The LIE You've Been Told About TRIPODS
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You are not allwoed to release vids with this title, while I am waiting for a new tripod to arrive in the mail!
LOVE this comment! Cheers
Oh dear I am sorry! 😂
Outrageous ! I grew up believing that tripods eat badly behaved children - it was only after i turned 70 that i suspected some sort of malfeasance had been committed with the truth !
Hey Henry, just want to say I just soak up all the energy you give off here every time I watch a video. I have no comments on tripods as it's probably an individual choice for the most part. Thanks a gain for my spirit gift in this video.
I have 3 tripods. A big solid one I use in the studio and my garden for still life, macro and film "scanning". I have a mid-size carbon fibre that I keep in the car and I use when shooting near the road(say up to a 2 or 3-mile hike) and I have a little travel tripod that I take up the hills with me. (I also have a Manfrotto pixie table tripod that comes backpacking!). The biggest compromise with the smaller units is height. The smaller they get the lower they reach, so the travel one only gets to waist level. But the main purpose of a tripod (especially nowadays) is not to hold the camera steady (IBIS does that!) it's to hold the composition steady while you wait for the light/clouds/animals etc to get in place. If these things are fleeting you might only have 5 or 10 seconds to get the shot and you don't want to be trying to recompose a handheld shot, and you don't want to hold a handheld position for the 10-30 minutes or more that might be needed for things to coalesce. But holding a composition steady doesn't require the big heavy tripods of yesteryear, modern lightweight (but still well made!) ones are great.
I personally use a large tripod that has no center column with a leveling bowl. A tripod is just like a lens, everything is a compromise. So use the gear that works for your needs.
Your enthusiasm is infectious. ❤
I’ve had many mate. Now I have weeded out the rubbish and stick with two. Manfrotto carbon for my landscape work and a 3 Legged Thing for travel. You do get what you pay for in most cases. I highly recommend a geared head over a ball head, locks the composition in and stays there. Great for fine tuning too. Great vid as always. Keep at it 👍📷
That final sunset picture was warm and comforting to me. Thanks for sharing it.
Cheers Henry, it’s Sean in Atlanta! I “learned” photography utilising TH-cam videos, just like yours. And the primary authors of those videos were using Olympus cameras, so that was my first camera. The image stabilisation, as you know, is stellar and probably the very best in the entire camera industry and always has been. So I never purchased a tripod because I didn’t see the need for the landscape/opportunistic photography that I was experimenting with. in fact, to this day I don’t own a tripod nor have plans to get one. I see the need for them if you shoot certain types of images but I don’t need it. I rather like the lightweight of a shoulder bag and that is where I have been and where I will continue to go with my photography. Great food for thought, mate!
Sean
I have an OM-1, but still have a nice tripod for astrophotography, not much else.
Hi mate, yes that's a great point regarding the Oly and their image stabilisation capabilities, it can truly negate the need for a tripod in many circumstances!
I have been taking photographs, man and boy, for over 60 years. I have accumulated 6 or 7 tripods including Linhof, Gitzo and Manfrotto models - and when I am outdoors I never use any of them! YMMV of course.
@@UKMike2009😂😂👍
Amateur perspective: Even though I’ve gradually been moving away from my Olympus to my phone, I still carry a tripod with me when I travel/hike, primary because I’ve found over the years that photos without friends or family in them (including me) don’t hold as much meaning after awhile. Propping one's phone/camera on a rock in order to be a part of the scene just does’t cut it most of the time.
Great Vid Henry, Thank you.. That wainwright sounds like the perfect fell for me with my arthritic knees.. I struggle with them so have to pick my battles.
I like to use the tripod as i can then concentrate more on compositions whilst "hands free" and study more on live view while experimenting with settings.
Great shots up there Henry and another great image with layers in background.
Liked how you showed the different exposures for the final merged image.
Enjoyed the video as usual Henry.
I have started using my trypod more because normally it ends up just being carried around.
Great image.
Look forward to seeing your next video.
I’ve used the same Benro travel tripod in the peak of winter for years. I also have a 3.3kg Benro Alu 3 piece but I haven’t used in years.
I can shoot handheld down to 1/80th shutter up to 300mm and with my 16-80 I can get handheld shots down to 1/6th of a second.
