Sub $250 tripod for 5D Mark IV + accessories

tralalakurakura · May 18, 2017

Hello guys,

I just recently upgraded to Canon 5D Mark IV from Canon 550D and I am currently looking for the appropriate tripod for my new, bigger, and heavier camera.

My lenses are: 24-70 f/2.8L II, 16-35 f/4L, 50 f/1.2L and I'm looking to buy a telephoto lens, probably 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L II in the coming future. I also have a 430EXII and my bag is a Protactic 450AW.

For my Canon 550D, I have been using Dolica TX570DS Ultra Compact Tripod with Professional Ball Head and Built-In Monopod (Black) (Amazon) that I bought from Costco a few years ago. However, I don't think this is a good enough tripod for my heavier 5D Mark IV with all the lenses and external flash (or is it?). I plan to relegate my Dolica as a backup tripod or as a monopod exclusively.

I am currently looking to upgrade my tripod as well and my max budget is around $250 (with ball head included). I don't mind having an aluminum tripod but I will gladly accept if I can get a decent carbon fiber tripod at this price level.

I am an advanced amateur (prosumer) and I mostly use the tripod for special events or travel, and such, the ability to squeeze the tripod into a carry-on luggage is preferred.

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

Adam2 · May 18, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
I am currently looking to upgrade my tripod as well and my max budget is around $250 (with ball head included). I don't mind having an aluminum tripod but I will gladly accept if I can get a decent carbon fiber tripod at this price level.

You can.

tralalakurakura said:
I am an advanced amateur (prosumer) and I mostly use the tripod for special events or travel, and such, the ability to squeeze the tripod into a carry-on luggage is preferred.

Always tradeoffs. You have to decide what is most important, size, weight, materials, etc. But it sounds that you are looking for more of a travel tripod?

tralalakurakura said:
I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

This used to be a favorite and you can find several articles supporting it. However, it is rather large for carry on, weighs around 4.5 lbs, and folds down to around 24". There have been plenty of reports of loosening/failure.

tralalakurakura said:
2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

Yup. MeFoto is kind of gimicky (just my opinion) and I think you can find better value elsewhere.

tralalakurakura said:
3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

Don't know Neewer but I've seen their stuff percolating up and can't comment on quality. It's a bit cheap for CF but folks seem to like it. It's not all that lightweight and comes in around 6.5 lbs, though it does fold smaller and has significant capacity.

The issue with the cheap chinese carbon fiber knock offs is that while some look good, they have poor components, the carbon isn't very stiff, the fittings aren't great, etc.

Obviously a Gitzo, RRS, or even Induro would be nice, but recognizing that not everyone has $$$, how does one proceed? You could look at a Benro or Oben. They offer a nice compromise of performance and value (watch for them when they go on sale). Recently, I did a two continent trip with a Oben which folded to around 16", extended to 60+", held 13+ lbs, and was quite tight with no flex, nice fit, finish, QR plate, and operation. No shaking, failures, and I dropped it a couple of times from bag height without any problems. It was less expensive than my Benro, goes lower, and is a bit cheaper. Time will tell if it is as good quality.

tralalakurakura said:
Any thoughts?

Thank you!

tralalakurakura · May 18, 2017

Member said:
Always tradeoffs. You have to decide what is most important, size, weight, materials, etc. But it sounds that you are looking for more of a travel tripod?

Yes, I think travel tripod will be more suitable for me.

Member said:
Member said:

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

Click to expand...

This used to be a favorite and you can find several articles supporting it. However, it is rather large for carry on, weighs around 4.5 lbs, and folds down to around 24". There have been plenty of reports of loosening/failure.

I see, I'll pass on this tripod then..

Member said:
Member said:

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

Click to expand...

Yup. MeFoto is kind of gimicky (just my opinion) and I think you can find better value elsewhere.

CMIIW, from what I know, MeFoto is a brand from Benro, am I right?

Member said:
Member said:

3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

Click to expand...

Don't know Neewer but I've seen their stuff percolating up and can't comment on quality. It's a bit cheap for CF but folks seem to like it. It's not all that lightweight and comes in around 6.5 lbs, though it does fold smaller and has significant capacity.

