Tripod for Fuji X-T1

[nielsgaastra]

Did you buy a Joby ballhead or did you get one from a different company? And which GP model do you have? What camera do you use it with?

I bought the Joby ballhead and use it with the GP SLR Zoom. I use it with the X-T10 with the XF18-55 or Samyang 12 mounted. I didn't try any other ballheads before so can't tell you the difference.

[milandro]

You can indeed wrap the gorillapod around things like a lamppost, a tree, a bridge and even yourself, however I see any and all of this as an emergency solution and not as something that, given any choice, it would be my first choice when needing a tripod for a camera.

 

I have the distinct feeling that although one can use it with a camera weighing 6-700gr. these things were certainly made and thought for the omnipresent action-video-cameras such as Go-PRO.

 

I don’t know if anyone would dare entrusting his expensive and heavy camera+ lens  ( I am thinking X-Pro 2 and a 90mm or 100-400mm) on a windy day, but I suppose I wouldn’t.

 

Call this prejudice!

 

I own one medium sized one ( not the smallest of the family) and I have upgraded the ballhead making use of a modified ( with arca plate) Linhof ballhead.

 

I will certainly take it with me on my next trip abroad where taking a full size, even if relatively small and light, tripod like my Manfrotto would result in no use at all.

Edited February 28, 2016 by milandro

[deva]

I like my Gorilla Pod...

 

It has definitely been worth the cost. I do lots of photography of small things and sometimes in small places. There have been situations where nothing else worked. 

 

I would not buy it in place of my regular tripod... which I use more often. I was shooting paintings for someones portfolio last week and for that I want a full size tripod where I can comfortably stand and look through the viewfinder. 

 

For wandering around the city, I hardly take a tripod anymore. With the high iso performance and OIS these days, I can almost always find a creative way to hold the camera still if needed in the ever decreasing situations it is required. These days it is only if I have a specific mission that I know the tripod would be useful that I take it.

[Guest Ridgeback]

I bought the Joby ballhead and use it with the GP SLR Zoom. I use it with the X-T10 with the XF18-55 or Samyang 12 mounted. I didn't try any other ballheads before so can't tell you the difference.

 

That is the combo i have been mulling over to use with any of my cameras really, except the Rollei, but milandro's words kind of ring like a warning in my ears.

Since I am very happy with my MeFoto Road Trip maybe I should have a closer look at their day trip for a mini go-anywhere tripod.

[Vidalgo]

There is one tripod from Horusbennu (sorry, don't remember it's number) which is regular traveller tripod, but all 3 legs can be unscrewed and replaced by short legs (included in kit), so it became to be small table-top sized.

[JarredSpec]

I use the MeFoto A0350Q0 Backpacker. Does the job

[persco]

I have owned the MeFoto Backpacker for a few months now and it's really compact - 12.7" and just over 2 lbs. I considered the RRS TQC-14, but it's $1000+ CAD, and it's still quite bulky at 17" folded up. I don't like the ballhead on the MeFoto, though. So I just ordered a RRS BH-30 for it. I think this will be a fairly stable, compact combo.

[caroline]

I've got a Giottos (vitruvian kind) but last year I was looking for a small tripod I could put in my shoulder bag, so I bought the Gorillapod with the ballhead and I'm happy with it. It's not amazing either (I wouldn't use it with my 50-140mm, but it's okay for my X100T or X-T1+14mm/18-55mm). It was cheap, light, and easy to find in shops in Belgium.

 

It depends on the maximum size and weight you're looking for, your budget, and which lenses you're going to use with it. The MeFoto build quality looks great and more reliable, but also more expensive... I think if I had to buy one again (with a higher budget), I would go for MeFoto daytrip.

[danwells]

Assembling a carefully researched travel tripod - this is a fairly high-end set of pieces, but light and sturdy. I thought about the RRS legs, but they are much longer when packed, because they don't reverse fold,

Legs: Gitzo G1545T (2.3 lb - a little lighter with the center column removed)

Head: Arca-Swiss p0 inverted ballhead (10 ozs.)

Quick release: RRS lever action (5.3 ozs).

