need suggestions on a decent (cheap) travel tripod

hi all,

i am heading out to las vegas in the near future and was wondering if anyone could suggest a cheap, portable, convenient tripod? I was looking for something that is easy to carry around.. not too bulky, and nothing too crazy. My walkaround setup consists of a 40d (arrives today.. woot!) and a 24-105L, and a nifty 50 in the pack.

i just wanted to find something i could strap onto my kata 465 pack that wouldn't be too difficult to just pull off, set up quickly for a few shots, and strap back onto the pack. While the carbon gitzo's and benro travel angels are awesome, these are a bit out of my range right now.

so any suggestions would be very helpful! I'm looking to take some nice night shots of the strip. thanks!

hecster wrote in post #7581543
hi all,

i am heading out to las vegas in the near future and was wondering if anyone could suggest a cheap, portable, convenient tripod? I was looking for something that is easy to carry around.. not too bulky, and nothing too crazy. My walkaround setup consists of a 40d (arrives today.. woot!) and a 24-105L, and a nifty 50 in the pack.

i just wanted to find something i could strap onto my kata 465 pack that wouldn't be too difficult to just pull off, set up quickly for a few shots, and strap back onto the pack. While the carbon gitzo's and benro travel angels are awesome, these are a bit out of my range right now.

so any suggestions would be very helpful! I'm looking to take some nice night shots of the strip. thanks!

Even the Feisol which some here like is $300. The SLIK 614cf is decent, but has a max weight of 6lbs. What about a used tripod on eBay or on the For Sale forum here? Craigslist? Good tripods should last a lifetime, even a second hand one by a decent maker should be great.

yeah, starting to look around on those sites too. is $300 a decent price for a tripod? what is the gamut as far as pricing goes for a tripod? thanks for ur feedback!

hecster wrote in post #7583026
yeah, starting to look around on those sites too. is $300 a decent price for a tripod? what is the gamut as far as pricing goes for a tripod? thanks for ur feedback!

A decent tripod for travel will start at $300 new. You can get one cheaper by sacrificing stability or weight. The head will run between $100 and $300. So $300 used...depends what you're getting. Is it a Gitzo with a RRS or Markins ballhead, or a Manfrotto with a 488 ballhead?

I would see what's available out there and ask some more questions here.

I have a manfrotto 488rc2 ballhead and manfrotto 190 mf3 legs. This thing is a beast. I'll take a few pics and post them up in just a second.

Here's a few pics that I've taken. The room I shot these in is pretty small, so you will see a lot of crap in the pics.

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weezerfan: how much (ballpark) did that setup run you? and how small is it when collapsed? thanks for the pics. that a solid setup!

I know you mentioned that the Benro carbon travel angel series were out of your price range, but you may want to check out the aluminum version. I posted a review of the C-269 here https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=664575 which will give you an idea of the size. The aluminum version A-269 of this model weighs slightly more (about 0.5 lbs heavier), but is the exact same size and costs around $250.

I had the 190XProb for a bit, but found it too large for carrying around. It was close to 26" when folded.

hecster wrote in post #7589823
weezerfan: how much (ballpark) did that setup run you? and how small is it when collapsed? thanks for the pics. that a solid setup!

I got the head for $100 and the tripod for $200. The camera shop I went to cut me a deal to move inventory. They price matched the head with B&H photo, and just cut me a better deal on the MF3. To be honest, I'm too tall for the tripod without extending the center column. The camera is still steady for me, since the heaviest setup I have is the 40D, 24-70, and 430ex flash. The head is good for something around 16 lbs and the tripod is good for 8.8 lbs. I'll upgrade legs before I ever reach capacity on this one. I'll have to measure it when it's collapsed once I get back to the house. It's pretty compact and light, even with the head.

The tripod and ballhead together measure approximately 27 inches long.

Here ya go....brand name for less

http://sfbay.craigslis​t.org/sfc/pho/10893061​10.html

Don't leave home without one of these. No, not a full featured tripod but remarkably handy.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …is=REG&si=rev#a​ccessories

I have been using the Flashpoint F-1128 carbon fiber tripod from Adorama. It's $150 and does a great job.

The flash point F-1128 compares with other travel tripods in the same specification range as these
- Manfrotto 190CX3 @ US$220
- Giottos MT8250 @ US$308.95
- Gitzo GT0531 @ US$350

You can read my write up on the tripod on my travel blog for photogs here:

http://boardingarea.co​m …od-the-flashpoint-f-1128/

There are also a few photos showing how compact the tripod is when it is attached to a back pack , or stuffed in a backpack (its closed size is quite small and even smaller when you remove the center post)

Happy Flying!

4x4rock wrote in post #7591466
Here ya go....brand name for less

http://sfbay.craigslis​t.org/sfc/pho/10893061​10.html

This looks like a fantastic deal, depending on the condition of the tripod.