If I genuinely need my tripod because it’s windy, I just hang my pack off the centre column hook and stand in a way to block the wind. Considering I do regular 4 night trips, I don’t find the 3x heavier tripod gives 3x better results so I’d rather save the 60% in weight and increase my enjoyment of the whole experience.
Think of your back.... In years to come you will thank me 😊. Cheers Ian.
That is a beautiful shot the light is amazing. It was worth waiting for the light to improve 👍
Thanks for the video, Henry. Love the HDR merge😊
My pleasure!
Yet another awesome, inspiring, and informative video. I know for me, I use Manfrotto tripods. I had someone recommend one and I fell in love with them. I know I use different ones for studio and out and about. I don't do much outside when the weather isn't good but I should really try that.
Wonderful walk and photos.
Great as always
Thank you! Cheers!
Superb video Tom.Your street photography was really interesting.
Cheers John 😉
Great point Henry I have fallen into the trap having a lighter pod and a much heavier one for my main work, in 15 or so years I have only had bother with the wind twice both times I had the heavy pod and both times it was still a struggle getting the shot as I was holding down the pod for dear life, you have made me think why am I carrying more weight than I have to, good job my friend
Another great video, Henry. I lived in Tokyo for 5 yrs (2001-06) and had several thrift stores that I enjoyed visiting. On one trip I found a SLIK aluminum tripod in very nice condition and picked it up for only $10. I don't tend to use a tripod very often and I'm sure it's a bit heavier than a more modern carbon fiber unit but it still does a good job for me when I need it.
Great video and discussion, loved the last picture and love seeing the Lake District 😍
Thanks so much!
For my landscape photography I'm walking a lot, so light weight and a small pack size are most important to me. A good quality travel tripod is therefore just right for my needs and absolutely sufficient.
Thanks for the video!
Cheers mate
Thanks Henry
Very interesting video.
Views were brilliant.
Another great video with cracking photography, but also I really appreciate your choice of music to accompany them, very much appropriate and atmospheric. Cheers. 🍷🍷
Many thanks!
Great video henry.
Thanks!
I have found any center column is a disaster in the wind. If you use the pixel shift, your solid tripod is worth it. Get a stone bag as you can add rocks to weigh the tripod in the wind and adds no weight moving. Wide angle is easier to stabilize than a telephoto in the wind. Skinny legs should be avoided just set the tripod lower. A big tripod is great on slopes where the height gives extra perspective and the long legs help level the slope. If you spend a lot on a lens to get tack sharp edge to edge, why not spend a bit on a decent tripod. If it's not windy and you are hiking with a small kit, then light is ok. If you are out in the mountains or at the coast in strong wind leave the travel tripod and handhold or take a big tripod. I have a big gitzo purchased used, and smaller leofoto carbon and a crap mefoto for hiking and indoor. It's noticeably bad in the wind
Great video and perfect timing as I am having a heated debate with myself on this very subject LOL. Travel size or heavy duty?
Great adventure Henry thanks. Take care.
Thanks 👍
Another great video really enjoyed it i only use a light weight one but i very rarely go were there is lots of wind so it works for me thank you Burt
Great as always, Henry. I'm still waiting for a video of Henry with making-ofs or take-outs, in which he films himself setting up his actual video equipment, crossing a small stream (which will then be seen in the productive video clip), coming back again, dismantling his video equipment, crossing the stream, setting up his video equipment again for a different perspective, crossing the stream again, and then coming back again, which will then be seen again in the productive video clip. 😏
I'm enjoying this video of an area I know well. I decided I needed to upgrade from my 43 year old metal Velbon tripod as I wanted a lighter and taller tripod for my travels. After ordering a total of three tripods, from different manufacturers, I realised that my old 3-section Velbon had many 'innovative' features! It was solid: fairly so even with the centre column raised (on a ratchet). It was 22.5 inches long retracted and 60 inches fully extended with the (pan and tilt) head. The pan and tilt head of course didn't have a quick release plate, but a 1/4" screw tightened with a knurled wheel and a short lever for the final clamping. This turns out to be far more secure and risk free than the not-quite-secured-but-looks-like-it-at-first-glance fashion of quick release plates. It also had spiked feet that appeared by screwing in the rubber feet. I've never needed allen keys to adjust anything either! The upshot being that I did eventually keep a carbon fibre Innorel GT 284C tripod and a smallrig AP10. In other words, I ended up with a similar set up to you I'm keeping the old Velbon though!