I have never seen a serious tripod under 3 lbs, and this one is right at that figure. Anything under is either a "shorty" or has serious compromises in stability.

 

It is possible to save a LOT of money by substituting a Chinese Gitzo clone leg set for the real Gitzo I'm using (even with a 10% educational discount and the current $80 mail-in rebate, that is still a $600 leg set, and similar legs from Feisol, Benro or Sirui would be half the price). The difference  is mainly in the details - Gitzo (and probably RRS - I've never used their legs) locks open and close really solidly, in about 1/4 turn. The clones are more like a full turn to open, and the legs rotate as you're messing with the locks. Gitzo legs are also a lot sturdier than any clone of similar weight - Gitzo and RRS use a higher grade of carbon fiber, which allows wider, but thinner-walled legs for the same weight. Gitzo's quality is certainly better than any fake Gitzo, but you pay for it... Are they overpriced? Probably that, too... I don't know if there are patents preventing one of the cloners from producing a very high grade tripod for a price in between their usual range and Gitzo's prices. It's also possible that the top-grade materials really ARE that expensive, and that the comparatively shoddy details on the clones are the only way to get the prices down. It could also be a combination (locks patented, high grade carbon fiber really expensive)?

 

The Arca head is also expensive, but it's a unique design. A conventional ballhead would certainly be cheaper, although not from Arca, RRS, Markins or another well-known maker. There are some higher grade clone heads in the $200 range that are really nice, but you can't get the inverted design of the p0 from any clone. It turns out that buying the Arca head with no quick release and adding the RRS quick release is actually slightly cheaper than getting the head with Arca's quick release system, plus it's guaranteed compatible with RRS plates... The head and quick release are still on the way, so I'll let you know whether I ordered the right one!

 

No Fuji system should need more than a Gitzo or RRS Series 1 tripod (there is some argument for one size heavier in some of the less sturdy brands, especially with the longest couple of lenses). I own the 100-400, and that is certainly the lens that causes questions if any of them do. I decided on the Series 1, remembering that that particular lens both has spectacular image stabilization and is unlikely to be used with the head fully locked - it's going to be following wildlife, which means not locked down and with the OIS on (the only time you turn off stabilization on a tripod is with the head locked).

Edited March 9, 2016 by danwells

[Guest thiswayup]

You can indeed wrap the gorillapod around things like a lamppost, a tree, a bridge and even yourself, however I see any and all of this as an emergency solution and not as something that, given any choice, it would be my first choice when needing a tripod for a camera.

 

I have the distinct feeling that although one can use it with a camera weighing 6-700gr. these things were certainly made and thought for the omnipresent action-video-cameras such as Go-PRO.

 

 

There are about 14 different Joby models. So yes and no - you were using the wrong one. (Unless you were doing something really weird - but I can't imagine how anyone could so mis-use one of the heavy duty Joby's enough to get the impression it's meant for action cams and you seem much too sensible to do such a thing!)

 

That said, you should never believe a tripod maker's spec and always go a model or two up. For a X camera with a medium size lens you should buy a Joby Dslr-Zoom or Joby Focus. The Focus is rated to 5kg, which means that I'd trust it to be reasonably vibration free and untroublesome to about 2kg. They do work even for dslrs - just check the Amazon reviews.  I wouldn't buy a Joby head because generic arca compatible ones available on ebay are cheaper and really nice now.

Edited March 22, 2016 by thiswayup

[Guest thiswayup]

The Arca head is also expensive, but it's a unique design. A conventional ballhead would certainly be cheaper, although not from Arca, RRS, Markins or another well-known maker. There are some higher grade clone heads in the $200 range that are really nice, but you can't get the inverted design of the p0 from any clone. It turns out that buying the Arca head with no quick release and adding the RRS quick release is actually slightly cheaper than getting the head with Arca's quick release system, plus it's guaranteed compatible with RRS plates... The head and quick release are still on the way, so I'll let you know whether I ordered the right one!

