naviquan

Benro C-268M8 with
head B-1. All Benro's
series C-x68M8 and
C-x69M8 have
similar design

Gitzo GT-
Traveler 6X folded
and G-1177M head

Selecting a tripod for traveling may be not an easy thing to do especially if it is your first one of the kind. By my estimate, there more than 600 models from more than 20 manufacturers of tripods. Doing your homework before purchasing one can be a daunting task. There are many parameters you may want to take into account when making a decision. Obviously they include weight and folded size, but you may also want to take into account your photographic equipment (which may have an impact on maximum load supported by a tripod), your typical destinations and subjects (wilderness, cities, indoor and outdoor photography) and your preferable photographic styles and techniques.

One of the problems with selecting a particular tripod is the lack of a convenient way to do side-by-side comparison of models available. This article may help you narrow your choice from hundreds of tripods in the market to just several. The way we do it is simple - first, by using two simple criteria, we have analyzed about 250 tripods usually sold by most retail outlets selling photographic equipment. This step resulted in a spreadsheet summarizing technical data for 30 tripods that we believe may the starting point for final analysis and perhaps an additional focused research based on a set of needs that are specific to your situation. In other words, this spreadsheet is the side-by-side comparison of 30 tripods preselected based on some assumptions.

These assumptions are: (1) maximum folded size should not be more more than 20 inches and (2) supported load should be at least 10 pounds. The rational behind both assumptions is obvious. First, while traveling you want to minimize the weight and folded size of your tripod - I think that the latter gives a good proxy for the weight as well. Second, if you are thinking about a tripod for traveling, you are a rather proficient photographer, and as such you are using a DSLR camera with interchangeable lens where the combination of both can be rather heavy. In addition, you may want a rather sturdy tripod that does not tremble like a leaf in the breeze or strong wind. Load capacity can approximate all related tripod qualities.

The choice of thresholds, 20" for folded length and 10 lbs for load capacity, is subjective and based on practical considerations. However, I think that if you look at our resulting side-by-side tripod chart, you will still find it as a good starting point if your needs are a bit different from these two criteria.

Velbon EL
Carmagne 640A

Gitzo GT-1540G
Mountaineer 6X

Before I leave you with our spreadsheet, I would like to point to some obvious results it gives. Look at the dark and pale green color - they denominate good things; also, look at dark and pale magenta cells - they mark poor characteristics of respective tripods. It is easy to see that most green cells belong to Benro and Gitzo tripods. In fact, I would like to mention that Gitzo GT-1550T Traveler 6X and Benro C-069M8 Travel Angel are absolute winners as as far as folded size and weight is concerned.

Gitzo GT-1550T Traveler 6X has 14 inches folded length, is only 2.2 lb weight and has a decent load capacity of 9.9 lbs. It is made of carbon fiber and has the price tag of 520 dollars - most of Gitzo tripods are very expensive. On the other hand, Benro C-069M8 Travel Angel has folded length of only 13.4", weight of 1.7 lb and load capacity of 13.2 lbs. As GT-1550T, it is made of carbon fiber but costs only $300.

Described technical data are not the only one to consider. A lot depends on the quality of production, sturdiness and convenience in use. Unfortunately, to achieve these spectacular characteristics, both tripods use leg design with five (5) sections vs. four section with most of other tripods. In all other respects that cannot be quantified, although there differences in design approaches, both tripods are excellent.

Note that prices in the spreadsheet are for tripod legs only. One thing to consider here is the head load capacity. It's not unusual for stores to bundle legs with heads that do not match (heads supporting lower load); so, be careful. For Gitzo GT-1550T, a recommended ballhead is G-1177M Magnesium Ballhead 1 ($100). For Benro C-069M8 Travel Angel you may opt for Benro KS-0 Ballhead ($130) or Benro B-1 ($100) ballhead. In all three cases, heads have the same load capacity as the tripods.

