View Full Version : Light Weight Tripod Recommendations
Hi,
I used to get quite heavily involved with photography at one point but lost interest to a degree about 6 years ago and sold off most of my SLR kit and my Manforroto tripod...
Anyhow.... I'm looking for a lightweight tripod to complement my Canon G11 for photographic forays into the bush here in NZ. I specifically want a tripod not an adaptor for a walking pole etc...
What do you folk recommend...
Go back to a Manfrotto (http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto), you can buy them in a modular fashion, light legs with a good head, heavy legs when you don’t need to carry them. I have a mid weight set of legs, a monopod and a lighting bracket and all will take either my camera head or video head.
Gorilla Pod
Attaches to just about anything and can be used as a tripod on its own
http://www.mon-studio-photo.com/blog/IMG/photo-trepied-gorillapod.jpg
It's a very light camera, so you don't need anything too serious. Are you planning night shots, long exposures or?...
Manfrotto and Gitzo are the names to go for, but there are also some trekking poles available that covert into a tripod. Wouldn't put a heavy slr or medium format on them though. I have a small lightweight carbon fibre Manfrotto, which is very sturdy. I have a hook at the bottom which allows me to hang a water bottle or even small day pack underneath for extra stability.
It's a very light camera, so you don't need anything too serious. Are you planning night shots, long exposures or?...
Manfrotto and Gitzo are the names to go for, but there are also some trekking poles available that covert into a tripod. Wouldn't put a heavy slr or medium format on them though. I have a small lightweight carbon fibre Manfrotto, which is very sturdy. I have a hook at the bottom which allows me to hang a water bottle or even small day pack underneath for extra stability.
Yep I agree the camera is very light compared to an SLR (but with most of the features:)) so I don't need over kill on the tripod..
Yep I'm planning on long exposures mainly smaller apatures working with the available light in the bush. With that you'll end up with longer exposure / shutter speeds to long to hand hold. Plus with a tripod you can get the camera all squared up nicely..
Thanks to all for the suggestions so far...
i have a manfrotto 785b
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-manfrotto-785b-modo-maxi-tripod/p1014517
as my lightweight tripod, its just about ok holding my Nikon D90 and lens, so it will be fine with your G11, it packs up small to either fit in a bag or strap to the outside, its aluminium and plastic construction and pretty good
only thing i would say is that it is a bit unstable when fully extended, but i rarely use it at that height and am using heavier equipment than you. it goes down very very low aswell. i have had mine 3+ years and have taken it caving etc etc and only now is it starting to show some slack in the ball head, i took it apart and cleaned it up and its fine again.
i also use a monfrotto 190 but thats a bit overkill for what you want.
i would go with the 785, or modo as its other name, i would give it 8.5 out of 10
EDIT: oh yeah it has 2 settings for the head, a free moving one for photography, or by flicking a switch it becomes a smooth panning video head which is a nice feature
although browsing the manfrotto website i cant find what i have, but this looks similar
http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/pid/3935?livid=68&lsf=68&child=2
Yes it's a great little camera, I carry my G10 with ms pretty much all the time and love it, G11 is even better I gather.
You'll be able to do some nice milky, moving water pics on a pod too as well as bracketing for hdr etc. Gary (Wayland) on here would probably have a good pod recomendation.
Edit: although the above sounds good
Yes it's a great little camera, I carry my G10 with ms pretty much all the time and love it, G11 is even better I gather.
I think the main difference is the G11 has reverted to 10mp resolution but the ISO range has increased and I think it has the twisty LCD screen.. TBH I'm not one for reading all of the review guff in the mags and on line...
Canon make some top kit they're not likely to make a real lemon...
I want to invest in the lens tube attachment thingy also so I can mount some filters a Polarizer being one...
Thanks to all for tripod advice thus far...
sensi5446
06-04-2010, 00:34
I went for this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000WXD16/ref=oss_productdoes does the job for me:)
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/76393/show.html
works for me. I also have a tiny tripod (10 cm tall) fixed legs and folds into any pocket. was only £3 as well :D
I can vouch for Dave's Gorillapod, I've got the biggest one because the small one's seemed a bit feeble for not getting blown about in the wind - and it is fantastic! I don't think it would hold my sister's hugemungous long lens that I can barely lift, but it sounds like it would ideal for your purposes. You can wrap them around or balance them on pretty much anything and solidly too - which is actually more versatile than an ordinary tripod as you can get more precarious angles, height etc.
