Can you recommend a better compact/lightweight/travel tripod for me than this?

Hi guys,

So, I travel a lot, and I usually backpack. The size/weight of my equipment is fairly important.

So, I bought an Olympus OM-D and now I'm looking to get a decent tripod to go with it. I already bought a small/lightweight Arca Swiss ballhead, and I'm looking at legs. Here's what I have in mind (the link is just for informational purposes, since I'm in Korea and Horus Bennu is Korean, I can get these legs for around $100 locally):

http://www.ebay.com …tweight-NEW-/250987483807

I love carbon tripods and I already have a full-size Horus Bennu I've been using extensively and I'm happy with the quality, so that's not an issue.

This tripod folds to 25cm/10 inches, and can reach a maximum height of 74cm/30 inches/2.5 feet and weighs 500g/1 lb (all without the ballhead).

My current mini tripod is a panhead (which I hate) Optex T25, which folds to about 29cm/11.5" and only extends to 50cm/20" and weighs 1 kilo/2lbs.

Basically, if I go with these legs, my overall combination will still be smaller/lighter, while extending to nearly twice as tall and having an Arca Swiss ballhead on it...so it's a win all around.

The question is...can you suggest anything else that's compact, light and can be raised to be taller than this?

Thanks,
Tamas

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …tion_Aluminum_T​ripod.html

If you want something taller, you're going to be dealing with something larger/heavier. I have this Sirui for my travel tripod. It's extends to over 51", is only about 2lbs and folded is about 13" long. So it would be roughly the same size/weight as your current tripod but it would be a lot more versatile.

Oooh that's a good one...definitely a contender (especially because it's only about $100 here in Korea)...thanks!!!

Anyone else?

EDIT: I just noticed it's still quite a bit bigger folded than the HB...hmmm...

What is your height?

I'm pretty average...around 177cm/5'10.

FEISOL CT-3441T is a carbon fiber travel tripod that extends to just under 6', folds up to < 19", weighs 2.45lbs, and handles up to a 22lbs load. $449 new, and can be found for the high $300's used. Highly recommended.

baj2k wrote in post #16062116
FEISOL CT-3441T is a carbon fiber travel tripod that extends to just under 6', folds up to < 19", weighs 2.45lbs, and handles up to a 22lbs load. $449 new, and can be found for the high $300's used. Highly recommended.

Thanks, but that's way too big (folded it's nearly twice as big as the Sirui T-025x I'm looking at), it's way too expensive, and way too heavy (the T-025x is about 800g with the head, whereas the Feisol will be around 1,500g with a head)...as I've mentioned in my initial post, this is for an OM-D...which, with a lens is around 600g/1.25lb...I really don't want/need some massive tripod that can support 15-20 times that weight.

I use Benro tripods and have found them to be excellent value for money. They make a good quality light-duty travel tripod with 4 leg sections in both aluminum and carbon fiber that would suit a person of your height; the A0680TB00 and the C0680TB00. They come with a small ballhead that you may want to sell. These models are slightly heavier than your HorusBennu but they would give you great stability with your OM-D in a full-sized tripod. The aluminum model costs $179 to the US and the CF version $279 which may be more than you're willing to pay. You may get a better price in S. Korea.

There isn't a huge weight difference between the aluminum and CF versions (common with some Benro tripods) and the 4 leg sections will give you much better stability than a 5 leg section model. The CF version will deal with vibration better than the aluminum. If you're unfamiliar with Benros they are very close copies of Gitzo tripods, well made of good materials and nicely finished. If you're interested in construction details you can read my review of my own Benro travel tripod, I'm well into my 3rd year of use with it and it's a reliable and durable product, just larger than the model I'm recommending to you but the build is identical.