Keep up the entertaining and informative work. Barry.
Great video thanks always a pleasure to watch. I maybe need to consider changing my tripod. I prefer the lighter version when out and about but have on occasions weighed it down from the hook with a bag and a few a rocks on windy days😅
Henry's back!! Your enthusiasm, passion, energy and excitement is so enjoyable to watch. Love these photos!!!
Great video Henry I’m just thinking of getting a tripod so a very useful video 😊
I've got two tripods. One is a bit heavy after walking half a mile. So it's the lighter one I use the most...
Two great shots Henry! You always seem to get the scene just right🎉🎉😂
Another great video Henry - thanks. Over the years I've probably been through 5 or 6 different tripods in a futile effort to find perfection! For a long time I was sold on a large, heavy, Manfrotto tripod as my go to, but as I aged I found it sitting in the closet more and more because I just didn't want to lug it around. I switched to the Three Legged Thing travel tripod for the weight and size and loved it - still have it as a backup plan. Over the last year I jumped in on the startup company Heipi for their 3-in-1 travel tripod and have been very happy with it for its compact size, weight and sturdy design. For me I think it's as close to perfect as I'm going to find, so I'm done looking - at least for a while. 😅
I have this exact same tripod, and I absolutely love it, its lightweight but sturdy to use. In windier conditions a tip I use, is to rest my camera bag against the tripod legs to make it a bit more steady; put my camera on timer and then take the shot.
Thanks once again for your videos and beautiful pictures, look forward to your next adventure....
Just found your channel. I've watched a few and looking forward to seeing more (just subscribed too)
Awesome! Thank you!
What a beautiful final image Henry, also loved the one midway through too. In terms of tripods I use a large Benro for my architecture work and main reason is for height and to also hold my geared head. I do use a smaller one occasionally but tend to be either the big gun or out hand held
Thanks Jim! :)
I just bought a new travel tripod for one of the reasons you touched on - stability. My “main” tripod is a solid rock and stable as all heck, but my travel tripod always wiggles a bit and I didn’t really trust it unless I shot with it at its lowest setting.
I heard so many good things about it in the past which is why I got one but I never really enjoyed it because of its lack of being as rigid as my main tripod, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a new travel tripod that claims to be ridiculously stable. Here’s to hoping!
i travel for wildlife and landscape photography, and i completely agree, a lightweight tripod is sufficient. That's particularly true with most of today's high quality high ISO cameras. crank up the ISO and use one of the several amazing AI noise reduction programs. For wildlife, i use a super lightweight tripod when I'm waiting for the right moment. I use it simply to take the weight off my arms. I steady the camera. its not the tripod being steady. the tripod simply takes the weight for me. for landscapes, you're right, it can be less than ideal in windy conditions, but then again, the wind is blowing the subject too, so you're kind of forced to increase shutter speed, and hence ISO, so who cares if the tripod is flimsy. on the other hand, lowering the tripod can also help. my first move is to not deploy the lowest/thinnest sections of the legs. then the next section. the remaining sections are almost always sturdy enough, although you do lose a bit of altitude. there's always a way.
Thank you for another thought provoking video with beautiful images. I have a big, sturdy Leofoto tripod that I use for astro, especially when I need to add a heavy tracker. I have a Manfrotto 190 4 section tripod I use 90% of the time. It fits in my carry-on when I remove the head, and is OK carrying in my backpack. I have long considered a lighter/smaller tripod, but at 6’5” I simply have not found one tall enough for my liking.
That is some cracking scenery you are walking through, Henry. I have learned to my cost that if I am out and about and lugging a tripod around it needs to be lightweight. My tripod is a Manfrotto 055PROB which is an aluminum model. This is indeed a sturdy tripod and great for use indoors but when used with a fairly chunky Manfrotto 3 way pan and tilt head that I used to have it paired with is a bit of a pain to carry any great distance outside. I recently bought an Ifootage monopod as I am a great admirer of the build quality and design of their products. A gazelle TC6 is staring to look very appealing at this point.