The issue with the cheap chinese carbon fiber knock offs is that while some look good, they have poor components, the carbon isn't very stiff, the fittings aren't great, etc.

Obviously a Gitzo, RRS, or even Induro would be nice, but recognizing that not everyone has $$$, how does one proceed? You could look at a Benro or Oben. They offer a nice compromise of performance and value (watch for them when they go on sale). Recently, I did a two continent trip with a Oben which folded to around 16", extended to 60+", held 13+ lbs, and was quite tight with no flex, nice fit, finish, QR plate, and operation. No shaking, failures, and I dropped it a couple of times from bag height without any problems. It was less expensive than my Benro, goes lower, and is a bit cheaper. Time will tell if it is as good quality.

Member said:

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

Do you have any recommended OBEN or BENRO travel tripod?

Thank you for your reply.

tralalakurakura · May 18, 2017

I found this at B&H:

Oben AT-3585 Folding Aluminum Travel Tripod with BC-226T Ball Head at B&H

Price is $165 which is still within my budget. Reviews look solid.

Any thought?

Mark B. · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
Adam2 said:

Always tradeoffs. You have to decide what is most important, size, weight, materials, etc. But it sounds that you are looking for more of a travel tripod?

Click to expand...

Yes, I think travel tripod will be more suitable for me.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

Click to expand...

This used to be a favorite and you can find several articles supporting it. However, it is rather large for carry on, weighs around 4.5 lbs, and folds down to around 24". There have been plenty of reports of loosening/failure.

Click to expand...

I see, I'll pass on this tripod then..

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

Click to expand...

Yup. MeFoto is kind of gimicky (just my opinion) and I think you can find better value elsewhere.

Click to expand...

CMIIW, from what I know, MeFoto is a brand from Benro, am I right?

Yes. For what it's worth, I use the MeFoto Globetrotter for travel with my 7D II and haven't really had any problems with it. I did have to send the head in shortly after I got it when one of the adjustment knobs stripped and would not work. But it works well for the price and is light and small enough that I can pack it in my checked baggage.

Mark

Selene · May 19, 2017

B and H has had some pretty sturdy Benros on sale lately that could work for you. I don't use tripods much, but I have not had much luck with the cheaper ones (surprise!!--almost everyone will tell you this). I had a pretty sturdy Manfrotto that worked ok with smaller cameras but had a horrible time using it with my 5 d mk iv and the 100-400 lens (probably more the head than the legs). You need to really think what you want to use it for. Look for sales and look for used if you need to. You don't want to have to repair a fine camera because it was on a flimsy tripod. You are better off not using one at all.

tralalakurakura · May 19, 2017

Any recommendations of tripod that is good enough that you have used for your 5D Mark IV and 100-400? I am thinking that these 2 combinations of camera & lens will be the heaviest for my use so I wonder if you can help to share your experiences.

deanimator · May 19, 2017

I recently bought a Vanguard Alta Pro and am very satisfied with it.

I neither travel nor hike with it, so the weight is irrelevant to me.

I bought mine without the head, having already purchased a Vanguard TBH-300 for the tripod which the Alta Pro replaced. I just swapped heads.

I think that the Alta Pro is an excellent tripod for the money.

So far, it's worked out very well for me and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

Occams Razor · May 19, 2017

The problem with the travel tripods is they offer the least amount of stability. Anytime you raise the center column, you add a source for vibration and the overall setup is just not as balanced. I own 2 travel tripods and only use them when I fly because of convenience. However, I would never use them as my main tripod. I own a Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB and it's probably the best bang for your buck from the tripods you have listed. The main benefit is the legs are relatively tall so you can use it without raising the center column although it's available when you need the extra height. The downside is the ballhead is not a high performance head. It will easily hold your 5D4 and 100-400 but you will experience a small amount of sag/movement if you are trying to set it to a very precise point. With that being said, all of the ballheads on the tripods you are looking at will probably have the similar performance. FWIW, I have never had a problem with the legs or any part of the Vangaurd tripod.

