Recommend a portable ("table top") tripod for DSLR?

kaitlyn2004 wrote in post #17820483
Is there any option BESIDES the gorillapod to handle the fact where you may not have a decently flat (and wide enough) surface to put a typical tripod on?

Yes. Make your own with a plywood board, a 3/8-16 carriage bolt, and some stick-on feet. The bolt should come up from the bottom and screw a tripod head onto it. The stick-on feet should be on the bottom of the board. Three feet will give you the maximum stability on uneven surfaces. The dimensions of the board are basically driven by how large a camera/lens combination you want to support and where the center of gravity of the rig is.

I'm not concerned about non-flat grounds as long a I have a decent ballhead on a tripod. For width, something like this is fairly flexible in setup width:

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …a_14100_Table_T​ripod.html

If you don't mind a bit less portable, something like this might work. It's a small full tripod, but collapses to just 11.8" and 2.2 pounds, not that much different than one of the large gorillapods, but rated for 8.8 lbs.

Sirui Travel Tripod

Lyndön wrote in post #17820649
If you don't mind a bit less portable, something like this might work. It's a small full tripod, but collapses to just 11.8" and 2.2 pounds, not that much different than one of the large gorillapods, but rated for 8.8 lbs.

Sirui Travel Tripod

I have the CF version of the (T-025X) and its a good capable tripod.
I do like that you can completely remove the centre column and mount the ballhead directly to the spider.

EDIT - added pic

I looked for a CF version, but I couldn't find it... ok, I didn't look that hard, lol.

kaitlyn2004 wrote in post #17820483
Is there any option BESIDES the gorillapod to handle the fact where you may not have a decently flat (and wide enough) surface to put a typical tripod on?

Look for a bean bag or something of that nature. Tripods don't really need a flat surface but if you just want something to stabilize your camera on a rough object (rock, church pew etc) a beanbag is pretty good.

I have the manfrotto 209 and it works fine if you are shooting with the camera (5diii) level. If you try to shoot in portrait or at any sort of tilt, it becomes unstable.

For a tabletop tripod, I've been using a Promaster TTS522. I can't complain. I like it much better than the Manfrotto MTT2-P02 I had been using for a few years. It's beefy, gets down pretty low, and has an arca style plate with safety pins (the things that prevent the plate from sliding off if it isn't fully tightened). I read about it in this review.

I've had my 5D MK III/35L and 100L Macro 2.8 on it. No issues. I had my iOgrapher kit, Neewer CN-216, and Rode Video Mic Pro (plus a 3 way coldshoe adapter) on it to record some videos and the ballhead held up just fine!
Best of luck and hope it helps.

For the Manfrotto, what I didn't like is that no matter how much I tightened the the clamps that secure the legs, if on a semi-smooth surface, I was stuck with the legs having to be fully open. Any time I'd try to get it higher, the weight would force the legs to slide and flatten out thus lowering my shot. I was also limited on how much flat space I needed to accommodate the legs being wide open.

Manfrotto MTT2-P02
PROS:
-Cheaper
-Lighter
-Not bulky and won't take up much space

CONS:
-limited to legs being wide open and low to the surface.
- leg friction really can't be controlled too much and it isn't distributed evenly
-shooting in a portrait orientation, you need a small camera otherwise you'll be taking the shot at an angle

PROMASTER TTS522
PROS:
-height adjustable
-rubber feet that grip well and prevent slipping
-legs lock into 3 different positions
-pano markings on ballhead
-arca plate with safety locks
-greater load capacity
-ability to invert the center column

CONS:
-much larger and bulkier than the Manfrotto
-about 2x the price
-legs can't be inverted to make it even more compact than it already is
-center column can be shortened
-you'll need a compact camera if you want to invert
-ball head cant be replaced with one of your choosing so options are limited


Nino

I will just chip in about the Manfrotto Pixi mentioned earlier. Right now it's sitting on my computer with a 5d and 17-40mm lens attached and I would say that is about the limit of what it can hold. It does get unstable when I point the camera down, but it seems fine in most all other situations.

(I bought it to hold a speedlite which I like to trigger off-camera, I've got a MeFoto tripod for the camera)

I ordered a Manfrotto 209, so I hope with an L-bracket it may be a little more stable than trying to use a drop notch for portrait.