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light tripod for travel

Curtis boggs

Curtis boggs

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Hi Gang,

Suggestions for a super light tripod for a stripped down Epic-W for a Caribbean trip???
Be nice to have a decent head on it to try some pans but light and easy to
deal with are more important. ( i'll work around the shortcomings)

Cheers,

Curtis
 
I own an O'Connor 1030 setup, but rented a second tripod for a shoot in Spain. I ended up using the Sachtler FSB-8 and LOVED it. After I got back from that trip, I ended up buying one. Great tripod for a lightweight RED Setup.
 
I suggest Miller DS-10 or DS-20 head and Miller Solo Carbon Fiber legs. I believe they also have an even cheaper 'Air' head. Or you could try a Really Right Stuff FH-350 head and carbon fiber legs.
 
A similar question was asked here:
AndreasOberg said:
I'm looking for the impossible combination of a cheap and light tripod head. I'm thinking max 400 dollars.
This is for the situations when you cannot bring a big tripod with us. We have the Sachtler Video 20 S1 head which is 4kg.
Now I'm looking for something to pair with a Gitzo Series 1 Traveler sticks (1kg).
Click to expand...
 
If you can find a pair of Induro 100mm carbon fiber sticks, these are the best bang for your buck.
They are discontinued, but available randomly on eBay or Amazon.
Paired with a Manfrotto 509 head is the lightest / cheapest / most heavy duty combo I need
 
+1 Miller solo carbon stiks.
The most versatile tripod stick ever made (I know of) ;-). Very light.
It goes from 30cm to 200cm in 15 seconds (if you are Fast) ;-)
 
The Gitzo 5562 (or 5563) is the most versatile tripod I have ever seen.
Carbon Fiber, 100mm bowl, can handle 40Kg(88ibs), can go as low as 4.3" and as high as 9'.1" (9.9cm to 277cm).
It weighs 3.5kg (7.8lbs).
Can also be swapped out for photo head/columns.

Pretty much a great travel tripod for low to high and can be a great backup on shoots, where you may need an emergency B tripod or instead of a high hat.
 
+1 on the Sachtler DV8-SB! It'll handle just about any basic RED package and weighs almost nothing with the carbon sticks.
 
Another +1 on the Sachtler FSB8 head, I use Manfrotto 535 legs - killer combo when you want lightweight!
 
I have the Sachtler FSB6 w/CF legs and it's pretty much perfect. Was recommended to me by a pro surfer/snowboard RED shooter who constantly hikes out to remote places, but needs solid support. Haven't regretted it one bit.

FYI I generally trend toward Sachtler sticks when no going with a big, mitchel plate O'Connor head...some like Manfrotto but I'm not as big a fan.
 
For the money, these are E Image GC 102 legs are outstanding. One knob loosens and locks two stages per leg. Super fast for going up and down. I use them over Sachtler legs (two locks per leg = 2x the hassle) and cost only 500.00. The ground spreader though sucks. I use them with their midlevel spreader and feet. I use a Miller Arrow 25 head that I've had for over 10 years. Incredible head. As smooth as my old 2060.

The other set of legs I have are telescopic Miller Solo VJ Carbon Fiber Legs. They'll go over 6 feet high and as low as 8". They'll also pack shorter than 18" and without the head, they will fit in any carry on suitcase. Great for that type of doc where every inch of packing is vital. Also because they use no spreader, you can get them in difficult spots such as across streams, over beds, behind bars, steep hills, etc. They are not fast for quick conventional shooting like interviews, narratives, etc but if you to hike in difficult terrain, they're my go to.
 
Slightly on topic, I've been looking for legs that are as compact as the miller solos, but are faster to make small adjustments on set. Any suggestions?

Edit: I'm trying to find something that fits into a Movi case but is quick to use in the field. My current tripod's twist lock legs are too cumbersome.
 
Tried them all :)

My goal was to find a light weight set of sticks and flat base tripod head to travel with and get slider moves.
- removable 100mm bowl - for use with edelkrone slider. Low mode and good height. lightweight. easy to raise and lower with one person. Small for travelling gigs.
- used this system with Amira, red, mini and lighweight zooms.
-edelkrone is tricky with the extra payload, but if you're not doing any heavy pans/tilts it is a great solution for travel - allows you to do push-ins without seeing the rails.

Here's my results:

Sachtler - LEGS AND HEAD - rock solid. But doesn't go RIGHT to the floor if you want really low angle shots. Their heads are excellent - but bowl isn't removable so adds height to the slider.
Induro - LEGS - Bang for the buck - the photo style with the 100mm bowl is excellent for slider use- it will go down to the floor - but legs and clamps are not as robust and a little finicky.
Really Right Stuff- HEAD- Flat base head - good for sliders. Wanted to love their head - tried to trust philip bloom's opinion :001_unsure: but it was not good for heavier cameras. Vibration translated into it on long lenses, too much flex in the head starting and stopping pans/tilts.
Miller - LEGS - Solo 100 - replaced my induro sticks with these. Don't go quite as low - bottom sticks leaves enough room to use a long stick handle for your 100mm bowl. Very smooth twist locks, legs drop without having to use a second hand to pull them down +1 ! good locking positions to extend legs. 3 stage, and will compress to fit into a traditional rolling suitcase. Their heads are quite robust too - but no flat base.

Current setup - Miller solo 100 sticks - Manfrotto 516. (not the best - but the best solution for flat base I've found - avoid the 501HDV - if you can find an OLD 501 they are OK and light).

All the best!


Justin Lovell
Assoc. CSC Cinematographer
www.justinlovell.com
 
The best travel tripods can give you sharp shots whatever the light. You can get some of your best pictures when you go travelling, but this is exactly when you want to cut your kit to the minimum and leave that bulky tripod at home, right?

I use very light tripod while traveling. Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel tripod is my favorite.
 
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Though I own a bunch of heads, I'm not finding much joy for anything smaller than an OConnor 1030D. I pair that with the Manfrotto 536 a fair bit, but the Flowtech has been the best new legs buy. Not really into a lot of the flat base or even 75mm options. My rigs are usually around 12-27lbs.

For super duper lightweight and usually locked off, I go to smaller photo tripods often with a ball head or whatever.
 
The Flowtech 100's are great. I pulled one of my sets of SpeedLocks out and put a Flowtech in its place last year after they came out. Very easy to carry, quick to deploy and even more rigid(less rotational flex/backlash) than the 100mm Speedlocks and 100mm HD Speedlocks. Not to mention that you can use them fully without a spreader, and they drop down to essentially hi-hat level, so very versatile. I think I've only used my HD Speedlocks once since getting the Flowtech's. All of my full sized legs are paired with Vinten 100 heads. The Flowtech's and Vinten 100 are only about 15 lbs. A typical camera payload for me is between 20lbs+ and 35lbs.
 
For traveling in light-weight mode, the Miller Solo CF sticks paired with the Miller DS-20 head..... is an excellent combo!
 
Sachtler FSB-8 with CF legs for me. Worked great in Africa.
 
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