Your Fav Travel Tripod?

[LauraSAnne]

I've been wanting to get a decent Travel Tripod for some time now. Taking photographs at Disney has become a great thrill for me, but I have decided that I need a travel tripod for such trips [up until now I've been using a Gorillapod and trashcan lids!]. My problem is that I don't want something bulky and I'd like one that will close up to be quite small so that I can toss it into a back sack or something similar and not have to carry around a load of gear.

What are your favorite travel tripods? Are there any that you wouldn't recommend? Thanks!

[Nicole]

I use a Slik Sprint Mini most of the time, but I bought it so that I could take it along with me easily. It folds up small enough to fit in a large purse and is light enough to carry while being heavy enough that it doesn't feel like it's going to fall over. It won't hold heaps of weight though, so that's one downfall of the smaller / lighter tripods.

[Heuristx]

They make carbon fibre trpods, the quality is good and the smaller tripods are very portable.

[jdepould]

Cheap, stable or light. Pick two.

It can be done, but CF isn't cheap. You might be able to find a smallish aluminum tripod that will give you decent stability, but obviously it won't bear a ton of weight.

[dseymour]

Originally Posted by jdepould

Cheap, stable or light. Pick two.

It can be done, but CF isn't cheap. You might be able to find a smallish aluminum tripod that will give you decent stability, but obviously it won't bear a ton of weight.

This man speaks the truth. My choice is the Manfrotto 190XProB Tripod. It's made out of aluminum, it's over $100 for just the legs, but it's relatively light and ROCK SOLID. Pretty tall and gets really quite small folded up. Don't know if it is your price range, but I would pick it up if it's in your range and you can deal with it's small amount of heft.

And the center column is pretty freaking cool, too.

[inkista]

I use a Velbon MAXi 347GB. I just wanted something for pano shooting, so it mostly only has to support a body and a 8mm fisheye lens. I was just happy that the Velbon didn't have an integrated head, so I could replace it with my panohead. I had a whale of a time at Disneyland (I have a dizziness disorder that keeps me off the rides, so I shoot while my friends/family are in line).

[WooD]

Originally Posted by jdepould

Cheap, stable or light. Pick two.

It can be done, but CF isn't cheap. You might be able to find a smallish aluminum tripod that will give you decent stability, but obviously it won't bear a ton of weight.

Words of wisdom.

I've got 2 tripods that are steady as a rock, but are far from lightweight. I've checked out the moderately priced CF ones, and their not stable enough for me, plus they wont hold the weight I sometimes put on them.

I'd look into a nice strong monopod for outings like Disney, and places like that. A tripod takes up a lot of room, and in a crowded park could be a problem. Plus a lot of places wont allow tripods.

I've got a Bogen that will hold 26 pounds, and only cost $59.00

[Nicole]

Just merged your threads together. Sometimes threads get lost in the shuffle, but best to keep them in the right sections. Looks like you're getting some good advice now though.

[LauraSAnne]

Thanks for the responses!

I was considering the Silk Sprint. I guess the 2 biggest factors for me are the weight/size and cost. I won't be using the travel tripod very much as I have a nice "at home" tripod already so I don't want to spend too much. My biggest concern is getting something that I can easily take to the parks with me, but that won't get in the way of going on attractions and whatnot.