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danl
Dec 9, 2002, 2:50 PM
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Registered: Nov 12, 2001
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I'm interested in purchasing a tripod to hold a P/S and a SLR. I'm looking for something small, compact, and lightweight (speed is life) as well as relativly cheap. I'm not looking for the best quality rig so if anyone says go by a Gitzo carbon fiber I'm going to smack them.
One of my considerations was the davis and sanford explorer or travler. or the silk 5500
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marshall84
Dec 9, 2002, 3:05 PM
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Registered: Sep 9, 2002
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Not sure exactly what you're going to use it for, but I have one I picked up at REI. You can get them at any outdoor shop. It's tiny but it will handle a decent size camera and you can even strap it to a tree if you need too. They're about $10.
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tim
Dec 9, 2002, 3:29 PM
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Good man, check out the Ultrapod (can strap it to a tree/ice tool/trekking pole) or the Bogen tabletop tripod (about $30) which disassembles into a set of little legs and a mini-ballhead. The Bogen TT is better made but the Ultrapod has more crafty setup possibilities. With the Bogen model you put it on top of a boulder or a pack, or lie down to take the shot.
Basically, if you're shooting and the light fades, either have a fast lens (50/1.8 for example is fast and cheap) or one of the above ittybitty tripods tucked into your pack. The tripods are a little cheaper.
(I own a Gitzo 1127 and I never take it climbing, even though Greg Epperson was the person who advised me to buy the best tripod I could afford. This is probably because the ballhead looks like a weapon and I always try to carry-on everything in the USA.
I did drag it all over southeast Asia and will be carting it around Patagonia in the spring, but those were vacations, I'm not ever taking a 4lb. tripod on a climb.)
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psych
Dec 9, 2002, 3:50 PM
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Registered: Jan 30, 2002
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I'm pretty happy with my Slik tripod, their site is:
http://www.slik.com/
The one I have is only made to hold a camera that's 2 lbs or less I think, which my coolpix 4500 is, it's only folded size is 10 inches. Fully extended it's 48 inches or something, and weighs less than a few quickdraws (seriously, it weighs nothing!).
So yeah, great for taking out in the backpack, or clipping to your belt.
Mike...
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krillen
Dec 9, 2002, 11:05 PM
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Registered: Jul 19, 2001
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Ya, Slik makes a good lightweight compact one. Mine was ~$35 Canadian, and it's light and small enough to pack away with very little effort.
Leki also has trekking poles with a camera mount on them.....they are monopods though.
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eric
Dec 10, 2002, 2:40 AM
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Registered: Jun 16, 2002
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If you are going to bother with a tripod at all, get a good one. That means don't bother with anything under about $100
I was practically religious about using a tripod until I started shooting climbing photos & switched to digital (very recently). I (temporarily) don't even own a tripod anymore. That particular weight allowance belongs to the laptop.
For me, it's easy, 'cause I can always switch to a higher ISO with less impact than film. And I've learned to deal without one. Really, I find them pretty useless for climbing photography, but do miss it for landscape.
When I do pick up another tripod it will be a Gitzo and won't be terribly light because I know I won't use it for backpacking or climbing.
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danl
Dec 10, 2002, 4:09 AM
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Registered: Nov 12, 2001
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Thank you all for posting your replies.
I'll try and clarify my need for future posters.
The tripod will be mainly used for landscapes in the back country, or shots composed on the road or while being a tourist.
Being in graduate school and living out of the back of a corolla space weight and money are at a premium.
Digital would be great but its hard to charge your battery when you are in the middle of the winds. And laptops and digital cameras tend to get fussy in the rain and don't endure life on the trail well. For the crag they are fine.
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slhappy
Dec 10, 2002, 4:23 AM
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Registered: Nov 10, 2002
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This might sound ghetto, but that's because it is...but it works.
Get a piece of 1/4" plywood, cut into a triangle with 6-8" sides. Drill holes in each of the corners (large enough to accomidate various size sticks. Viole! Mobile tri-pod. To use find some sticks and adjust to correct height and shoot. To get added stability fill a sock with sand or rocks to place the camera on and get creative with your surroundings. A tri-pod is a beautiful thing...but not mandatory. With a bit of creativity you can produce the stability you need for the shooting you want to do. The car works great with the sand/sock combo on road trips!!
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