Tripods for holidays or not ?

Sootchucker

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Andrew
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Just wondering what the general feeling was here guys. We've just booked a 2 weeks holiday for July, which will involve visiting some nice Greek areas (Athens, Santorini, Crete, etc).

Whilst it's first and foremost a holiday with the wife, I obviously won't be able to resist taking a camera and (hopefully) getting some nice images. I've decided to not take my DSLR's but instead will take my new (and fantastic) Panasonic GX7 with the 14-140 F3.5-5.6 OIS lens and the Olympus 9-18mm (so I'll be covered for effective 18mm-280mm - in a 2 lens package).

I've been considering taking some sort of support for sunsets and vistas etc, and so I've been looking at the small Hama travel tripods on Wex. Although very light and small, they will be (probably) for the price not brilliant in the quality stakes ? I was thinking it could do nicely for a light M4/3 camera and lens and at around £35.00 won't break the bank (even if I only use it once a year on holidays) ?

Obviously I'm not expecting it to approach the quality of something like the Giottos Vitruvian series (but then they are nowhere near the price). Or would I be better looking at something like a Job Gorillapod SLR Zoom, which can easily be thrown into a small backpack and then (hopefully) perched on a wall or clamped around a branch or something - or perhaps nothing at all ?

Thoughts please ?
 
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Hi Andrew, I bought a Hama traveller from Amazon and it's small enough to take in your suitcase, and doesn't weigh much at all. I only used it a couple of times as I had the wife and kids with me, but it was great for early mornings and sunsets. It held by X-E1 and 18-55 or 14mm without any shake at all. I did a few shots with a 10 stopper and had no issues with wobble. For me, its cheap enough to sling in the case and use if the opportunity arises.
 
Just back from 10 days in Tenerife with my wife and baby. There was hardly a day i didn't use the tripod. I got up most mornings before 6am and went somewhere for sunrise in the hire car or climbed a couple of hills nearby. i also climbed Mount Teide and used it a pile of times for stars, sunrise, panos etc. Would have been lost without it, suppose it depends on what you intend doing though.
 
I have a Giottos Vitruvian CF tripod but tend to take a Gorillpod SLR Zoom and a Pod (beanbag with a tripod screw) since they take up less room. The only time the supports get used is for longer exposures after dark, the rest of the time handheld is enough (I'm talking about my holiday photography which is almost exclusively Crete.)
 
I use a Gorillapod and just twist it round my camera bag. It then also makes it a little more difficult for people to lift anything out of it in crowded areas. Including myself, as well.

The only issue I had was one of the pods popped off. I rapidly reattached it and it seems fine again.
 
Lightweight cheepo walking stick Bipod from 7dayshop, limp getting onto the plane, folds up for storage, off camera lead £5 from H/K, lean against a wall, door frame, fence, rolled up towel with the lead has done the trick for me on lots of occasions,
Jim
 
jerry12953 said:
The Ms. might have opinions on this sort of thing.....

What does she think?
Click to expand...

If she is taking more than three pairs of shoes (probable if she's like any females I know) then she will be in no position to comment!

I've been considering taking some sort of support for sunsets and vistas etc, and so I've been looking at the small Hama travel tripods on Wex. Although very light and small, they will be (probably) for the price not brilliant in the quality stakes ? I was thinking it could do nicely for a light M4/3 camera and lens and at around £35.00 won't break the bank (even if I only use it once a year on holidays) ?
Click to expand...

I've just got back from holiday yesterday and would have been lost without my Manfrotto MKC3-H01. Pretty much every holiday I get a fair bit of use from the tripod, be it sunset or night shots, star trails etc.

I had a Hama travel tripod last year, preferred the legs and feet to my Manfrotto, but the tripod head itself died fairly quickly, the head just completely went, it is now impossible to secure into position. Rather than get a new head, I went for the Manfrotto, which so far has held up travelling well. Fits nicely in my suitcase, and straps to the side of my lowepro.

Provides a nice solid base for such a light tripod too, was doing exposures of 100 seconds plus with no issues.

Gorillapod type things are good, but I'd only ever use one in addition to a proper tripod, not instead of one. Both have had their advantages, but neither can replace the other.
 
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