If you want a little higher quality tripod, you can look at the Manfrotto 055 series line such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-MT...d=1495208604&sr=1-6&keywords=manfrotto+tripod

I own an older version of this and never had an issue. The only downside is that it's not as tall as the Vangaurd.

You can pair it up with a Manfrotto head such as this one and be close to your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-49...495210477&sr=1-1&keywords=manfrotto+ball+head

There is a saying about tripods that I can't remember but it goes something like this - if you are looking at low cost, stability and lightweight, you can only have 2 of these 3 things when choosing a tripod. Just like other camera equipment, it's all about compromise.

3dwag · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
Hello guys,

I just recently upgraded to Canon 5D Mark IV from Canon 550D and I am currently looking for the appropriate tripod for my new, bigger, and heavier camera.

Congratulations! A fine camera for sure, but not only is it bigger and heavier, it will also be squeezing much more detail and resolution out of all of that good glass which you own.

tralalakurakura said:
My lenses are: 24-70 f/2.8L II, 16-35 f/4L, 50 f/1.2L and I'm looking to buy a telephoto lens, probably 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L II in the coming future. I also have a 430EXII and my bag is a Protactic 450AW.

For my Canon 550D, I have been using Dolica TX570DS Ultra Compact Tripod with Professional Ball Head and Built-In Monopod (Black) (Amazon) that I bought from Costco a few years ago. However, I don't think this is a good enough tripod for my heavier 5D Mark IV with all the lenses and external flash (or is it?). I plan to relegate my Dolica as a backup tripod or as a monopod exclusively.

You don't say exactly what you need a tripod for - some only need a safe enough place to park a camera and assist with framing shots, whereas much more solid and stable support is needed for things like stabilizing long or high magnification lenses, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, precision panoramas, timelapse, and long time exposures.

As you are already considering, your old tripod is not up to the job, but whatever you replace it with, no matter how cheap or expensive, will represent some compromises of portability, stability, and cost.

tralalakurakura said:
I am currently looking to upgrade my tripod as well and my max budget is around $250 (with ball head included). I don't mind having an aluminum tripod but I will gladly accept if I can get a decent carbon fiber tripod at this price level.

I don't mean to be unkind here, but if you want your new tripod to be of any reliable use other than just a marginally safe support to park your camera on, I think that you should seriously reconsider your budget. Seriously, do you really think that a $250 tripod/ head combo will do justice with a high resolution camera and lenses such as you have - any one of your combinations can easily represent a $6,000 body/ lens, and you are going to put that on a $250 tripod?

I think that $250 would be about the minimum cost of a decent, basic ball head and clamp, and around $600 for a reasonable set of legs.

tralalakurakura said:
I am an advanced amateur (prosumer) and I mostly use the tripod for special events or travel, and such, the ability to squeeze the tripod into a carry-on luggage is preferred.

For carry-on luggage, you will further compromise the tripod stability due to more and thinner leg sections, as well as needing to go with carbon fiber for sure to help with weight and the size compromises. But good carbon fiber, hardware, and design does not come cheap.

tralalakurakura said:
I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

And I would certainly be concerned about the reliability of supporting a $6,000 camera!

tralalakurakura said:
2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

I consider the MeFoto Globetrotter to be the minimum and entry level of tripod for any full frame. But, if you need the solid stability to steady the camera during exposure, and for any timed or bracketed exposures, this class of tripod won't do justice to the high resolution sensor and lenses which you own, or plan to own. You may find that with this tripod you will get images more like from a 12Mp camera with a cheaper lens, rather than 30Mp with L-glass! Think about it.

tralalakurakura said:
3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

I have heard some reports of these classes of really inexpensive tripods initially seeming OK, but not holding up a year or two later under reasonable use.

tralalakurakura said:
Any thoughts?

Thank you!

The best tripods for your applications IMO are made by FLM, RRS, and Gitzo. I have also owned Benro, Sirui, and MeFoto, and there are other reasonable brands, but I consider these to be a level or two below my FLM, RRS, and Gitzo experience. Induro, Feisol, and Jobu are mentioned in good light by others in this forum, but I have no personal experience with them.

