chbla wrote:
So the GT0531 would be ok for my purpose? I'm not sure about the 3 vs 4 segments.. but if I don't use the outer segments anyway, It doesn't matter I guess.
It will hold it up. You're almost guaranteed to have blur from shutter slap below 1/60s from around 100mm on up. It's up to you whether you can live with that.
Bulkiness isn't just the length. It is also the width it folds down to. The 3442 has a large top, so doesn't fold tightly. I think it is too bulky for hiking---difficult to fit in a pack and wider/heavier than I'd like to hang outside a pack. Obviously some people feel differently.
I use my 3442 strapped down to the outside of my pack and do not ever notice it. I hike upto 20 km at a time with often 2000m of elevation gain without the tripod being an issue. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I'd much rather have the tripod that does the job when I need it, even if it is slightly bulkier than carry a tripod for 20km and it fail on me due to being too light for the conditions.
Its a bit dated: the more recent post 21 has been updated to show the different placing of the knobs on the Makins Q3T mark II so the legs of the 1541T can fold up tightly.
Mike K
I've posted these around previously but might as well again. I use them as my standard pod with my current 1.2kg camera rig even though I have a wide selection of pods in my work room and in storage. I like them fine - and they're only like, $12. I would think that these are the perfect design for trekking on the light. Here's what they look like collapsed, without a head attached:
325g, 22.5cm collapsed.
You can read more details about them in the link I posted (above). i just leave them attached to the camera all the time and then carry the camera by it's strap. They're light enough not to bother anything. I've used several different cameras on these legs in this way including D1x, and Nikon F5 and F3 among others. If you use the lens's tripod mount it should be OK. You won't be able to use that lens on this pod fully extended if you use the camera's tripod socket. Extended only out to the first 2 or 3 sections it should be fine however.
I've got the same one (G1097), with the ground-level adapter and Markins Q3 mounted. I've found it to be very stable, even with a 5D and 70-200/4, but that's the limit. Mostly, though, I use it with a 1Ds2 and wide-angle glass for landscapes, and it's perfect in that application. I often like shooting from a lower perspective, and with an angle-finder attached, it's comfortable to use. As long as you're aware of the limitations, a lightweight setup can be very useful, and I know I'd be wasting my time shooting at 300mm with such a setup.
The G1097 is Basalt, rather than CF. The Basalt is definitely not as rigid, so in a larger setup I'd go with CF, but there doesn't seem to be much of a compromise with such a short set of legs. The G1097 may be discontinued, I don't know.
I went for a relatively cheap tripod the first time around ... ended up getting a great deal on a Bogen 3021bpro and 388RC2 ballhead.
This tripod alone (without a ballhead) weighs 5.29 lbs, and has a closed length of 25.59 inches.
I've used this for hiking (strapped to the outside of my Gregory pack) a number of times, and it has been fine. Bulky? Heavy? Sure, but it worked.
I only mention this because it seems when people start stressing over 2.2 vs. 2.7 lbs, they've lost sight of the bigger picture. I'm not saying one isn't better than the other ... I'm saying that either will function fine.
