carbon fiber tripod

[Peter Boysen]

Hey all. I've been out of the photography gear market for quite a while, but I was curious if anybody here knows of a decent lightweight tripod (presumably carbon fiber, but anything light will do) that keeps things fairly cheap. I'd be using it with a 5Dmk2 and a 24-105 or 17-40, so it doesn't need to be super burly for big telephotos or anything. Not really interested in trekking pole adapters + guy lines or monopods of any sort (my trips are about 80% canoe camping, so I don't even own trekking poles anyway).

Anyway, thanks in advance.

[Ian]

Here's one option that I have no personal experience with.

http://www.mefoto.com/products/globetrotter.aspx#Specifications

[Ian]

"Cheap" and "carbon fiber" are difficult to put in the same sentence when it comes to Tri Pods but I'm watching this thread with great interest with the hopes that someone will deliver the goods.

[Peter Boysen]

""Cheap" and "carbon fiber" are difficult to put in the same sentence"

Yeah, that's the truth. Though that one you linked to looks much better in terms of price/performance than anything I'd seen four or five years ago when I last thought about it. I'd sacrifice a little height though if it brought both weight and cost down somewhat. May just be wishful thinking though.

[Brendan Swihart]

I bought a Sirui T-025x last spring and am quite impressed with it. Far cheaper than something like a Gitzo or whatever and still very high quality and easy to use. There's an aluminum version that's a bit cheaper/heavier too.

Lots more info here:

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/sirui-t-025x-travel-tripod-review/introduction.html

[Peter Boysen]

That's a really decent looking little tripod. I may have to check that out come payday.

Peter
EE

[Ian]

"That's a really decent looking little tripod."

The Sirui T-025X at $239 including ballhead is intriguing.

[Robsudac *]

Pick two of three… Price, Weight, Stability.

I have been searching for a cheap, used Gitzo 1540/1541/1542T. Very hard to find in my price range but it is compact and lightweight.

I have read the Sirui T-025X is great option too.

[Bob Gross]

I've been down this road a few times.

In general, when you are looking at a tripod to mount a normal size camera, you pay a lot of money to get carbon fiber legs, and you really won't save much weight over aluminum legs. As you start moving up into the heavy cameras with heavy heads, then carbon fiber legs will save some weight, so the cost starts to work. I often end up with a gimbal head that weighs much more than the legs.

For an ultralightweight backpacker, if you keep your camera rig into the lightweight category, you can easily get by with an aluminum tripod with pan-tilt head for under 18 ounces and a cost of a Jackson.

To a great extent, it depends on your subjects or shooting style.

–B.G.–

[David Munson]

In the last few years, new makers (and especially new Chinese manufacturers) have really been changing the game. Lots of good stuff out there now in terms of affordable carbon fiber tripods that are of good quality. Sirui, Benro, Induro, Feisol, MeFoto, etc. A modest budget now goes a lot further in the tripod department than it did just a handful of years ago. Gitzo may still be the standard of reference for many people, and rightly so, but even they've been surpassed now.

OP: what's your budget? How tall are you and how tall do you need the camera to go?

[Peter S]

Just out of curiosity. Which companies has surpassed Gitzo?

I've been wanting a carbon fibre Gitzo tripod for years, but they are a bit too pricey for my level.

[Bob Gross]

"Which companies has surpassed Gitzo?"

Like always, it depends.

What are your priorities for a tripod? Do you want just tripod legs, or do you want a tripod with attached head?

In some tripods, the leg/head attachment is non-standard, so you are stuck into purchasing a combination that is not interchangeable with anything else.

Do you prefer flip-locks on the legs, or do you prefer twist-locks? Do you care?

Gitzo and Manfrotto certainly have the lion's share of the market these days. However, there are lots of new brands springing up every day. I see this especially in the "travel tripod" market.

I have several carbon fiber tripods and several more aluminum tripods. They go from a load-carrying capacity of about 1kg up to about 12kg. So, I've seen what's out there.

–B.G.–

[Peter S]

Light weight, tall, good dampening, packable/compact, flip locks, definitely able to change head.

Edit: I'm using a small mirrorless system.

[Dale Wambaugh]

+1 on Bob's analysis of size/weight and weight savings with carbon fiber legs.

