Re: French-fry-like-bottom part of the tripod - Some advice please
jeffbuzz wrote:
The weak point of the travel style tripods you linked to is not the leg thickness but the presence of a center column. A thin legged tripod with no center column is more stable than a thicker tripod with an extended center column. Of course you can make the tripod more stable by not extending the thinnest lower leg sections or center column. That makes your tripod much shorter, but more stable.
The problem (or challenge, since we understand this when we opt to use a “travel tripod”) is not the “presence” of a center column. The problem is the reliance on extending it all the way in order to get even barely enough height, coupled with the expected less-rigid character of the lightweight tripod.
The problem with the alternative of using a tripod with no center column for travel is that to get a minimally useful height you’ll now have to carry a larger and heavier tripod (part of the height comes from three legs rather than a center column) that won’t stow as small.
For the specific purpose of travel, where we may be willing to accept that we’ll have to work differently in order to keep size and weight under control, this can be an acceptable compromise — if you understand that you are working with a less-stable tripod and that you’ll have to take extra care to control potential vibrations.
I think it is important to consider the circumstances of the tripod use and the expectations of the user. When I go out to do long-exposure, tripod-based night photography, I’m going to carry a big, heavy, solid tripod and head. When I stick a tripod in my bag for 6 weeks of urban travel and think I might possibly need a tripod once or twice (or not) and I’m carrying a smaller and lighter gear, the travel tripod could fit the bill. And I prefer a smaller one with a center column that is just barely tall enough.
YMMV.
Jun 29, 2025 at 11:21 AM
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