Which travel tripod?

I have that Sirui and it's my favorite tripod, by far.

It's not as stable as heavier tripods but you can't have stability and lightweight.

With those lenses you may need a lens collar.

There's the new Peak tripod when the Kickstarter rewards are done, plus the classic Gitzo GK1545T-82TQD

Peak: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...cb_5_150_cf_1_carbon_fiber_travel_tripod.html

Also Sirui T-024SK

Personally I'd really like the Gitzo...

Dr_Jon said:

There's the new Peak tripod when the Kickstarter rewards are done, plus the classic Gitzo GK1545T-82TQD

Peak: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...cb_5_150_cf_1_carbon_fiber_travel_tripod.html

Also Sirui T-024SK

Personally I'd really like the Gitzo...

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Not completely ruling it out but I just don't see the Gitzo being worth 3-4 times as much.

Plus the last tripod, I left somewhere so I'm now more inclined to not spend as much.

The A1205 has a twice-extensible centre column, I don't expect that to be stable at full extension. I have a T-1205, that is very similar but with a single removable centre column, and like the thing.

The FLM sure looks amazing, though.

wco81 said:

FLM CP25 with CB-32 F Ball Head and FLM SRB-40 Quick Release Clamp:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1334681-REG/flm_32_26_991_cp26_tripod_travel_kit.html

Sirui A1205

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1378861-REG/sirui_a1205y_a1205_carbon_fiber_tripod.html

Have a Nikon Z7, mostly will use a mid zoom most of the time. Also have 70--200 f4.

Don't foresee getting any bigger lenses. Maybe if they came out with a 70-300 in a Z-mount.

And I do primarily shoot when traveling, usually overseas.

In other threads, some have raved about the build quality of the FLM. But it may be about a pound heavier than the Sirui.

I liked the specs of the Sirui T025, short folded length, light and decent max height despite folded length. But some have said that it wasn't too stable.

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I had the Sirui T1205X, which is the “big brother” to the A1205, for about a year and thought it was too wobbly for my purposes. I bought the FLM CP26-Travel and found it (subjectively) to be nearly twice as stable as the Sirui, and this was with the FLM CB-32F head in both cases.

The Gitzo GT1545T tripod (which I also have now and use with the FLM CB-32F head) is a bit taller and a yet a bit more stable yet lighter than my FLM, but normally at some significantly additional cost (I got mine in a rare deal about a year ago).

So, I cannot even imagine how poorly the A1205 might perform for my purposes, but as always “your mileage may vary”.

For my money, the FLM Travel is worth a lot more than the price difference compared to the Sirui A1205; I would not even consider that Sirui which is easily 2 classes below the FLM. The Gitzo is in turn one class above the FLM (and the law of diminishing returns starts kicking in there).

https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/travel-tripod-rankings/

You might want to go through above website before choosing a travel tripod. It compares several tripods against each other. Detailed reviews of several mdels too.

I have a Gitzo Mountaineer GT1542 and the Leofoto LS-224C as an ultralight backpacking/travel tripod.

The Leofoto is not as good/stable as my Gitzo but when wheight/size is a concern you have to compromise and than the Leofoto is a decent option.

The Leofoto has much better score compared to the Sirui you mentioned. Just something to consider.

Thanks for the link.

The max heights listed on that site appear to be wrong though.


Nice but it is bigger than the ones I was looking at.

The Amazon link says 2.0 pounds. Would that include that LH25 ball head?

wco81 said:

Thanks for the link.

The max heights listed on that site appear to be wrong though.

https://www.amazon.com/Leofoto-LS-224C-LH-25-ballhead-Lightweight/dp/B07CNLXJBG

Nice but it is bigger than the ones I was looking at.

The Amazon link says 2.0 pounds. Would that include that LH25 ball head?

Click to expand...

My LS-224C weighs 728 grams without ballhead and without centre column extension (I use it without the loose supplied centre column). I sold the BH-25 ballhead (which is a nice ballhead though) and replaced it with a Sunwayfoto FB-28i which has a separate lock for making pano. Total weight incl ballhead is 940 grams.
Original LS-224C with LH-25 ballhead is somewhere around 900 grams I believe.

I think for ultra small tripods this is about the most rigid/stable option you can find at this weight/size. The smalles Gitzo is much havier and taller.

