Travel Tripod recommendations

[DebºoºS]

I couldn't find the sticky about tripods. I was sure it was at the top of the board Delete this thread WM if you have a link to it or it's right in front of me and I don't see it.

I'm leaving in 11 days and my travel tripod broke (as mentioned in another rant er, I mean post). I do have a Master Slik tripod that's great but heavy for travel. I've handheld now for years with mixed results using WDW garbage cans, posts, trees, tables & DH on occasion. I'm shooting with a Nikon D200 & a Nikkor 50mm 1.4 or a Nikkor 18-200VR. What do you all recommend?

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I think that the Gitzo Titanium Traveler Tripod would make a great lightweight travel tripod for you. Some extremist penny pinchers might object to the choice. Honestly, what would you do with the extra money anyway, buy a few tanks of gas?

Do you have a budget? Do you want an integrated tripod or one with a separate head? What style of head do you prefer?

I'm planning on taking a Gitzo GT2540 Mountaineer with an Acratech Ultimate Ball Head. It's a bargain compared with the TTT. It packs small. It's very light. It's very versatile. It's very rigid. And it should (better) last me a long, long time.

 

[Master Mason]

I have a slik 714cf tripod with a monfrotto 488 mini ball head that I carry. It works perfectly for my needs holding a canon 40D and an canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens on it it is rock steady. My only gotcha on it was I needed to order an adaptor bushing to make the tripod head attach to the legs, so keep that in mind when ordering.

 

[pxlbarrel]

I have a Slik for Digital Sprint GM/SL that weighs 0.86 kg and extends to 1.6 m (before centre column is extended). It folds down to less than half a metre. It's got a ball joint on it. I've used it with my Canon Rebel XT and 17-40 mm L lens. I haven't tried it with my Canon 40D yet but it should still be able to hold the weight. It has travelled with me me to Japan and Hong Kong and fits in my backpack. And best of all... it cost me less than $100.

 

[DebºoºS]

I think that the
Do you have a budget? Do you want an integrated tripod or one with a separate head? What style of head do you prefer?

Budget is a factor. Worse case I'll wait till after this trip. I have the Master Slik I could haul around. Features I'd like lightweight, packable into a bag so I can take it with me on rides if need be. I have a lot invested in glass so I need a very stable tripod. A bubble level would be nice but not necessary. The Slik is a pan head. Easy to use. Never tried anything else.

Thank you all so much. I'm going to research all of these great suggestions. Please keep them coming.

 

[Groucho]

There's a Velbon Maxi with trundle legs that's supposed to be very nice as a relatively lightweight travel tripod. I'm not sure if it's up for the weight of your rig, but it might be OK.

I use a Slik Pro 713CFII Carbon Fiber tripod (same as MMason but with three leg sections instead of four), works great but a tad large. I added a homemade strap to it and that works well, I can sling it over my back without it being too much of a bother.

Slik also makes a strong tabletop tripod, I think they're one of the few companies that have such a device. (Being that most tabletop tripod are $5 pieces of junk that can barely support a pocket camera!) It's probably perfect for using an SLR on a garbage can, table, etc - though again, it might struggle once you get a bigger SLR and a heavy lens on it. I have only looked at it briefly in the store so I'm not real familiar with its ratings off the top of my head.

 

[BIERMUGG]

Here is a good Tripod for a good price.

http://www.feisol.net/


George