I recently got a Mefoto Roadtrip tripod (made by benro). It does come with its own head though.
http://www.mefoto.com/​products/roadtrip.aspx

Not the ultimate compact tripod but ive been using it more and more over my bigger tripod and its working out just fine.
Its about 15" folded and although its not too stable with all 5 leg sections out and a heavy lens on, i find shooting at around lower chest height (im 6ft 2) its fine. I used to always want a tripod that i didn't have to crouch down to use the VF, but after a lot of reading it seems that this is not really the ideal shooting height for a lot of people anyway, so lower than head height works just fine.
The main thing is that this tripod is much more portable, so im actually using a tripod more.

peter_n wrote in post #16062692
I use Benro tripods and have found them to be excellent value for money. They make a good quality light-duty travel tripod with 4 leg sections in both aluminum and carbon fiber that would suit a person of your height; the A0680TB00 and the C0680TB00. They come with a small ballhead that you may want to sell. These models are slightly heavier than your HorusBennu but they would give you great stability with your OM-D in a full-sized tripod. The aluminum model costs $179 to the US and the CF version $279 which may be more than you're willing to pay. You may get a better price in S. Korea.

There isn't a huge weight difference between the aluminum and CF versions (common with some Benro tripods) and the 4 leg sections will give you much better stability than a 5 leg section model. The CF version will deal with vibration better than the aluminum. If you're unfamiliar with Benros they are very close copies of Gitzo tripods, well made of good materials and nicely finished. If you're interested in construction details you can read my review of my own Benro travel tripod, I'm well into my 3rd year of use with it and it's a reliable and durable product, just larger than the model I'm recommending to you but the build is identical.

dave_bass5 wrote in post #16062777
I recently got a Mefoto Roadtrip tripod (made by benro). It does come with its own head though.
http://www.mefoto.com/​products/roadtrip.aspx

Not the ultimate compact tripod but ive been using it more and more over my bigger tripod and its working out just fine.
Its about 15" folded and although its not too stable with all 5 leg sections out and a heavy lens on, i find shooting at around lower chest height (im 6ft 2) its fine. I used to always want a tripod that i didn't have to crouch down to use the VF, but after a lot of reading it seems that this is not really the ideal shooting height for a lot of people anyway, so lower than head height works just fine.
The main thing is that this tripod is much more portable, so im actually using a tripod more.

Thanks, both great suggestions, but I think I've found the ultimate travel tripod: Sirui T-005x and T-025x (this one's the CF version).

Folded length: 11.8"/30cm
Weight: 1.8lbs/800g (With ballhead!) (or 1kg/2.2 lbs for the aluminum)
Extended length: 55"/140cm
Price: Around $190 here. (Or around $100 for the aluminum)

THAT is the new standard to beat!

LowriderS10 wrote in post #16064690
Thanks, both great suggestions, but I think I've found the ultimate travel tripod: Sirui T-005x and T-025x (this one's the CF version).

Those have fixed center columns, though , just a thought .

LowriderS10 wrote in post #16064690
Thanks, both great suggestions, but I think I've found the ultimate travel tripod: Sirui T-005x and T-025x (this one's the CF version).

Folded length: 11.8"/30cm
Weight: 1.8lbs/800g (With ballhead!) (or 1kg/2.2 lbs for the aluminum)
Extended length: 55"/140cm
Price: Around $190 here. (Or around $100 for the aluminum)

THAT is the new standard to beat!

That looks very, very much like the smaller mefoto tripod, although it does seem to be very slightly shorter when folded up.
http://www.mefoto.com/​products/backpacker.as​px

I guess you cant really beat these for size and weight, good luck with whatever you get.

Having experienced a 5 leg section tripod I wouldn't use one again. However I do use my tripods for long exposures and you may not. I just think that 5 leg sections is one section too many. In combination with aluminum legs and shooting long exposures at night in cities the vibration control just isn't there.

Totally agree about the 5 section legs. I've never used mine to its full height, I can already feel it wobbling with just 4 and the central column down, but I guess that's the price we pay if we want a very small tripod.

What is the point of using a tripod if it isn't stable? The price you pay is actually pictures that are not sharp and when you travel, for many people those are once-in-a-lifetime shots that are lost.

I strongly recommend to the OP that he gets a 4 leg section tripod, the Benros that I linked to in post #8 above folds to 15.7in (40cm) with ballhead attached. He doesn't have to get a Benro but should seriously consider getting something that will be stable and have good vibration control.