Thanks for the weight info.

Interesting that it's similar in dimensions to the FLM and Sirui products but is only rated at 6 kg while the other two are rated for 10 kg.

Not that I ever anticipate coming any close to loading anywhere near 6 kg.

The 4 sections make for more stability than 5-section tripods but it does mean longer folded size.

Makes it a big more harder to carry around, though weight-wise it's comparable.

MVDH said:

wco81 said:

Thanks for the link.

The max heights listed on that site appear to be wrong though.

https://www.amazon.com/Leofoto-LS-224C-LH-25-ballhead-Lightweight/dp/B07CNLXJBG

Nice but it is bigger than the ones I was looking at.

The Amazon link says 2.0 pounds. Would that include that LH25 ball head?

Click to expand...

My LS-224C weighs 728 grams without ballhead and without centre column extension (I use it without the loose supplied centre column). I sold the BH-25 ballhead (which is a nice ballhead though) and replaced it with a Sunwayfoto FB-28i which has a separate lock for making pano. Total weight incl ballhead is 940 grams.
Original LS-224C with LH-25 ballhead is somewhere around 900 grams I believe.

I think for ultra small tripods this is about the most rigid/stable option you can find at this weight/size. The smalles Gitzo is much havier and taller.

Click to expand...

I strongly recommend Leofoto XB-36 dual panorama ball head for Leofoto LS series smaller tripods. It is a low profile ball head with a large (36mm) ball.

Can’t find an XB36. Either XB-32 or XB-38.

I have the FLM CP-26 tripod and find it good for travel use. The lower leg sections are quite thin, but I’m sure that applies to most short pack tripods. Also the tripod isn’t very tall. It is nicely made, my only criticisms being purely cosmetic; the bag edges fray after a while even though I am very careful with my equipment. The little plastic pouch that the screw in spikes come in is extremely cheap. I suggested to Ari at FLM that they improve this, and maybe they have by now.

I have both the CB-32 and CB-38 ballheads. The CB-38 is on the CP-26. Both work very well with my D850 and 70-200 f2.8. I’d recommend FLM products, and Ari is very helpful if you have any queries.

wco81 said:

Can’t find an XB36. Either XB-32 or XB-38.

Click to expand...

I apologize, it should be EB-36: https://www.amazon.com/Leofoto-LS-225C-Portable-Carbon-Tripod/dp/B07GKL3MVR

I did not see it sold separately, only with Leofoto Ranger series tripods.

MVDH said:

I have a Gitzo Mountaineer GT1542 and the Leofoto LS-224C as an ultralight backpacking/travel tripod.

The Leofoto is not as good/stable as my Gitzo

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Gitzo Mountaineers are often overlooked as great travel tripods because Gitzo has it's own separate 'travel' line. The Gitzo series 1 Mountaineers are incredibly light and also impressively sturdy and expensive. They aren't talked of as travel tripods because when retracted they don't fit in to carry on luggage. If you don't mind using checked luggage you'll find the Mountaineers give INCREDIBLE sturdiness for their light weight.

I'd like a new travel tripod but find the 'travel' tripods are not too sturdy because they typically have 4+ sections (which helps them retract to a shorter length). Series Mountaineers are incredibly sturdy and light weight but can't be fit in to carry on. The Gitzo and RRS travel tripods also aren't tall enough for tall photographer with cameras without articulating screens.

I'll be looking at the FLM, RRS and Mountaineer....and decide where I will have to compromise.

--
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Phil M. - Toronto, Canada
Time to kill? Then have a look at a few of my photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_marion/albums
You will NOT be disappointed.

I used to put tripod in carryon but I’ve been forced to put it in a checked bag because they consider I a potential weapon.

These were 3 pound travel tripods around 3 pounds.

I don’t know if I would be stopped every time though. Maybe it depends on the airport and airline.

Never tried since. As it is I got a lot more electronics in my carryon than I used to have so ...

But I’ve tried to keep folded length to no more than 15 inches, for carrying around. I had a 14 inch tripod which just fit inside my messenger bag.

wco81 said:

I used to put tripod in carryon but I’ve been forced to put it in a checked bag because they consider I a potential weapon.

These were 3 pound travel tripods around 3 pounds.