FLM and RRS make outstanding heads, but only recently have Gitzo come out with a line of decent heads with arcs-Swiss type compatible clamps. Many other companies also make good heads, including Arca-Swiss, Acratech, Kirk, Markins, and the list goes on.

Do a search in this forum - there are many informative threads just in the last 6 months alone.

Also, Mark Barnas has written several reviews of tripods and heads here at DP Review since about 2014, look them up. After reading through them, you will have learned a lot more about the ins and outs of different sizes and classes of legs and heads, which should help you to make a better decision.

tralalakurakura · May 19, 2017

rkodama1 said:
The problem with the travel tripods is they offer the least amount of stability. Anytime you raise the center column, you add a source for vibration and the overall setup is just not as balanced. I own 2 travel tripods and only use them when I fly because of convenience. However, I would never use them as my main tripod. I own a Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB and it's probably the best bang for your buck from the tripods you have listed. The main benefit is the legs are relatively tall so you can use it without raising the center column although it's available when you need the extra height. The downside is the ballhead is not a high performance head. It will easily hold your 5D4 and 100-400 but you will experience a small amount of sag/movement if you are trying to set it to a very precise point. With that being said, all of the ballheads on the tripods you are looking at will probably have the similar performance. FWIW, I have never had a problem with the legs or any part of the Vangaurd tripod.

If you want a little higher quality tripod, you can look at the Manfrotto 055 series line such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-MT...d=1495208604&sr=1-6&keywords=manfrotto+tripod

I own an older version of this and never had an issue. The only downside is that it's not as tall as the Vangaurd.

You can pair it up with a Manfrotto head such as this one and be close to your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-49...495210477&sr=1-1&keywords=manfrotto+ball+head

There is a saying about tripods that I can't remember but it goes something like this - if you are looking at low cost, stability and lightweight, you can only have 2 of these 3 things when choosing a tripod. Just like other camera equipment, it's all about compromise.

tralalakurakura · May 19, 2017

First of all, thanks for the reply, really appreciate your views & opinion.

3dwag said:
tralalakurakura said:

Hello guys,

I just recently upgraded to Canon 5D Mark IV from Canon 550D and I am currently looking for the appropriate tripod for my new, bigger, and heavier camera.

Click to expand...

Congratulations! A fine camera for sure, but not only is it bigger and heavier, it will also be squeezing much more detail and resolution out of all of that good glass which you own.

3dwag said:

My lenses are: 24-70 f/2.8L II, 16-35 f/4L, 50 f/1.2L and I'm looking to buy a telephoto lens, probably 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L II in the coming future. I also have a 430EXII and my bag is a Protactic 450AW.

For my Canon 550D, I have been using Dolica TX570DS Ultra Compact Tripod with Professional Ball Head and Built-In Monopod (Black) (Amazon) that I bought from Costco a few years ago. However, I don't think this is a good enough tripod for my heavier 5D Mark IV with all the lenses and external flash (or is it?). I plan to relegate my Dolica as a backup tripod or as a monopod exclusively.

Click to expand...

You don't say exactly what you need a tripod for - some only need a safe enough place to park a camera and assist with framing shots, whereas much more solid and stable support is needed for things like stabilizing long or high magnification lenses, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, precision panoramas, timelapse, and long time exposures.

As you are already considering, your old tripod is not up to the job, but whatever you replace it with, no matter how cheap or expensive, will represent some compromises of portability, stability, and cost.

With my Canon 550D, I mainly use my tripod only for special events like art shows and traveling, otherwise, I hardly bring my tripod around. That is why I think it will be cost & portability as the top 2, then probably stability.

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

I am currently looking to upgrade my tripod as well and my max budget is around $250 (with ball head included). I don't mind having an aluminum tripod but I will gladly accept if I can get a decent carbon fiber tripod at this price level.

Click to expand...

