carbon fibre tripod

Hi can anyone recommend me a very sturdy reliable light tripod for a budget of 250? I already have a tripod head from manfrotto.

Needs to hold a 5d3 and a 70-200 f2.8 mk2

if you want carbon fiber and budget friendly, try https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1017625

£250 btw

Look up the new Benro Travel Angel tripods on eBay. I bought a C2682 with B1 ball head, short centre column, walking stick adapter, monopod adapter and a lot more accessories from 1-cent-2008 or something like that. The whole tripod weighs around 3 lb and can handle my gripped 7D with 70-200 II and the 2x II extender with no problem. I got it for $350 with free 3 day shipping.

You can sell the head for $100 or so (sells for $140ish new) and you got yourself a nice setup. Just make sure your current head is small enough to allow the legs to reverse for travelling.

The Manfrotto listed in my signature below is currently under $250 at Amazon. I spent $400 on it three years ago! It's great. Sturdy, solid, light, carbon fiber, articulating top and reversible for low shots or portrait mode without an L-frame around your camera.

Link to Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com …bon-without/dp/B0015MFTE4

jonneymendoza wrote in post #15090943
Hi can anyone recommend me a very sturdy reliable light tripod for a budget of 250? I already have a tripod head from manfrotto.

Needs to hold a 5d3 and a 70-200 f2.8 mk2

This - Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 - £213 from WEX.

sweet thanks. whats the difference between the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 amd the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 ?

jonneymendoza wrote in post #15093434
sweet thanks. whats the difference between the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 amd the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 ?

4 leg sections on the PRO4 vs 3 on the PRO3.

But I personally would not recommend the manfrotto carbon fibre tripods. They are heavier than most of the competition and have flip locks instead of twist locks.

I would instead recommend a benro travel angel for that budget, such as this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk …ain_3&hash=item​5892c5083a

The great thing about that benro is that it folds smaller and weighs less, but extends taller (with column down). It also gives you an arca-compatible ballhead which means you can either just use that head, or switch the clamp to your manfrotto head.

Just to clarify my recommendation for the Manfrotto.

There may be lighter carbon-fiber tripods, but generally for a lot more money. As to the locks, I've never had a problem. I have traveled all over the world, from SouthEast Asia, to the Middle East and on to the Horn of Africa with my Tripod. I have used it extensively aboard ships outside in salt air, and it still looks and acts new. It is sturdy and solid when extended, and I would buy it again.

Well, I recommended the Manfrotto because it's well-known and fits the OP's requirements. However, I do agree with Sirrith about twist-locks rather than flip-locks, but that's really a matter of personal taste.

But I don't think I'd buy anything expensive from a Hong Kong dealer. And that is expensive - once you add on the duty and tax. Suddenly it's no longer £211.89 but £263.68 (3.7% duty and 20% VAT).

If I were to be after a lightweight 4-section twist-lock then I'd have to look at the Feisol CT-3441T at £241.

Sitting Elf wrote in post #15093512
There may be lighter carbon-fiber tripods, but generally for a lot more money. As to the locks, I've never had a problem.

That is true, but there are also some that are within the OP's budget, hence my recommendation. The locks, granted, are more a matter of personal preference, but twist locks have other advantages: nothing to snag, less pieces to break, easy disassembly to clean the legs, easy to replace if something goes wrong. There must be a reason all the high end tripod manufacturers use twist locks instead of flip (RSS, Gitzo, Feisol etc...)

I wasn't saying the manfrotto is a bad choice, because it is a very good piece of kit, no one will dispute that. I was giving the OP an alternative and my own point of view.

edit: posted at same time as Frank

hollis_f wrote in post #15093573
But I don't think I'd buy anything expensive from a Hong Kong dealer. And that is expensive - once you add on the duty and tax. Suddenly it's no longer £211.89 but £263.68 (3.7% duty and 20% VAT).

If I were to be after a lightweight 4-section twist-lock then I'd have to look at the Feisol CT-3441T at £241.

I'd forgotten about import duty and VAT... Thats a bummer. I also did not know the price in UKP of the Feisol tripods. Now that I'm aware of this, I no longer recommend the Benro (they are slightly lower quality than Feisol IMO, my friend has one so I've had the opportunity to use it for a sufficient amount of time), and I'd actually recommend this one:
http://www.feisoluk.co​m …-Tripod/product_info.ht​ml

The reason I don't recommend the one Frank linked to is because that particular tripod uses Feisol's old leg locks. The new anti-rotation leg locks makes setting up and packing away much easier, as well as potentially being more durable. They do add a bit on top of the price though, which is why my recommendation is the 3441S, not the T (which stands for tall, and is basically a slightly taller, more expensive version of the 3441S).

My Feisol has been with me to a lot of places too, much like Sitting Elf's manfrotto. Its been doused with salt water and sand, fallen into a river, been in the shower a couple of times, and is still perfect bar a few scratches on the finish of the lower legs due to the sand and me retracting the legs without properly cleaning them.

Sirrith wrote in post #15093580
The reason I don't recommend the one Frank linked to is because that particular tripod uses Feisol's old leg locks. The new anti-rotation leg locks makes setting up and packing away much easier, as well as potentially being more durable.

I didn't know that! I thought Feisol had swapped everything over to ALR locks. (Although I had no good reason to believe that, apart from the fact that not doing so is silly).

In that case I withdraw my recommendation of the T in favour of the S. Anti-rotation locks are, IMO, essential in tripod legs.

hollis_f wrote in post #15093615
I didn't know that! I thought Feisol had swapped everything over to ALR locks. (Although I had no good reason to believe that, apart from the fact that not doing so is silly).

In that case I withdraw my recommendation of the T in favour of the S. Anti-rotation locks are, IMO, essential in tripod legs.

It would be much simpler if they did, I agree. Perhaps they're trying to clear old stock, or just want to offer a lower cost alternative, who knows?

Just to clarify, the T is available with anti rotation locks, the only problem is it costs UKP280 with them and that is pushing the OP's budget a bit too much, I'm thinking.

Faisol better then manfrotto? Wll my manfrotto head work?

I have a Manfrotto M-Y 732CY tripod and I love it. It is light, compact and easy to travel with. And best of all, it was fairly inexpensive.