Looking to buy my first tripod

There are so many options! What is your weight "budget"? In other words, how heavy are you willing to go? How tall do you want it to go? Any other features you want? The Pedco UltraPod II is the one I go to for lightest and most basic use. Of course it is short. It is good to set up on a log or rock. The Velcro strap is usable on railings or branches with point and shoot cameras. I recently got a Slik Spint Mini GM with a ball head that works as a taller option. It is 26oz. I have used a Slik Pro 340DX leg set with an Oben BA-0 ball head, but it is 53oz and just not a good hiking option for me. It functions well, but I don't want to invest the weight. As the height goes up, so does the weight and bulk. If you use telephoto lenses, you need a lot more tripod than for wide-angle landscapes. I like spreading leg options which are helpful for low shots and really good when you are up against a rock or other obstruction where you can't spread all three legs out equally. My favorite test for a light tripod is to extend it fully and grasp it at the joint where all the legs meet and try to twist it. The weenie ones with telescoping spring-and-ball locks usually wobble like a noodle. Head design should allow you to do vertical and horizontal shots without loosening the mounting screw. Ball heads are pretty easy to live with on that, as well as having to deal with long handles sticking out when stowed.

If I could get something under a pound, that would be great. It only needs to hold the camera a few inches off of the ground. Something that can be set up on uneven ground would also be great.

The nature of tripods is to work on uneven ground, but you end up with the head at odd angles, which a ball head usually compensates for. If the angle of the ground is too steep, the whole rig is less stable. You can usually set one leg in line with the heaviest part of the camera and it will work, but it's no fun to watch your expensive stuff fall over in the dirt. Fitting your "few inches of the ground" wish,there are many tripods available in the "tabletop" category, but few if any have adjustable legs. There are short tripods with all the leg adjustments of a taller one, but you end up with 3/4 of the weight and you are still on your hands and knees and a limited angle of view. You do definitely want a ball head on a tabletop rig. The Manfrotto 709 is a good example: http://www.manfrotto.us/digi-black-table-top-tripod-with-ball-head. Oben makes the TT-100 that is similar: http://www.obensupports.com/detail?sku=687341. The Pedco I mentioned would do pretty much the same. Slik makes mini with adjustable legs and a ball head at a little over 12oz. http://www.slik.co.jp/slik_com/CMS-MINI-PRO_DQ.html

That Silk Mini DQ looks like a winner. How would it compare with a gorilla pod? I see a lot of those strapped to people's packs. http://joby.com/gorillapod/gorillapod-hybrid

"How would it compare with a gorilla pod? I see a lot of those strapped to people's packs." I've tied a couple and they are okay, but I would rather have something that I can lock down on all axis. The best feature is being able to wrap the legs around branches, pipes, railings or the like, but you want to trust it. I kept the Ultrapod and sold the Joby, so that's my vote for "as light as I dare." ALAID? Keep in mind that I made that selection knowing I had the larger one available. The anti-UL part of tripods is that weight is a good thing for stability. I hauled around a real monster with my 4×5 gear— more than my total base weight for sure. If you get a taller tripod you can use rocks or water bottles hung from below to aid stability. All these light ones can skitter around. At least with a mirrorless, you have fewer moving parts to jiggle your images. A remote of some sort helps complete the kit. The self timer works fine if you can handle the delay.

I take an Ultrapod II with me. The strap won't go around most trees and sometimes you have to make the best shot the tree will allow. I also take a strap of velcro to wrap on larger trees. It's the stuff that has hooks and loops mixed together, I bought it a Jo Annes fabrics.

The Slik Compact II gets your camera 3' off the ground amd weighs just 20oz. A bit more versatile than the tiny little ones.

I’ve been intrigued by the Mefoto tripods. The Backpacker extends to 51 inches, holds 8.8 lbs and weighs 41oz. The DayTrip extends 24 inches, holds 8.8lbs and weighs 28.8 ounces. I don’t own one and I haven’t seen one either. But on paper they look very interesting. I really like the DayTrip. edit: fix links

Great classic read on this topic – http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

I have the MeFoto daytripper and really like it! It's great when I can take a bit of weight and want a good, solid support (like for night shooting in Big Bend) I also have a much smaller but awesome Manfrotto (http://www.optics4birding.com/bogenmanfrotto-709b-digi-table-top-tripod-black-10597.html?gclid=CPymrcj02cgCFQ6maQodZSwElg) table top model is what I use on longer hikes (bought for my CT thru hike) that is much more palatable in terms of weight and size, but obviously there is a tradeoff. What's nice about the Manfrotto little guy is that you can actually do portrait mode with it, which i think is pretty unique in these little table top models.

I'm also a hiker first, photographer second who still wants to get the best quality images that I can. I just want something to stabilize the shots during longer exposures. I have multiple full sized tripods, but they are too big and heavy to pack with. I've also used bean bags for "run and gun" stuff, but they are too heavy as well. So now I'm going with a mini tripod. I just ordered the Uktrapod II, should be here Tuesday. I'm looking forward to trying it out. I

Skyy reccommended, Great classic read on this topic – http://www.bythom.com/support.htm" That article is a good read and I agree with much of the article. The thing with hiking tripods depends on your priority: the highest quality photos possible or a comfortable hike with good photos. Remote releases really arent discussed much, but they are light and will help stop vinrations from manually pressing the shutter button. Back in the film days, I always had a cable release and one release fit all my cameras too. Some point and shoots have remotes available; otherwise, you can use the self timer. DSLR's have some intricate remotes available, with programmable interval timers.