Nice to see the sun and some beautiful light again, even if it's in a video 😅 But we are supposed to finally get nice weather as well now, it's been so bad lately. Nice video once agian, I did enjoy the view from up there ☺
I need a sturdy tripod for my tracker, but I have a travel one too. Thanks for the video, great images
I have the Swiss Army knife of tripods, K&F Concept £100. I love it, centre column comes out and can be inverted. The column inside the centre column will come up and bend 90 degrees and you can also make a 7 foot mono pod.
Excellent video Henry. I very rarely use a tripod, maybe just for photography in low light conditions. Enjoyed your hike and the great photos when you reached the top. Many thanks.
Thanks 👍
I agree! I've got a couple of travel Manfrotto's, cost about £60 each... they're great. Light, small and cost effective. The only thing you have to be aware of is, as you have pointed out, really windy days.
Im old school, so I always use spikes on my tripods. I also buy tripods that are high enough, that I can evoid using the weakest/thinnest part of the legs. And last, I never ever use the middle pole, in fact, if I can get rid of it I do. That give me the posibility to lower my tripod down to the ground if I need to. For me a sturdy tripod are more important than weight.
I've got a nice sturdy aluminium tripod that I end up leaving at home (or in the boot of the car) half the time because it's heavy and cumbersome for any shoot where you have to walk too far. So last week I purchased a Benro tortoise carbon fibre travel tripod and the difference is fantastic. Yesterday I was out for about 5 hours and I didn't notice it was there, it wasn't too windy so I don't know how it will cope with the wind, but my first impression is definitely favourable.
I just love how everything has a name its seems so British to me, you describe the landscape as if out of a Tolkien novel. I live right next to a national forest in America and I don't know any of the names of the landmarks.
Depends on individual shooting preferences I think. I have three tripods, a heavy one, a travel one and a tabletop one. I use the heavy one for astrophotography and seascapes, because it can withstand rushing water better and shifting sands (i use spikes), plus its often breezy, and i like to shoot rushing water at 1/4 second to about 1 second. The travel tripod is nice and compact and light, but sufficiently sturdy for most of my other landscape needs. It's ok in the wind, but not for really long exposures, say 3 seconds plus. The table top tripod is great for close-up and macro photography, e.g. flowers, patterns in rocks and sand and pebbles - it weighs barely anything, and its less tiring (working at ground level is tiring, even if you don't walk very far). Having a van means I can take all three and choose between them.
Replying to myself here........ a big factor with shake comes from the lens/filter holder catching the wind as opposed to the tripod. It's a misconception. Even with a really heavy, sturdy tripod, the wind will catch a longish lens (70-200mm) very easily and mean you're forced to shoot at fairly fast shutter speeds. Heavier tripods also needed if you're supporting a heavy set up. For astrophotography I use a small tracker and a second ballhead, all of which adds to the bulk, and these are exposures of 2-3 minutes. Another way to reduce shake/vibration is to splay the legs and work lower, as it distributes the load better, and low to the ground is less windy than 1.4m up
Great video Henry. I use a small travel tripod with great results. I admit I don't usually get into windy conditions and when I do I'm usually hand held etc. I use a Ulanzi & Coman . It's not necessarily machine precision setup but I can carry it all day and get great results.
Hi Henry, new to your channel, I was brought in like many other because of the YT algorithm. The video I watched was of your micro camper, then this video about tri-pods.
With regard to this video I have been using a luckily good quality compact no name tri-pods bought off Amazon about 10 yrs ago. I am able to put this tri-pods into pretty much any backpack and I'm set. It's heavy enough that it doesn't get blown over in strong gusts of wind, etc. I predominantly use mobile devices now for image and video capture and as I said the compact tri-pods does the trick perfectly.
I have also, since a mobile upgrade started to get into astral photography and find a compact mono-pod again delivers.
I have had heavier built tri-pods but haven't used such a device for over 10 yrs as they a total pain to lug about.
With regard to 'light' I have the following observation, for what's it's worth.
For the longest time I foolishly thought the often used phrase 'golden hour' for the perfect light in either the morning or evening was a bit of BS. Wrong!
