Small, lightweight tripod recommendations?

[likealot]

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I am looking to get a tripod to use with the Q but I need something that folds small and is quite lightweight. I am not a professional photographer so the tripod will get very light use. Any recommendations please?

[HighlandK]

I have the Gitzo GT1544T with the GH1382TQD ball head as my carbon fibre travel tripod  - a series 1 Traveler which collapses to just over 40cm. But it is discontinued - not very helpful! Have a look at their current Series 0 and 1 Traveler tripods - they are expensive but excellent build and for the weight extremely sturdy. The Gitzo GK0545T-82TQD Series 0 Traveler Carbon eXact Tripod Kit looks good. Weight 1290g including ballhead.

 

I have always felt cheap tripods are cheap for a reason and often it is a reason you don't want to have to discover!

Edited June 16, 2017 by HighlandK

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[Msohio]

I use a Me Photo tripod. Put it on tables benches. Also great to leave on and use as a very steady grip. B&H or Adorama have 'em.

[ramarren]

My small, light tripod is a Sirui T-025x. It's remarkably stable for an ultra-light and does fine with cameras up to the size and weight of the Q. The ball head is very compact and operates smoothly, comes with a compact quick-release plate and takes Arca-Swiss style quick release plates. All up weight is about 850g, it's about 34cm long and 8cm diameter (26cm around) when folded. 

 

It supports my Leica M and iPhone 6 very nicely. Perfect for light duty needs.  

[LocalHero1953]

Gitzo GT0545T, with a Markins Q3-TRQ head. I use it with my M240. I bought it for air travel and rucksacks.

[sumolux]

Gitzo GT0545T, with a Markins Q3-TRQ head. I use it with my M240. I bought it for air travel and rucksacks.

 

 

Have the same setup here and could not be more impressed with it! You don't have to think twice about carrying it all day or air stewards bugging you.

[Jk1002]

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I looked at mefoto too but then settled on a manfrotto pixie, 25$ (Not the evo). I was concerned about weight of q but that doesnt seem to be an isuse at all,

 

I figured anything long enough to place the tripod on the ground and survive without swivel screen would be too long and heavy

 

With the pixie chances are i just toss it into my bag and have at least something when i need it (for me its really rare)

[honcho]

I'm often asked for tripod recommendations and my answer is always the same: buy the best you can afford that is most suited for your purposes. Tripods are one of those things that you only want to buy once, but no single tripod is suitable for every purpose. For travel, the smaller Gitzos might be expensive but my carbon 1555T ( I think that's what it's called) is my longest surviving travel tripod and still working as it should.

 

I think it cost somewhere around £450 when new at least 15 years ago. In that time I have broken or worn out a Manfrotto carbon triopd, a Manfrotto XB 90 Pro studio tripod, a Giottos equivalent to the Manfrotto and a Vanguard 263 travel tripod. The Vanguard (a £250 tripod) was given to me brand new by Vanguard UK for a review on my website and the screw-out spikes on the legs corroded immediately after the first contact with seawater and rendered useless within a week or so of receiving it.

 

The Gitzo has travelled many times to harsh environments, it weighs a little over 1kg and folds to around 14" , so will fit inside any aircraft cabin spec bag. It's been immersed in seawater and sand many times and although the legs are not sealed, it's easy to take apart and rinse in tap water. It shows no sign of delamination and works perfectly. I use it with a variety of film and digital cameras from a Fuji X100F and my Leica MP at the lightest to a Cambo Wide or a Fuji GX617 at the heaviest in calm conditions.

 

The point is, that although initially expensive and other options are much cheaper, my Gitzo Traveller carbon 6X (choose your own preferred size from the Gitzo Traveller range ) has performed flawlessly for over 15 years and I am confident it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future and that higher initial cost has proven to be far less in the long term.

[Leica Guy]

I'm often asked for tripod recommendations and my answer is always the same: buy the best you can afford that is most suited for your purposes. Tripods are one of those things that you only want to buy once, but no single tripod is suitable for every purpose. For travel, the smaller Gitzos might be expensive but my carbon 1555T ( I think that's what it's called) is my longest surviving travel tripod and still working as it should.

 

I think it cost somewhere around £450 when new at least 15 years ago. In that time I have broken or worn out a Manfrotto carbon triopd, a Manfrotto XB 90 Pro studio tripod, a Giottos equivalent to the Manfrotto and a Vanguard 263 travel tripod. The Vanguard (a £250 tripod) was given to me brand new by Vanguard UK for a review on my website and the screw-out spikes on the legs corroded immediately after the first contact with seawater and rendered useless within a week or so of receiving it.

 

The Gitzo has travelled many times to harsh environments, it weighs a little over 1kg and folds to around 14" , so will fit inside any aircraft cabin spec bag. It's been immersed in seawater and sand many times and although the legs are not sealed, it's easy to take apart and rinse in tap water. It shows no sign of delamination and works perfectly. I use it with a variety of film and digital cameras from a Fuji X100F and my Leica MP at the lightest to a Cambo Wide or a Fuji GX617 at the heaviest in calm conditions.

