Suggetions for the best Travel Tripod

[AussieBigMal]

Hi all,

Looking for a suggestions on the best lightweight travel tripod.
I have a Canon 5D III which is fairly heavy with the lens attached. Going to Hawaii in 8 days and have plans to do quite a bit of hiking to get that one in a million shot:lol2:. I have a backpack camera bag and I am old :D so nothing to heavy and bulky is what I am looking for :th3:

Cheers for your help

[I @ M]

I have a Canon 5D III which is fairly heavy with the lens attached.

Which lens or lenses will you be using?
Something like a 20mm is vastly different to a 600mm and an idea of the lenses in use will allow recommendations on tripod / heads.
Also, in this situation the head that you select will be every bit as important as the tripod, if not more so.


Going to Hawaii in 8 days and have plans to do quite a bit of hiking to get that one in a million shot
What do you intend to photograph, once again a recommendation for a tripod is probably easier to make if you differentiate between landscapes and distant wildlife.


so nothing to heavy and bulky is what I am looking for

The lighter tripods that are generally regarded as being rigid enough to do the job are made from carbon fibre, plenty of strength with sturdiness. They will also help you with the bulk and weight problem by making your wallet a lot thinner. :D

[AussieBigMal]

Hi Andrew, appreciate you taking the time

I am taking my 24-105mm & 70-300mm len's.
Mainly looking to photograph scenery so the 24-105 will used the most.

[Dazz1]

Having been enthusiastically using a new monopod for the last few days, can I ask if a monopod might suffice? Very light, and doubles as a walking stick when hiking about.

[AussieBigMal]

Having been enthusiastically using a new monopod for the last few days, can I ask if a monopod might suffice? Very light, and doubles as a walking stick when hiking about.

Yeah thought about a mono. Difficult to keep still with longer exposures. See I am old and shake a lot :)

[WarChild]

I am happy with my Velbon P-max, handles my D5100 with a 70-300. It is rigid enough, but will shake with even a light bump to it.
I did just look at the Velbon website, but is not on there. I did buy it 4-5 years ago.
Just doing a search found few places still selling them.

specs are;
Maximum Height - 131cm
Minimum Height - 34cm
Folded Height - 35cm
Weight - 800g
Diameter of Leg - 21mm
Leg Sections - 5
Maximum Load - 1.5kg

[Darey]

I have used a Benro Travel Angel (A-065m8)with BH00 head for 3 years and have found it to be excellent.
It has a clip on it to hang a Camera Bag or weight for extra steadiness.

This link will show you what is available.

http://www.photo-shop-studio.com/eng/p2.asp?ItemClass3=BENRO+Alum.+%2F+Carbon+Fiber+TRAVEL+ANGEL+TRIPODS&ItemClass1=BENRO+Tripod+%26+Ball+head&ItemClass2=BENRO

Oh and I am going to Hawaii on 25th August.

[I @ M]

Malcom, I will present an opinion on purchasing tripods / heads that is fairly widely accepted as being truthful.

After you have spent $xxxx.xx buying 5 tripods that didn't quite do the job you will find that you have spent $xxx.xx more than the cost of the 6th tripod that does do what you want. :D

Darey has linked the Benro travel series tripods and from many accounts they are well made and up to the task of travel tripods. I have seen some of their other carbon fibre models and for the price they offer excellent value.
Where my thoughts differ though is that you would be better off spending a large amount of money on a tripod head that will be able to be used on additional / subsequent tripods that you may acquire in the future. A very good quality ball head with Arca Swiss mounting compatibility will be able to be swapped between tripods and will last for a long time.



Oh and I am going to Hawaii on 25th August.

Sounds like there could almost be an ALOHA Ausphotography meet about to happen. :D

[strictfunctor]

I'm happy with this combo I put together. Not cheap, but quite compact and light.

Gitzo traveller legs
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/759477-REG/SER.1_TRAVELER_6x_CF_4-SEC_TRPD_G-LOCK

Really Right Stuff BH30 ball head
http://reallyrightstuff.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=BH-30-Pro-II&type=3&eq=&desc=BH-30-Pro-II%3aCompact-head-with-B2-Pro-II&key=it

Have used it with a G1X on a photowalk, a really nice, light kit, and with a gripped 5D3, 24-105, both with L plates. Use a cable release or timer.

[AussieBigMal]

Oh and I am going to Hawaii on 25th August.

Aloha Mahalo Darey. Not sure what that means but it sounds good :)

Yes I leave on the 18th August, looking forward to it. :th3:

[Darey]

Malcolm,
Its 14 days before I leave and I am already excited. :)

We will be in Hawaii for 4 days, then to Canada for a 3 week golf tour, to LA for 3 days then down to Mexico (Cala SN Luca(spelling)) for a week before coming back home.
We will be traveling a lot so I am packing my camera gear as light as possible.

I'm taking
Nikon D7000
Tamron 17-50 f2.8 standard zoom , light and excellent IQ
Sigma 10-20 UWA, light (affordable) and good IQ
Nikon 55-200 Kit lens for a little reach, light, cheap and good IQ
Benro Travel Angel tripod, small, light and sturdy.

