Travel Tripod Advice

[WDWFigment]

There seem to be a lot of photo experts on these forums, so I thought I'd pose this question here.

For about the last month and a half I've been looking for a tripod that's 1) cheap, 2) 14.5" or less when compacted, 3) expands to at least 46", and 4) structurally sound for WDW (i.e. it isn't going to fall over with my light digital camera on it).

I'm looking to spend less than $50, with $30-40 being ideal. The best thing, in my opinion, that I've found thus far is the Sunpak Travellite, but it's only available at Best Buy, and it costs $63.

Do any of you have suggestions for alternatives? I've waited for my ideal tripod to appear on eBay, but when one I want appears, it either costs too much, or I forget to bid on it :hammer:Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mattjs]

Not exactly what you're looking for but, I use a mix of "available stuff" (railings, trash cans, tables) and one of these -- http://www.pedcopods.com/products.htm -- I'm shooting with a small Canon G7 though and I don't know how a DSLR (if that's what you're using) would sit on one (though they say the sturdier one will do it). When folded up, It's about the 3/4 of the length of a pen, the diameter of a thick marker, and it weighs next to nothing. Can literally be carried in a shirt pocket. Not as steadying, nor as tall as a full sized tripod, and you usually still have to find something to sit it on (since it's only about 5 inches high). Tradeoff in size is pretty nice on vacation though. With a 2 second shutter delay I think it's fantastic (with my little cam anyway) given how easy it is to carry.

The thing for me is, on vacation even the minitripod rarely comes out. People get tired of waiting while I screw it on etc. It's not like it takes that long but...you gotta get it down, fiddle with settings, take a few shots to get the exposure right. I usually get the "Hey Ansel, let's go!" comment and that's the end of that So, way more often than not I just use available stuff without the mini.

Looks like the pedcopods people are coming out with a with a new quick release head. I could definitely use it a little more if I could just pull it out of a shirt pocket and snap it on (rather than having to screw it on and off every time). You do see plenty of people with bigger tripods at Disney though.

 

[ZapperZ]

There seem to be a lot of photo experts on these forums, so I thought I'd pose this question here.

For about the last month and a half I've been looking for a tripod that's 1) cheap, 2) 14.5" or less when compacted, 3) expands to at least 46", and 4) structurally sound for WDW (i.e. it isn't going to fall over with my light digital camera on it).

I'm looking to spend less than $50, with $30-40 being ideal. The best thing, in my opinion, that I've found thus far is the Sunpak Travellite, but it's only available at Best Buy, and it costs $63.

Do any of you have suggestions for alternatives? I've waited for my ideal tripod to appear on eBay, but when one I want appears, it either costs too much, or I forget to bid on it :hammer:Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

You may want to consider the Velbon Ultra-MaxI series. I wrote about it before, but I think the exact model that I refered to is now no longer in production. They have a newer version.

I highly recommend it. It's light, compact, but expands to quite a length. The only part that does not fit into your requirement is the price. It is in the low $100 range. But considering how well it is constructed and how sturdy it is (I also use it for my camcorder), it is worth the money. I've had it for the past 2 years, dragging it around everywhere, and it is still doing well. And oh, for the money you pay, you also get a pan and tilt head, something you normally would have to buy separately.

Good luck in your search.

Zz.

 

[KeithVH]

At first I was going to say a Slik 450G but you can no longer get them. It's an amazing little device. I don't really use it like you would a normal tripod but it fits all your requirements. Small enough to use as a monopod or bipod in a theater seat. They still seems to be popular in Japan - all over the photo store sites there.

Anyway, If you want to go really small, try a Slik Mini. But to get right to a solution for your issue, you want to check out the Slik Compact XL. The link here for B&H is the place to go if you really want it. The nice is thing is, if you don't like it, B&H will gladly accept the return w/o hassle. It meets every requirement you have. And they're only $30.

However. One thing I would do is also order a Giottos Mini Ball Head. Soon as you have both, immediately unscrew the stupid 3-way pan head off the Slik tripod on put on the ball head. You now have something that easily fits into your back pocket and will support at least 3 pounds.

 

[dolbyman]

last two days (Disneyland) peeps were using huge crowd topping mega tripods .. so they could film/photo the fireworks and parades .... never knew that such monsters were allowed .. :shrug:

 

[WDWFigment]

At first I was going to say a Slik 450G but you can no longer get them. It's an amazing little device. I don't really use it like you would a normal tripod but it fits all your requirements. Small enough to use as a monopod or bipod in a theater seat. They still seems to be popular in Japan - all over the photo store sites there.

Anyway, If you want to go really small, try a Slik Mini. But to get right to a solution for your issue, you want to check out the Slik Compact XL. The link here for B&H is the place to go if you really want it. The nice is thing is, if you don't like it, B&H will gladly accept the return w/o hassle. It meets every requirement you have. And they're only $30.

However. One thing I would do is also order a Giottos Mini Ball Head. Soon as you have both, immediately unscrew the stupid 3-way pan head off the Slik tripod on put on the ball head. You now have something that easily fits into your back pocket and will support at least 3 pounds.

A couple of questions--I found one site that has the Slik 450G; I'm considering getting it because it's cheap, but I can't find any specs on it, reviews, nor can I find a good picture. Exactly what about it is atypical? Is it a better bet than the Slik Compact XL?

Also, with the giottos mini ball head, it looks almost as if that will make the tripod smaller (which is fine with me). Will it? I'd love the folded height to be as small as possible, and I understand the other benefits of the ball head, so that would be a nice plus.

The Velbon looks like my best bet, but it's a little price-prohibitve, so I think I'll probably go with a Slik. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

I like the Gorillapod....while it doesn't meet your specifications, it's nice in the fact that you can wrap it's legs around a fence, rail, tree branch, etc. And, it can also stand on its own. It's also nice for uneven terrain, as you can bend the legs any way you want. I especially like it during Illuminations, where I wrap it around the railing around World Showcase Lagoon and shoot away.
http://allthingsjeep.stores.yahoo.net/joby-gorillapod-slr.html

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I always take a small "table top" tripod - it comes in handy for a variety of uses. I never take a large tripod so instead take a monopod - while not offering the same stability as a tripod, it supports the camera almost as well and most importantly for me is lighter and more easily carried than a bulky tripod

 

[WDWFigment]

Well, for those interested in an update, I managed to meet all of my original requirements, and still get the Sunpak Travellite sold at Best Buy.

I discovered one of my coworkers also works at Best Buy. She was more than willing to (as she called it) fight the man by purchasing the tripod for me with her employee discount. The markup on the tripod was absurd. It cost $15.54 with her discount (it's regularly $62.99), and I believe the BB discount is 10% over cost.

Fits perfectly into my North Face hydrapack. If anyone sees a guy with a small North Face pack with a WDWMagic pin walking around the parks from August 16th to 21st, say hello, it's probably me!