Hello, Paul.
Please see my replies below; as you know, these things are often very much a personal decision based on specific needs and experience, and I understand your thoughts on this, but I will answer a few of your comments which may be of help to others who read this and are yet undecided.
Not sure i see what's so unique with this tripod ?
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Regards
Paul L.
"Unique" might be in the eye of the beholder.
True
For myself, This tripod is unique because it has the latest FLM engineering and materials, and I need a travel tripod which fits in my carry-on bag to replace a Sirui which is too short and wobbly.
Well i don't see any engineering features that is unique either.
Could be i expected something unique due to the "crowd funding", as they often pop up as a solution to a problem no body solved yet.
I have 3 tripod kits - heavy duty, medium, and travel. During the past year,
I don't use travel tripods, but i do have 5 CF tripods from Gitzo and Sirui.
Given the spec's i can at least find one Sirui and one Gitzo that will match the fore mentioned tripod.
Options is however good, and im sure the FLM is excellent just as Gitzo and Sirui are.
The Sirui tripod I am replacing is the T-1205X. It is a good tripod for what it is, and folds up slightly shorter and is nearly one pound lighter than this FLM Traveler, but it is about the same folded circumference. So, volume-wise, these are nearly the same, and both fit in my carry-on (I don't check my bags, even on international flights).
However, as I said, for my specific needs I find it lacking in a couple of areas:
1. Working Height. Without the column extended, the FLM is 4 inches taller, which is enough of a difference to really help my back (old injury), and by removing the column on the FLM it is 5 inches taller than the Siriu with short column. This is significant for my back situation, as I have tested the improvement at these heights using my larger tripods. Not nearly as tall as my larger tripods can ultimately get to: a Gitzo GT3532LS and an RRS TVC-24L, but when I say "travel", I mean for my air travel, which is always an equipment compromise for me, but better than having no tripod, and I'd like the best possible within my size constraints.
2. Stability. The Sirui is what it is -- a lighter, shorter tripod. However, many factors affect stability which the FLM Traveler addresses, albeit also at the cost of some folded length and overall weight:
The Sirui leg locks seem well-designed, but I would still give the edge to Gitzo and RRS for operation and stability of their leg locks, and from what I have seen and read online, the FLM locks appear to be at least as good as the Gitzo and RRS. All other things being equal, longer leg locks/ leg section overlap should result in a joint with less flex, and the length of the FLM lock collars appear to be the same as for their larger tripods, longer than the Sirui but the tradeoff being slightly longer folded length and weight, OK for me. Besides, the additional weight appears to be distributed across the tripod length (heavier apex, thicker-walled/ heavier leg sections, longer and heavier locking collars). Note that the plastic leg lock sleeves are a new, one-piece design. Assuming that FLM have done a good job here, this greatly simplifies maintenance... I do not look forward to re-assembling the leg sections on any of my other tripods, but as you know this is sometimes a part of normal maintenance.
FLM's apex design seems to be the same as their CP26 series tripods -- this is more substantial than my Sirui, but also contributes to the overall stability. The FLM design allows for complete removal of the center column, which in my experience is always better than simply lowering the column. My Siriu does include a short column, but this still means an additional joint which may ultimately contribute to at least a little instability.
I have slowly replaced my RRS and Acratech ball heads with 3 FLM ball heads for these kits, as I was so impressed with the FLM head performance, quality, and features. Not that the the RRS and Acratech were not good heads, but for me the FLM are just that much better.
What exactly are so much better on the FLM ballheads ?
Compared to my experience with my many years Acratech GP, RRS BH-30 (and corroborated by some of DP Review's own ball head reviews), there is much less shift when locking down any of my FLM ball heads -- I now own CB-48FTR, Leica Ball Head 38 (same design and manufactured by FLM as CB-38FTR), and CB-32F. I also prefer the friction set system on all of my FLM ball heads, and on the two larger heads I like the 1) panning lock/ detent feature which helps in tightening and removal of the head, and for some pano situations, and also 2) the extra knob which locks all but vertical adjustment of the ball, which speeds up and simplifies many of my setups.
Im not impressed by ballheads in general, name the P0 which is about the fastest ballhead i owned and used.
I'm still OK with my "old" Gitzo and RRS legs for my larger kits, but as I said my travel legs are lacking, and given my experience with FLM and this new opportunity, the FLM CP-Travel is my unique solution.
Sounds like a good fit for you.
Having said that, in my research the only other competition under my consideration were the Gitzo GT1555T and GT1545T. You may compare specs and pricing, but given my experience in owning and handling products from both companies, even not considering price I would favor the FLM.
Cheers,
-Dennis
Im quite sure there are several options from several manufacturer that fit the spec's.
That simply fit the specs, yes, but for my needs and from my experience and perspective, no -- need to fit more than just the specs on paper. I have also owned Benro and MeFoto tripods, and have handled some others, so I have a wide experience. Having been an avid photographer for the past 50 years, I also find myself to be less flexible than I used to be!
