I just got back from a 20 mile backpacking trip with my son in the Sierras. It was a nice trip but I’m getting to old to carry the weight I used to carry when I was younger. One way I think I could lighten my load is with a smaller tripod. My first tripod was an Aluminum Gitzo the G1350 Mk2 with a Kirk BH-1 ball head. It was a monster setup weighing in at about 9 pounds but it served its purpose for the large format 4x5. Then about 18 years ago I made a solo photo trip to west Africa and I wanted a lighter set up but one that could still handle the 4x5 and I bought a comparable sized Gitzo, the GT3540XLS which reduced my weight to 6 pounds total for the tripod and head.
Now that the 4x5 days are nearly gone, I mean once I can’t get film anymore, and I am mostly using the D850, I am looking for a lighter tripod and head. All the smaller Gitzo tripods come with a center column and neither of my other two have center columns and I have never missed it nor ever thought I needed one. I don’t need a Gitzo, as today many tripods are built using carbon fiber and are more than sturdy.
So I am looking for any recommendations for a smaller, less than 3 pounds for the tripod, preferrable with twist locks for the legs and no center column. I can find them on my own, but I have no idea which of them is good or not and was hoping the fellow photographers here on NPN will have had enough experience with other tripods that I can rely on.
Youssef, I recently replaced a Gitzo Traveler with an FLM CP30-L4 II tripod. The Traveler came with a center column, but I took it off and only rarely put it back on. The folded FLM is only 2 inches taller than the Gitzo and weighs 3.1 lbs, but it extends to 68 inches, so I can shoot without bending over. FLM makes a wide variety of tripods with different lengths, and weights so you should be able to find one that will work for you. In 3 months of use, I think it’s a nice improvement over the Gitzo. I’ve also owned and worn out a Feisol and a Sirui. Neither of those were as well built as the Gitso or the FLM.
I have been looking for a new tripod, too. Mark’s comment encouraged me to check out the FLM. I located a good review of the FLM C30-L4ii at Andrealivieriphoto.com. I have never heard of Andrea Livieri, but his review seems to echo Mark’s. I am now seriously considering it as a replacement.
I can echo the recommendation for FLM. I have the slightly larger model (CP-34) but I don’t do any lengthy hikes or backpacking. I’ve had it for about 2 years and have been very pleased.
I’ve been pretty happy with this Leofoto, the whole setup is 2.19 lbs and have found it to be sturdy enough for most situations. I’m using it with a Canon R5, so I’m not sure if it would be enough for the D850 since it’s a fair bit heavier. I also have the FLM travel and happy with that too, along with a Acratech GXP-SS, that would likely be a better setup for the D850, just a bit heavier.