Question re: Tripod which of these 2 is better?

[h_._jm]

<p>Dear photographers;<br>

I've posted a question before about tripods for travel and TommyDiGiovanni kindly suggested the benro mefoto; I am particularly interested in this one benro mefoto A1350Q1K<br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/926379-REG/benro_a1350q1k_travel_tripod_kit.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/926379-REG/benro_a1350q1k_travel_tripod_kit.html</a><br>

However; I've always heard manfrotto is such a good brand. Also; 3 way is probably my favorite head; yet this looks much heavier and more for everyday use:</p>

<p ><a id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_GvProduct_ctl03_aDesc" href="http://www.keh.com/camera/Tripods-Complete-Tripods/1/sku-TR419990775990?r=FE">BOGEN/MANFROTTO 3221WN WITH 3047 3-WAY HEAD WITH QUICK RELEASE PLATE 9-76' </a></p>

<p >I only brought this up for comparison since they are the same price.</p>

<p >Could someone who knows about tripods kindly advise me which is the better tripod? I can put up with say weight it in a trip if its a much better tripod for everyday use later on!</p>

<p >Thank you Kindly</p>

<p >Hydar</p>

[Mike Howard]

<p>I love the Mefoto. It is lightweight and sturdy. It is great for me for hiking, I can strap it in-bag on my small backpack and I don't even notice it. It is a nice tripod for the price.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>I've had my Manfrotto 3021/3047 head combination for over 10 years, with only a couple of minor problems that were easily fixed. It really is an excellent tripod for everyday use, and I've walked as much as a half-mile with it easily. But, I wouldn't get it anywhere near a backpack - it's just too heavy for that. My hiking tripod is a Gitzo G1126 with a Manfrotto 3262 ballhead, which was OK when I was younger and backpacking a lot, but as I got older it seemed to increase in weight...</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>I do not know the Benro; I've got the Manfrotto in one of its older versions (and under its European naming, 055DB - older version with 3 leg parts), with the 3-way head (the 804RC2, looks pretty much identical). If it's specifically for travel, I wouldn't recommend this kit - the head is big, the tripod heavy. Both are good stuff for the most part, but convenient for travelling, it's not (in my view).<br>

Personally, I do not much like the 3 way head as it's slow to set up, but that's mostly a matter of taste. I never did experience this head to be sloppy, though. To me it seems a solid choice - if the camera load is not too high; note that it isn't rated for very heavy setups. One thing I do not like much about the Manfrotto gear are the default "RC2" quick release plates, though; too small, and too easy to still rotate the camera after mounting it. I currently have a ballhead with Arca/Swiss plates, and for quick release plates, those are really the ones to get in my view. A lot more costly, though.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Hydar, I'm not a tripod expert. I don't really like the things. However, I, too, have agonized over tripod selection, and I bought a tripod that fit my needs -- a tripod not as nice as you're considering. Price and portability (for hiking) were my primary considerations, so I picked up a set of Flashpoint carbon fiber legs (Adorama house brand) and put a Giottos ball head on top, with a universal quick release system. When I need a heavier, more rigid tripod, I can always bring out the Tiltall.</p>

<p>I learned the following about tripods before buying:</p>

 

<ul>

<li>For rigidity, not portability, nothing beats a big, clunky, aluminum tripod.</li>

<li>The more leg segments you have, the flimsier your legs will be.</li>

<li>Mass is your friend. Your tripod should have a hook from which you can hang some weight (e.g. your camera bag).</li>

</ul>

<p>More importantly, I learned the following that nobody told me (and that few people realize or even believe):</p>

 

<ul>

<li><strong>The weak link in the rigidity of your system will be the interface between the camera and the tripod.</strong></li>

</ul>

<p>If you try rocking/flexing your camera around, while it's sitting atop a tripod, you will discover that there is some movement inevitably in the legs. There probably won't be much flexion in the head, as heads are generally pretty rigid. And then you'll see quite a bit of flexion in the mount at the base of the camera. Part of this comes from the padding on the tripod's mounting plate. Much more of it actually comes from flexibility in the materials used in the base of the camera.</p>

<p>You can solve much of this problem with a quick release plate that is well fitted to your specific camera (not a generic one). There are two general types:</p>

 

<ul>

<li>contoured to the shape of the camera's bottom (e.g. Kirk)</li>

<li>flat and fitted with an index pin (e.g. Arca Swiss)</li>

</ul>

<p>Of course when you have the Giottos ball head, the QR plate you're provided is a generic one, and the fitted (camera-specific) QR plates aren't (or at least weren't) available. I wasn't satisfied with the rigidity of the generic plate, so I resolved to make my own. I first looked at the much celebrated Arca Swiss style plate and found it to be too small, leaving a lot of wobble still in the base materials of the camera itself. But otherwise it was a good design.</p>

<p>So I bought some aluminum stock from the hardware store, and I made my own. I could only find 1/8" stock. I thik 3/16" would have been ideal, but the 1/8 worked fine. I beveled the edges to fit in the jaws like the stock universal plate, and I made my plate a bit longer than the stock plate. I then pressed an indexing pin into a hole I drilled in the plate, which matched with the pin socket location on the bottom of my camera. Finally, I picked out a nice, flat-head 1/4"-20 screw to recess into a countersunk hole in the base of the plate. I "padded" the plate with a layer of adhesive-backed shelf lining material (clear). The plate fits great and lives on the camera. It's much more rigid than either the Giottos universal QR plate or the Arca Swiss system would be. While this didn't completely "solve" this weak-link issue, it ameliorated it greatly.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>Sarah went all McGyver on it !</p>

<p>Acratech has some nice mounting plates for various camera bodies. </p>

<p>http://acratech.net/home.php?cat=7</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Personally I loath the twist grips on the Gitzo type tripods as seen on the Benro - compounded in this case by having 4-section legs. I much prefer the Bogen leg system and I have a 3021 tripod which is I think the same as the 3221 only in chrome. However the Bogen is not exactly one I would use for travel i.e, carrying it around all day. It is too big for that. I use it from the car all the time and will walk with it for a mile or two and it is excellent, so it depends what you think is acceptable. For this reason I suspect the Benro is "better" for travel, but it does depend what your requirements are.</p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>Sorry. I meant the <em>Mefoto</em> when I said <em>Benro</em>.</p>

[h_._jm]

<p>Very informative; thanks everyone i will go with mefoto!</p>

[tdigi]

<p>I suggested The Benro Mefoto because its a good value and it folds up really small. I don't think benro is the highest quality but for the price its pretty good. I used to own the Manfrotto 190 but its not as portable or lightweight. Still a pretty good middle ground and a good solid tripod. The 055 is good too but its really heavy.<br /> http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-190XPROB-Section-Aluminum-Tripod/dp/B000N7VPRW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1378476209&sr=8-4&keywords=manfrotto<br /> <br /> If you don't mind spending some money get something like a Gitzo 2541 and Markins Q10. Its a good middle ground in size/weight and its very stable and easy to use.<br /> <br /> Good luck, picking a tripod is not easy.</p>

[roger_smith4]

<p>I'm happy with a Sirui N1204. It got better reviews than the Benros from what I read for durability and is very light weight.</p>