Best Travel Tripod? Other Travel accessories?

[natechappell]

Hello all,

I'm going to be leaving to study abroad in London in August. I still have some time, but i'm trying to make a list of everything I need/want so I can get it now.

I'll be traveling all throughout Europe and plan on taking my 10D (possibly 30 or 40 if I can afford it), 17-40L, and my nifty 50. I have a 70-200L as well, but i'm planning on leaving that in my flat for most trips.

Now the question.. I want to be able to take some great landscape shots. The tripod I have now is not the best, I found it in the attic of my Fraternity house and it works well for the price. But, It doesn't contract to any smaller than about a foot 1/2.

Is there any travel tripod that would be recommended? How do you photographers who travel a lot (and light) bring a tripod with you?

Also, any photography accessories you recommend for traveling a lot?

This is the current photo-backpack I own. (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Backpack-200EG-Cameras-Greenish/dp/B00009R6TA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1204049816&sr=8-2) - I'd like to be able to fit the tripod in there.

[slappy sam]

Your a lucky lucky man. I'm looking into study abroad programs in the UK and Australia as well. The cool thing about studying in London is that you can just pop over to Paris or other countries. Definetly a great experience, and a good way to get lots of cool photos :D

Regarding your gear - sounds pretty good. I'd try to get a 30/40D over the 10D, but your lens selection looks nice. Regarding landscape shots, it kinda depends on how serious you want to be. The problem with travel tripods is that most are not sturdy enough to properly (no vibrations) hold an SLR with a decent sized lens like even your 17-40. The ones that are light, compact, and really do a great job are usually carbon fiber and very pricey. The gitzo 1540T with Markins Q3 head is pretty much my dream setup... but its about $900 or so total :( I don't think there really is any perfect setup that's cheap, but you could try a small manfrotto or maybe one of the knock off gitzo brands like the amnova (I think thats how you spell it) or Velbon pods.

There are alternatives - you can use beanbags with tripod threads in them, or you can rest the camera on a stable surface and use a remote shutter release. In my personal opinion (haven't used the beanbags) these can't compare to the ease of use and dependablility of a good tripod. But with a good tripod comes great weight - my current setup is manfrotto 3021bpro legs with 329rc4 head (dunno why I got this head...) and it weighs about 8 lbs and is huge, so I can't really take it anywhere.

I guess what I'm saying is unless your really committed and want to think about a carbon fiber pod with a nice ballhead, you should try to get your hands on (just try out) those beanbag things, as well as maybe a small manfrotto - b&h has some in their store. There are also a lot of knowledgeable people on this board regarding tripods - johnj80 has some good articles on this specific subject, and if you search you should be able to find more info regarding light and sturdy tripods.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=338052&highlight=gitzo+1540t

P.S. One thing about that pack is that its pretty much an advertisement for camera gear; flashing the brand name canon. I'd consider trying to take the canon logo off or maybe sew/tape something over it (basically try to make it not look like a camera backpack) in the interest of protecting your gear.

[TheHoff]

>>It doesn't contract to any smaller than about a foot 1/2.

You may be expecting too much from a new tripod. Even the best Gitzos made for traveling are longer than 18" when folded. Maybe a Gorillapod (SLR / Zoom) would be a better option (or one of those by the above poster).

[tangypsy]

My favorite tripod for travelling is the Cullman Magic 1. Folds almost flat (14"X 41/2"X1 1/2"without head) and has a Load capacity of 2.5 kg. Google search will find all the info you need. They actually have different sizes of the Magic.
Happy travelling.

[Tareq]

Gitzo GT1540T all the way, no regret here at all.
Just i didn't have any head for it so i used my Manfrotto 322RC2 head,but i think i will buy Markins Q3 for it.
Lucky you, i may think to study abroad as well, either in USA or UK.

[amoergosum]

Have you checked out the Velbon Sherpa Pro series?
They're supposed to be excellent.