Travel tripod suggestion?

So I am doing some travel in 6 months, most likely no hiking or anything like that. My current tripod is quite heavy and I am looking for something that can hold a 5d4 + 70-200 mkii comfortably.
I was browsing for a few days and narrowed down to this:
https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …_carbon_fiber_t​ripod.html

My budget is about 350. Any other suggestion you guys can think of? If go with my choice above, should I swap for a better head? If yes, which one?

I appreciate it.

This one is still on special

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …ompact_travel_c​arbon.html

For your gear load, I'd look for a higher load capacity tripod, such as:

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …avel_angel_9x_c​arbon.html

Slightly over your budget and not as light nor short. It's a trade off depending on what's more important to your shooting and travel needs.

The following "12 Recommended Travel Tripods" put together by BH is pretty good:

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …ying-guide/travel-tripods

The first one on the list is what I have and would highly recommend except it's way over your stated budget. It's the price that I was willing to pay for good load capacity, short folded length and light weight for my travel needs. All these elements in one tripod cost.

I have been happy with Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber Tripod. It has a $50 dollar rebate on it right now which puts it at $300.
https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …_carbon_fiber_t​ripod.html

For the head I went with Manfrotto XPRO Magnesium Ball Head
https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …_bhq2_xpro_ball​_head.html

Both together is a little more than your budget but I use it for my 5DIV with 70-300L with no problem and have been very happy with the stability.

Two drawbacks stand out for me with this tripod, it has 5 leg sections and a screw-on center column. In my experience you get very poor stability with more than 4 leg sections mostly because the bottom section has a very small diameter. The max height spec includes using the the screw-on center column and that will reduce the stability of this tripod even further. Also the ballhead is not one of Sirui's better models like their K-20X. This doesn't look like a particularly good product to me. To be honest, if you want your tripod/ballhead to be both very stable and also last a good few years very few manufacturers make both components to a high standard; RRS is one, Gitzo is another. Both are quite expensive but you get what you pay for.

I'm always leery of recommendation lists and I have seen the B&H list and number 5 on that list is a replacement model for the one than finished dead last in Dave Berryreiser's travel tripod rankings (T-025X in the list replaced by T-025SK). So that makes me wonder if they really fixed why it came last (interior socket thread on the center column was in the carbon fiber and not metal). Tripods are relatively simple devices and I've always resisted buying tripod kits. It's pretty easy to spin a ballhead onto a tripod apex. So I'd recommend checking out data and reviews for yourself and build your own support system.

My suggestion for a tripod is look at a Leofoto LS-284C which has a max height of 47.2". The hardware is stainless steel and CNC-machined aluminum, the carbon fiber is high quality 10 layer from Toray Industries in Japan. It also comes with a center column that most people don't use. Look where it is in the stability table and then look at the prices and the manufacturers of the three tripods that are more stable. For a ballhead check out the FLM CB-32F and review the current threads on FLM ballheads in this forum. It has a base diameter of 47mm which is a perfect fit for the Leofoto apex. The Leofoto tripod costs $200 and the FLM tripod head costs $144; just within your budget.

You will need to get a clamp for the FLM head and I suggest the Desmond DLVC-50 lever release clamp or the 50mm Desmond DAC-X1 screw release clamp. The clamp will cost you $20 and I apologise for that (now $10 over budget). Spin the round base off the ballhead and install the Arca-Swiss type clamp. If you look after it, this combo should give you years of stable service.

Just my opinion, but when looking at tripods, go beyond the specs and look carefully at the reviews. Then, pay attention to the specific dates. There is good information to be found and specs, especially capacity, are unreliable.

I would suggest going used (I did!) so you can get a better quality, more stable, tripod. In my case it was a Gitzo traveller (about $182 in your money) a bit pricey but I was in a rush. A friend picked up a nice used Feisol Tournament tripod, very light and stable, for about $120 - that's a bit more like it!

If you can find one add a Triopo RS3 ball head (holds literally any lens Canon/Nikon make) and add an Arca clamp, cost $50- 60 and you will have an excellent lightweight setup.

Happy hunting!

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!! I will look into these and weight them out This thread has been very helpful.

I have been using the MeFOTO Globetrotter Carbon Fibre for five years. It holds my 5D Mark III Gripped with a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS Mark IZi or 100-400 L IS Mark II with great results for traveling to Europe. Is this as robust as my other Tripods, no. Is it flimsy and ready to collapse on its own, absolutely not.
A great investment.

Aside from carrying capacity, any other spec requirements? Minimum folded length for packing or max acceptable tripod weight? Max possible height?

In my own experience, I've used a Photo Clam Gold PT124 across 4 continents, but I see it's not for sale anymore. It is very convenient at 18" folded and 2.4lbs, so similar specs may also work for you, depending. I also second the Feisol suggestion and staying at 4 leg sections.

apemusgrave wrote in post #18850330
Aside from carrying capacity, any other spec requirements? Minimum folded length for packing or max acceptable tripod weight? Max possible height?

In my own experience, I've used a Photo Clam Gold PT124 across 4 continents, but I see it's not for sale anymore. It is very convenient at 18" folded and 2.4lbs, so similar specs may also work for you, depending. I also second the Feisol suggestion and staying at 4 leg sections.

Two friends of mine have the Feisol Tournament tripods. One has the three section version and the other the four section model. Both are very good and exceptionally light - they are 2 series tripods and are lighter than my 1 series Gitzo traveller!

Personally I find the 3 section Feisol to be the better of the two but if you need it to fit into luggage the the 4 section model is the better choice - I am happy with my 300 F2.8 + a 1.4 extender on either of them. Pretty good for a tripod at about 1 kilo!

Not familiar with your Photo Clam, but it look nice.

I'd also like to recommend the Leofoto LS-284C. My review of it and comparison with the Feisol 3442 is here: https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1505886

We don't get to see the Leofoto kit in my neck of the woods - but they do look very promising! I have been trying to track down some of their "Top Plates" as they fit my Gitzo tripods as do Benro and Induro (so I am told) but none of them seem to sell them separately.

I got mine shipped directly from China via eBay.

yeah, you all need to stop talking about the Leofotos because you're making me start to look a little too hard at them.