Travel tripod help!!

[Physicx]

New to tripods. But its high time i need one. My gear is now complete. 5DMKII, 24-70, 70-200, 50 1.4 and a wide angle zoom coming. So now I need a good tripod.

Been recommended the manfrotto 190proB. This is the one I had in mind. Good tripod, 3 legs, strong, not too expensive.

trouble is I'm going backpacking. So it is quite long and I cant carry it. Ideally Im looking for something that is SHORT. ie it fits into the large side pocket of a backpack. Which might mean I need to compromise for a 4 legged one. And one that is reasonably light as Im carry it the whole time. Backpacking for 6 months means i need to carry as little as possible.

any suggestions?

[BillyBean]

I came to the conclusion that there was no point investing in a tripod if you didn't have it with you when you needed it. So I looked for the lightest, smallest tripod I could get that could handle the heaviest weight I would ever likely have. Thom Hogan has some good articles about this - bythom.com. Basically, he says go for what you need straight away, and save yourself a ton of money in not having to throw out cheaper tripods...

For me, the answer was the Gitzo 1541T. http://www.gitzo.com/series-1-6x-4-section-traveler-tripod-with-g-lock

This thing is tiny. It fits into a rucksack with ease, and weighs almost nothing. Yet the rated load weight for the thing is an incredible 8kg, and it is amazingly stable when it's up, especially if you keep the centre column down.

I'm sure some will quibble about lighter-weight tripods, and I guess if you have heavy, long lenses, this might be an issue, but it depends how willing you are to lug a really hefty tripod. Like I said, the best tripod in the world is no use if you decide you cannot afford to carry it where you are going. I carried this Gitzo all over Yosemite last year, and never noticed the weight. You can hang a bag under it to give additional stability - there is a pull out hook thingy.

The downside? It costs an absolute fortune. There is always a downside. And it struggles a bit with my Mamiya RZ67, but then that's a bit unfair, right? 

[BillyBean]

By the way, my kit on this tripod is: EOS 3, 70-200 f4 iS, 17-40 f4, 24-70 f2.8, and a few primes.

[Jamesy]

I have the Benro Carbon Fiber C1681TB0 Travel Angel Tripod Kit C1681 +B0. It is only 3Lbs and very small and has an Arca Swiss type ball-head with is fantastic. Highly recommended. You can also look at the 1691 which has five legs instead of four. This line of tripods is called Transfunctional, meaning one of the legs detaches and becomes a monopod, which is sweet!

You can also look at their zero and two series, although I would not recommend the zero for your gear list.

You can buy these local from B+H but can save a few bucks going to eBay if you can wait. I shot mine with my 40D and 17/55.2.8/IS or 70-200/4.0/IS with no issues. I also have a Gitzo 2531EX, Markins M10 and RRS clamp - although far more stable than the Benro, it is much longer and weighs a couple of pounds more.

Here is mine on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Benro-C1681TB0-Travel-Angel-Tripod-Kit-C1681-B0-T027-/300559215496?pt=US_Tripods&hash=item45fab9ab88

Here is the whole series (minus mine for some reason) on Benro's site:
http://www.benrousa.com/products_catalog_TransfunctionalTravelAngel-CF-TwistLocks.html

Here is the same series in aluminum:
http://www.benrousa.com/products_catalog_TransfunctionalTravelAngel-AL-TwistLock.html

You could always get the Cadillac and go with the Gitzo 1541T and Markins Q3T or RRS BH-25, it all depends on how much you are willing to $pend!

[scotty512]

i had the same dilema and next week setting off on a short trip to south america, purchased a

giottos vitruvian VGRN 9255+5400-652 tripod for around £200

fits in my kata bug rucksack side pocket nicely, it is short and light, but appears sturdy and can also change to a monopod as well

[Harley]

I was in the same boat as you.  I'm a backpacker and traveler.  After getting advice from a bunch of CR forum members, I got the Benro C2691-TB1 Travel Angel off eBay as well.  It's a great deal on a great tripod!  The TB-1 ballhead is even quite usable.  I can put an old all-metal FD 300mm f/2.8 L and 7D on it with no worries -- it is rock-solid.  Folded up it fits inside my standard carry-on luggage.  The tripod is substantial and doesn't feel like a flimsy travel version.  Plus the camera sits at eye-level without extending the center column.  One of the best purchases I've made in years.

[BillyBean]

You could always get the Cadillac

Surely you mean a Rolls Royce, my dear chap...

[loudpictures]

In most cases, people start to laugh when I recommend my favourite travel-tripod: the Manfrotto 709B.
It is about 250g, as tiny as 3 Pens,  and carries a mkIV with 70-200 on the small included ballhead. So its perfect for backpacking.

