Best travel tripod for $100.00 or less?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,

I'm taking a big trip to Greece in June and wondered if anyone knew of a good sturdy travel tripod for $100.00 or less?

Todd

 

[macfred]

What kind of camera will you take to Greece - Olympus XA or FUJI GX680 ?

 

[ToddB]

Probably Rolleiflex 3.5F and Leica M3.

Todd

 

[macfred]

I can recommend my Berlebach Ministativ L for traveling and hiking http://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=details&id=439
I think this one is sturdy enough to carry your Rolleiflex.

 

[macfred]

in english : http://www.berlebach.de/?bereich=details&id=439&sprache=english

 

[ToddB]

wow!! that's a hell of a tripod. Very attractive looking and close enough to my budget too. Got to hand to you guys in Germany, you sure do make some quality stuff!

Todd

 

[Matt Fattori]

That Berlebach only extends 26"! I really like these Sirui tripods for travel: they pack up small, are fairly light, stable and are more versatile. Not to mention cheap! I often shoot my 4x5 on one when I don't feel up to dragging the Ries around. They have a hook for attaching extra weight at the bottom of the column if you want more stability. Best bang for your buck in my opinion.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...RT1005_T_1005X_5_Section_Aluminum_Tripod.html

 

[heespharm]

That Berlebach only extends 26"! I really like these Sirui tripods for travel: they pack up small, are fairly light, stable and are more versatile. Not to mention cheap! I often shoot my 4x5 on one when I don't feel up to dragging the Ries around. They have a hook for attaching extra weight at the bottom of the column if you want more stability. Best bang for your buck in my opinion.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...RT1005_T_1005X_5_Section_Aluminum_Tripod.html

Wow that looks real nice... It's folds down smaller than my cf feisol and holds the same weight... Only goes up to 56 inches but that's enough for most applications

 

[Kirks518]

I'll second the Sirui. I have their monopod, and it's fantastic. I haven't heard anything negative about the Sirui product line, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

There's an Induro aluminum legset that comes in right around the $100 mark - Induro 472 013 Alloy 8M AT013 Tripod. I've used it with my Rolleiflex with no problems. I wouldn't put an RB67 on top or anything bigger, but for a Rollei or a 35mm camera it's perfectly good.

 

[PentaxBronica]

Slik make some nifty small tripods. I have one of their "Mini Pro" with a ballhead which is short but solid. I also have an old tripod made by them (about waist height when extended) which lives in the boot of my car. Paid about £8 for it second hand, made a new cork pad for the mounting plate, and it's fine for lighter cameras. Beats having to find a suitably-shaped rock to prop the camera up when you didn't bring the big 'pod!

 

[David Allen]

Hi there,

Most reasonably made light weight tripods can be made to be very rigid (like the old small Velbons, etc). The trick is to introduce some tension in the legs so that there is no room for vibration or movement. The simplest way of doing this is to take some nylon cord and attach in the following manner:

Set the tripod up with the legs fully extended and fully apart.

Just above the first release section (i.e the locking lever/ring/etc that releases the lowest section of the tripod leg) tie the nylon cord to the first leg, then stretch it taught and wrap around the second leg, then stretch it taught and wrap around the third leg and then repeat by stretching it taught and fixing firmly to the first leg.

Take another bit of cord and attach it to the same point on the first leg, then attach it to the second leg leaving enough slack cord so that it almost reaches the ground.

Repeat for leg three and the return to leg one.

You now have three cords hanging down nearly touching the ground.

Use another piece of cord to join the three loose pieces of cord that are hanging down just above the ground.

In use, you set up the tripod and when ready to take the shot, you tread on the three cords that have been joined together until they touch the ground. This makes for an incredibly stable platform. I have used this system for many years including photographing the North Devon coast in raging gales with 5" x 4" and 6cm x 6cm (with mirror locked up). All the results were sharp and shake/vibration free.

On my website there are six night images (2 - 4 minutes exposure) all using this technique on a small lightweight tripod.

Best,

David
www.dsallen.de

 

[ToddB]

Some great suggestion posted. I want to make sure I get a good one of the Island of Santorini at sunset with my Rollei.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Some are going to cringe, but I've traveled to Europe and Asia with a Gorilla Pod. They're light weight and get the job done.
http://joby.com/gorillapod/focus

 

[benveniste]

Are you looking for just a set of tripod legs at that price, or do you also need a tripod head?

Unfortunately when it comes to tripods, "sturdy, inexpensive, and travel" don't play very well together. Can your budget stretch to ~$200? If so, based on my positive experiences with a Benro C1182T, I'd recommend this kit from Amazon, along with a couple of Arca-Swiss compatible plates. Not only is it a reasonable height, but it's serviceable as a monopod and the fold flat design makes it easier to pack.