Compact Tripod?

[mercer]

Can anyone recommend a compact (travel) tripod for narrative work that is reasonably priced?

[newfoundmass]

What's reasonably priced for you? ?

I use the Sirui T-005 that @Mattias Burling turned me on to years and years ago when he also sold me on the original Pocket. It's nice and compact, and I think was in the $150 range. It's well made, all aluminum, and I usually carry it on the side of my backpack when traveling. 

Looks like it has gone down in price! Sirui T-005X Aluminum Tripod with C-10S Ball Head, 8.8 lbs Capacity, 58" Height, 5 Leg Sections, Red https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01FG7X8TQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qp6lDbNB5FQ46

$90 is a real good deal! Basically the same price as the Amazon brand one. 

[independent]

Gitzo CF traveler w/ hook for added stability when moving the flat-base fluid head. 

[JordanWright]

I like the Manfrotto 745XB, discontinued but I found it cheap used, built in levelling ball, just attach your head of choice!

[mercer]

Thanks they all look like great tripods but I should have added that I am using it for an on location tripod. Unfortunately, on location is at the beach, in the marshes, in the woods, etc... so this will get wet from salt water, muddy and full of sand. So ultimately I need something fairly inexpensive... less than $200.

Does anyone have any experience with the Benro Aero 4?

[newfoundmass]

1 hour ago, mercer said:

Thanks they all look like great tripods but I should have added that I am using it for an on location tripod. Unfortunately, on location is at the beach, in the marshes, in the woods, etc... so this will get wet from salt water, muddy and full of sand. So ultimately I need something fairly inexpensive... less than $200.

Does anyone have any experience with the Benro Aero 4?

The one I recommend is $90 ?

[Jimmy G]

9 hours ago, mercer said:

Thanks they all look like great tripods but I should have added that I am using it for an on location tripod. Unfortunately, on location is at the beach, in the marshes, in the woods, etc... so this will get wet from salt water, muddy and full of sand. So ultimately I need something fairly inexpensive... less than $200.

Does anyone have any experience with the Benro Aero 4?

Manfrotto's BeFree line is in the same vein as that Benro (if that's where your hunt is going), my sweetie seems content with her CF photo (read: ballhead) version.

Alternately, I'm a big fan of the Velbon CF line though they'll double your budget at the very least.

Finally, here's one that caught my eye at B&H, EImage 760AT, with a proper (and quite capable, for the price range) 75mm Bowl Head that's right in your budget.

Hope that helps, and keep us posted on what you decide! :)

[kye]

Maybe a compromise is to be had where the legs are cheap and almost disposable but the head is decent quality so you can do pans/tilts smoothly?

[mercer]

1 hour ago, Jimmy G said:

Manfrotto's BeFree line is in the same vein as that Benro (if that's where your hunt is going), my sweetie seems content with her CF photo (read: ballhead) version.

Alternately, I'm a big fan of the Velbon CF line though they'll double your budget at the very least.

Finally, here's one that caught my eye at B&H, EImage 760AT, with a proper (and quite capable, for the price range) 75mm Bowl Head that's right in your budget.

Hope that helps, and keep us posted on what you decide!

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll take a look at them. I have a manfrotto/bogen combo now that I like for controlled scenes, so I’m looking for something compact that I won’t mind getting destroyed or that will withhold the elements without getting ruined.

1 hour ago, kye said:

Maybe a compromise is to be had where the legs are cheap and almost disposable but the head is decent quality so you can do pans/tilts smoothly?

Good idea. Do you know of any “cheap” fluid heads that I can pair with a basic pair of sticks?

My current head has the Manfrotto RC2 plate, so I guess it would be smart to go that route since I am already set up with it on my monopod and tripod.

With that said, I will probably have a small rig with a follow focus and rails and I’ll use it with a slider as well... so it can’t be complete rubbish.

I also need a decent follow focus too, if anyone has a suggestion and a tabletop tripod.

[kye]

21 minutes ago, mercer said:

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll take a look at them. I have a manfrotto/bogen combo now that I like for controlled scenes, so I’m looking for something compact that I won’t mind getting destroyed or that will withhold the elements without getting ruined.

Good idea. Do you know of any “cheap” fluid heads that I can pair with a basic pair of sticks?

My current head has the Manfrotto RC2 plate, so I guess it would be smart to go that route since I am already set up with it on my monopod and tripod.

With that said, I will probably have a small rig with a follow focus and rails and I’ll use it with a slider as well... so it can’t be complete rubbish.

I also need a decent follow focus too, if anyone has a suggestion and a tabletop tripod.

I'm probably the last person to ask about such things, I own a tripod and a monopod which are both extremely cheap, which extends not only to their purchase price but also to their performance!

In terms of table-top tripods, it depends on the size of the legs you want.  I've used the larger of the Manfrotto Pocket tripods, but they're basically just fold out flaps on a plate that allows you to angle the camera setup or level out uneven surfaces, so they're ultra compact but not that flexible in terms of height.  For something larger I've seen the Manfrotto Pixi get good reviews, and there's a more recent model of it that IIRC has some additional features, so that might be worthwhile having a look at.