I don't mean to be unkind here, but if you want your new tripod to be of any reliable use other than just a marginally safe support to park your camera on, I think that you should seriously reconsider your budget. Seriously, do you really think that a $250 tripod/ head combo will do justice with a high resolution camera and lenses such as you have - any one of your combinations can easily represent a $6,000 body/ lens, and you are going to put that on a $250 tripod?

I think that $250 would be about the minimum cost of a decent, basic ball head and clamp, and around $600 for a reasonable set of legs.

That is fine, I appreciate views like this mostly because I'm new into full frame camera as I made a leap of faith by investing $$$ into the latest 5D4 and just like what you said, I don't want my >$5000 body + lens to break because of $50 savings. It's not worth the risk. Nevertheless, I somehow can't still justify spending >$500 for a tripod. I may consider increasing the budget, but most probably it won't exceed $500.

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

I am an advanced amateur (prosumer) and I mostly use the tripod for special events or travel, and such, the ability to squeeze the tripod into a carry-on luggage is preferred.

Click to expand...

For carry-on luggage, you will further compromise the tripod stability due to more and thinner leg sections, as well as needing to go with carbon fiber for sure to help with weight and the size compromises. But good carbon fiber, hardware, and design does not come cheap.

Is carbon fiber durable? I've read several reviews on sub $500 carbon fiber tripods and it seems like most people have had problems after about 2-3 years of normal use.

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

Click to expand...

And I would certainly be concerned about the reliability of supporting a $6,000 camera!

Me too!

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

Click to expand...

I consider the MeFoto Globetrotter to be the minimum and entry level of tripod for any full frame. But, if you need the solid stability to steady the camera during exposure, and for any timed or bracketed exposures, this class of tripod won't do justice to the high resolution sensor and lenses which you own, or plan to own. You may find that with this tripod you will get images more like from a 12Mp camera with a cheaper lens, rather than 30Mp with L-glass! Think about it.

points taken.

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

Click to expand...

I have heard some reports of these classes of really inexpensive tripods initially seeming OK, but not holding up a year or two later under reasonable use.

I'm just surprised to find a $100ish carbon fiber tripod, but I won't risk my 5D4 with this leg, too much at stake.

3dwag said:
3dwag said:

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

The best tripods for your applications IMO are made by FLM, RRS, and Gitzo. I have also owned Benro, Sirui, and MeFoto, and there are other reasonable brands, but I consider these to be a level or two below my FLM, RRS, and Gitzo experience. Induro, Feisol, and Jobu are mentioned in good light by others in this forum, but I have no personal experience with them.

FLM and RRS make outstanding heads, but only recently have Gitzo come out with a line of decent heads with arcs-Swiss type compatible clamps. Many other companies also make good heads, including Arca-Swiss, Acratech, Kirk, Markins, and the list goes on.

Do a search in this forum - there are many informative threads just in the last 6 months alone.

Also, Mark Barnas has written several reviews of tripods and heads here at DP Review since about 2014, look them up. After reading through them, you will have learned a lot more about the ins and outs of different sizes and classes of legs and heads, which should help you to make a better decision.

--
-Dennis W.
Austin, Texas
http://www.pbase.com/3dwag/image/97156660.jpg

Yes, I did take a look at Gitzo and other brands but the price threw me off as they are way over my $250 budget (even if I double it to $500, it's only barely / still not enough).

Just wondering if you can recommend me a sub $500 tripods (w/ ball head included), just as an alternative if I double my budget.

tralalakurakura · May 19, 2017

deanimator said:
I recently bought a Vanguard Alta Pro and am very satisfied with it.

I neither travel nor hike with it, so the weight is irrelevant to me.

I bought mine without the head, having already purchased a Vanguard TBH-300 for the tripod which the Alta Pro replaced. I just swapped heads.

I think that the Alta Pro is an excellent tripod for the money.

So far, it's worked out very well for me and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

may I know what body + lenses are you using on your alta pro?

3dwag · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
First of all, thanks for the reply, really appreciate your views & opinion.

3dwag said:

tralalakurakura said:

Hello guys,

I just recently upgraded to Canon 5D Mark IV from Canon 550D and I am currently looking for the appropriate tripod for my new, bigger, and heavier camera.

