Tripod and holidays

[luffk]

Anyone got any views on tripods and holidays. I currently don't own a tripod but I am looking at getting on (not a massively expensive one) but want to take it on holiday with my to NYC in June.

Really want to try and get a few evenings shot (specifically of the Brooklyn Bridge). I reckon I could probably get one stuffed in the suitcase (its the weight that bothers me) if I try hard enough or would you just recommend getting a cheap one whilst over there on the first day?

To be honest I wouldn't even be too bothered if I couldn't get it back home (if it was a cheap one). Any ideas or recomendations on how to go about this. A light one which folds up small would be ideal so I'm not lugging something stupid around NYC all day.

[Highlander]

Velbon Ultra Luxi F (or something like that) is supposed to be good. It's light and compact, whilst still being reasonable sturdy. I think puddleduck (amongst others) has one of these. They're not cheap though. Well they are, if you compare it to a Manfrotto!!

[luffk]

Seems to be widely different prices for that. One sit had it around £65 and another up to about £100. I'm only taking my DSLR and two lens so ain't taking a massive bag so I'm starting to wonder if it is feasible to actually take a tripod.

I honestly thought getting a dirt cheap one at the start of the holiday would be the best way to go. Having never been on a holiday with a tripod I'm stumped as to how to tackle it... Do I take it with me all over the shop or just come back to certain locations for my shots?

[Highlander]

I usually carry one of these (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006JAXB/thedvdforums-21) (Don't think it was anywhere near that price when I bought it!!). The idea being that I can clamp it to a bench or set it up ont top of a bin. However, I don't think I have ever used it!! Relying mostly leaning against walls and fences and using high ISO.

[luffk]

I just know if I don't take a tripod I'll end up regretting it.... Cheers for the advice.

[Matholwch]

Big vote for the Velbon Luxi F, taken it up mountains in North Wales, away on skiing trips even taken to New York, where I managed some pretty decent night shots of Manhattan.
Jessops sell it for £69.99, its a very good buy, well worth the money. To put it in context, I paid £220 for my 'proper' tripod setup, which weighs in excess of a kilo heavier, even though its carbon fibre.
The Luxi, folds up very neatly, weighs about a 1kg (or 1.2kg), its now my holiday or long hiking tripod of choice.

[luffk]

Sounds like thats my next buy then. New lens and tripod.... this is starting to turn expensive :)

[Dno]

That Velbon looks very promising for me too..

I'm in a similar position to the OP in that I'm off to Nepal in October to go treking through the moutains, and know nothing about tripods at all. I certainly don't want to be lugging a huge chunk of metal around with me.

[1966]

I've got a Velbon CX 440, which according to the Velbon site weighs 1.2kg (feels a lot more when it's been in your bag all day!), which is the same as the abovementioned Ultra Luxi F, but it's a lot cheaper. I think I paid £20 from Amazon.

If cost is not a problem though, a friend has a Gitzo GT1550T (http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails~productID~6780.html) which is lovely, but then it should be, it cost more than my camera!

[Matholwch]

I've got a Velron CX 440, which according to the Velbon site weighs 1.2kg (feels a lot more when it's been in your bag all day!), which is the same as the abovementioned Ultra Luxi F, but it's a lot cheaper. I think I paid £20 from Amazon.

If cost is not a problem though, a friend has a Gitzo G1155T (http://www.pictureline.com/products/12620/Gitzo_G1155T_Traveller_Tripod_5_Sec._Tripod/) which is lovely, but then it should be, it cost more than my camera!
But the Luxi is about half the size, very easy to carry around, and TBH I hardly notice the weight - alot is to do with something being awckward.

[1966]

Yeah I think you might be right there, I didn't realise the Luxi was so small. The 440 is pretty bulky, I'm always smacking people with it when I walk round with it strapped to the back of my bag :lol:

[daveb975]

It may be worth checking Jessops website for the Velbon Luxi F. I got it on there for £47 store pick up last month - I think they are about £70 normally.

When folded, I think that it is about the smallest full size tripod you can get for reasonable money. It comes with it's own shoulder bag, and I would feel happy taking it just about anywhere weight-wise.

I am sure you could get sturdier tripods when you start paying £100+, but they would also be bigger and heavier. I am not sure you would notice the difference anyway, unless you have got really heavy kit.

I could not detect a difference between the Velbon and a £110 Manfrotto that I tried with my 400D, 70-300IS lens and 430EX flash. I wish I had had it when I went to NYC in March!

[Highlander]

A cheap alternative (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-1751-2978-71/1?AID=5463217&PID=582776&mpre=http%3A//cgi.ebay.co.uk/Slik-500G-Aluminium-Tripod-Camera-Camcorder-Video_W0QQitemZ140114550757QQihZ004QQcategoryZ3325QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)? I have the 450G in a cupboard somewhere, that I used to use in my film camera days, but it has a broken head :(
It is not going to be as sturdy as the velbon, but is pretty much the same dimensions, and is a lot lighter.

[Dave B]

I have a Benbo 2 tripod, really light but costs around £130.

Dave

[t00thless]

dont forget you are going to NYC where everything is cheaper over there, so might be worth waiting till you get there to get a tripod as should be cheaper than here.

and personally yes i would take one, NYC is an amazing city and looks even better at night in my opion, i regreted not having one with me when i was over there the 2 time i have been, but i wasn't quite as clued up as i am now about photography.

[wilber]

I have the Luxi F & it's great.