 

No Fuji system should need more than a Gitzo or RRS Series 1 tripod (there is some argument for one size heavier in some of the less sturdy brands, especially with the longest couple of lenses). I own the 100-400, and that is certainly the lens that causes questions if any of them do. I decided on the Series 1, remembering that that particular lens both has spectacular image stabilization and is unlikely to be used with the head fully locked - it's going to be following wildlife, which means not locked down and with the OIS on (the only time you turn off stabilization on a tripod is with the head locked).

 

There are some really nice arca clones for less than $50. I have one. It's stable, easy to use, and I've tested it for toughness. Probably the same as this one:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Camera-Swivel-Tripod-Ball-Head-Adapter-Mount-w-Arca-Swiss-Quick-Release-Plate-/252088046632?hash=item3ab19e5428:g:d~sAAOSwp5JWUA0B

 

..There's no reason for an adequate ball head rated to hold the weight of a mirrorless camera to be especially expensive, any more than there is for a Fuji camera grip to cost +$100 or a Leica branded lens hood to be $250. There's honestly less engineering in one than a bicycle chain.

Edited March 22, 2016 by thiswayup

[Morgo]

I have owned the MeFoto Backpacker for a few months now and it's really compact - 12.7" and just over 2 lbs. I considered the RRS TQC-14, but it's $1000+ CAD, and it's still quite bulky at 17" folded up. I don't like the ballhead on the MeFoto, though. So I just ordered a RRS BH-30 for it. I think this will be a fairly stable, compact combo.

 

Keen to hear how you like the backpacker with the BH-30? I'm torn between the RRS TQC14, TVC-24, Sirui 1205X and,Mefoto backpacker for its size.

[Fred G. Unn]

I recently purchased the carbon MeFoto RoadTrip and really love it so far, especially compared to the heavy Manfrotto I used to lug around for my Canon setup. I got mine for $260 from "xtreme micro" on eBay. I'm not sure how he's selling at that price, but it's legit and a great tripod for only $60 more than the aluminum version. No affiliation with the seller, but here's the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/400901106186

[milandro]

Well, the seller that you are suggesting is in Hong Kong ... which explains the difference in price since there are no sales taxes there as any US shop has to pay.

 

In the US private buyers are not normally charged taxes when buying items abroad ( companies sometimes are ).

 

However if anyone in the EU would buy from HK ( or outside the EU for that matter) any item costing more than €20 they would be hit with a minimum of 18% to a maximum of 25% VAT + the mysterious “ handling through customs” fee which is charged by courier or postal services.

[Lumens]

I use a Sirui travel tripod. but keep a larger full size Manfrotto tripod as well.  The Sirui is perfect for most everything I do, but when it comes to full height Landscapes or Night Photography I do want something more stable.  The Sirui is light as a feather so I can carry it with me without loading myself down with heavy equipment.  It works extremely well for most Close-Up/Macro in the outdoors.  I carry it anywhere I go when hiking outdoors with my camera.

[Fred G. Unn]

Well, the seller that you are suggesting is in Hong Kong ... which explains the difference in price since there are no sales taxes there as any US shop has to pay.

 

In the US private buyers are not normally charged taxes when buying items abroad ( companies sometimes are ).

 

However if anyone in the EU would buy from HK ( or outside the EU for that matter) any item costing more than €20 they would be hit with a minimum of 18% to a maximum of 25% VAT + the mysterious “ handling through customs” fee which is charged by courier or postal services.

 

I bought one from that seller. It shipped China Post without any customs fees. Any customs charge for US buyers on that wouldn't be an issue anyway since the new rules went into effect on March 10, and the new personal daily amount is $800. Here's the relevant statue:

 

"The general de minimis aggregate fair retail value in the country of shipment of duty-free articles imported by one person on one day increases from $200 to $800."

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1907

 

Some foreign retailers have been heavily advertising this change on their sites. Check out the homepage of Henry's in Canada for example: http://www.henrys.com/Default.aspx

 

As you mentioned EU buyers might get hit though.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Fred G. Unn

[milandro]

Unfortunately we do get hit, left, center and right, all the time.

 

Anything more than €20 gets the VAT ( value added tax ) this is not an import tax. 

 

They also do spot checks at the airport when you come back from a trip abroad.