Need help finding a lighter tripod

[robert_thommes1]

I currently have an inexpensive, but rock solid and hefty, tripod. Trouble is, because of this heft, I seldom take it out

into the field. I find that I'm taking my monopod much more often; leaving the tripod in the closet. The monopod is

OK, but I really should have a tripod. I'm looking for something very light, and inexpensive. The heaviest gear to put

on it is my Canon 350Xt and a Canon 70-300 IS USM lens. Quite a while ago, I had a Bogen 728? or 714? or

something like that. I do recall the cost was about $100. Do these still exist? Might they work for my needs?

Your advice is very welcome. Thank you. Bob

[RobertChura]

Check out Feisol.com

[ronald_moravec1]

Cheap and good do not go together in tripod land. By the time you bought enough cheapies, you could have purchased a Gitzo Carbon Fiber.

[mightypir]

try a slik sprint pro. if you do not extend it fully its quite stable and lightweight as well. otherwise manfrotto 190 is your best bet

[craig_gillette]

The 725B (ballhead) and 728B (I think this is the pan/tilt equivalent) are still available. I have a 728B and find it struggles a bit with a D200 and 70-300 vr Nikon. But that's a rather heavy lens and not balanced, and not too different in that way from yours. These are digicam tripods, not dslr tripods.

 

At the $100 range you have to pick your compromises carefully. These, and similar Sliks, etc., aren't the trashy $50 disposables but they aren't going to equate to $300 Cf pods with $300 heads either.

[carbon_dragon]

You can't have cheap, sturdy, and light all in the same tripod, not yet anyway. I finally bit the bullet years and years ago

and bought an Gitzo 1228 mountaineer carbon fiber for about $400. It was expensive, but I never needed another one. It's

the heaviest tripod I can stand to carry but it's sturdy enough for most purposes. I think I have a Bogen 3262QR head.

[robert_thommes1]

Weight is the most important factor to me. I'm retired and not a real "physically fit" kind of guy. I currently have an Amnova(sp) t-pod, which weighs a ton.

[ken_yee]

"rock solid and hefty" != "light"

You might want to look at a Bogen 3001. It's the smallest I'd get that still is good bang for buck.

If you want solid and light, you have to take away your "inexpensive" requirement and bite the bullet and spend $400-600...

[stemked]

I recall John Shaw once writing something like, consider how much you can spend for a tripod, Then spend $100 more. This is a good saying speaking for one who had to buy three tripods before he learned his lession (including some equipment damage along the way).

 

I think a FANTASTIC value is the Bogan/Manfrotto 190CX3 Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs (Black). There is a $50 rebate and that brings the legs to about $200. It is a wonderful tripod, I personally prefer it over my Gitzo legs and it handles solidly up to 11 lbs. You'll need a head too but that's another issue.

 

Doug

[eric_arnold]

manfrotto's 190 line is easy to use and pretty sturdy. the line starts at about $120 for the basic model and goes to about $400 for the top of the line carbon fiber model. somewhere in there, maybe there's one for you?

[gordon_greene]

Robert,

I went to Italy this summer and was also looking for a small and reasonably light tripod... I ended up getting a

Velbon Ultra Lux i F. It is fairly light and comes with a bag that has a strap on it. I strap it to my LowePro pack and it was pretty easy to lug around. Oh yeah it also folds up to about 17" or so... (So I could fit it easily in my carry on)

Hope this might be of some help, if you haven't already bought one... Good Luck.

Gordon

[mark_in_st._louis]

Check quicktrip, I know they had lighters in a basket on the counter that were shaped like small cars, and a bowling pin. If you ask them, they may also have a lighter tripod.