Click to expand...

Congratulations! A fine camera for sure, but not only is it bigger and heavier, it will also be squeezing much more detail and resolution out of all of that good glass which you own.

tralalakurakura said:

My lenses are: 24-70 f/2.8L II, 16-35 f/4L, 50 f/1.2L and I'm looking to buy a telephoto lens, probably 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L II in the coming future. I also have a 430EXII and my bag is a Protactic 450AW.

For my Canon 550D, I have been using Dolica TX570DS Ultra Compact Tripod with Professional Ball Head and Built-In Monopod (Black) (Amazon) that I bought from Costco a few years ago. However, I don't think this is a good enough tripod for my heavier 5D Mark IV with all the lenses and external flash (or is it?). I plan to relegate my Dolica as a backup tripod or as a monopod exclusively.

Click to expand...

You don't say exactly what you need a tripod for - some only need a safe enough place to park a camera and assist with framing shots, whereas much more solid and stable support is needed for things like stabilizing long or high magnification lenses, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, precision panoramas, timelapse, and long time exposures.

As you are already considering, your old tripod is not up to the job, but whatever you replace it with, no matter how cheap or expensive, will represent some compromises of portability, stability, and cost.

Click to expand...

With my Canon 550D, I mainly use my tripod only for special events like art shows and traveling, otherwise, I hardly bring my tripod around. That is why I think it will be cost & portability as the top 2, then probably stability.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

I am currently looking to upgrade my tripod as well and my max budget is around $250 (with ball head included). I don't mind having an aluminum tripod but I will gladly accept if I can get a decent carbon fiber tripod at this price level.

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I don't mean to be unkind here, but if you want your new tripod to be of any reliable use other than just a marginally safe support to park your camera on, I think that you should seriously reconsider your budget. Seriously, do you really think that a $250 tripod/ head combo will do justice with a high resolution camera and lenses such as you have - any one of your combinations can easily represent a $6,000 body/ lens, and you are going to put that on a $250 tripod?

I think that $250 would be about the minimum cost of a decent, basic ball head and clamp, and around $600 for a reasonable set of legs.

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That is fine, I appreciate views like this mostly because I'm new into full frame camera as I made a leap of faith by investing $$$ into the latest 5D4 and just like what you said, I don't want my >$5000 body + lens to break because of $50 savings. It's not worth the risk. Nevertheless, I somehow can't still justify spending >$500 for a tripod. I may consider increasing the budget, but most probably it won't exceed $500.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

I am an advanced amateur (prosumer) and I mostly use the tripod for special events or travel, and such, the ability to squeeze the tripod into a carry-on luggage is preferred.

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For carry-on luggage, you will further compromise the tripod stability due to more and thinner leg sections, as well as needing to go with carbon fiber for sure to help with weight and the size compromises. But good carbon fiber, hardware, and design does not come cheap.

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Is carbon fiber durable? I've read several reviews on sub $500 carbon fiber tripods and it seems like most people have had problems after about 2-3 years of normal use.

Good carbon fiber is durable, but not all carbon fiber tubes are created the same! Not only the tubing itself (materials, how designed and manufactured), but another critical point is how the connection hardware is attached to the leg tubes. For example, the topmost leg section - how the piece which attaches to the apex hinge is bonded to the carbon fiber tube. The twist locks and leg hinges are also potential areas of flex, and poorer designs and manufacture can also affect reliability and equipment safety.

tralalakurakura said:
tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

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And I would certainly be concerned about the reliability of supporting a $6,000 camera!

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Me too!

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

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I consider the MeFoto Globetrotter to be the minimum and entry level of tripod for any full frame. But, if you need the solid stability to steady the camera during exposure, and for any timed or bracketed exposures, this class of tripod won't do justice to the high resolution sensor and lenses which you own, or plan to own. You may find that with this tripod you will get images more like from a 12Mp camera with a cheaper lens, rather than 30Mp with L-glass! Think about it.