I hope you get a good tripod and look forward to seeing some of your travel shots.

[nimrodisease]

+1 for the Benro Travel Angel tripods. I purchased one from Photo Shop Studio before my Europe trip at the start of this year and am very happy with it.

[stevo01]

Another Benro Travel Angel tripod fan here, it is light, folds up fairly small, and solid enough especially with a bag attached to the bag hook. It also converts to a monopod which can be very handy.

[rossco]

from my own personal experience, after lugging a heavy metal manfrotto tripod across asia for 3 weeks, the best tripod is the one you remember to pack the hot shoe for

[Darey]

:D::o Oh rossco I can only imagine how you fealt. :cool:

[rossco]

:D::o Oh rossco I can only imagine how you fealt. :cool:

a mix of broken hearted and stupid

[AussieBigMal]

Malcolm,
Its 14 days before I leave and I am already excited. :)

We will be in Hawaii for 4 days, then to Canada for a 3 week golf tour, to LA for 3 days then down to Mexico (Cala SN Luca(spelling)) for a week before coming back home.
We will be traveling a lot so I am packing my camera gear as light as possible.

I'm taking
Nikon D7000
Tamron 17-50 f2.8 standard zoom , light and excellent IQ
Sigma 10-20 UWA, light (affordable) and good IQ
Nikon 55-200 Kit lens for a little reach, light, cheap and good IQ
Benro Travel Angel tripod, small, light and sturdy.

I hope you get a good tripod and look forward to seeing some of your travel shots.

Hey Darey have a great time, looks like a great trip. Had a friend of mine go to Mexico recently. Said it was great location but he felt quite uneasy with way the locals tended to watch him and the family. He felt they were looking for an opportunity to possibly rob him of his belongings. Just be careful and keep you equipment close to you. :)

Yes I will be in Hawaii for 16 days, Volcanoes, High peaks, great views, good food. Only 6 days to go Woo Hoo! Just a litle excited :)

[Gribbles]

I recently watched a stream through Creative Live on Travel Photography (Presented by John Greengo) and one of his sections covered off tripods for travelling. He covered two options:
1. Gitzo GT1544T (very expensive, but his No. 1 pick)
2. Slik Sprint Mini II GM (about $90)

The Gitzo apparently lots better, and can support substantially more weight.

I'm also going overseas in a couple of months, and got a Joby GorillaPod SLR-zoom, but am unsure if that's the best choice for me yet.

From what I've read, unless you're on a safari trip (on the back of a ute etc.) then a monopod isn't the best option.

in any case I would be interested to see what option you end up with and how you find it.

[CarlR]

Agreeing with Andrew's comments, I can also contribute my experience.

After considering the Benro Travel Angel, I selected and took a Sirui carbon fibre travel tripod to Europe.

It was affordable - I couldn't justify the Gitzo option!

I found it very lightweight and portable, but if you are using a heavy lens, would suggest replacing the ball head that it comes with for something more robust.

As mentioned above, recognise also that a lightweight travel tripod will not generally be as stable or rigid as a larger or heavier one. Care is therefore required when using it near rocks, the ocean or in windy conditions.

Have a great trip. I've visited Hawaii a few times. You should have a fantastic holiday.

[coolhand78]

can anyone help me decipher the Benro Nomenclature, i'm confused as hell...

digitalrev - Benro Travel Angel II Aluminium Tripod Kit A1682TBO $289.90
digitalrev - Benro Travel Angel II Aluminium Tripod Kit A2692TB1 $319.99
digitalrev - Benro Travel Angel II Aluminium Tripod Kit A2682TB1 $279.99
eGlobal - Benro Travel Angel Aluminium Tripod Kit A2692TB1 $179.00

I'm just looking for a good travelling tripod for tassy and England/Europe...

[Lance B]

Little bit late on this thread, but having just returned from a 4 week trip to Europe and the UK I thought I would have some valuable input. I took a Sirui T-1204X + K-10X Carbo Fibre tripod & ballhead bundled kit and I can't express highly enough how good it was and build quality is exemplary. This small light tripod, only 1.32kg!! complete with head, took the weight of my D800E and 24-70/16-35 lenses for my night shots, photos of up to 30 secs with no vibration issues whatsoever. It fitted into my check in luggage across the bottom of the suitcase taking up minimum of room. 400mm folded length and 425mm folded length with head. I purchased it at Mainline Photographics in Crows Nest Sydney. Again, I cannot recommend this little tripod highly enough.

http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au/

Actual product:

http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au/prod312.htm

[coolhand78]

I ended up getting the Benro Travel Angel II from digitalrev.
seemed like the best deal i could find, and i needed it by the end of next week coz i'm off to tassy on that weekend.

[nimrodisease]

EDIT: I didn't see the latest posts, which made my post irrelevant... oops!

[coolhand78]

EDIT: I didn't see the latest posts, which made my post irrelevant... oops!

hey mate,

it's still good info...

here's the link you posted...

Luke, check out the Benro website: http://www.benro.com/Products.aspx?cid=208&pid=209&nid=212,
They have some pretty handy breakdowns of the differences between all the tripods.