[Jimmy G]

36 minutes ago, mercer said:

Do you know of any “cheap” fluid heads that I can pair with a basic pair of sticks?

My apologies for not being clearer on my above E-Image 760AT recommendation, I had only taken a quick peruse of the ad and thus only mentioned the tripod to you. D'oh!

Those sticks come in a kit from E-Image, the EG03TT, which includes their (previously mentioned as the "quite capable, for the price range") GH03 75mm Bowl Fluid Head (which I have personally handled at B&H, and it's solid and smooth for something in this price range) and this kit (bag included) was what I was recommending to you as being in your budget in my previous post.

Again, sorry for the "too fast to be accurate" previous post.

[mercer]

8 minutes ago, Jimmy G said:

My apologies for not being clearer on my above E-Image 760AT recommendation, I had only taken a quick peruse of the ad and thus only mentioned the tripod to you. D'oh!

Those sticks come in a kit from E-Image, the EG03TT, which includes their (previously mentioned as the "quite capable, for the price range") GH03 75mm Bowl Fluid Head (which I have personally handled at B&H, and it's solid and smooth for something in this price range) and this kit (bag included) was what I was recommending to you as being in your budget in my previous post.

Again, sorry for the "too fast to be accurate" previous post.

No worries, I haven’t had a chance to look at anything yet.

Half of my “kit” recently went from almost completely handheld to mostly locked down but, due to my circumstances, it still needs to be “run and gun” in nature.

One man band narratives are constant compromises and my equipment needs to reflect that. 

Thanks for the suggestion, and I’ll definitely check out the E-Image tripod.

41 minutes ago, kye said:

I'm probably the last person to ask about such things, I own a tripod and a monopod which are both extremely cheap, which extends not only to their purchase price but also to their performance!

In terms of table-top tripods, it depends on the size of the legs you want.  I've used the larger of the Manfrotto Pocket tripods, but they're basically just fold out flaps on a plate that allows you to angle the camera setup or level out uneven surfaces, so they're ultra compact but not that flexible in terms of height.  For something larger I've seen the Manfrotto Pixi get good reviews, and there's a more recent model of it that IIRC has some additional features, so that might be worthwhile having a look at.

Thanks! A gorillapod may be my best bet for a tabletop tripod. I tend to shoot in some uneven terrains and prefer some obtuse angles for certain shots, so I really need some flexibility for height and leg adjustment.

[independent]

Consider a monopod

[mercer]

10 hours ago, newfoundmass said:

The one I recommend is $90 ?

Hah, thanks. The Sirui is definitely on my short list... I just wish it didn’t have twist leg adjustments. That’s the one negative I have with the infamous Sirui monopod. Part of me still would rather use a monopod, but after a couple cups of coffee and a half a pack of cigarettes, I think I need a little more stabilization. So I need the convenience of a monopod with a relatively fluid head and the stability of a tripod... that isn’t asking for too much, right?

3 minutes ago, independent said:

Consider a monopod

Yup, a solid monopod would probably be my best option. I have the Sirui and a Benro. Both are pretty good but I still get some movement. I doubt this is true but I have gravitated towards monopods with the feet thinking I’d get better stabilization but I am realizing that the joint at the feet tends to have a little bit too much wobble?

[independent]

A decade ago when I shot on RED, Mark Toia extensively (exclusively?) shot on a monopod. Those Red Epic setups were fairly hefty, yet he got great results. He shot outdoors in exotic locations with rough terrain, and I think he was a major proponent of the monopod's suitability. I myself used a Monostat monopod with a manfrotto 701 head. I upgraded to the Gizto CF traveler tripod because it was nearly as light (2 pounds?) and maneuverable but obviously much more stable and flexible in use, and I've used that tripod more than any one camera, lens, etc. 

[mercer]

Do you have any experience with the Miller Solo monopod? And does carbon fiber really absorb vibrations a lot more than aluminum?

With my Benro monopod, I was using it handheld by putting the base into a tape measure pouch I have clipped onto my belt... it actually works great and maybe I shouldn’t second guess myself. 

But I may upgrade my monopod and attach a “decent” head to it. Right now, I have a Manfrotto RC tilt head attached. It actually works fairly well, but if I want to use the monopod more traditionally, it may help to have a panning head attached.

Right now, I’m curious about the aforementioned Miller Solo and the cheap alternative is the Benro 38C.

[JordanWright]

Its quite expense, but check out the Steadicam air monopod

[mercer]

And maybe I’ll pick up a decent tabletop/compact tripod for my low angle shots...

Hmm...

[Video Hummus]

It’s not out yet, but the Peak design travel Tripod looks very nice if you are going to be lugging it around.

Very slim profile and some nifty features. 

[mercer]

@Video Hummus that does look pretty slick... but I assume it’s fairly pricey?

21 minutes ago, JordanWright said:

Its quite expense, but check out the Steadicam air monopod

That looks pretty cool... I wonder how it handles sandy conditions.