Yes, I know: 6cm is not that high. But there is always something you can put the Mini-tripod on. Cars, Walls, ...
If not, it even forces you to choose a more interesting perspective.

the best thing is, if you are in locations where it is not allowed to shoot - churches or museums or platforms or something - it is so small that you can quickly put it next to your shoes, fix your shoe-laces and the picture is made

I would prefer it to nearly every other Tripod I know.

New to tripods. But its high time i need one. My gear is now complete. 5DMKII, 24-70, 70-200, 50 1.4 and a wide angle zoom coming. So now I need a good tripod.

Been recommended the manfrotto 190proB. This is the one I had in mind. Good tripod, 3 legs, strong, not too expensive.

trouble is I'm going backpacking. So it is quite long and I cant carry it. Ideally Im looking for something that is SHORT. ie it fits into the large side pocket of a backpack. Which might mean I need to compromise for a 4 legged one. And one that is reasonably light as Im carry it the whole time. Backpacking for 6 months means i need to carry as little as possible.

any suggestions?

[BL]

Ideally Im looking for something that is SHORT. ie it fits into the large side pocket of a backpack. Which might mean I need to compromise for a 4 legged one. And one that is reasonably light as Im carry it the whole time. Backpacking for 6 months means i need to carry as little as possible.

Feisol 3441s carbon fiber $289 (what i paid about a year ago)
weight: 2.5lb w/center column (3.4 lb pictured with head and center column)
collapsed height: 16.9"!!

the feisol (in red) has a collapsed height of 16.9" which is really nice.  here's a picture side to side against my aluminum bogen 3025GN with 3D head.



this is what i'm taking to germany for a romp in the countryside for 3 weeks.  i'm planning on pairing it with a 16-35 II and 70-200 II, and a 1.4x II packed between a pair of socks.

[Harley]

This string might be helpful...
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,2487.msg76313.html#msg76313

[bonedaddy.p7]

I was in the same boat as you.  I'm a backpacker and traveler.  After getting advice from a bunch of CR forum members, I got the Benro C2691-TB1 Travel Angel off eBay as well.  It's a great deal on a great tripod!  The TB-1 ballhead is even quite usable.  I can put an old all-metal FD 300mm f/2.8 L and 7D on it with no worries -- it is rock-solid.  Folded up it fits inside my standard carry-on luggage.  The tripod is substantial and doesn't feel like a flimsy travel version.  Plus the camera sits at eye-level without extending the center column.  One of the best purchases I've made in years.

 
 I second the Benro, my budget isn't enough to even consider a Gitzo. Manfrotto and Benro are close to each other in build quality enough that for my money the Benro is a better cost/performance ratio. I currently have a not-so-travel-friendly Benro Aluminum tripod with both a ball and pan/tilt head, and added one of these stone bags for weight: http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/store/vanguard-sb-100-tripod-stone-bag.html
 when my budget allows I plan to get one of their smaller, lighter tripods for travel, possibly one that can also be a monopod.
 
 but it really boils down to what your budget is and how important it is to you. if I was a pro and looking for capability to handle big lenses or big cameras (like a fully equipped RED), I'd have no qualms about buying a Gitzo, for me, an amateur hobbyist that has a light camera and small-ish lenses and just need stability for long exposure and low light, the Benro is more than I need (I was quite happy with my vivitar tripod for a long time until I started wanting to change heads and swap cameras)
 

[Stevo2008]

I have a  Travel Angel.

[Jamesy]

It also depends on how long an exposure you intend to get with the travel setup. Under sub 1 second, a smaller, lighter setup may suffice but if you are looking for a rock solid setup then look for the fewest legs and ratings able to hold the weight.

When I was shopping for the Benro, I went to a local bricks and mortar and tried the four and five section 1-series and found the torsional rotation to be too great on the five leg setup. If you can swing the additional weight, you may very well benefit from the 2-series Benro as it is nice and solid.

[scrappydog]

I have a Gitzo GT1542T with a Markins Q3T ball head.  Both are really light and high quality.  With the head off and the legs spun around, it is less than 17" long and easily fits inside my average sized backpack.  I recommend it.  I got it on Amazon for 1/2 off, which made it affordable.

Below is a shot of my tripods/monopod to give you a sense of their sizes.  The top one is the Manfrotto 680B monopod with a Kirk head.  The second is a Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 carbon fiber tripod with a Really Right Stuff BH-55.  The third one is the Gitzo.  If I could do it all over, I would only get the Gitzo because it is stable and so much lighter than my Manfrotto tripod.

[Camerajah]

I use the INDURO #AT114 Alloy 8M with Triopo KK-2S ballhead very good quality,oh I ordered the 6 inch centre post fr Adorama.