Travel Tripod
Introduction
Despite all advances in sensor technology with ever higher sensitivities, a good tripod is still indispensable in photography. Especially in the macro range, the large magnification and the small aperture required for depth of field often cause long exposure times. Also in panorama photography, especially when using small focal lengths, i.e. wide-angle lenses, you have to rotate the camera optimally around the parallax-free point to master the parallax problem. Also here a tripod is irreplaceable. If you want to extend a panorama with HDR shots or use long exposure times, you have to use a tripod anyway. The individual HDR shots can also be assembled more easily and more quickly on the computer when using a tripod, because you no longer have to perform subsequent alignment using software.
Which criteria a tripod must meet has already been described in the article tripod. However, all these criteria can only be achieved with a relatively heavy large and stable tripod. I still use the Gitzo tripod described in the article as my primary tripod, but I was looking for an alternative to my 6kg stability miracle for trips with luggage limits and hikes.
the criteria
A travel tripod should be as unrestricted as possible for various applications, although of course some compromises regarding stability cannot be avoided. You will be rewarded with a lower weight. So that the weight clearly differs from my primary tripod, the travel tripod should weigh approx. 1kg. The following criteria have to be fulfilled:
- max. 3-4 leg segments for increased stability
- the legs must be able to be angled in different steps, especially important for macro photography but also for a stable stand in the field
- if present, the center column must be removed or replaced by a mini center column in order to achieve easier working close to the ground in macro photography; a center column protruding long down is always in the way here
- ball heads from other manufacturers must be mountable
- low weight, approx.1kg
- compact dimensions in folded state
- compact travel bag
The tripod should be designed for the following applications:
- long-term exposures with medium-heavy camera, i.e. DSLR with light tele lens
- macro photography also near the ground: this requires adjustable tripod leg angles and the use of a small or no centre column
- panorama shots using a turntable with rail to compensate for parallax error, often called a nodal point adapter
- shooting at eye level with a lightweight camera, i.e. a viewfinder camera, e.g. a Leica M; this requires that the tripod can be set up to be high enough
- time-lapse shooting with either DSLR or compact camera: this requires a stable stand to prevent the camera and tripod from falling over in a breeze
The low weight practically requires a construction method made of an alternative material to the traditionally used aluminium. Today, carbon is generally used for this purpose.
In the meantime, in addition to the long-established tripod manufacturers Manfrotto, Gitzo and Velbon, there are a number of relatively young manufacturers who are specifically pushing into the carbon market. After my very good experiences with my Gitzo tripod I concentrated my search first on the brand Gitzo. Although Gitzo also has some carbon tripods on offer, but once you have worked your way through the totally confusing naming process, you still have to find a dealer who has the desired tripod in stock. A tripod has to be tried out before buying, I can only advise against a purchase based on brochure or internet information. I found a few Gitzo dealers in my area, but none of them had the desired model in stock and was not willing to order the tripod for viewing. Also, none of the dealers was even close to the Gitzo tripod range; Gitzo needs to think seriously about the distribution concept. It also turned out to be impossible to buy a particular tripod without head, Gitzo only offers it in a package with a ball head. The dealers simply looked at their list and if the model in question was not on the list without a head, then it did not exist. That is not exactly the flexibility I expect from a dealer. I therefore looked at other dealers to see which tripods might still be suitable. Fortunately, one of my students showed me her newly purchased Feisol tripod, a CT-3441 traveller series tripod. I was immediately impressed by the tripod, as it fulfilled all the criteria of my wish list. When I visited the retailer, I also came across competent advice and a well-stocked warehouse, which included a whole range of brand tripods and a comprehensive range of extensions.
Feisol CT-3441
Feisol offers beside this relatively compact travel tripod also larger carbon tripods, which are too heavy for my needs. But the CT-3441 fulfilled my wishes for a light travel tripod, which despite its low weight can be extended to a comfortable height for photography. As a standard it is offered in a set with a light ball head. Since I wanted to use the system of Really Right Stuff (RRS) and its lightest ball head, the dealer offered me a tripod without head. I wanted to limit myself to RRS, because I equipped all cameras with RRS plates. Since unfortunately not all Arca Swiss plates have exactly the same dimensions, it may not be possible to combine every Arca Swiss plate with an Arca Swiss head. For example, a Feisol removable disk in a RRS quickcoupler does not jam at all and therefore cannot be used. I also wanted to use a flexible solution for panorama photography, and here the Feisol offer convinced me only to a limited extent. However, RRS offers a very robust and flexible solution with its panorama plate, which can be supplemented with an Arca Swiss plate on the underside. But back to the Feisol tripod.
centre column
The CT-3441 is supplied as standard with a two-part centre column. As flexible as a centre column is, its use always has a negative effect on stability. This can be seen immediately, especially with heavier cameras, long focal lengths or even when using a spotting scope. That's why I'm not a big fan of center columns. At least it must be demountable. The center column has another big disadvantage. If you work close to the ground, e.g. in macro photography, the lowest working point is limited by the center column protruding below. Manfrotto has created a centre column which can be turned into the horizontal position. The center of gravity moves to the side and the whole tripod construction quickly becomes unstable. But at least it is possible to work close to the ground. I think it would be better to remove the centre column completely or replace it with a short centre column of minimal length. This is exactly what is possible with the Feisol tripod. The conversion is quick and easy and you don't have to use any additional tools. You simply unscrew the lower cover from the column, pull the column upwards out of the holder and insert the new centre column. You only have to loosen the locking nut completely, otherwise the column will get stuck when you insert it or you won't be able to install the other one. Now simply unscrew the ball head from the old column and attach it to the new column. The short center column is relatively cheap for about 20 Euro, for me the short center column is an absolute must. Now you can take full advantage of all leg angles with the tripod legs retracted and work as close to the ground as you like (the height of the ball head is of course still there).