 

The point is, that although initially expensive and other options are much cheaper, my Gitzo Traveller carbon 6X (choose your own preferred size from the Gitzo Traveller range ) has performed flawlessly for over 15 years and I am confident it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future and that higher initial cost has proven to be far less in the long term.

+1. I also have the Gitzo Traveler tripod with a RRS ball head. They have with me traveled the world over the past 10+ years. I never leave home without it. Initially expensive and we'll worth it.

[camnh]

I'd would agree that the Gitzo tripods are excellent, I have some of their tripods and stands for studio work and have no complaints.

 

However, for travel, I've been using a Benro A0180T fold-flat tripod with the BH00 head for the past several years. It folds into a small bag about 18" long and maybe 2" high, and weighs about 2.5 pounds. When fully extended it stands a little over 5 feet. Even though it's light, I used it and a hastily-filled centered sandbag to take some aurora borealis photos on a windy beach in Iceland and it worked really well.

 

(I just looked it up and it seems that they don't sell it anymore - pity, as I've dragged it all over the US and Europe and it has held up well. If you see any as new/old stock check it out; IIRC they made an aluminum model (which I have) and a carbon fiber one.)

[sumolux]

By the way for the nerds here:

Gitzo sells tubes of special grease for these tripods in little tubes for high prices; like Euro 10.00 for 10 ml if I recall.

On the bay, you can buy 250 ml for Euro 8.00

It is called SYSTEM GLT2, brand 'Arexons', an Italian firm.

The grease has Teflon in it and can be used for lots of other household/workshop applications - very good stuff actually.

 

I am the kind of freak who takes the tripod apart once a year to get the sand and sea salt out, and give it a new lube job 

[MT0227]

I carry one of these in my bag at all times.    https://www.platypodpro.com

[leicapages]

Using the Leica table tripod and ball head. Not the lightest option, but very reliable.

[Chuck Albertson]

Using the Leica table tripod and ball head. Not the lightest option, but very reliable.

That would be my recommendation, too, with the proviso that you'll need to place it on a table or something similar if you want any elevation - even with the large ball head, your camera is only a foot above the surface.

 

I own a Gitzo Traveler Series 1 as well, and it's the first tripod I've used that is both light enough and compact enough that I actually travel with, carry around, and use. But if you are only anticipating light use, it may not be worth shelling out about $1000 for the tripod and head.

[Leica Guy]

That would be my recommendation, too, with the proviso that you'll need to place it on a table or something similar if you want any elevation - even with the large ball head, your camera is only a foot above the surface.

 

I own a Gitzo Traveler Series 1 as well, and it's the first tripod I've used that is both light enough and compact enough that I actually travel with, carry around, and use. But if you are only anticipating light use, it may not be worth shelling out about $1000 for the tripod and head.

+1 on the Gitzo Traveler tripod. I also have a RRS BH-30 ballhead. Works great and fits folded up into my backpack.

[HighlandK]

Using the Leica table tripod and ball head. Not the lightest option, but very reliable.

Here's one using the Leica table top tripod with ball-head held firm onto a pillar. ISO 800 f8 0.6 sec.

A bit of PP with Lightroom on my iPad. This my travel kit - all in v small shoulder bag. Image quality only degraded due to iPad compression.

 

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[reynoldsyoung]

Using the MeFOTO.....https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1281645-REG/mefoto_bpairgrn_backpacker_air_travel_tripod.html  Just great for the Q...and, I actually take it with me.  Great piece!

[pgk]

By the way for the nerds here:

Gitzo sells tubes of special grease for these tripods in little tubes for high prices; like Euro 10.00 for 10 ml if I recall.

On the bay, you can buy 250 ml for Euro 8.00

It is called SYSTEM GLT2, brand 'Arexons', an Italian firm.

The grease has Teflon in it and can be used for lots of other household/workshop applications - very good stuff actually.

 

I am the kind of freak who takes the tripod apart once a year to get the sand and sea salt out, and give it a new lube job 

 

I have a Gitzo Reporter which I bought secondhand in 1980 for £38 (still have the receipt). Its been dismantled twice I think, basically because it wasn't working properly both times and had got very stiff to operate. I slapped some Molybdenum grease on and its been fine. Earlier this year I noticed that the pressed top section is finally starting to crack where a leg is connected and pivots. But its still usable. I have three other Gitzos so I may just put it out to pasture. As Honcho said, buy the best you can. My theory on tripods is that there are only two types; ones that hold the camera steady and others that don't. Buy a good one that does and it will last decades.

Edited July 3, 2017 by pgk

[likealot]

The Gitzo tripods look very nice indeed however they would be overkill for me. I dont intend to spend a fortune on a tripod considering how little the tripod would be used. I have had a look and done some research on the various brands recommended here and the MeFoto Roadtrip seems to be quite a good one with the right balance between size, price and features.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[bozu_shutterbugger]

#1 Gitzo traveler, 2 manfrotto be free ,3 induro travelled

 

 

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