Many yrs ago I was visiting my father, who lived in Penrith one weekend (I've lived I Ireland with my husband for 30yrs) and he decided that we would go for a drive down memory lane, again! This time it was a along the A686 and over Hartside to Alston, he (we the family as well) was stationed there from 1964-66 as a police officer. We were about half way up toward the Hartside Pass and I took a look out of my passenger window over the Eden Valley, and Oh My GOD! The scene that I observed was like nothing I had ever seen before. Everything was bathed in the most magical golden light with a back drop of a crimson sun lighting up the entire sky. When we set off it was grey and had just stopped raining but now it was quite magical with an amazing golden glow to the light as the sun was close to setting. Every hollow was in the shadows, but could clearly be seen, but everything touched by light seemed to be glowing gold. If I was a religious person, I am not or have ever been, this scene over the 'Eden Valley' would have convinced me of a higher being, it was that beautiful. My father pulled up and we just sat on the bonnet of his car for a few minutes until the light ran out. As this was about 15 yrs and I didn't carry a camera with me it is now only a memory. However, I have since become a firm believer in the 'golden hour' and where I live in Ireland I have witnessed some absolutely stunning sun rises and sun sets.
As I'm a native of Cumbria (nee Cumberland) I tend to get a ache in my chest when I see beautifully taken video of the Lake District, and this video was good start for me. Great pictures by the way.
Great video henry, I've got a lightweight tripod a nd a big manfrotto 055xprob, to be absolutely honest I do prefer using the travel tripod purely because of carrying less weight, but I think at the end of the day it's horses for courses.
Hi Henry, super video as always, just wanted to say I only have a travel tripod. It’s great and generally is all I need but worth noting that some can be a bit short. Sometimes I find that, even with the central column at full height, it’s not quite enough. Also when using the central column I feel it becomes a lot less sturdy. Cheers Baz
Thanks for sharing!
Personally I have used a few, and I am down to one currently. It is heavy, but I don't take the same hikes you do. I have also been experimenting with a monopod. I have been surprised how well it works, but it will never replace the tripod. When I was using cheap, light tripods, I always had to hang my bag to reduce shaking in the wind. I had rigged up an adjustable rope to ensure my camera bag was sitting on the ground, and could adjust how much weight was on the tripod. Seemed to work, but a good tripod would avoid the extra steps. Really enjoy your channel. No matter the circumstances, you seem to be having fun. Keep up the great work.
I use my 3 Legged Thing Billy for pretty much everything. Lightweight, sturdy enough, versatile. Haven’t felt a need for anything else.
Good video. I also have 2 tripods for photo and two for video. The light one for my edc, and the heavy one for weddings events or anywhere someone might bump into it. I also have a couple of monopods but that's a different story.
I had a spinal fusion 8 yrs ago so struggle with too much weight on my back. When I take a tripod out I have the K&F Concept A255C2 carbon fibre tripod which only weighs 1.3kg and never had a problem with stability 👍🏼
Great topic Henry. I've had my carbon fiber Gitzo for about ten years...use it on 85% of my photos. The legs can spread out flat to the ground which is the game-changing attribute a tripod must have for me since I love macro shooting. There's no reason a quality, well-built tripod shouldn't last for years and years, outlasting most other camera gear, so a tripod can be your truly one-time purchase in your photography life! Weight is important enough that if they could make one like my Gitzo that weighed half as much, I'd jump at it. BTW, don't forget about the tripod head. A good one can cost 50% of what the tripod costs!
Hi Henry, Love the landscapes you shoot. I have a Manfrotto Tripod, its about average in weight. It is very sturdy for photoshooting hands free. I do have a taller one which is lightweight.
Great vlog Henry! It's another million dollar question, shall I take my tripod or not, whenever I set out on a hike. I've also had many types over the past 30 years, and weight is the key consideration these days. Good quality travel tripods are the best trade-off between sturdiness and weight. You don't want to restrict your hike because of excess weight!
I used to haul a Benbo Mk1 around, then 'upgraded' to the Benbo Trekker. Which I still use. By todays standards it's still massive and heavy, however I've become an expert at wielding the bagpipes around so have just stuck with it.
Henry, what a beautiful park!! I use a Bento Mefoto Globetrotter and it suits my purposes fantastically. I would love to have a more expensive one but I always wonder about value for the money. Again, just love your location today!!!