Yeah, gorilla pod is good, it will wear after a few years so the joints will loosen up (i've heard of this from a few people) but they're very good and not that costly for what they do.
When buying a gorilla pod check which model you buy against the wieght of your camera/lens
They are rated from 325 grammes to 5Kg depending on model.
Buy a light pod and throw it in the bin because it's useless, then buy a slightly heavier pod and chuck that cos it's next to useless.
After you've wasted a couple of hundred quid on junk, buy a decent heavy tripod that is just about as much as you are able to carry for a few miles and you'll have the compromise you are after.
Alternatively, cut out the first steps and save yourself a lot of money.
Buy a light pod and throw it in the bin because it's useless, then buy a slightly heavier pod and chuck that cos it's next to useless.
After you've wasted a couple of hundred quid on junk, buy a decent heavy tripod that is just about as much as you are able to carry for a few miles and you'll have the compromise you are after.
Alternatively, cut out the first steps and save yourself a lot of money.
Would I need a heavy weight tripod for a Canon G11??:confused:
Check where the mounting point on the camera is. I use a gorilla pod for my LX3 and because the mount is on the one end of the cam it seems to create a fair bit of bounce when you push the shutter button. If it's central it might be better. I have to use the self timer to allow it to settle.
Would I need a heavy weight tripod for a Canon G11??:confused:
No. It's just that people love to spend money - especially other peoples.
Something cheap, light, preferably with spikes. Just hold on if it's windy.
Kilrymont
30-04-2010, 09:54
I've got a lightweight Manfrotto, and an elderly dockside crane made by Kennet Engineering (now called a Benbo #1) with a Manfrotto head.
The Kennet is just wonderful when your car can get close to the shoot site. Trust me, you would not want to carry this thing around. (A boat could use it as a standby anchor) But it will shrug off any camera/lens combo you bolt onto it,
Real world shooting means you would leave such a thing in the car after one or two attempts to lug it to less convenient locations.
The light Manfrotto pod can suffer from the things others have said. But with a light camera these are not significant, and it's possible to make it work better if you take one or two precautions.
If you're after supersharp landscape shots, use the self timer or a cable release if the camera can take one. And on breezy days, don't take the tripod up to full height. Also, keep a supermarket bag handy. You can stick a convenient rock/brick in this and hang it off the bottom of the pod's column. This will make the plot much more stable. Some pods have hooks for this. My light Manfrotto (175b?) doesn't - so I use a simple coathanger-wire hook for the bag. It works just fine, even with a light dslr+telezoom aboard (Canon 350d, Sigma 70-300) It doesn't have to be pretty to work.
Good luck.
Would I need a heavy weight tripod for a Canon G11??:confused:
One of the cameras I use is a G10 and if I need a tripod, the lightest thing I mount it on is a Manfrotto MN190
Of course the question should be how often do you really need a tripod for a G11?
My G10 is the only camera I regularly use hand held. The stabiliser is pretty effective and sometimes I steady it with a walking stick or a fence post. Occasionally I stuff a handkerchief into the pouch I carry it in and use it like a bean bag or I just rest it on my rucksack.
My point is, that if you are travelling light, then a tripod is not your best option. However, if you really need a tripod, wasting your money on flimsy lightweight pods is not a real solution either.
As suggested above, you can try to add weight to a light pod but that is at best a compromise as you can rarely find a rock when you need one. If I really thought that my MN190 was up to the job for proper landscape work, you can be damn sure I wouldn't be stripping my camping gear back to the minimum to compensate for the weight of my MN055 and its head when I'm out.
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs22/f/2009/247/4/7/Low_Tide_Dunstanburgh_by_Wayla ndscape.jpg
This was a 30 second exposure, which admittedly is twice as long as your G11 can give you, but even at 15 seconds a light pod would have been about as useful as a chocolate teapot in a situation like this.