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points taken.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

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I have heard some reports of these classes of really inexpensive tripods initially seeming OK, but not holding up a year or two later under reasonable use.

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I'm just surprised to find a $100ish carbon fiber tripod, but I won't risk my 5D4 with this leg, too much at stake.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

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The best tripods for your applications IMO are made by FLM, RRS, and Gitzo. I have also owned Benro, Sirui, and MeFoto, and there are other reasonable brands, but I consider these to be a level or two below my FLM, RRS, and Gitzo experience. Induro, Feisol, and Jobu are mentioned in good light by others in this forum, but I have no personal experience with them.

FLM and RRS make outstanding heads, but only recently have Gitzo come out with a line of decent heads with arcs-Swiss type compatible clamps. Many other companies also make good heads, including Arca-Swiss, Acratech, Kirk, Markins, and the list goes on.

Do a search in this forum - there are many informative threads just in the last 6 months alone.

Also, Mark Barnas has written several reviews of tripods and heads here at DP Review since about 2014, look them up. After reading through them, you will have learned a lot more about the ins and outs of different sizes and classes of legs and heads, which should help you to make a better decision.

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Selene · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
Any recommendations of tripod that is good enough that you have used for your 5D Mark IV and 100-400? I am thinking that these 2 combinations of camera & lens will be the heaviest for my use so I wonder if you can help to share your experiences.

Hi there, I am not sure I completely have the right solution but it is much better than the one I had. Benro COM39C. It was originally more, but cost about $250.00 when I bought it. It has flip locks, which I liked, but not everyone does. It also did not come with a head, but I got a Sirui K-40x head for it, which was about another $150.00. It worked really well in some very high wind, so I am happy with it so far. I was having trouble with the Manfrotto at a zoo in perfect whether, so the better equipment did make a difference. I really like the ballhead. It's possible you could find less expensive legs, but I did a lot of research before buying this. There are other things, of course. I am pretty short, so I didn't need a long tripod. This one can kind of work as a travel tripod, but it is not as flimsy as the MeFoto or BeFree. I had one of those (not sure which) in carbon fiber, and it couldn't hold a 6D with a much smaller lens steady in very moderate wind. I hope this helps.

deanimator · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
may I know what body + lenses are you using on your alta pro?

Canon T4i

18-55mm Canon kit

70-300mm Promaster

100mm Tokina macro (sometimes with a 50mm Minolta manual reversed onto it)

500mm Opteka mirror

tralalakurakura · May 19, 2017

3dwag said:
Can you stretch just a bit more? I'm assuming you are talking about US$. If so, this would be my travel tripod recommendation:

FLM CP26-Travel legs = $424

FLM CB32 F ball head = $145

FLM SRB-40 clamp = $80

Total = $649

Or, Hejnar and Kirk make clamps which fit for around $50, so you can save $30. You can shop around a bit for cheaper head/ clamp.

Also, you can get the FLM CP26-L4S legs for the same price, which is only 4 sections and so a bit more stable, but folded size is longer and slightly wider. These tripods are built really well, I honestly don't think that you can do better at even higher prices. Try looking at the equivalent Gitzo GT1455T and GT1445T legs, or an RRS Series 1.

Thanks! I'll look into that.

Meanwhile, I found this: FEISOL CT-3441S Travel Rapid Carbon Fiber Tripod with CB-40D Ball Head at B&H. Cost $499, exactly still within my budget and review looks good too.

What do you guys think?

Selene · May 19, 2017

I have heard really good things about this Feisol travel tripod.

3dwag · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
3dwag said:

Can you stretch just a bit more? I'm assuming you are talking about US$. If so, this would be my travel tripod recommendation:

FLM CP26-Travel legs = $424

FLM CB32 F ball head = $145

FLM SRB-40 clamp = $80

Total = $649

Or, Hejnar and Kirk make clamps which fit for around $50, so you can save $30. You can shop around a bit for cheaper head/ clamp.

Also, you can get the FLM CP26-L4S legs for the same price, which is only 4 sections and so a bit more stable, but folded size is longer and slightly wider. These tripods are built really well, I honestly don't think that you can do better at even higher prices. Try looking at the equivalent Gitzo GT1455T and GT1445T legs, or an RRS Series 1.

