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Micro 4/3 Travel tripod recommendations
MFToutdoor
New Member
- Location
- Montana
My kit is OM-1, 9/17, 12-40/2.8, 40-150/4. I always take everything since it is so light and small (why I sold all my Sony FF stuff)
My tripod usage ....
I rarely take pics of my wife and I with my mirrorless camera. Typically she just wants a H+W selfie send to her friends.
I prefer a low to the ground perspective when using a tripod for UWA landscape.
If I plan to do shoot some waterfalls or water that I am looking down onto, I take my "regular" tripod.
Everything else I handhold
For Intl travel, I take the Leofoto MT-03 & MBC-20 and RRS Multi-clamp
Leofoto MT-03 - 5.7oz
Leofoto MBC-20 - 3.7oz
w/ case TOTAL 9.7oz
RRS Multi-clamp w/ flat jaws 8.4oz
TOTAL for both 18.1oz.
Either of these were previously used to hold the Sony A7R5 w/ 24-105 so the OM-1 + 12-40 or 40-150/4 will be no problem.
I also have the Leofoto 223CEX + LH-30. The CEX includes a leveling base which I really like. This is my primary hiking tripod unless I know there is a spectacular waterfall
Leofoto LH-30 - 9.7oz
Leofoto 223CEX - 1.6lbs
TOTAL 2lbs
I only take my full-height Gitzo 1542T Series 1 CF + Markin Q3i-TiQ while hiking and plan to shoot some water stuff.
Gitzo 1542T - 2lb 4oz
Markin Q3i-TiQ - 13.6oz
TOTAL 3lbs
My tripod usage ....
I rarely take pics of my wife and I with my mirrorless camera. Typically she just wants a H+W selfie send to her friends.
I prefer a low to the ground perspective when using a tripod for UWA landscape.
If I plan to do shoot some waterfalls or water that I am looking down onto, I take my "regular" tripod.
Everything else I handhold
For Intl travel, I take the Leofoto MT-03 & MBC-20 and RRS Multi-clamp
Leofoto MT-03 - 5.7oz
Leofoto MBC-20 - 3.7oz
w/ case TOTAL 9.7oz
RRS Multi-clamp w/ flat jaws 8.4oz
TOTAL for both 18.1oz.
Either of these were previously used to hold the Sony A7R5 w/ 24-105 so the OM-1 + 12-40 or 40-150/4 will be no problem.
I also have the Leofoto 223CEX + LH-30. The CEX includes a leveling base which I really like. This is my primary hiking tripod unless I know there is a spectacular waterfall
Leofoto LH-30 - 9.7oz
Leofoto 223CEX - 1.6lbs
TOTAL 2lbs
I only take my full-height Gitzo 1542T Series 1 CF + Markin Q3i-TiQ while hiking and plan to shoot some water stuff.
Gitzo 1542T - 2lb 4oz
Markin Q3i-TiQ - 13.6oz
TOTAL 3lbs
Iron
Hall of Famer
- Location
- New Zealand
- Name
- Tímo
With MFT, I just use the Manfrotto Pixi Mini which doesn't really have any weight penalty for landscape long exposures as long as I have something to place it on top of. The biggest limit is the Y-axis tilt, which may cause a composition problem for astro and/or macro.
For more versatility without that much weight penalty, the Velbon EX-Macro should be alright. Cheers.
The Electric Squirrel
Top Veteran
- Location
- Finland
I have a Sirui Traveler 7C I bought at an impulse for a lighter weight tripod. I think it's around 1,5kg with it's included ballhead attached. It's not the tiniest of travel tripods, but it reaches a healthy 167cm and is sturdy enough to hold a Sony a7R III with most lenses. It'll do with a tele also if one is mindful of settling times.
The included ballhead is the biggest weakness of the Sirui. Nowhere near as good as my 3LT AirHed pro, but then again the Sirui package with the head was bought at about the same price I paid for the 3LT head alone. Nonetheless, with a longer tele like my Sigma 100-400 Contemporary the Sirui head seems to be at its wits ends and slightly struggling to hold it's weight. It does the trick, but when you lock the head and let go of the camera there's usually a slight downwards movement making really tight framing a bit difficult.
All that being said I find the Traveler 7C to be worth the asking. It's not particularly expensive, but feels pretty well put together, is tall enough for most and good enough for serious work. Just be mindful of the less than stellar head, or better just replace it if money isn't an issue.