I got a deal on a used Slik Pro 340DX and sold the heavy head, replacing it with an Oben BA-0 ball head that is also much more compact. That gives me a support that adjusts to 57" and weighs 3 pounds. I shoot landscapes, so I really don't need a big head to support long lenses. It is aluminum and light enough— for the cost.

Deciding the height you want will help narrow the choices. Also, I like the ability to swing the legs independently for an outdoor tripod. You always end up on some little perch on the side of a mountain, or you want to get down low for a flower or other detail and the ability to swing the legs really helps.

For super light tripods, I test them by setting them at maximum height and twisting the head. That tells you a lot about how they will perform. The ability to hang a bag of rocks or water container off the center column can really help stabilize a light tripod, especially in the wind. Don't lift the load completely off the ground, so it can't swing.

[Bob Gross]

It is impossible to delve into the tripod market without knowing how much weight you have in terms of camera+lens. Part of the weight capacity rating is in the tripod legs, and part is in the stiffness of the head. A gimbal head will handle a long lens, but then it has more weight itself to hang on the legs. Note that when you are using a long lens for birds in flight, as the front of the lens goes upward, the camera end goes downward, assuming that you have the lens center of gravity over the head. You don't want to stand around for hours all bent over, so for that case it is best to have a tripod that can be raised up a little taller than your head. "Tall" is undefined.

In the past, I first made the mistake of purchasing an expensive carbon fiber tripod that was rated a little over what my gear weighed. However, later I moved up into some tremendously heavier lenses, so immediately my first good tripod was obsoleted. I made the mistake of getting screw-locks one time. One slipped, and about $9,000 worth of gear toppled over. I've stuck with flip-locks ever since.

I found it to be too much hassle to change out heads onto different tripods, so I ended up with one tripod/head system for one purpose and one for another.

BTW, there are some incredibly cheap gimbal heads on Amazon that are worse than worthless. Read the reviews.

Now I have one or two tripods that I will use around town or when vehicle-based. These go up to a 12kg rating. However, for backpacking purposes, I normally carry a flimsy little thing to cut down on weight. My current backpacker tripod weighs something around 17 ounces with QR, and it elevates up to about chest level. I'm using only a little more than one pound of camera on top. By using a ballast bag, I can get it stable for a 5- or 10-second shutter, but that would be mostly for a sunset scenery shot. For wildlife, I can't be waiting around that long, so I generally shoot hand-held and depend on the Image Stabilizer magic.

–B.G.–

[Bob Gross]

" and the ability to swing the legs really helps."

Dale, remember the old saying: If you are going to run with the big dogs, you have to lift your leg pretty high.

–B.G.–

[Peter S]

Some good tips guys.

Usually the Olympus om-d e-m10 I'm using is paired with a lens weighing maximum 200g. Usually less. The camera is 400g.

[Bob Gross]

For a small camera load like that, I don't believe that you will find any carbon fiber tripod that will save you much weight, as compared to aluminum legs. And, of course carbon fiber is dramatically more expensive. Carbon fiber does have a good vibration dampening effect, but it isn't perfect.

The other factor is the head. Some like a ball head. Some like a pan-tilt head. Some like a gimbal. For backpacking photography, I don't find that it makes much difference, so that's why I use a 17-ounce (cheap) tripod with a pan-tilt head.

When I am out on the trail, I don't want to spend twenty minutes getting everything out and lining it up to shoot some flower.

OBTW, in the multiple-use department, you can use a camera tripod as your main shelter support like a center pole.

–B.G.–

[Peter S]

Thanks for the insight Bob. I used to have a bigger DSLR, so my lust for Carbon Gitzo originates from that. I'll start looking into other solutions.

There's now a 1 person market for a ultraskimpy carbon fibre tripod ;-). Who's first?!

[Jesse Anderson]

I've got the same Slik Pro 340DX Tripod as Dale. I paired mine with a Manfrotto 486RC2 Ballhead that should support any glass I can put on my a6000. Whole setup is right about 55 oz. I could probably go to a smaller head now that I've moved from my old DSLR to a mirrorless-ILC, but I don't see a need at the moment.

As for the Tripod – I think it's a great one. Packs pretty small, it's nice and stable. fairly inexpensive. The flick locks are easy to work and hold tight. It's a bit wobbly when the legs and neck are all fully extended, but honestly, so is every other lightweight tripod I've seen in that scenario. Rock solid means heavier.

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