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Hi All,

Looking for suggestions for a new lightweight tripod (carbon fibre) which I can take on walks around the city and use purely for framing up a shot. I don't need stability as it's not slow shutter work but I do want quality in construction and design.. I don't want to be fighting the tripod during carry and setup.    For preference; 3 section legs with a centre column which can be disassembled for low shots. 

Anyone currently using a tripod they love and can provide some suggestions / feedback? I would greatly appreciate your insights. Thanks all. 

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This one might be practical for the intended use as it can be converted into a monopod. Seen at Coolblue. 
 

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I use and enjoy a Gitzo GT1545t carbon fiber tipod which is light and compact yet stong. I use it for my M's as well as for my SL2 with a heavy long lens. It come with a handy sling so it carries nicely. I don't have the price handy, but I bought it in the U.S. so it would not be helpful for your country. 

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56 minutes ago, jaapv said:

This one might be practical for the intended use as it can be converted into a monopod. Seen at Coolblue. 
 

 

Thank you Jaap, the price is certainly attractive! I'll check it out

 

6 minutes ago, GFW2-SCUSA said:

I use and enjoy a Gitzo GT1545t carbon fiber tipod which is light and compact yet stong. I use it for my M's as well as for my SL2 with a heavy long lens. It come with a handy sling so it carries nicely. I don't have the price handy, but I bought it in the U.S. so it would not be helpful for your country. 

Yes I was looking at the mountaineer version of the Gitzo (3 segment legs rather than 4) with the Mountaineer being ~300grams heavier than the Traveller. I'm not needing compactness so prefer having to only use two locks to extend each leg, but it's not the end of the world either way. I'll take a closer look at the traveller as well. Thanks for your feedback! 

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Posted (edited)

I use the INNOREL RT55C+N36 for exactly the same purpose with my M11. Light CF, well made, more than enough adjustments, folds extremely small for easy portability.

Also has excellent stability - I've even used it for long exposure night work with zero issues.

Sourced mine from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/INNOREL-Monopod-Gravity-RT55C-N36/dp/B08JG31KK5?th=1

You can reverse the center column for low work, and take it out completely and use it as a monopod.

The ball head has an 'arca' plate which works perfectly with the Leica M11 grip.

 

Edited by CDodkin
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3 hours ago, CDodkin said:

I use the INNOREL RT55C+N36 for exactly the same purpose with my M11. Light CF, well made, more than enough adjustments, folds extremely small for easy portability.

Also has excellent stability - I've even used it for long exposure night work with zero issues.

Sourced mine from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/INNOREL-Monopod-Gravity-RT55C-N36/dp/B08JG31KK5?th=1

You can reverse the center column for low work, and take it out completely and use it as a monopod.

The ball head has an 'arca' plate which works perfectly with the Leica M11 grip.

 

Thanks CDodkin, looks like another option to consider - small indeed though a couple of extra leg segments than I would like. 

1 hour ago, Sandokan said:

Why not just buy a monopod? There are many available at all price points. 

This is for framing up a scene, and ensuring the framing remains the same between shots so I don't need to worry about re-framing when something interesting happens.
I have a big heavy RRS tripod for long exposure work, and use a monopod + gimbal head when birding, but just looking for first hand experiences with ultralight 3-segment tripods with centre columns now.
I can't see in-person any of the ones I've seen reviews for online (gitzo etc.) so I'm at the mercy of relying on other people's experiences unfortunately. 

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Posted (edited)

I purchased a Redged travel tripod many years ago and it has served me very well. Design-wise very similar to Gitzo, but a lot lower price - around 100 Euros back then and still a similar price now. I think most of them come without a head, but a small ballhead with an Arca Swiss plate doesn't need to be expensive.

Edited by DigitalHeMan
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I got used to Gitzo as it is important to me that I can extend the tripod legs with one hand and all 3 sections at a time. I would not miss that. The build quality and design are top.

There are all sizes of Gitzo-tripods so it is not so easy to choose . . . .

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Posted (edited)
6 hours ago, Stevejack said:

Hi All,

Looking for suggestions for a new lightweight tripod (carbon fibre) which I can take on walks around the city and use purely for framing up a shot. I don't need stability as it's not slow shutter work but I do want quality in construction and design.. I don't want to be fighting the tripod during carry and setup.    For preference; 3 section legs with a centre column which can be disassembled for low shots. 

