Which little tripod would do, when light is the key word

I have tried a number of these little table top -cum top anything available - nifty guys over the course of my

hobby life. Now I finally have a combo that seems to disappear in a side pocket of a Mirrorless Mover bag and

will always be there. Have you tried any or do you even hate the idea of a platform when you work with an

Olympus or Panasonic? That RRS BH 25 ( not shown here) is a nifty gadget I finally got myself. Better be, for the price with clamp. But cheaper than a

grocery trip at COSTCO lately....:-)<div></div>

I tend to use a bean bag, a

folded towel...anything but

carrying tripod no matter how

small. I don't do 'escapes so

1/4 or 1/5 of a sec is easy

enough with image stabilisation.

<p>Not used often, but I finally settled on a Leitz one after trying a handful of others over the years.</p>

<p>I've also heard good things about the Leica tripod and it'd be on my short list for consideration.</p>

<p>The one at the front looks like a TUOOG although the head on it is not by Leitz.</p>

My new favorite among table top tripods. The Really Right Stuff BH 25 Pro ( about 150.00) on Manfrotto's 209 legs ( 25.00)which folds flat..solid and petite. Now, btw I never have to ask the waiter to take a shot of us at an anniversary meal and in other self shot situations and more .... Yes, image stabilization has given me more confidence in low light situations, glad of that. One day we will all carry a gyro stabilized drone, maybe? Though in my meditation earlier days I too could hold a Bronica SQ down to 1/15 and 1.8 but it took a bit of practice to get there. I make no argument for tripods, though I do love the beasts. I posted this thinking that shucks I have not planted anything here for some time. And I do not want the field to be just left to good old Sanford. We all love ya Sanford,just kidding, Ace. Oh as for the Leitz classic three leg thing, it takes a bit of time to get the legs lined up though it is the most stable of the little ones and is a little broad leg wise for a bag compartment I have to say. I bought it 35 years ago in HK. I have had a small Leitz ball head which I sold and the larger ball head is nice but outclassed by the RRS array. As noted, the small pods are useful for holding many items in position, including small flashlights to light little heads. Each to his own. Back to Facebook posts today... PS. Mukul, what is this TUOOG ? Huh?<div></div>

I am a very long time fan of the Leitz tabletop tripod and large ball head but very recently have started using a Platypod

Pro instead. You should check it out: http://www.platypodpro.com/products/ currently for cameras I am using an Arca-

Swiss p0 head but you can use any tripod head you like.

Looks interesting, Ellis. I bought an Induro CF tripod that you recommended, or one close to it. Has four leg sections. It is my favorite now. I use a BH 40 ball head and it is a good combo. I have an early model Arca Swiss with the swaged clamp and it is still a fine item,no need to replace same.

And even an ancient by now Foba Superball I bought at an auction here 25 yrs back. I guess I could not operate without the leisure of some kind of support platform. As in doing a shot of a person or group if one has time or even when pressed, it is so great to stand beside the legs and be 'director.' Matter of style . habit not sure which. And I typically try lower angles when I do no have to squat. Ball heads have come a long way in last two decades as well as the custom plates.

<p>My experience with little tripods is that I'd rather just rely on IS most of the time.<br /><br />Seriously.<br /><br />And if I'm doing work at home or on a location where I don't have to hike to, I just like the big 30-year old Manfrotto I have.</p>

Both Laura & I use the large Gorilla pods. They pretty much hold everything we have including a rail. Light & lots of adjustability by bending the legs.They are also fairly rugged, been using them in the field for years. Mine lives on the side of my camera bag.

Platypod Pro http://www.platypodpro.com

 

I received my Platypod Pro a few weeks ago but today was the first chance I had to really put it to the test. On the

Platypod Pro I've mounted a Benro B8 video head (for a more precise fluid dampened tilt) and on top of that a

Sunwayphoto DDH-01B panning clamp (to make yaw angle positioning easier), a Really Right Stuff MPR-II Nodal slide

(to adjust camera to subject distance for this macro shot), with a Canon EOS 5DS and Tamron SO 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro

1:1 VC USD.

 

I've been using the Platypod Pro for mounting lights in odd places but this is the first tine I have used it as a tripod

mounting device. The four spike ended screws sticking up are used for adjusting the height of the plate for clearance and

leveling. When not in use they store in the little box in the front of the tripod head.

 

There are multiple points for attaching the Platypod to different things via a strap, screws, and standard threaded 3/8" and

1/4" tripod mounts.

 

For what is essentially a flat piece of black anodized steel it is pretty useful.<div></div>

<p>I use the RSS table top tripod with their micro ballhead. The BH25 is smoother and more convenient, the micro ballhead is - well smaller. The entire thing fits in the water bottle pocket of my backpack ( ext to the bottle) and pretty much lives there, ready for action.</p>

<p>Check out the tabletop Feisol carbon fiber tripod. I have replaced my Leica tabletop + large Leica head with this and the RRS BH25, because it is more stable with my Canon kit. For a small mirrorless kit though the Leica combination is perfect. I used mine for 25 years. The Platypod I am sure works really well, but I see its lack of height a disadvantage.</p>

Late to the party here, but I've recently discovered the Viltrox VX-T60, it really impressed me:

It folds very small, weighs 1.3 lbs and has a functional built-in ball head and Arca clamp (the ball socket is built into the leg spider, saving weight.) Max 24" high, which to me is much more useful than a simple table-top tripod. I’ve used it with full-frame Sony cameras and small zoom lenses. I’m not aware of anything else like it. Even with the pull-out tubular legs it’s actually quite steady and useful.

As long as this has been resurrected, just for the heck of it, here is the rare

Canon GR-80TP.

from $50 to $90 has been asked for it -- I got it for a dollar.

 

I find it slightly more useful than hind pockets on a hog.

Another vote for Leitz with Leitz head - though I confess to using it or any of my tripods only on rare occasions.

While not as elegant (or expensive) as the other examples this is the tripod/clamp I use. It works fine for my Nikon film cameras but I would not trust it for anything larger. I can't remember where I got it. There is no brand name on it but it does say "Made in Germany". I have clamped it to many tables, chairs, windows, etc. It is small enough to fit in a pocket.

For quite a few years now I had considered one of the little tripods suggested by the poster but was worried about stability for my purposes. I finally got a Platypod Pro for Christmas. I have not had a chance to use it in the field yet but I successfully mounted my Canon 800mm f5.6 L and Sony A6000 and it is rock steady! I use my Three-way Manfrotto 029 tripod head on it which gives me good working height from the base plate. I will also use it a lot with a Canon 5DS R and Canon 17 TS-E for ground level landscape photography and will be able to use it on awkward terrrains.