If to choose between Gitzo GT-1550T and Benro C-069M8, I would prefer the latter because of its lower price and, hence, better price/value ration. Also, Benro offers several similar tripods with slightly different characteristics. I am talking about C-x69M8 and C-x68M8 series' of tripods. If you examine their parameters, you will see that it's possible actually to fine tune you choice to exactly what you need (C-369M8 and C-368M8 and above are not included in our chart since they exceed the original selection criteria).

Finally, to make sure that you do not miss it, take a look at Velborn EL Carmagne 640A. It's a rather bulky version of a compact tripod with its 17.7 inches of folded length and 3.2 lbs weight. However, if you need a very stable high tripod that can support a substantial load, Carmagne 640A may be your choice. With the price of $300, 25 lbs load, 61.4 inches max. height (it also has 2-section central column), upper section foam covering, exceptional stability and very good quality, it can be a heavy weight champion among compact tripods.

Side-by-Side Comparison of 30 Compact Tripods

Prices (2009) are for legs only

Manuf.

Name

Mater.

Max Height

Min Height

Folded Length

Load

Locks / # of section

Ind. Legs

Column Type

Spiked Feet

Mount Size

Weight

Features

Price

Benro

A-158n6

Alum.

58.9"(150 cm)

12.2"(31 cm)

19.5"(49 cm)

9.9 lb (4.5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

3.2 lb (1.4 kg)

What makes this tripod attractive is its price; otherwise, it's essentially an aluminum version of C-158n6

$100

Benro

C-158n6

Carbon Fiber

58.5" (149 cm)

12.8" (32 cm)

19.3" (49 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

3 lb (1.4 kg)

Spring loaded weight hook, foam leg grips; a compass and bubble level; Removable rubber and stainless steel spike feet.

$240

Benro

C-068M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

52.8" (134 cm)

14" (35 cm)

14" (35 cm)

13.2 lb (6 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

1.7 lb (0.8 kg)

C-068M8 to C-069M8 is what C-168M8 to C-169M8 and is what C-268M8 to C-269M8 (see below). The trade-off is between the number of leg section and folded size - decide what you like more.

$285

Benro

C-069M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

58" (147 cm)

13.4" (34 cm)

13. 4" (34 cm)

13.2 lb (6 kg)

Twist lock / 5

Yes

Slidin g

Yes

1/4"-2 0 & 3/8"

1.7 lb (0.8 kg)

The smallest in the series of C-x69M8 tripods. The result is a tripod with the smallest folding size among tripods of its class while still having a very decent load capacity. So, if you are after the size, this is your choice. Feature wise, it's the same as Travel Angel series (see below C-269M8)

$300

Benro

C-168M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

58.5" (148 cm)

14.8" (37 cm)

14. 8" (37 cm)

17. 6 lb (8 kg)

Twist lock/ / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

2.2 lb (1 kg)

C-168M8 to C-169M8 is what C-268M8 to C-269M8 (see below). The trade-off is between the number of leg section and folded size - decide what you like more.

$325

Benro

C-169M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

58.3" (148 cm)

14" (35 cm)

14" (35 cm)

17. 6 lb (8 kg)

Twist lock / 5

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

2.2 lb (1kg)

Lighter version of C-269M8. It's a very attractive tripod - still with decent 17.6 lb load capacity and even smaller folded size of 14".

$335

Benro

C-268M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

59.4" (151 cm)

16.1" (41 cm)

16. 1" (41 cm)

26. 4 lb (12 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

2.8 lb (1.3 kg)

Four-section leg version of C-269M8. I guess you should think in terms of $10 difference against convenience of having 4-section legs vs. 5-section legs in C-269M8

$370

Benro

C-269M8 Travel Angel

Carbon Fiber

61" (155 cm)

15" (38 cm)

15" (38 cm)

26. 4 lb (12 kg)

Twist lock / 5

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

2.7 lb (1.2kg)

Spring loaded weight hook; 180° folding mechanism; removable rubber and stainless steel spike feet; magnesium die-casting. Those who are interested in tripods for serious travel photography, should take a closer look to it dou to its high load capacity, very light weight and small folding size

$380

Giottos

GB-1148 Pro Lava

Basalt

48. 6" (123.4 cm)

15.6" (40 cm)

17" (43 cm)

9 lb (4kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-20 to 3/8"

2.4 lb (1.1kg)

Non-slip foam for upper leg sections; retractable hook. Not very stable.