If you want stability, don't compromise. If you need to compromise, don't expect real stability. :dunno:
I'm with Wayland on this one. Cheap, "lightweight" tripod are a false economy.
Saying that it really depends on what you are planing to take pictures of for you to be able to answer the question of "what do I need". I think the question you should be asking (again with Wayland on this) is "when would I need a tripod/what would I want it for".
When I went to Everest/Nepal I would have loved to have taken my big tripod and kit, but totally impractical for the trip. I couldn't hold up the group of 20 walkers to set it up and take "the shot". So in the end I took my small but sturdy enough table top tripod - http://www.trek-tech.com/products/tripods.html - I find the advantage this has over Grillipods is can be used as a small monopod as well.
A couple of shots taken using the smaller T'pod above.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4375492301_b3794664e2.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4375387827_b14f0fb44e.jpg
If you want something a little taller, I can recommend the Trek Tech GO! pod - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7sam2Z4qv4&feature=player_embedded
http://www.trek-tech.com/products/trekpods.html - 2nd one down.
To give it some extra stability I hang my rucksack from the centre pole for extra weight.
Mike
I'm with Wayland on this one. Cheap, "lightweight" tripod are a false economy.
Saying that it really depends on what you are planing to take pictures of for you to be able to answer the question of "what do I need". I think the question you should be asking (again with Wayland on this) is "when would I need a tripod/what would I want it for".
Hi thanks for all of the input and advice
Back in my OP I was asking about lightweight tripods. I don't think I mentioned 'cheap' anywhere?? :dunno:
I'm not really after a cheapo version from jessops or boots (not that we have either of those shops here) but as with a lot of things with the outdoors lightweight does not always equate to cheap....:)
I'm pretty conversant with a few aspects of photography and I did set out in another post what I was wanting a tripod for..:)
Yep I'm planning on long exposures mainly smaller apatures working with the available light in the bush. With that you'll end up with longer exposure / shutter speeds to long to hand hold. Plus with a tripod you can get the camera all squared up nicely..
With a camera like a G11 at some point you must get to a point of no return where the weight of whatever you're bolting to tripod wise is not going to actually going to give you anything better stability wise. :confused:
If I had something like an X-Pan, or a 503 or Bronica SQ-Ai with all of the kit than I can really appreciate the advice that heavier is better. But we're talking about a 'compact' camera which is what 1/2 KG all up with limited ability to bolt anything extra onto it...
Wayland I agree the G10 / G11 stabiliser is very good... and it can produce a cracking image for me at least... I'll take a look at the Manfrotto MN190 I've also been looking at the Sherpa series from Velbon....
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p200/johnsnz/Northland%20trip/IMG_0164.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p200/johnsnz/Northland%20trip/IMG_0179.jpg
Cheers
John
Not all lightweight tripods are a waste of space.
I have a Gitzo GT Traveller 1550T which is much lighter and more compact than my Manfrotto carbon 440. It does the job with anything from a Fuji 617, Hasselblad 503CW or a D3 with 14-24 lens.
Downside, if there is one, is the cost. Over £400.
http://www.stevewaltonsblog.com/search?updated-max=2009-02-13T19%3A20%3A00Z&max-results=7
Craghopper
06-05-2010, 14:47
I just went to Gambia and have a lot of travelling planned for next year so recently went down Tottenham Court Road and tried out loads of different travel tripods and mono pods. In the end I settled for a black 'Slik Mini Sprint'... linky:
http://www.sliktripod.co.uk/pages/sprintmini.html
Not so heavy as to want to leave it at home, small enough to pack in a regular day pack and stable enough to get some decent long exposures. I hang my bag from the bottom of vertical tube to stabilise it a little more if needed. Really nice tripod and easy to use... oh yeah it has a ball & cup style head as well which is a bonus.
Cost me £80 or £90. Would defo recommend it as a decent all rounder, okay it's no studio heavy weight but it certainly does what it's meant to do. Hey you could even get the Carbon version for another few hundred ;)
CH
Edit: I'm using a Nikon D90 with 60mm Micro.