I have the same tripod as what you have got in this video and also a very cheap and flimsy tripod which I never use, I only use them for long exposure shots and photo stacking as I haven't got the steadyest of hands, Another cracking video.
I also have two tripods -- A Bogen / Manfrotto 3211 aluminum model (from the early '90s) with a 3-way Manfrotto 3-way head. It weighs 8 lbs and is nearly 31" long collapsed, i.e., too big / heavy for backpacking. The only minor disadvantage at times is the legs won't splay out wide, so it can't go really low (the next module "up" does though). I also have an Oben AT-3586 aluminum travel tripod with its own brand ball head. The Manfrotto is very sturdy (I bought it for use with 10x70 binoculars) and has two leg sections that extend. The Oben is much lighter but still good in context of what it is. It has four leg sections that extend and it's not as tall as the Manfrotto. But even though I'm 6' 1" it's still plenty good. I think as long as you stay above the "baseline of rubbish" in quality terms and use a tripod within its design context, you'll be good. The Oben certainly isn't a Gitzo (nor did it cost like a Gitzo) but it's fine for what I need and it collapses very small. Occasionally I'd like a little more vertical height, but that's rare. What's more important -- again as long as you're above the rubbish level -- is to use good tripod technique. Maybe one day I'll get a carbon fiber tripod, who knows...
My camera system is large and heavy (Fuji GFX) so a travel tripod wouldn't be much use unless it's a very calm day. I take a lot of long exposure shots, often on the coast, or in windy locations. It's a pain carrying a larger & heavier tripod, but less sturdy tripods just don't keep the camera steady enough, which shoes in the final shot.
Thanks Henry for another interesting video....I own a tripod but very rarely use it as I like to use hand held when out & about....also I don't carry a lot of gear with me... cheers from Australia 🦘🦘😊
I think choosing to use a lighter or heavier tripod comes down to what you're putting on it. If the longest lens you use is 200mm, then something lighter may be all you need. But if you regularly use a much bigger lens, say 500mm or bigger, then a bigger, heavier tripod will likely be beneficial. A 200mm lens is approximately a 4x telescope. A 600mm is 12x, and any camera shake is magnified by 12 times. I usually shoot wildlife and birds with a long lens, and most often use a heavy tripod. And even so I sometimes still have to hang my pack from it to anchor. It's physics. Can't beat mass for gaining stability.
The beauty of the 'light/travel' tripods is that you can spread the legs wider, yes it does lower the height but the wider spread gives much more stability even in strong wind conditions. Great videos Henry.
I have three tripods, varrying from a 1.4KG National Geographic Carbon Fibre Tripod to a tiny little carbon fibre Cullman tripod that only weights 490g and I take on long backpacking trips. For the larger tripods, the most important thing is a good L bracket for the camera. The 2nd most important thing imo is tripod spikes. My Middle '850' gram tripod with aluminium spikes is more stable in the wind than the big one with the default rubber feet.
Honestly though, and I recon you experienced this with the OM Systems camera, is these days I think we need tripods less and less. I won't be sad to see the weight and bulk of the tripod disappear from my backpack in all honesty.
I have the same Benro travel tripod and I have the Benro Mach 3. I’ve found that when I’ve taken the travel tripod to cut down on weight I’ve had a problem with wanting to take certain images even with little wind and have regretted not having my main tripod with me. I think with most things gear related it’ll be subjective. Great vid as always Henry.
Thanks John
Nice images Henry. I'll add Gibson Knott to my list of potential Lake District walks for when the wife is with me, as she doesn't always like me dragging her up too high.
I have two tripods, my main is a Benro Mach 3 with the GD3WH geared head, and it's great, I love it and can't really fault it. I also have a Vanguard VEO 265HCB travel tripod. This also is great, but I have found it not to be very sturdy once the wind picks up. I bought this one because it had extra height over some of the other options that I was considering. However, part of the extra height is gained through a smaller footprint, which reduces overall stability. with hindsight I would have chosen stability over height. That said, I recently took the travel tripod to Venice, and it performed very well, and it was a lot lighter to carry round all day.
My conclusion, is that for me two types of tripod work, but I am considering swapping the travel tripod for amore sturdy one, I just haven't told the wife yet!