The centre column is closed at the top and bottom by a cover nut. Centrically in this is a tripod screw, to which the ball head (or another tripod head) can be attached at the top. At first I doubted the stability of the tripod head mounting, because you can't screw in a bolt from below, which prevents an accidental turning of the head. But if you turn the ball head firmly enough to the column, this simple mounting method proves to be very useful. In addition, as mentioned above, no tools are required for dismantling the head.
On the underside of the column there is also a tripod screw on which you can mount a hook, which is included in the package of the tripod. On this hook you can attach the photo bag to give the tripod more stability. This also prevents the tripod from tilting to the side or forwards when heavy photographic equipment is used. This has proven very successful in practical use. If you hang the well-filled DSLR backpack at the bottom, the tripod gets an enormous stability. Especially when using larger DSLRs, the tripod quickly becomes top-heavy and can easily tip over. With the attached photo bag this is prevented. If you have angled legs, you have to be a little careful, because now a completely different weight hangs on the tripod. The maximum load weight is given by Feisol as 10kg, but a normal DSLR equipment should not exceed the weight limit.
tripod legs
The tripod legs of the CT-3441 consist of three parts. The individual
segments can be locked in place with a twist lock. Here it makes sense to select
the option that prevents the legs from twisting (for Feisol this option is
called Rapid
). This allows all three locks of a tripod leg to be opened with
one hand and the leg to be extended in full length. This makes the assembly much
easier and the tripod can now be set up in no time. You don't have to push the
legs together again in a certain order with this feature but you can lock the
upper or the lower segment first, because the individual segments can't twist
each other and therefore a locking with a twist lock is always possible; a great
thing.
What I especially liked about this tripod is that the lower legs are
not too thin. In many travel tripods, the lower leg segments are so thin that
they are more reminiscent of toothpicks. You can't use such legs at all with
heavy cameras because they limit the stability. The diameter of the lowest leg
segments of the Feisol tripod is 18.9mm, so �inch.
The tripod legs can be spread at three angles, so that you can adjust the tripod to the terrain very flexibly or vary the height slightly. The legs can also be swung 180 degrees upwards for transport, so that you get a very compact pack size in folded condition. The center column with the tripod head then comes to rest between the three tripod legs. But with my RRS ball head this is only possible with the long center column, as the head of the short center column is too close to the center and the legs can not be folded so tightly so that they still fit in the supplied carrying bag.
The friction for folding out the legs can be adjusted with two allen screws. You have to try a little bit to find the optimal adjustment. In my opinion, the legs should not fold up on their own but should still be easy to adjust if, for example, you have to constantly adjust the leg angles during macro work and can use a small lever due to the retracted leg segments.
The tripod legs are closed at the lower end by rubber plugs. If you remove these you can screw in spikes at the ends, which guarantee a better hold in sand or on ice. The spikes can be bought relatively cheap. The rubber plugs are however only plugged on and not absolutely tight. If you use the tripod in the water, water penetrates. After such a use it is time to dry. Grains of sand also find their way into the rubber stoppers. After my use on the seashore I therefore always rinsed the legs thoroughly.
Stativtasche
An optimally adapted tripod bag makes transport considerably easier. The Feisol bag included in the package is not of the highest quality, but it fulfils its task completely. However, I have been using the tripod for approx. 8 years (2019) and it has to be proven how long the bag will do its job. It has a relatively narrow cut, so the tripod has an optimal hold. In addition, you can stow the small center column, the spikes and some allen keys in a small, sewn-on bag. The tripod bag is equipped with a comfortable carrying strap.
ball head
For the ball head I chose the very small BH-30 from RRS. This head has a separate lock for the horizontal rotation axis. The head is manufactured as usual by RRS in very good quality and holds even heavier cameras without problems. In addition I bought a panorama plate from RRS, which can be mounted on the BH-30 with an Arca Swiss plate. If you supplement it with a small rail for adjusting the nodal point, you have a very compact panorama equipment, which you can also omit if you want to be as light as possible for weight reasons. For the tripod described here a larger head would not be appropriate, furthermore the tripod with the BH-30 can be stowed as mentioned above well in the supplied tripod bag. In order to get the most compact equipment possible I did not equip the BH-30 with a quick-change adapter but with the simple screw adapter plate B2-mAS. But because of the simple allen screw mounting you can change the quick-release plate yourself at any time. I also tried to mount the quick-change adapter of my large ball head on the BH-30, but found that it comes into conflict with the locking lever too quickly. The panorama rail can also be used in macro photography, so that you don't have to move the tripod every time you want to change the distance. In practice, the solution has worked very well, even if a friction gear would of course be better suited for macro use; but we want to save weight.
bottom line
With the CT-3441, Feisol has launched a very good
travel tripod that can be used very flexibly by using additional accessories
such as a short centre column, panorama turntable and panorama rail. Thanks to
the anti-twist mechanism of the leg locks, it can be set up very quickly and
stowed very compactly thanks to the 180-degree foldability of the legs. The
hook on the underside provides the tripod with greater stability by attaching
the photo backpack. For the price of about 320Euro you get a lot of tripod.