Travel Tripod Recommendation

[pixelreflex]

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Hi everyone, 

I am going to be traving for a month all over Northern Europe in August and I’m looking for recommendations for a compact travel tripod for a Q3. 

Thanks in advance. 

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[Mute-on]

 

 

 

[Mute-on]

FYI just Google “travel tripod Leica q forum”

[Einst_Stein]

I like Leica table pod and the following. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Small-Portable-2-Section-Table-Top-Mini-Tripod-with-Ball-Head-for-DSLR-GoPro-Cameras/905505717?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=6907

It's much cheaper.

[Anbaric]

If you want a tabletop tripod, Leica's own is an ingenious and rock-solid design. There's no vertical adjustment, though, except for swapping out the head for one of a different size (the longest one acts like an extended centre column, and makes it easier to use a rangefinder model with the tripod bush at one end of the base plate in portrait orientation). They've been making them forever and they are almost indestructible, so the tripod and heads are plentiful secondhand and go for a lot less than Leica charge today. You can also use one very effectively as a chest pod.

If you want a bigger tripod, the excellent Gitzo Traveler range is very rigid for the minimal weight but relatively expensive, in accordance with the usual rule for these things ("Light, rigid, cheap - pick any two").

Edited July 22, 2024 by Anbaric

[leicam62003]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb pixelreflex:

I am going to be traving for a month all over Northern Europe in August and I’m looking for recommendations for a compact travel tripod for a Q3.

Hello, can you open the link? I've been looking for a long time and on all my trips I always take the small tripod from FLM with me. You should avoid the Leica table tripod, it has a lot of disadvantages. Unfortunately the red dot doesn't change that - it also depends on your intended use. The advantage of the Carbon FLM tripod is its extreme stability and very low weight and the individual leg adjustment.

Typ: CP-10

https://flm-gmbh.de/stative/tischstative/

https://www.oly-forum.com/topic/21749-tischstativ-als-reisestativ/?do=findComment&comment=282330

 

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It also proved its stability to me in the desert with relatively strong winds.

Edited July 22, 2024 by leicam62003

[LocalHero1953]

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My Gitzo Traveller GT0545T is for sale in the forum Classifieds.
Just saying..............

[leicam62003]

@LocalHero1953 I visited your website. great pictures. my respect.

[LocalHero1953]

1 hour ago, leicam62003 said:

@LocalHero1953 I visited your website. great pictures. my respect.

Thank you - that's very kind!

[Marc B-C]

If you are after a mini tripod, the Gitzo Mini Travel tripod is superb. After trying many mini tripods, including the Gorilla and Manfrotto ones, the Gitzo is by far the best for stability and build quality. Not the cheapest option however, but my goto for travel.

[LocalHero1953]

18 minutes ago, Marc B-C said:

If you are after a mini tripod, the Gitzo Mini Travel tripod is superb. After trying many mini tripods, including the Gorilla and Manfrotto ones, the Gitzo is by far the best for stability and build quality. Not the cheapest option however, but my goto for travel.

And design: unlike most others, the head has no side lever to catch on the pocket. 

[dkCambridgeshire]

My preferred travel tripod is one of the Berlebach Mini series https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/293380-anyone-tried-the-elpro-e52-on-the-x-vario/?do=findComment&comment=3667713

 

[leicam62003]

The best tripod is the one that offers the option of adjusting the tripod legs to the surface. Since not every tripod offers this feature, some models are not suitable. Many tripods only offer 2 levels and there is no way to fix the legs in between. It must also be said that we have to differentiate between an adult travel tripod and a table tripod. A "real" travel tripod for a Q would be the Gitzo 1555T or similar series.

 

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[Anbaric]

On 7/22/2024 at 1:54 PM, leicam62003 said:

You should avoid the Leica table tripod, it has a lot of disadvantages. Unfortunately the red dot doesn't change that - it also depends on your intended use.

This is one product that doesn't really depend on the hype of the red dot, which it long predates. They've been making the tripod for 75 years, pretty much unchanged, and similar ball and socket heads since the time of the first Leica, before they'd thought up interchangeable lenses or coupled rangefinders. Positive reviews are often from users of other systems who couldn't care less about the brand but have found a use for the tripod, like the chest pod trick in the link above. It's not for everyone - it's heavier than most table top tripods and there are no vertical leg adjustments. On the other hand, you can swivel the legs into any horizontal positions you like rather than being limited to the usual 120 degree angle, which means you can sometimes fit it into spaces where other tripods of similar size won't go. And it's uniquely sturdy - some people have used it for large format cameras. As you say, it depends on your intended use.

[Le Chef]

I like @jaapv's suggestion: use a beanbag.

[ianforber]

I use the Heipi tripod, which is an improved versions of the Peak Design and has a built in mini tripod that uses the excellent ballhead. If you’re just looking for a mini tripod though, I’d go for the Gitzo over the Leica. The latter folds its legs in a way that makes it an absolute nightmare to pack in a camera bag. 

[Trankster]

On 7/22/2024 at 3:32 AM, pixelreflex said:

Hi everyone, 

I am going to be traving for a month all over Northern Europe in August and I’m looking for recommendations for a compact travel tripod for a Q3. 

Thanks in advance. 

Are you thinking of a lighter full-size tripod or tabletop tripod?  Is you main purpose family vacationing or professional photography.  Personally, I would hate to lug around a full-size tripod on vacation unless traveling by car. You may not be able to use a tripod in museums, churches and other popular sites without advance permission.  I carry a small table top style tripod for travel, but try to hand-hold or brace the camera on a solid surface for lower shutter speed shots.  My favorite travel tripod is the Gitzo Mini Traveler Tabletop Tripod.  I also have a tiny Joby foldable micro tripod pictured that I keep in my daily carry bag just in case.  (Hard to find, but DJI has one listed on Amazon)

 

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[leicam62003]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb Anbaric:

They've been making the tripod for 75 years

that's the problem Jokes aside, yes, it is a good, tried and tested tripod. We understand each other. I had the tripod for a long time and was fairly happy with it. Compared to what is on the market today, it is too heavy and not flexible when it comes to adjusting to the surface. Hence my picture of the rock. A Leica tripod cannot be put up there, and neither can a Gitzo as I know it. The greater the flexibility of use, the greater the value of using it. Almost every table tripod can be used as a chest tripod, that is not something exclusive to Leica. FLM is a small German manufacturer that does not advertise its very well thought-out products. After Gitzo or similar manufacturers comes FLM, or even on the same level. Leica or no Leica, the small tripod from Leica lives from its history and not from its universal use, because it is only universal to a certain extent and with its weaknesses.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica Q

[oldsalt]

I've used the "Benro TablePod" mini tabletop carbon fibre tripod with my Q2 and it works a treat... small, lightweight, three position legs... great for travel.

cheers