$135

Giottos

MT-7240 Classic Lava

Basalt

25. 2" (64.0 cm)

9.3" (24 cm)

14. 2" (36 cm)

11 lb (5kg)

Twist lock / 2

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-20 to 3/8"

1.7 lb (0.8kg)

This tripod has very low height that make it suitable only in special cases even if it have very small folded size

$155

Giottos

MT-8250 MT II Classic

Carbon Fiber

59.8" (152 cm)

7.5" (19 cm)

20.5" (52 cm)

15 lb (6.8 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-20 to 3/8"

3.1 lb (1.4 kg)

Non-slip foam for upper leg sections; retractable hook. Note that this tripod can support some decent load; however, it's far from being a small one among tripods if its class

$310

Giottos

MT-8340

Carbon Fiber

55.1" (140 cm)

7" (18 cm)

19.3" (49 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 to 3/8"

2.9 lb (1.3 kg)

The set of features is the same as on other Giottos; this tripod is a solid peformer, but there is nothing special about it.

$310

Giottos

MT-8350

Carbon Fiber

59.8" (152 cm)

7.9" (20 cm)

20.1" (51 cm)

15 lb (6.8 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 to 3/8"

4 lb (1.8 kg)

Slightly bigger version of MT-8340

$350

Gitzo

GT-0541 Mountaineer 6X

Carbon Fiber

55.9" (142 cm)

9.8" (25 cm)

18.9" (48 cm)

11 lb (5kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-20 & 3/8"-16

1.7 lb (0.8 kg)

Anti-Rotation Leg (ALR) system; G-Lock Design; ground-level set; slef-locking spring-loaded retractable hook; rapid center column, with locking collar. One of the lightest tripods of its class.

$420

Gitzo

GT-1540G Mountaineer 6X

Carbon Fiber

58.7" (149 cm)

11.4" (29 cm)

20.5" (52 cm)

17. 6 lb (8 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Geared

No

1/4"-20 & 3/8"-16

2.7 lb (1.2 kg)

Similar to GT-0541

$660

Gitzo

GT-1541T Traveler 6X

Carbon Fiber

52.8" (134 cm)

6.9" (17 cm)

16. 1" (41 cm)

17. 6 lb (8kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-20 & 3/8"-16

2.1 lb (1 kg)

Feature set is similar to GT-0541. However, its exceptionally low weight and folded size make it very popular among photographers who travel despite its high price. Perhaps the only minus is that it may not be stable enough for low light photography that require long exposures

$520

Gitzo

GT-1550T Traveler 6X

Carbon Fiber

57.5" (146 cm)

8.7" (22 cm)

14" (35 cm)

9.9 lb (4.5 kg)

Twist lock / 5

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-2 0 & 3/8"-16

2.2 lb (1 kg)

Featur e set is similar to GT-0541. But what makes this tripod unique is its very high price and the smallest folded size for tripods of this class

$600

Gitzo

GT2940C Compact Basalt

Basalt

44. 5" (113 cm)

6.3" (16 cm)

17.3" (44 cm)

22 lb (10kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

1/4"-20 & 3/8"-16

3.2 lb (1.5 kg)

Feature set is similar to GT-0541.

$450

Induro

A114 Alloy 6M A-Series

Alum.

59.3" (151 cm)

12.8" (32 cm)

18.9" (48 cm)

9.9 lb (4.5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

3/8" & 1/4"-20

3.6 lb (1.6 kg)

Retractable spring-loaded hook

$120

Induro

AX114 Alloyflex 6M AX-Series

Alum.

