Recommend a decent lightweight travel tripod and head.

[TG.]

Can anyone please recommend a very good travel tripod and head that will easily fit in a suitcase, but sturdy enough to do the job for landscapes and cityscapes, I will be using for long exposures so really needs to be light but sturdy, it will be holding a Nikon D810 and a Nikon 16-35mm lens Many thanks in advance.

 

[Raymond Lin]

How big is your suitcase? Internal dimension.

 

[TG.]

How big is your suitcase? Internal dimension.

It's approx 83x50x29cm

 

[tijuana taxi]

I use one of these https://snapperstuff.com/products/cp26-m4s-flm-centrepod-tripod-3693 with this https://snapperstuff.com/products/cb-32-f-flm-ball-head-3183 and an Arca clamp, plenty available although I stuck with the same make and bought this https://snapperstuff.com/products/srb-40-flm-simple-release-base-3453

Folds up short enough (47cm) to go in my case and that is within carry on size limits, lightweight too
Sturdier than the Gitzo I used previously, leg locks need no more than half a twist and all of them can be operated at once.
Made in Germany and comes with a ten year warranty, overall a well made high quality bit of kit.

Should also have said its fine for me at 6ft tall without the centre column extended, that's with the head and camera mounted.

 

[TG.]

I use one of these https://snapperstuff.com/products/cp26-m4s-flm-centrepod-tripod-3693 with this https://snapperstuff.com/products/cb-32-f-flm-ball-head-3183 and an Arca clamp, plenty available although I stuck with the same make and bought this https://snapperstuff.com/products/srb-40-flm-simple-release-base-3453

Folds up short enough (47cm) to go in my case and that is within carry on size limits, lightweight too
Sturdier than the Gitzo I used previously, leg locks need no more than half a twist and all of them can be operated at once.
Made in Germany and comes with a ten year warranty, overall a well made high quality bit of kit.

Should also have said its fine for me at 6ft tall without the centre column extended, that's with the head and camera mounted.

Looks great but quite a bit more than I'm looking to spend as it's not something I'm going to get a lot of use out of.

 

[tijuana taxi]

Looks great but quite a bit more than I'm looking to spend as it's not something I'm going to get a lot of use out of.

Not cheap I agree, but for me it took the place of two tripods so pretty much paid for itself.

Quite hard to find stable, light and quality construction at a relatively low cost.
A lot of the cheaper travel tripods are better suited to smaller lighter mirrorless cameras.

I do also have one other tripod for when i want to travel very light mainly when visiting European cities
https://www.wexphotovideo.com/manfrotto-befree-travel-tripod-carbon-fibre-1558852/
Might do the job and definitely a very good price from this company at the moment as are all the other Manfrotto tripods with 25% off

 

[HoppyUK]

Can anyone please recommend a very good travel tripod and head that will easily fit in a suitcase, but sturdy enough to do the job for landscapes and cityscapes, I will be using for long exposures so really needs to be light but sturdy, it will be holding a Nikon D810 and a Nikon 16-35mm lens Many thanks in advance.

You won't be happy until you've got a Gitzo Traveler. And probably cheapest in the long run.

Preferably their top Traveler - Gitzo GK2545T-82QD inc head. If I could only have one tripod to do everything, that'd be it. Tall enough for most tasks and most people, folds down small, light, and as sturdy as a 3-series from other brands. V good head too https://www.wexphotovideo.com/gitzo-gk2545t-82qd-series-2-traveler-carbon-exact-tripod-kit-1578810/

Sorry

Edit: while that Gitzo T is the best all-rounder I've tested (of several dozen over the last couple of years) the Manfrotto BeFree was the most disappointing. It's small and cute, but with the slightest puff of wind it's all over the place. Should be called Manfrotto BeWoblee.

 

[tijuana taxi]

You won't be happy until you've got a Gitzo Traveller. And probably cheapest in the long run.

Preferably their biggest - Gitzo GK2545T-82QD. If I could only have one tripod to do everything, that'd be it. V good head too.

Sorry

Edit: while that Gitzo T is the best all-rounder I've tested (of several dozen over the last couple of years) the Manfrotto BeFree was the most disappointing. It's small and cute, but with the slightest puff of wind it's all over the place.

There are quite a few different versions of the Befree and have to disagree with your statement if it refers to the one I have.
Used it several times in quite breezy conditions, last week for instance when it was quite gusty to take photos of roses.
With a Fuji X-Pro2 mounted it behaved impeccably and certainly didn't go "all over the place"
If it did I wouldn't risk over a grands worth of camera upon it or waste my time trying to take photos using it

Come to think of it the one I have isn't particularly small, not sure what cute refers to in relation to a tripod
Are you thinking of the Befree One, that's a good 8cm shorter and has an integrated head?
Did change the head on mine, mainly because I don't like the Manfrotto Q/R system and had a decent one spare

 

[Andrew Moore]

The befree carbon by manfrotto with ball head can be had for about £170 from the usual £300 at the moment. It’s not quite a Gitzo traveller but then again an M4 isn’t a McLaren 720s. It does t mean the M4 is cheap and incaperble of performing.

 

[tijuana taxi]

The befree carbon by manfrotto with ball head can be had for about £170 from the usual £300 at the moment. It’s not quite a Gitzo traveller but then again an M4 isn’t a McLaren 720s. It does t mean the M4 is cheap and incaperble of performing.

Even better Andrew using the link I gave to WEX, its only £135 with their 25% off Manfrotto discount.