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Thanks! I'll look into that.

Meanwhile, I found this: FEISOL CT-3441S Travel Rapid Carbon Fiber Tripod with CB-40D Ball Head at B&H. Cost $499, exactly still within my budget and review looks good too.

What do you guys think?

That Feisol tripod is one of the travel tripods covered in Mark Banas' review here: https://m.dpreview.com/reviews/travel-tripods-5-carbon-fiber-kits-reviewed

Adam2 · May 19, 2017

tralalakurakura said:
Adam2 said:

Always tradeoffs. You have to decide what is most important, size, weight, materials, etc. But it sounds that you are looking for more of a travel tripod?

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Yes, I think travel tripod will be more suitable for me.

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

I've done my research and found several candidates:

1. Vanguard Alta Pro 263AT with ball head ($157 from Amazon)
+ relatively inexpensive
+ center column repositions
- heard horror stories about loose tripod leg because of the faulty leg clamp mechanism

Click to expand...

This used to be a favorite and you can find several articles supporting it. However, it is rather large for carry on, weighs around 4.5 lbs, and folds down to around 24". There have been plenty of reports of loosening/failure.

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I see, I'll pass on this tripod then..

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

2. MeFOTO Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod/Monopod Kit ($225 from Amazon)
+ rotate lock leg mechanism
+ can be converted to a monopod (not a big deal since I can still use the monopod from my old dolica)
- more expensive than Vanguard Alta Pro
- no center column repositions

Click to expand...

Yup. MeFoto is kind of gimicky (just my opinion) and I think you can find better value elsewhere.

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CMIIW, from what I know, MeFoto is a brand from Benro, am I right?

tralalakurakura said:

tralalakurakura said:

3. Neewer Carbon Fiber 66"/168cm Lightweight Portable Camera Tripod Monopod with 360 Degree Ball Head and Bubble Level ($110 from Amazon )
+ carbon fiber = lightweight? (albeit I'm not too sure how good is the quality!)
+ the least expensive!
- not sure if this is a good tripod at this price point, I have never heard the brand before.

Click to expand...

Don't know Neewer but I've seen their stuff percolating up and can't comment on quality. It's a bit cheap for CF but folks seem to like it. It's not all that lightweight and comes in around 6.5 lbs, though it does fold smaller and has significant capacity.

The issue with the cheap chinese carbon fiber knock offs is that while some look good, they have poor components, the carbon isn't very stiff, the fittings aren't great, etc.

Obviously a Gitzo, RRS, or even Induro would be nice, but recognizing that not everyone has $$$, how does one proceed? You could look at a Benro or Oben. They offer a nice compromise of performance and value (watch for them when they go on sale). Recently, I did a two continent trip with a Oben which folded to around 16", extended to 60+", held 13+ lbs, and was quite tight with no flex, nice fit, finish, QR plate, and operation. No shaking, failures, and I dropped it a couple of times from bag height without any problems. It was less expensive than my Benro, goes lower, and is a bit cheaper. Time will tell if it is as good quality.

tralalakurakura said:

Any thoughts?

Thank you!

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Do you have any recommended OBEN or BENRO travel tripod?

Thank you for your reply.

As you've seen, people have strong opinions about tripods. The best advice I would offer is to try to ale it down th B&H or another store and see what you li,e and can afford. Everything is a compromise between price, stability, durability, and performance. For my travel tripod, I needed something small, affordable, and relatively robust. At the time B&H was having a big sale and I snagged the Oben 3561 for under $200. It fits in my bag or a carry on and performed well on two continents in the rain, sand, and cold. Was it perfect? Nope but it met my needs. Here's one review: https://improvephotography.com/38612/tripod-review-oben/

the mefotto globetrotter is nice and handles more weight but I didn't find it more stable or much different in quality and at nearly twice the price couldn't rationalize it. Check them out in person, if possible.

Sub $250 tripod for 5D Mark IV + accessories

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