Am interested in a really lite, carbon tripod with a ball head. I'm heading towards the SLIK PRO 613 CF. Weighs 1.5 lbs and folds down to 16.3 inches. Will use it with my Canon 30D. Any recommendations as to a liteweight ballhead. I do have an Arca1 for a heavier tripod but it weighs as much as the SLIK.
Thanks for any input.
Marty
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Marty,
You are asking tough questions. There is no absolute answer, though many will claim religious certainty. The problem is that really light tripods are as a general rule less stable than heavier tripods. And if you want really light, stable AND cheap, there ain't no such thing. If you can afford it without a second thought, select a Gitzo tripod that meets your weight requirements. If you are watching every penny and you want to limit your purchase to ~ $100, I say save your money. The middle ground is where it is tough to make a decision.
About 18 months ago, I was in the market for a tripod that was light enough for hiking, but stable. I had previously bought a Velbon Maxi for this purpose. The integrated pan/tilt head could not hold my dSLR; it always drooped; the whole thing was unstable; one day, for no obvious reason, a leg broke. That was the end of that, the $100 tripod. So, I started studying and searching the web. I found articles that said buying anything but a Gitzo was a waste of money. I learned that quick release plates made for a particular camera model were required to ensure secure mounting to the tripod head. If you just mount the camera by a single screw, it will tend to rotate around the screw and longer lens provide more torque. To make a log story shorter, I ended up taking a chance on a Feisol 3401 tripod that is more or less a knock-off of a Gitzo. I don't regret this at all (~$200 and ~ 2 lb). To that I added an Acratech Ultimate ball head (~ $250. and ~ 1 lb) with quick release mounting plates for my D60. I have used this setup in mud, rivers, sand, heat, cold, etc. I've had no problems. Notice that the 3401 has 4 leg sections. That provides a trade off between ultimate stability and size. The 3401 closes to ~ 20 in. and thus fits in a standard suitcase for air travel with the head mounted. Fully extended, it is also high enough to use without raising the center column and I am 6' 1" tall. In the interim, there has been gowing acceptance of the Feisol as a lower price alternative to the Gitzo. Of course there are a lot of other alternatives, but my requirements for low weight, stability and cost led to my decision.
I hope this discussion helps.