Anyone currently using a tripod they love and can provide some suggestions / feedback? I would greatly appreciate your insights. Thanks all. 

I use these two :

Ultra lightweight carbon fibre tripod    Gitzo G1027 with Gitzo ballhead G1177M  (combined weight 1.0 kg )

 

Ultra small mount   Manfrotto 797 Modo Mini

 

Edited by dugby
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I have the smallest Gitzo 0545T and would recommend it - I bought it to fit in an airline carry-on case, and for low weight. I use it with the Markitz Q3t head, which is lighter than the Gitzo equivalent

If buying again I might look at the Peak Design tripod for the slim way the legs fit together, but I'm not a fan of those big levers. I prefer the twist clamps for speed, and because there's nothing to catch on clothes and straps.

If stability is not a major concern then perhaps a Sirui T025. I looked at it but it relied too much on the centre column for height my liking.

Tripods are a compromise between leg sections, height, weight, folded length, and stability - you can't have them all.🤷‍♂️

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I've used several models by FLM.....fabulous quality and German engineering...highly recommended.    that said, I often have my little vintage MINOX tripod in my pocket, for tabletop work, it's solid, has a built in cable release and collapses to a pen size.....available for around £20-30 on eBay.    great to always have with you !

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11 minutes ago, johntobias said:

I've used several models by FLM.....fabulous quality and German engineering...highly recommended.    that said, I often have my little vintage MINOX tripod in my pocket, for tabletop work, it's solid, has a built in cable release and collapses to a pen size.....available for around £20-30 on eBay.    great to always have with you !

But it is relatively heavy. 

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9 hours ago, Stevejack said:

Thanks CDodkin, looks like another option to consider - small indeed though a couple of extra leg segments than I would like. 

 

It's that trade off of number of segments against fully folded size - I decided that it needed to be small so that I would always have it with me, and this has worked out as intended.

Good luck with the search

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15 hours ago, Stevejack said:

 

This is for framing up a scene, and ensuring the framing remains the same between shots so I don't need to worry about re-framing when something interesting happens.
I have a big heavy RRS tripod for long exposure work, and use a monopod + gimbal head when birding, but just looking for first hand experiences with ultralight 3-segment tripods with centre columns now.
I can't see in-person any of the ones I've seen reviews for online (gitzo etc.) so I'm at the mercy of relying on other people's experiences unfortunately. 

Then +1 for the Gitzo Traaveller series. I have the 1 & 2 series, but the 1 was too flimsy for me so I only have the 2 and dont mind the weight. 

I have 3 regular carbon tripods from the ultralarge and heavy ProMediaGear 442L, FLM CP38 (slighlty shorter and 1.2Kg lighter) and the 2 series Gitzo. 

If I was buying now, I would consider the FLM CP26 as I was impressed by the quality and rigidity. 

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Thanks for the advice everyone, it's much appreciated! I spent quite a bit of time looking at the peak design and others, and I still haven't made a firm decision. It's crazy that none of the mentioned tripods are available in local stores to see in person... it might be the post-Christmas sales that cleared out all the stock but for now I'm out of luck. 

I think I'll give the Gitzo a try, perhaps the Traveler or Mountaineer. I really do want 3-segment legs but it's not the end of the world if I have to undo an extra 3 clamps each time.

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10 hours ago, Stevejack said:

Thanks for the advice everyone, it's much appreciated! I spent quite a bit of time looking at the peak design and others, and I still haven't made a firm decision. It's crazy that none of the mentioned tripods are available in local stores to see in person... it might be the post-Christmas sales that cleared out all the stock but for now I'm out of luck. 

I think I'll give the Gitzo a try, perhaps the Traveler or Mountaineer. I really do want 3-segment legs but it's not the end of the world if I have to undo an extra 3 clamps each time.

I’ve seen the range at Camera Electronic Service in Stirling St, Perth,  they probably have the best collection,  but I bought mine off eBay.

Camera Store , in Oxford St, Leederville had a lesser range.

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