What swung it for me was a web article by a pro who had a lightweight tripod for climbing - his argument was that is he didn't have that tripod, he'd rather have no tripod due to the weight. He got great results and claimed to have to problems over stablility even in hostile environments.

I have a big Manfrotto that never leaves home any more

[Dno]

Just to clarify, is there any difference between the Luxi F and the Ultra Luxi F?

[luffk]

Good question.... glad I spotted that as I'm on the verge of ordering.

[Highlander]

I *think* there is only a ULTRA luxi, and people just shorten it to luxi???
However, it looks like there are 2 ULTRA luxi models, an 'F' and and 'SF'. Looks like it's just the heads that are different???

http://www.velbon-tripod.com/ultra_maxi.htm

[Art Vanderlay]

Another vote for the Luxi.

Make sure you practice with it before you go. Took me a while before I realised how many leg extensions there were until I got the knack of getting them in and out easily.

Another option, though obviously not as good as a tripod, is something like a Pod - it is a bean bag that screws into the base of the camera. Very portable and cheap, but you need to have something to rest it on like a wall or a table

[Matholwch]

Another option, though obviously not as good as a tripod, is something like a Pod - it is a bean bag that screws into the base of the camera. Very portable and cheap, but you need to have something to rest it on like a wall or a table
Yup, got a Pod too, very useful - my cousin currently has mine (she's just come back from an 8 month stint around India). However, you may not find the benefits are as useful for self-protrait shots if you have a heavy lens on your camera.

[Fatbloke]

I'd wait and go to J&R (http://www.jr.com/templates/information/directions.tem) when you arrive if you don't think you'll have enough room to take one. They have loads there from cheap to mega-bucks.

One other thing to note, you cannot take a big tripod up onto the Empire State Building. I managed to get one up to the top of the Rockerfeller center (Top of the Rock (http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/)) but I was told by a security guard up there that they weren't allowed there either. Thankfully he gave me 5 minutes to finish what I was doing and put it away.
You should be fine on the bridges of course.

When I was in Florida a couple of years ago, I popped into WalMart to get a cheapie tripod. I liked it so much I made room in the case to bring it home :)

[Dno]

Is the Velbon Luxi F new or old?.. Their own website says it's new, but I've come across two UK sellers that both have it as 'discontinued' now. :?:

[snoopstah]

I've got the Velbon too - my photography friends are constantly impressed by how small and light it is, and that it can extend so far ( :n0rty: )

Downsides are that it's not as stable as some of the more 'industrially' built models, and the twist-release legs can be a pain (I managed to tighten one too much and nearly ripped the skin from my palms trying to undo it...)

It's about the closest you can get to a tripod that can go everywhere - I almost always carry it with me, whereas my mates don't take a tripod shot unless they're within 100 metres of the carpark :lol:

[luffk]

Sorry to bump this back to the top of the board but I bought myself a tripod today. Spent a bit more than I should have done in recent weeks (FA Cup final, a few evenings out etc) and so money is a bit tight ahead of my holiday.

I intend to buy a Velbon Luxi when I get back home but in the meantime I plumped for a cheap-ish 'SLIK Sprint Pro 3Way GM'. Had a play in the shop and whilst there plenty of other solid ones there it was still fairly light and at £40 it was the best price I could afford. I compared it to the Velbon and to be honest I couldn't 'feel' much difference. Its small enough for my needs and comes with a shoulder bag so hopefully it will not be too cumbersome.

I still liked the Velbon better when playing with it - felt slightly better built. However I knew I would kick myself if I decided to hold off and buy when I come back and go to NYC without one so I bought what I could afford. Even if its a bit too cumbersome I've got my baggage hand.... I mean my brother with me ;) Thanks for the advice guys its much appreciated and Velbon is on the cards for when I get back.

[puddleduck]

The Luxi, folds up very neatly, weighs about a 1kg (or 1.2kg), its now my holiday or long hiking tripod of choice.

Ditto - its a fantastic tripod and it allows me to do long exposures for water blur, or shoot for HDR - in places I would not be able or willing to carry a larger tripod.

Absolutely no issues with stability either - 30s exposures are no problem, and neither are 2 or 3 second exposures in fast flowing water. I've even shot wildlife with a huge Sigma 120-300 lens on, no problem.

[Dno]

I've been searching around for one for a couple of weeks now, and having seen a couple go on Ebay for £50 (used), the cheapest I can find online is:

https://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails~man~Velbon~productID~4072~categoryid~178.html

£59.99 Delivered.

Just ordered one myself.




..And here's a decent pic that better illustrates the size of the thing:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/deanos81/VelbonKeyboard.jpg

[still average joe]

Whats the chances of being allowed to carry on to a flight a full Lowepro computrecker and a Manfrotto 055pro?

[jec]

The bag should be fine. I've taken a Lowepro CompuDaypack on before without problem. I think most people pack the tripod into their hold luggage though.

[still average joe]

Yeh Ive carry on the bag a few times. Just not sure the tripod will fit in luggage.

[kez]

go to B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/) when you get there

[Dno]

I've just received my Velbon Luxi F from my link above.. Very speedy service. :thumbs:

[JCTurner]

I've finally given in and bought a monopod for taking on hols this year.

Bought a Giottos MM9170 & MH1003-310 Pro Mini Ball Head for £36.99 from Warehouseexpress (coudnt find a referral link etc so left it unlinked). Was in their clearance section.

I usually carry an old velbon tripod along with my Computrekker but stick it in my suitcase - never tried taking it as hand luggage. Will be doing the same with the Giotto.

Cheers

JC