Hi there! I’m Mark from a Shotkit, a site all about the camera equipment and photography.
Today we’ll be discussing a list of what I believe are the best travel tripods for Shaun, Sarah and all you awesome Norris Around Australia fans who want a steady shot on your next holiday.
Before we dive headfirst into the world of our 3-legged friends, you should ask yourself, do I really need to take a tripod on my next trip?!
In most situations, even if you need a steady shot (for a long exposure night shot, or for a selfie with your family etc), you’ll usually be able to find a level place to put your camera to achieve the same thing. Lugging a tripod around on holiday, even if it is one of the best travel tripods, isn’t my idea of fun!
Having said that, for those of you who really need a tripod in your dslr backpack, these are my picks of the 5 best travel tripods available this year.
Let me know in the comments what tripod you’re currently using!
- Joby GorillaPod Focus Flexible Tripod
Whilst every other tripod manufacturer concentrates on making lightweight tripods with rigid legs, Joby has been turning the rulebook upside down for years with this little gem of a tripod that was built to flex. Wrap the legs of the GorillaPod around anything you want to achieve that shot that a rigid leg tripod can only dream about!
The Joby GorillaPod Focus Flexible Tripod is available here.
- MeFOTO Aluminum Roadtrip Travel Tripod/Monopod
Multi-function should be the name of the game for all your travel gadgets, and the MeFOTO Aluminum Roadtrip achieves this with its neat ability to switch from a tripod to a monopod. Choose from fourteen colours (9 aluminium and 5 carbon fiber), then smile all the way through customs since the MeFoto weighs only 1.6kg – quite respectable for a tripod that extends up to 156cm tall.
The MeFOTO Aluminum Roadtrip Travel Tripod/Monopod is available here.
- Manfrotto BeFree Compact Aluminum Travel Tripod
From the Italian tripod manufacturer Manfrotto comes the Manfrotto BeFree Compact, with my favourite feature – flip-lever-locking legs (as opposed to twist to lock). Sliding each leg into itself and rotating it 180 degrees back on itself allows the legs to nestle neatly into the grooves of the sides of the ballhead. This kind of design is unique to the Manfrotto BeFree, and is testament to the attention of detail of Manfrotto products.
The Manfrotto BeFree Compact Aluminum Travel Tripod is available here.
- ZOMEI Z699C Portable Carbon Tripod
Even though aluminium gives the best bang for the book when it comes to price vs features with tripods, carbon fiber is definitely the gold standard. Usually the price of carbon fiber pushes it out of reach, but this isn’t so with the ZOMEI Z699C. For a relatively unheard of brand, this travel tripod has an impressive feature set, and an even more impressive price! If you’re willing to try something new, the ZOMEI Z699C is the most affordable way to get a carbon fiber lightweight travel tripod into your backpack.
The ZOMEI Z699C Portable Carbon Tripod is available here.
- Pedco UltraPod II Lightweight Camera Tripod
The aforementioned GorillaPod isn’t the only ultra-compact tripod on the block. If you’re not a fan of the GP’s bendy legs, then the Pedco UltraPod II really is your next best choice. Weighing in at a carry on friendly 119g, the Pedco UltraPod II can just about fit in your jacket pocket, but allows an impressive 2.7kg load to be supported to provide a stable shot (i.e. more than enough for a mirrorless camera + lens).
The Pedco UltraPod II Lightweight Camera Tripod is available here.
So that’s my short and sweet selection of some of the best travel tripods available in 2017.
I didn’t want to bore you with all the nitty gritty, but if you want to dig deeper into the topic of the best travel tripods (and find out the other models that made the cut), head over to my site Shotkit.
While you’re there, be sure to check out our most popular posts on the best cameras under $500, the best camera bags, the best Fuji lenses and the best mirrorless cameras – all information that you Norris Around Australia fans will find useful for your next travel adventure.
Thanks again to Shaun and Sarah for having me on their awesome travel site and I look forward to seeing the photographers amongst you on Shotkit soon.
Guest post by Mark Condon, a British wedding photographer based in Sydney. Mark is the founder of Shotkit and author of the Shotkit Books, Lightroom Power User, More Brides and LIT.
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