mini tripod for heavy lens?

Hi, I want to be able to position my camera with ef 300 lens lower to the ground for extended period of time. I am thinking of using mini tripod - they go with 8-10kg weight limit. My set up is 5+kg.
Is this even a good idea, has anyone tried it? I heard that the tripod is too small and will tip over under heavier set up. Thanks for the replies!

Which mini tripod, and which camera body? AFAIK the 300 is pretty well balanced on the tripod ring so it shouldn't be unstable. I assume you mean the 300/2.8.

How about this Benro 75mm Hi-Hat mini tripod with 165 lbs load capacity?

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …C_YlcGPyrtSn1lh​0P564Lo9uM

That look like WAY overkill. I have a 300/2.8 IS and it doesn't need anything near that. But it depends on what the OP has in mind.

So many questions.

Which 300mm lens?
What's the intended use?
Small, general purpose tripod that goes low, or a special one for just shooting low?

There are dozens of options for tabletop supports, from whisper flimsy to chunky overkill.

I love this one. I carry one in my bag for emergencies. Legs splay out flat, so it's basically ball-head height if you use it that way. Also works like a regular tripod, with a fixed 4.3" height.
https://www.amazon.com …-Moman/dp/B076F4ZTW9?th​=1

Maybe a Platypod? Sits right on the ground.
https://shuttermuse.co​m/platypod-max-review/

Load capacity isn't all that big of a deal down close to the ground. As long as it's balanced and doesn't roll over, you should be fine. When you start getting higher and things start getting top heavy, that's when you have to start worrying about weight. So, if you're looking for a general-purpose tripod that also goes low, keep that in mind.

It's the 2.8. One shop told me it wouldn't work max. 3kg, another agreed with the tripod limit. I think if it sits with its legs fully stretched out to the sides on an even surface it might work. Although maybe in reality...it won't.

With my R7 (a pretty light body) and a 1.4x, the 300IS is slightly nose-heavy. Depending on which body you are using, it could be nose-heavy or balanced. A foot extension will balance it no matter what, at which point there's no real tipping force on it. A 1' footprint mini tripod would be plenty stable.

Without actual details (do you want to pan it, tilt it, operate it a certain way, how close to the ground, are you going to be looking through the VF, etc) you're probably not going to get specific recommendations.

There is NO STANDARD for any claim about weight capacity...if anything, the claim is what the manufacturer thinks that the support unit can hold WITH STABILITY, and anything over that 'limit' is probably where the support is insufficiently 'stiff' to hold the weight without unit vibration.

I would just put together a bag of beans.

I don't have it now, but when I needed to do some low level work with 500mm f/4 lens I got a large flat baking sheet with upturned edges, drilled a hole in the middle of it and mounted a gimbal head on it with a 3/8" bolt. I was photographing birds at ground level, lying prone behind the camera and lens.

It was something like this but, if memory serves, larger: https://www.amazon.com …eet%2Cgarden%2C​198&sr=1-5

I just fitted it with an inexpensive gimbal head like: https://www.amazon.com …4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc

This had the advantage that I could slide it forward and backward. Worked well on sand, soft ground or small pebbles. Didn't work well on rough ground or larger rocks. Worked, but wasn't much fun when the ground was wet sand or mud!

View_Finder wrote in post #19524490
I would just put together a bag of beans.

Bean bags work great. I have used them for ground level macro work or if you want to place the camera on a rock while hiking. They are pretty light and if you get lost in the woods, you can tear open the back and get a few meals out of your gear.

amfoto1 wrote in post #19524748
I don't have it now, but when I needed to do some low level work with 500mm f/4 lens I got a large flat baking sheet with upturned edges, drilled a hole in the middle of it and mounted a gimbal head on it with a 3/8" bolt. I was photographing birds at ground level, lying prone behind the camera and lens.

It was something like this but, if memory serves, larger: https://www.amazon.com …eet%2Cgarden%2C​198&sr=1-5

I just fitted it with an inexpensive gimbal head like: https://www.amazon.com …4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc

This had the advantage that I could slide it forward and backward. Worked well on sand, soft ground or small pebbles. Didn't work well on rough ground or larger rocks. Worked, but wasn't much fun when the ground was wet sand or mud!

Sounds very much like my own DIY "Platypod" but for my yard deck use.... made with an old grungy roasting pot....

i say it depends on length of exposure. if you're doing longish exposures in low light @ 300mm you'll need a stable tripod and a remote shutter