It depends a lot on the equipment a user has, is it heavy and large or light. Personally, I use Olympus because I can't bear to carry heavy camera equipment anymore, and I always have 6 lenses and 2 cameras with me that weigh a total of 4kg and cover all my needs. and all because of the good stabilizer in the Olympus cameras, I don't need a tripod with me.
The Z8 has completely changed when I need a tripod now. The f/6.3 lens are so much lighter and the stabilization so much better than my previous gear. I can now shoot most of my shots handheld. However, with that said I still appreciate my super heavy duty Gitzo tripod and my ultra light Gitzo travel pod when I respectively need them. I have to decide which set of lens and which set of legs I will be taking out depending on the requirements of the shoot.
Which is their travel pod ? Gitzo
I bought a $20 tripod and apart from the flimsiness of it and the lack of features, the non-standardised plates and sloppy attachments just made it worthless, so then I bought a real one. It's "only" a travel tripod, but it's a nifty bit of kit. The little Heipi that a couple of youtubers reviewed at the kickstarter stage.
Worth mentioning that I abandoned carbon tripods years ago because with heavier lenses (telephoto or just wide aperture) the whole arrangement can get very top-heavy and unstable. There are advantages in having a heavier tripod!
I usually hand hold but you can always hang your bag on the tripod to make it more solid.
For years I have lugged around heavy duty carbon fibre tripods. So moderately heavy. But for a year now I have left my Really Right Stuff tripod at home and take my Ulanzi & Coman travel tripod instead. No issues at all. IBIS and Image Stabilisation has taken care of almost everything. I have now bought a R8 and 24-240mm lens for when I want it really light but will always use my R5 on shorter or more important walks. It is working well and I am not going back to heavy tripods any time soon.
I like having a tripod as I think it slows me down a bit and helps me to concentrate a bit more on getting the composition right (or less wrong). I'm loving the Ulanzi Zero Coman one - it's carbon and super light.
I use my tripod when I absolutely need the stability on the camera. I have a nice Vanguard one that is lightweight and works well with my L-Bracket. That said, I have been using my tripod and my monopod way less in my photography as I get more steady with the camera and more sure of my technique. It's really down to using the right tools for the right job. Cheers from Canada!
I have a big sturdy Manfrotto tripod with a lovely heavy full metal Vanguard head, it's sturdy as hell, but I only ever carry it for short hikes, walks on the beach and the like, for long hikes and multi day wild camps I pack a Ulanzi, the one which is a knock-off of the eye wateringly expensive Peak Design one, and I love the Ulanzi one, which is getting a bit of a reputation of being as good as if not better than the PD by a lot of photographers, the Ulanzi isn't cheap crap though, it's still an expensive tripod and build quality is superb, but the main thing about it's design which I love is, as well as being light it's volume/form factor is tiny next to a traditional design tripod, which is especially handy on wild camps where volume is a premium. Great video though, it's a topic which I've thought a lot about over the years, I brought the topic in my local independent camera shop and it split opinion, one of the staff was adamant he would always lug the heaviest tripod anywhere, and his mind couldn't be changed, he got slightly aggressive at one pint and even said a real photographer never compromises, but he also said he only day hikes and never more than around 8 miles total, so I'd also say the lightweight and compact tripod market probably isn't geared towards him anyway, my limit for my heaviest tripod would only be about 4-5 miles though, especially in the mountains as I'm not really into making myself suffer too much! 🤣
Like anything, I think it depends on the content you are making. I have a pricey light weight tripod with a fluid head for video, it's quite a big one still so definitely not for this kind of travel. The difference would be in the level of control you get when panning the camera, it also won't nudge back slightly as you slow down or come to a halt.
I use a K&F carbon fibre for travel, it's perfectly suited for the type of pictures I take. It could be an issue if you want to take pictures of the stars on a windy day 😅.
Leofoto LS324C here. A nice balance between weight, height, stability and price. I find it best with long spikes embedded into the earth where possible.
The Peak Design Carbon travel tripod is a great mixture of lightweight and strength.
I usually either carry no tripod when out hiking or a short, lightweight one for the lewer light sunsets and macro shots. Ialso have a full height "travel" tripod. There are two things that can make a difference without carrying extra weight. One is hanging your backpack (or a small bag of stones) from the tripod and the other is the addition of spikes to the legs. I am considering investing in the latter. Looking at the way that you shoved the legs into the pocket, I assume that you do not have spikes on the legs unles they are retractable.