58.8" (150 cm)

15.9" (40 cm)

19.6" (50 cm)

9.9 lb (4.5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

3/8" & 1/4"-20

4.2 lb (1.9 kg)

Advanced center column that canconvert into a lateral arm with 360° horizontal and 180° vertical angle adjustment; column can be locked with knobs making it ideal for nature, flat arts and micro photography

$160

Induro

C114 Carbon 8X C-Series

Carbon Fiber

58.5" (148.6 cm)

12.8" (32 cm)

19.3" (49 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

3/8" & 1/4"-20

2.9 lb (1.3 kg)

Removable rubber and stainless steel spike; retractable spring-loaded hook; foam leg grips; bubble level

$330

Induro

C214 Carbon 8X C-Series

Carbon Fiber

61. 8" (157 cm)

13.1" (33 cm)

20.4" (52 cm)

17. 6 lb (8 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

Yes

3/8" & 1/4"-20

3.5 lb (1.6 kg)

Bigger version of C114 8X C-Series

$385

Linhof

Profi-Port II

Alum.

57.5" (146 cm)

16. 9" (43 cm)

16. 9" (43 cm)

9 lb (4 kg)

Thumb lock / 3

No

Sliding

Yes

1/4"-20 & 3/8"

4 lb (1.8 kg)

Rather unique thumb leg locks on legs inside, a center brace, retractable spiked feet, reversible 2-section sliding center column. Has some features that many other tripods do not have (for example, linked legs and center brace)

$470

Manfrotto

190CXPRO4

Carbon Fiber

57.5" (146 cm)

3.2 " (8 cm)

19.7" (50 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Flip lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

3/8"

2.9 lb (1.3 kg)

A greate choice of light and compact tripod for those who like Manfrotto by Bogen Imaging brand; 5-Year warranty; levelling bubble; 4 leg angle settings; center column with vertical or horizontal position

$325

Slik

Pro 340DX

Titanium Allow

54.3" (138 cm)

14.5" (37 cm)

15. 7" (40 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Flip lock / 4

Yes

Sliding

No

1/4"-20

2.9 lb (1.3 kg)

Foam leg protectors; lighter than aluminum tripods. Slik brand is considered mostly not as rigid or durable as other brands such as Induro and Benro

$90

Slik

Pro 714 CF-II

Carbon Fiber

60.2" (153 cm)

7.3" (18 cm)

18.1" (46 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

See comm ents

1/4-20"

3 lb (1.4 kg)

Very sturdy, yet lightweight. Utility hook on center column and stone apron; 2-section sliding center column. Foam covering on legs. Small spikes inside rubber pads. Slik brand is considered mostly not as rigid or durable as other brands such as Induro and Benro

$270

Slik

Pro 814 CF-II

Carbon Fiber

63. 6" (161 cm)

9.3" (23 cm)

19.1" (48 cm)

12 lb (5.5 kg)

Twist lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

See comm ents

3/8"-16 & 1/4"-20

3.5 lb (1.6 kg)

Slightly bigger version of Pro 714. Slik brand is considered mostly not as rigid or durable as other brands such as Induro and Benro

$300

Velbon

EL Carmagne 640A

Carbon Fiber

61. 4" (156 cm)

4.3" (11 cm)

17.7" (45 cm)

25 lb (11.3 kg)

Flip lock / 4

Yes

Rapid

No

1/4"-2 0 & 3/8"-16

3.2 lb (1.5 kg)

Very stable and solid; foam covered upper section; 2-section sliding center column. Very good compromise between price, features and quality

$300

Velbon

Sherpa 600RA

Alum.

62. 7" (159 cm)

7.2" (18 cm)

20.5" (52 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Flip lock / 3

Yes

Sliding

No

1/4"-20

3.3 lb (1.5 kg)

2-section sliding center column; somewhat cheap construction

$100

Velbon

Sherpa 750RA

Alum.

57" (145 cm)

6.3" (16 cm)

18" (46 cm)

11 lb (5 kg)

Flip lock / 4

Yes

Geared

No

1/4"-20

3.3 lb (1.5 kg)

2-section sliding center column; somewhat cheap construction

$110