Traveling Tripod?

[mary_beth_aiello]

My husband and I will be taking a 10 day tour of Italy in October, and I need

advice regarding a tripod. This is a guided tour, so unfortunately "all time"

is not my own, as we'll be on a schedule. But I want to capture as much as I

can. I love using a tripod, but don't know if I can handle one on the trip. Any

suggestions for a travel tripod? Or would a monopod do the trick? All

suggesions are welcome. I'm looking forward to capturing interior shots of the

Vatican etc, and dusk shots of Colisseum, etc.

 

Many thanks for your advice.

[abrepsom1]

First of all, I am not fond of monopods. In that case, IS or VR lenses might be a good choice.

 

However, I almost never shoot without a tripod. My best leightweight travel tripod is a Gitzo G1228 CF with an Arcatech ballhead. Total weight is just under 2 kg for an astonishingly sturdy combination.

 

Regards

 

Aender

[JDMvW]

Unless the guided tour is photographer oriented, there's just not much time to set up a tripod, which also is likely to have others tripping over it, unless you always lag behind (and miss the 'guiding'). Anyway, at least when I was last there years ago, many places would not let you use a tripod or monopod.

 

I'd say get fast glass and/or invest in IS.

 

Have you got a nice plastic fantastic (50mm f/1.8 mk II)? It's so cheap every Canon shooter should have one.

 

Crank up the ISO as far as you need to.<div></div>

[colin carron]

I recently bought the Velbon Maxi 347GB because it was relatively small and lightweight. It is fine if I have the time to set up but on a scheduled trip I think I might well find it an encumbrance. Many places allow cameras but ban tripods.

 

There are some tricks to get round the lack of tripod : set as high a shutter speed as possible, hold the camera against a wall, column, table etc, use a bean bag, put the camera on the floor or ledge and use the self-timer to take the shot. Remember to set a high ISO for darker, handheld shots (and then also remember to reset it to normal afterwards).

 

Something like the Velbon would be OK if you do take a tripod but if not then there are plenty of tricks to get round the lack of one.

[taner]

Gitzo has got some amazingly light and small carbon-fiber tripods. Finding a head that matches in terms of weight ratio might be a challenge.

<p>

'I am bear' Victoria harbour, BC. (ISO 100, f/11, somewhere in the 5-15 second range, on a Manfrotto Pro 190 tripod)

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6904492-lg.jpg"></p>

I recently spent 5 days in Victoria, British Columbia, and my shooting experience caused me to reconsider my choice of light-travel-gear combo.

<p>

BC Legislature, Victoria (similar specs as above, of course with a tripod!)

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6904525-lg.jpg"></p>

For the last few years, I was leaning more toward 'no tripod, two or three lenses, at least two of them fast primes'. My victoria trip made me realize:

<p>

1. Without a tripod, you miss on a wide range of photo opportunities which cannot be done by either fast lenses or image stabilization.

2. There is nothing like the confidence of using mirror lock-up/2 second timer combo...

3. Cranking up the ISO is not a problem, but being able to shoot at ISO 100 is always better (30 second exposures if necessary). For the 8-10 megapixel sensors, ISO 100 will have a significant impact on how much you can enlarge your prints (assuming you do your best with regard to all other variables, from your lens quality to the print paper quality).

4. With low light and reasonably low ISO (100-400), you are not going to be able to stop down to f/11-16 range unless you have a tripod. So if you need depth of field, you need your tripod.

<p>

The Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC (similar specs as above)

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/6904562-lg.jpg"></p>

Take a light tripod with you!

[PuppyDigs]

The Gitzo G1028 is among the smallest and lightest made that extend to eye level. It's

carbon fiber and costs a pretty penny but will easily fit in a suitcase and many carry-ons. I

use it with a Gitzo ballhead. It weighs about 2 lbs.

[marcomariano]

i highly suggest this one, just 0.87kg and folds 14in. but sold it to give way to its bigger brother.

 

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1069/cat/70

 

bigger brother. just 0.98kg and folds 17.13in.

 

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1070/cat/70

 

both of these tripod is light & small, perfect for travels.

[ymages]

I'll suggest a Benro Travel Angel

 

http://benro.cn/ENbenro/AA_ProductSmall.asp?BigClassName=Camera%20Tripod&Smallclassname=Travel%20Angel%20Series

 

I have one and they are really perfect for travelling

[mark u]

A Velbon Luxi F is compact yet gets up to nearly 5 1/2ft and down to 8". I've come close to buying one having carefully inspected its flexibility of positioning and surprising rigidity for such a lightweight, and it offers a quick release plate. There are some other variations in the same series:

 

http://www.velbon-tripod.com/ultra_maxi.htm

 

Otherwise, I have a Leica tabletop tripod and ballhead that are really compact (collapsed, it will fit in a raincoat pocket so it can be smuggled in where other tripods will end up left at the garderobe), yet remarkably sturdy. It's always with me, whereas my heavyweight support only gets an outing when I know it will be used.

[bob_osullivan]

I would suggest a quality table top tripod w/ball head like bogen and/or a beanbag. Also a cable release. You should be able to fit all this into a handbag with the camera. I set up the tablet top or bag on top of a garbage can, or a wall or something. It beats no tripod at all.

[emre]

I also recommend a Benro Travel Angel. I own a different model, but would have bought the Angel had it existed at the time.

[mark from thailand]

Have you considered the Gorillapod?

 

I have read good reviews of it, although I have not (yet) tried one myself.

 

See http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/slrzoom/

[majid]

The optimal choice would be a Gitzo GT-1550T (or perhaps even the ridiculously expensive <a href="http://titanium.gitzo.com/">Traveler Titanium</a>). It folds compact enough to fit in one of those trendy neoprene wine bottle carriers, while being almost full-height (I am 6ft tall). That said, it is still too heavy and bulky for casual carrying around.

<p>

Monopods don't work very well. There are some techniques to stabilize them like crossing your legs and locking the monopod between them if you are sitting, but it's still far from solid

<p>

The only decent pocketable tripod in my opinion is the Novoflex Microstativ. It has a small ball head and metal legs that slide in into open or closed position, and it's stable enough to hold a Nikon D3 with lens. It's also relatively inexpensive. Novoflex makes another, larger tripod called the BasicBall which is nearly ideal as a tabletop tripod, but you need to add a head, and it becomes quite heavy, close to the Traveler.

<p>

A last option to consider is a beanbag like the Canadian <a href="http://www.thepod.ca/">The Pod</a>.

<p>

That said, as previous posters have said, most indoors touristic places in Europe place severe restrictions and tripods are usually not allowed.

[Ed_Ingold]

I travel with a Gitzo G-3540. It won't fit in my bag or pocket, but it gets the job done in spades. It's all a matter of priorities.

[alex_lofquist]

I agree with the old dictum: "Never get a tripod heavier than your wife can carry". On that basis I bought a CF Gitzo 1228. It's been around the world, and used with lenses from 20mm to 500mm. I love it!