Hi Henry, another grand day out and thanks for sharing. On the subject of tripods, one way to add a bit of stability is to add weight ... and taking a carrier bag to hang from the tripod with a few rocks in it can be an easy escape... Sure its no good if its really windy, but an empty carrier bag weighs nothing and you just use rocks from where you are ( assuming there are some ). Failing that hang your camera kit bag from the tripod using a bungee cord. More super images again, thanks.
Cool, thanks
I do use a big tripod, however it's carbon and although big, it's the same weight as my little center pole one. (Center poles are bad new for landscape, also you can't get down low) For me it's weight not how big. (See Artise for a value carbon or Kingjoy. ) Spikes are the single most thing that can turn a flimsy tripod into a far better one. Although I worry about the damage in popular areas to the ground. An experiment would be good. But yes it's the wind. All the best Henry.
I have that exact Benro tripod with one of their geared heads on it - it's perfectly stable and perfect for landscape photography as you can walk miles with it! It's no good having a heavy tripod if you don't go anywhere with it because it's too heavy to carry far!
Good point mate!
About 10 years ago, I spent $700 on a Gitzo carbon fiber travel tripod. I use it for everything and love it. It is feather light, nearly weightless if the ball head is removed. As for it being sturdy enough, I simply lower it if the wind is too high. Best investment ever!
I've been using a Benro Travel Angel tripod for a good few years now and only on a very few occasions have I wished I had its big brother with me, and those involved long lenses. Thanks for sharing Henry.
I watched a new Nikon DSLR disappear down a waterfall on a lightweight travel tripod - that was a decision made there and then for me. Enjoyed the video Henry.
For me, I use a 3LT tripod, purchased for the sake of the weight played off against size. The problem with being 6ft4 is I wanted a tripod that I can get up to my height and the 3LT Brian tripod fits me perfectly. The carbon fibre helps with the weight aspect, while the size of it is perfect for my height. I got rid of my old travel tripod from Manfrotto, a BeFree carbon fibre was the height wasn't enough for me even though it was lighter that the 3LT. Its "horses for courses" I think and everyone will always have their own preference for Tripods :)
I have a mini tripod with 12in flexilegs. Sometimes I wish it was taller, but sometimes I don't use it at all. Usually I can set it on a bench, table, or even my bike. So usually it's good enough, but every now and again I want a full size tripod.
Hi Henry. Due to mobility issues that I have, my everyday tripod is a carbon fibre Three-Legged-Thing "Billy" weighting in at just 1.4 kilos and I have only seldom felt that it wasn't sturdy enough for my Sony A7iii and a 24-70 lens. Admittedly, with a 70-200 lens it's a different story and I'd only use it then in very light wind conditions, and I'd never ever contemplate it for my 200-600. It's all about planning for what you want to achieve and the conditions you are likely to encounter, and all too often big macho beasts will be overkill. PS: I almost always use "Billy" with spike feet, which give me better grip on most surfaces.
I don't always use a tripod, but I often find having a tripod at hand improves some of my images, so I'll take a lighter travel tripod with me rather than than not have a tripod at all. Beyond the stability a tripod adds to a camera, a tripod helps change my attitude towards taking a picture and composition. IF I use a tripod, I don't treat my DSLR like a snapshot camera, I take a bit more time to prepare to take a photograph, which results in me thinking more about everything in front of the camera. Also, if the tripod is supporting the camera, I'm a bit more relaxed, and I often wait a bit longer for something to happen, or for the light to change a bit. Also, depending on the tripod I use, I can set it up higher than my head, or down at my knees more comfortably. this change in POV also elevates some images beyond the snapshot.
Ive just purchased a different tripod. My current one is a Benro AL47 something 2.8kg aluminium tall chunky one(incredibly sturdy).
Swapped to a Benro Tortoise columnless #3 carbon fibre tripod, 1.8kg. similar height etc. I will be going out on Sunday to feel the difference...
I use a tripod to slow me down. But the main purpose is for focus stacking macro & if I want to get focus front to back in a woodland scene. (Though lately I've just been using higher aperture's handheld, Z8 IBIS is great!!!) Plus anything long exposure.