I don’t know if I would be stopped every time though. Maybe it depends on the airport and airline.

Never tried since. As it is I got a lot more electronics in my carryon than I used to have so ...

But I’ve tried to keep folded length to no more than 15 inches, for carrying around. I had a 14 inch tripod which just fit inside my messenger bag.

Click to expand...

Where did security flag your tripod as a potential weapon? I’ve put my Sirui N-2204X tripod into my carry on many times and have never been stopped for it. Btw I love my Sirui; when I bought it in 2017 it was one of the only tripods that was a series 2 with 4 segments (I.e. last segment isn’t too thin) that fits in a carryon. I haven’t done much research into better ones since though.

frisbfreek said:

wco81 said:

I used to put tripod in carryon but I’ve been forced to put it in a checked bag because they consider I a potential weapon.

These were 3 pound travel tripods around 3 pounds.

I don’t know if I would be stopped every time though. Maybe it depends on the airport and airline.

Never tried since. As it is I got a lot more electronics in my carryon than I used to have so ...

But I’ve tried to keep folded length to no more than 15 inches, for carrying around. I had a 14 inch tripod which just fit inside my messenger bag.

Click to expand...

Where did security flag your tripod as a potential weapon? I’ve put my Sirui N-2204X tripod into my carry on many times and have never been stopped for it. Btw I love my Sirui; when I bought it in 2017 it was one of the only tripods that was a series 2 with 4 segments (I.e. last segment isn’t too thin) that fits in a carryon. I haven’t done much research into better ones since though.

Click to expand...

CDG airport, IIRC.

It may have even been before 9/11.

If your budget is tight then look at the ZOMEi tripods. I have one of their Z818C travel tripods, with a price of $139 direct from ZOMEi. You can get it even cheaper on Amazon/eBay.

ZOMEi Z818C Carbon Fiber Camera Tripods for Digital DSLR Cameras with Quick Release Plate and Ball Head (Orange)

The same tripod is also available in metal at $109 but it is heavier.

ZOMEi Z818 / Z888 Heavy Duty Camera Tripod 65 Inch for Professional Photographic Shooting for Landscape and Food Photography - Gold

Full disclosure: This is not the most sturdy tripod I have ever had but it is a good travel tripod and good enough for most uses. It does seem to be well built.

At long shutter speeds I definitely recommend not extending the tripod legs fully and not raising the center column more than necessary. Putting your butt on the ground when focusing or using a camera with an articulated LCD is good advice if you use long shutter speeds with the camera on any tripod.

The weak point for the ZOMEi tripod is the 38mm ball head but the cost of the tripod is low enough that you can also buy a better ball head and stay well within the total cost of most highly rated travel tripods.

Creep happens with the provided ball head when you use with a heavy lens and lens combination like my Canon 5DS R [32.8 oz. (930g)] plus Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 PRO FX [33.5 oz. (950g)]. This is really not caused by the ball head, it is caused by the center of gravity not being above the ball head when you attache the camera to the tripod. I suspect I would get creep with even a top rated ball head with this camera and lens combination.

By placing the camera and lens on a nodal slide plate or a slide rail you can place the center of gravity of your camera and lens combination over the ball head and give you much more stability. This works for any lens, not just ones with lens collars available. The Tokina above can't even use a lens collar because of the design so using a nodal slide or slide rail is the only solution.

You need a nodal slide plate, a Quick Release L plate, and possibly a Quick Release plate.

These are low cost but work fine. You can pay a lot more for a nodal slide rail with a smoother movement but this is good enough for this use.

eBay - 200mm Quick Release Rail Nodal Slide Plate Clamp for DSLR Macro Photography New | eBay

eBay - QR L Plate Bracket For Canon EOS 5DS R 7D 5D MARK III II 6D 750D 700D 650D 450D 799975144962

eBay - QR-50 Quick Release Plate Ebay - Clamp Mount Compatible For Arca SWISS Tripod Ball_xb | eBay

Nice link, just look at the Leofoto scores vs price of the competition, they really are great value.

I went for the Leofoto 225CT and very impressed as an upgrade from my MeFoto backpacker, not one blurred shot from camera shake so far.



They now have a US retailer so delivery from Amazon in the US is literally a few days, also it’s on sale right now.