Simon Uribe-Convers , Jun 05, 2014; I'll be on a 7 month backpacking trip through Asia (Japan, Philippines, South East Asia, India, Sri Lanka) soon and I'm looking for a light, compact, and robust tripod. I'll be doing all sorts of photography, including night, low light, sunrise/sunsets etc., where a tripod is really a must. /c/product/680973-REG/Joby_GP8_BHEN_Gorillapod_Focus_Ballhead_X_Bundle.html) thinking it would be great because of its weight (1.68 lb including the head) and it's compactness (~15''). It supports my Canon 6D and a Canon 100-400mm like a champ, but recently during a trip through the Pacific Northwest I noticed that I'll might need something a bit higher than the max 15'' of the Gorillapod (great for low ground shots though!).These are 1.65 and 1.7 lb respectively, compact to 20'' and 18'', support the same weight, and are pretty much the same price. /c/product/720698-REG/Slik_611_615_Pro_624_4_Section_Carbon.html), which is the same weight (1.8lb) but compacts to 14'', and get really low 3.5''!

I'll use the Focus Ballhead X with any of these tripods. Do you guys have any insights about these tripods at all? Is there something I'm missing that makes one of these better than the other? Should I even get another tripod or will the Gorillapod be enough? Thanks for any comments on this in advance! Jos van Eekelen , Jun 05, 2014; I think that I'd stick to the Gorillapod for a backpacking trip - or no tripod at all. That being said, I use a Feisol CT 3441 + CB-40D ballhead when I want to bring a compact, lightweight tripod. I'm quite pleased with it's performance. I backpacked through Asia once already for 10 months or so and after some months I ended up leaving my tripod behind. It was useful for panorama pictures in the Himalayas but didn't use it much more than that. However, I'm a bit more experienced now and I think I'll be able to take more advantage of a tripod now (time lapses, star trailing...) and that's why I'm wrecking my brain with this issue. The Gorillapod is definitively a good option except for its very low height, which would be less than ideal for taking pictures of myself or for when having a couple of extra inches would make it a better shot.

Dieter Schaefer , Jun 05, 2014; Have a look at the MeFoto and 3 legged thing offerings - I consider the Oben and Slik tripods you have linked too a bit undersized for a 6D with 100-400 lens. backpack rabbit urban dictionaryAlso look at Feisol and Induro. gebruikte backpack rugzakAnd for a light-weight ballhead, Acratech is the way to go. samsonite guardit laptop backpack mediumI know that every ounce counts when backpacking - but consider an L-bracket for your 6D nonetheless. obey commuter black & grey laptop backpackYou don't give a budget - but if you are serious about a good tripod setup, figure that it'll cost around $1000 (that's the legs, head, bracket for the camera and Arca-Swiss plate for the 100-400).backpack yang dipakai artis korea

Thanks Dieter, unfortunately I do have a budget and it's $250 for only the legs. The MeFoto series looks great but they are a little bit heavier than what I'd like to carry (3.6lb - 4.6lb). my backpack wc3The one lighter that they have MeFoto Backpacker (2.6 lb) has the center column extended all the time and I don't know if I want that. laptop backpack asus g75The other brands are outside my budget. I'll think a bit more about the last one MeFoto Backpacker though. Thanks for the comments! Dieter Schaefer , Jun 06, 2014; 2.2lbs for this one: http://www.naturescapes.net/store/sirui-t-1005x-5-section-aluminum-tripod.html - it's not carbon fiber though. The carbon fiber version doesn't save that much weight though: (link)Kent Staubus , Jun 06, 2014; I've been using a Benro Travel Angel A-269. It's very compact but not lighweight.

There is a carbon fiber version and you would likely get away with the lighter duty one, the C169. Kent in SDAndy L , Jun 08, 2014; Do yourself a favor and get a carbon fiber MeFoto. With a DSLR and a 100-400mm lens, one of those tiny tripods with rated capacity under 10 pounds is not going to cut it.Steven Quan , Jun 13, 2014; Simon, you didn't say where you were headed off to first on your trip. If your first destination is Japan, I would recommend shopping there. I don't know where you live now, or if you've been Japan before, but the selection of camera gear there is unparalleled. Go to Yodobashi Camera, Labi, or any camera store and you will have an insane selection of tripods from all sorts of price ranges and features. There are no stores in the U.S. that offer an equivalent to the giant Japanese Camera stores. I was in Japan for 2 weeks. The majority of those 2 weeks were spent not sight seeing, but shopping inside Yodobashi Camera store. I went to the one in Kyoto, and 2 in Tokyo (Shinjuku and Akihabara).

The flagship store in Akihabara is too large. It's divided up into multiple buildings along several blocks. I saw photo gear that I've never seen anywhere else. Majority of the tripods I saw were commonly available in stores or online, but you never know. You might find a gem. Their prices are competitive, you won't be overpaying. For me personally, I would get the MeFoto Daytrip tripod: (link) It only extends to maximum 24" but it only weighs 1.8lbs and only cost $119. 7 months is a very long time to be trekking. I would not want to lug around anything of significant weight. I'm not a fan of the gorilla pod. I do have a camera clip that I keep attached at all time just in case I need a tripod in a pinch. Manfrotto makes one ($27) but there are other clips that may be more robust. I would check them out because they are inexpensive, and I've been able to get useable shots out of mine. It's great to have the flexibility of a tripod permanently mounted on the bottom of your camera.