Finally pulling the trigger and venturing out to Iceland for ten days in October.
I'm thinking the occasion calls for a tripod update - my current one is essentially broken.
Can anyone recommend a good one? Here are some of the things I like in a tripod/head:
-lightweight and can collapse compact (enough to fit in a roller suitcase)
-sturdy enough for long exposure landscapes
-a head that is easy to manoeuvre - my current one can rotate in all directions with the twist of a single knob. I don't like tripod heads that require you to fiddle with a bunch of knobs to swivel each axis separately.
-snap locks are cooler than the screw kinds
-maybe one of those new carbon fibre materials?
Budget really isn't an issue, as long as the higher price is warranted by an actual improvement in terms of features/quality
For travel, I'm using this one. While it looks to be 2x the weight of the Sirui, that weight includes the included ball head. I am pretty happy with the MeFOTO, but I am not using the ball head, so frankly I'm sure I'd also like the Sirui, which seems to be a really nice, light travel tripod. One feature I do really like about the MeFOTO is the included spiked feet.
Lastly, those fandangled Gitzo units - super expensive, but does anyone have experience with exactly how good they are?
Are they worth it? I am looking at the specs, and the Sirui seems more or less the same if not better (smaller, lower to the ground min height, etc...)....
I'd guess that the included ball head on the Gitzo is about a $200 value, perhaps a bit more. That still leaves a $700 tripod. Is it $475 better than the Sirui? IMO, no way. I think you are paying quite a bit for the name. Not saying that there might not be added value in the Gitzo, but IMO not *that* much added value...
The only nitpick is that fully extended is not as sturdy as I wished (not sure how the other brands are) but I don't care much. I do hike and when I take it i usually don't extended fully.
