must be comfortable to hand carry
Cost

Most travel tripods, fit in a carryon. The RRS TQC-14 is the largest size tripod that will fit in bags I use.

Some travel tripods (e.g. Sirui) have an unusually large platform on the center column that seems to add unnecessary bulk and weight. I like the RRS platform for my Actratech ballhead. Tripod kits that include the head usually cheap out on the head and eventually you will want to replace it.

You rarely see videos of tripod legs dis-assembled for cleaning. The first time I had to clean my Feisol, I learned that each leg joint had 7 pieces of plastic that were asymmetrical and had to be re-assembled in exact order. 4 leg joints X 3 legs X 7 pieces = way too many pieces to keep track of. I had to take photos and be very careful. A little nerve racking. RRS legs are much easier to clean.

Most travel tripods are probably strong enough for 80+% of shots. Look at the thickness of the thinnest leg section as a rough guide to stability. I have found that RRS and Feisol are the most rigid of the brands I have tried.

I usually hand carry tripod. I don't like tripod legs that have to be tightened all the time. My RRS is somewhat stiff and the legs stay open when opened without flopping. I can carry the tripod with two legs contracted to the center and one leg splayed open - everything stays in place. I have had less luck with 3LT, Feisol, Sirui. The new PD tripod had polygonal legs which are not quite as comfortable but it is more compact for stuffing in a bag somewhere.

Cost - you get what you pay for. I travel a lot and I would say that MePhoto and its clones are far and away the most popular travel tripods. A couple of my friends have them and they are fine - but not great. All of the mid-level tripods like Induro, Feisol, Sirui, PD are somewhat to much better depending on what is most important to you. RRS and Gitzo are the best for most but at a premium in cost.

Jan 10, 2020 at 04:19 PM

Melancholia
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

There is no one size fits all solution. People travel for different reasons, in different ways, and pursue their photography differently. You also have to consider the age of the photographers and their physical abilities.

I'm an all-or-none kinda guy. If I'm travelling with friends and/or family for purely pleasure, I don't even bother with a camera. iPhone is good enough to record memories. OTOH, I also travel solo strictly to make images. My trips are 7-10day and within North America. For that, I'm going with a full-sized Gitzo or PMG and I'm checking in luggage. I'm young and healthy enough to hike moderate distances with a full suite of gear but I will admit it's not always fun. But the pursuit of images is why I'm out there in the first place. There are many people who backpack long distances who needs lighter gear because the trek is more important to them.

You can try a travel tripod first and use it until it limits your photography. Then buy a taller, more capable model. Or you can buy the big gun first and accept checking in luggage all the time and see how much you enjoy lugging it around. When that's no longer fun, you'll know what to do. Your experience will guide your future purchases. Few people buy the only tripod they will ever need the first time, especially if you treat photography as a serious pursuit. This is why many of us here have 4, 5, 6 sets of legs.

Jan 10, 2020 at 05:55 PM

FrancisAlberto
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Thanks for some of the suggestions. Looks like the whole travel tripod is a bigger requirement if it's required to bring on a carry on.

DaveTCC looking forward to your review. There's a new Centennial series 4, but there's not much detail about it online. It's taller than the 2 series. Cost a bit more, maybe pushing it a bit above my budget since it comes to $450 and I would have to still procure a head. https://coloradotripod.com/products/centennial-tripod?variant=10004796506159 They also have new upcoming titanium models, but that stuff is a bit too rich for my blood atm.

Btw, I noticed a lot of people gravitate towards ball heads, what's the appeal? maybe the one I used at school was old and worn, but I always preferred the 3 way heads due to ease of adjustment since both planes are separate.
I'll have to look at different heads, but I liked how the induro head locked the camera in. There was no doubt when it was secure, I dealt with heads that you thought it was in solid and when you checked extra time it wasn't.

Jan 10, 2020 at 11:41 PM

EB-1
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Decades ago I used travel tripods, but not anymore. However, I'm not a photographer and don't have any use for a tripod in the cabin of an aircraft as some people apparently do, nor do I hang out in old/inner crowded cities or use public transport. Also, as I get older I have less FOMO and don't feel the need to photograph everything.

The lightest tripod I use is a early 6x series 2 Gitzo with the spider/column replaced with a Markins Spider. The total weight is about 3.7 lbs. with a Markins Q3i. I mostly use heavier tripods/heads than that, especially since the 50MP era. Stability is more important than weight for me most of the time. At you height the options are more limited, but I'd be looking at the smaller diameter non-travel tripods.

EBH

Jan 11, 2020 at 12:52 AM

Frogfish
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

FrancisAlberto wrote:
Btw, I noticed a lot of people gravitate towards ball heads, what's the appeal?

Weight saving.

Jan 11, 2020 at 01:15 AM

EB-1
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

FrancisAlberto wrote:
Btw, I noticed a lot of people gravitate towards ball heads, what's the appeal?

Frogfish wrote:
Weight saving.

It's mostly speed of operation. 3-way heads are good for certain purposes and many of us have them (geared) for precise work, but a ball head is much faster and more compact.

EBH

Jan 11, 2020 at 02:09 AM

Frogfish
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

EB-1 wrote:
It's mostly speed of operation. 3-way heads are good for certain purposes and many of us have them (geared) for precise work, but a ball head is much faster and more compact.

EBH

Good point!

However for me once it's set up it's pretty much a wash in terms of speed - actually the 3 way can be faster for precise adjustments. YMMV.

There are though substantial weight savings in using a small but sturdy ballhead - and those savings add up when hiking or carrying around all day. I had a Manfrotto 3-Way-Head which (just checked) weighed exactly 1kg, compared to the ca. 310g or whatever it is for my two ballheads.

Jan 11, 2020 at 02:26 AM

LeeRatters
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Jan 11, 2020 at 09:00 AM

FrancisAlberto
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Does one really need a travel tripod? and some suggestions.

Thanks for the helpful replies guys.

Jan 12, 2020 at 02:35 AM

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