 

[HoppyUK]

There are quite a few different versions of the Befree and have to disagree with your statement if it refers to the one I have.
Used it several times in quite breezy conditions, last week for instance when it was quite gusty to take photos of roses.
With a Fuji X-Pro2 mounted it behaved impeccably and certainly didn't go "all over the place"
If it did I wouldn't risk over a grands worth of camera upon it or waste my time trying to take photos using it

Come to think of it the one I have isn't particularly small, not sure what cute refers to in relation to a tripod
Are you thinking of the Befree One, that's a good 8cm shorter and has an integrated head?
Did change the head on mine, mainly because I don't like the Manfrotto Q/R system and had a decent one spare

Maybe I've spoken out of turn. Apologies if so.

The model I've tested (twice) was the top carbon model BeFree MKBFRC4-BH and in an email follow-up to the review Manfrotto did say they were aware of some issues. Since then, they've recently launched the BeFree Advanced range where they've changed the legs and swapped from lever-locks to twist-collars.

This can only be good for stability but the fact remains that a tripod weighing barely more than one kilo with pencil thin legs (bottom section 11mm) is going to struggle with anything more than a light load in good conditions - regardless of brand or price. Other than that, Manfrotto makes some very good tripods though the 190Go! is the smallest/lightest I'd recommend for serious use.

 

[Andrew Moore]

Even better Andrew using the link I gave to WEX, its only £135 with their 25% off Manfrotto discount.

Realistically I don’t think anything else will meet the value. You could look at a ball head on an 190carbon but it’s a little more money for not much more stability. The 190 is basically an 055 mini though so certainly worth a look and is my current fave tripod.

 

[tijuana taxi]

Maybe I've spoken out of turn. Apologies if so.

The model I've tested (twice) was the top carbon model BeFree MKBFRC4-BH and in an email follow-up to the review Manfrotto did say they were aware of some issues. Since then, they've recently launched the BeFree Advanced range where they've changed the legs and swapped from lever-locks to twist-collars.

This can only be good for stability but the fact remains that a tripod weighing barely more than one kilo with pencil thin legs (bottom section 11mm) is going to struggle with anything more than a light load in good conditions - regardless of brand or price. Other than that, Manfrotto makes some very good tripods though the 190Go! is the smallest/lightest I'd recommend for serious use.

I do appreciate its not in the same league as a Traveler although I prefer the FLM model mentioned above to the Series 1 model I owned (too short)
Sometimes anything to get a bit of stability is welcome especially in dark buildings, even more so for those of us shaky of hand
Experimented with a Gitzo Carbon Monopod, that was better than nothing, but the little tripod is worth another stop maybe two.

 

[HoppyUK]

I do appreciate its not in the same league as a Traveler although I prefer the FLM model mentioned above to the Series 1 model I owned (too short)
Sometimes anything to get a bit of stability is welcome especially in dark buildings, even more so for those of us shaky of hand
Experimented with a Gitzo Carbon Monopod, that was better than nothing, but the little tripod is worth another stop maybe two.

Horse for courses, and I guess we should all be a bit more specific with recommendations, myself included.

You can get away with a very modest tripod in benign situations, eg indoors with no wind, a shortish lens and mirror-lockup (or mirrorless!). But take the same tripod out on a breezy day, put a DSLR on it with say a 200mm lens, and things will change dramatically.

It's always instructive to mount a longish lens on a tripod, switch on live-view and zoom in to max magnification. Then just lightly tap one of the legs and watch the image dance around. Very few tripods will show no obvious movement, but just pull up the centre-column and try again. Then it will.

 

[Jelster]

I have a lightweight CF Gitzo, bought on here 2nd hand. Absolutely brilliant, goes almost everywhere with me unless I'm using a big long lens. I think I paid £250, but list was about £400 I think....

 

[tijuana taxi]

Horse for courses, and I guess we should all be a bit more specific with recommendations, myself included.

You can get away with a very modest tripod in benign situations, eg indoors with no wind, a shortish lens and mirror-lockup (or mirrorless!). But take the same tripod out on a breezy day, put a DSLR on it with say a 200mm lens, and things will change dramatically.

It's always instructive to mount a longish lens on a tripod, switch on live-view and zoom in to max magnification. Then just lightly tap one of the legs and watch the image dance around. Very few tripods will show no obvious movement, but just pull up the centre-column and try again. Then it will.

Think we do all sometimes expect too much from less than perfect gear choices, more times than not its all about compromise.
That old adage about the best camera is the one you have with you rings true and applies to a tripod for me.

In the car I have a Manfrotto 055 Pro and an Arca Swiss Z1, totally overkill for a mirrorless set up and wouldn't want to lug it far
Total cost was a very fortunate less than 75 quid, so its left in there for when I might want it. Pretty similar with the little Befree in my rucksack, didn't cost a fortune and sometimes saves the day.

 

[tijuana taxi]

I have a lightweight CF Gitzo, bought on here 2nd hand. Absolutely brilliant, goes almost everywhere with me unless I'm using a big long lens. I think I paid £250, but list was about £400 I think....

That would be my old one Steve, great little tripod, but it was just too short for me without the centre column.
Glad to hear its still getting used, went a good few places with me too

 

[Jelster]

That would be my old one Steve, great little tripod, but it was just too short for me without the centre column.
Glad to hear its still getting used, went a good few places with me too

Well it's done the Isle of Mull, Thailand and a few places in between!

What's more, now I've gone totally Fuji, it's even better...