The included ballhead is the biggest weakness of the Sirui. Nowhere near as good as my 3LT AirHed pro, but then again the Sirui package with the head was bought at about the same price I paid for the 3LT head alone. Nonetheless, with a longer tele like my Sigma 100-400 Contemporary the Sirui head seems to be at its wits ends and slightly struggling to hold it's weight. It does the trick, but when you lock the head and let go of the camera there's usually a slight downwards movement making really tight framing a bit difficult.
All that being said I find the Traveler 7C to be worth the asking. It's not particularly expensive, but feels pretty well put together, is tall enough for most and good enough for serious work. Just be mindful of the less than stellar head, or better just replace it if money isn't an issue.
- Location
- Hampton, NH
- Name
- Rich
The Sirui T- series travel tripods are my favorite travel tripods. I thought they had discontinued them, but see that they are still on their website:
store.sirui.com
I have both the carbon fiber (t-024) and aluminum (t-004) versions. the CF one is .5 lbs lighter.
They are VERY lightweight - the CF one weighs less than 2 lbs with the head. But ou don't give up much stability because they only have 4 sections, so even the very smallest section at the bottom is fairly thick. I have other tripods that are taller and heavier (say more than 3 lbs) with 5 sections, but that smallest section is much thinner than on the Sirui models. It may not be high enough for you, but if it is, then they are great. The Sirui Traveler 7C mentioned by @The Electric Squirrel above looks like a good alternative if you need something that goes higher, but it is heavier, of course.
SIRUI T-0S Series Travel Tripod with B-00K Ball Head (T-024SK+B-00K)
Brand Sirui Material Stainless Steel Tripod Head Type Ball Heads Maximum Height 147.5 Centimeters Minimum Height 21.5 Centimeters Item Weight 1.0kg Number of leg sections 4 About this item 🔥【Material and Construction】: Well-built with lightweight, durable carbon fiber and CNC milling technology, T-024S has reliably sta
store.sirui.com
I have both the carbon fiber (t-024) and aluminum (t-004) versions. the CF one is .5 lbs lighter.
They are VERY lightweight - the CF one weighs less than 2 lbs with the head. But ou don't give up much stability because they only have 4 sections, so even the very smallest section at the bottom is fairly thick. I have other tripods that are taller and heavier (say more than 3 lbs) with 5 sections, but that smallest section is much thinner than on the Sirui models. It may not be high enough for you, but if it is, then they are great. The Sirui Traveler 7C mentioned by @The Electric Squirrel above looks like a good alternative if you need something that goes higher, but it is heavier, of course.
Holoholo33
Regular
- Location
- Hawaii
- Name
- Walter
I used to have a MeFoto RoadTrip AL tripod for travel. It was pretty sturdy, but was a bit bulky and heavy. I replaced it with a used Benro Slim CF tripod that weighed almost 1.5 lb less, and had a much slimmer profile, although being a bit longer. I had to replace the ballhead that came with it because it wasn't smooth enough. It's not quite as sturdy as the MeFoto was, but is considerably lighter and more packable, making it more suitable for travel or hiking. Dimensionally, it's similar to the Peak Design travel tripod. However, I seldom take it on travel unless I know I'm going to need it for nighttime or night sky photos. IBIS is usually enough for most uses. I will sometimes just take my UltraPod 2 pocket tripod, since as long as I can find something to stand it on, it's enough for group photos or some slow speed shutter work.
Here's a photo comparing the MeFoto and Benro.
Here's a photo comparing the MeFoto and Benro.
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The reason I'm asking, is that in the past I've taken my sturdy Gizo and achieved a few amazingly sharp alpine landscapes. I'm not sure I could emulate that hand-held despite the OM-1 but I want to travel light.
- Location
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Name
- Keith
"OS" = overseas?
Also, when you say a "small tripod" what does that mean to you. Are you thinking of something like the tabletop tripod like Timo suggested or of something like a 4-section "travel tripod" like Walter and others are talking about? It would also be helpful to understand which Gitzo model you'd be comparing it to.
- K
Holoholo33
Regular
- Location
- Hawaii
- Name
- Walter
Hi @BobT, did you come to a decision about taking something with you? Just curious, and following up with an old thread.
Holoholo33
Regular
- Location
- Hawaii
- Name
- Walter
BTW, Benro recently announced their Cyanbird travel tripod, which looks like direct competition for the Peak Design travel tripod, but at less than half the price. Even less with the aluminum version. Benro makes good stuff, so I'm pretty sure this is no cheap knock-off of the Peak Design. It may be worth a look if you can wait for it to be available in the next month or so.
