I’d like to start getting more into focus stacking and such, so I’m looking for a lightweight, stable tripod that’s easy to carry and that allows me to get really close to the ground. Any recommendations? Cheap is good, but I’d rather pay a bit more for quality and durability.
This is what I use for 95% of my photos (almost all flora). The other 5% is rare use of a full size and taking photos with the camera right on the ground. I previously had two lighter, cheaper, minis neither of which lasted long. This one I’ve had for two years of frequent use and it’s as good as when I got it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1733544-REG/neewer_66600289_m521_20_aluminum_alloy.html
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It’s so cute!
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i bought a very cheap birding / spotting scope (<$60) a while back, and it came with a very simple but effective tabletop tripod that i use for my camera somtimes. it seems to be the same tripod that comes with almost all cheap birding scopes – very similar to https://www.amazon.com/BARSKA-Optics-Metal-Table-Tripod/dp/B01CQ8DL36.
it adds almost no weight, it’s relatively compact, and it’s fairly stable (after all, it’s designed to hold large scopes). you attach the camera directly to the tripod as opposed to a quick plate, which can be problematic if you plan to detach and reattach a lot. it has no height adjustment (other than by changing the angle of the legs), but it has a simple but effective arm for panning and tilting (which i find is nice for a small tripod), and twisting the handle on the arm locks and unlocks it. when all the legs are folded, you could hold the legs sort of like a handle, too. it’s not as comfortable as tripods made specifically for being held like that, but you could maybe wrap some tape around the legs to make them better for holding like that.
a ground pod might work, too, depending on the circumstance, but the ones i’ve seen are quite expensive for what they are. (i’ve seen folks make DIY ground pods though, and i bet they would be relatively easy to 3D print, too.)
for me, in almost any other situation where my basic tabletop tripod wouldn’t suffice for some reason, i would just use my regular tripod anyway. (to get it closer to the ground, i would just reverse the center stem to point it downward). that’s a lot bulkier though.
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Lightweight Tripods often do not do any good as they are unable to hold any heavy weight Cam (say DSLRs) properly.
Regarding other Tripods- It depends on the objective. All my tripods, which I have purchased for trying Bird and Wildlife photography, are taking rest in my Godown since long. The Birds and Animals didn’t wait for me anywhere. They are only OK for Lake bird photography from land, useless from a boat or vehicle.
For Stationary objects- I would have preferred one that is not too light weight to be unable to hold the Camera in position. I would also have preferred a height adjustable one which is suitable to my height and can go up to my nose level. It becomes very difficult to bend down and watch through the camera for a long time (although needed some times for the desired angle).
I don’t know whether such confused opinion a below average Photographer will do any help to anybody at all, but still shared my experience.
Will it be a full-size tripod when it grows up?
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I have a mini-tripod from iFootage (maybe sold under a different brand in North America); it’s actually a detachable stabilizing foot for a monopod, though so far I’ve only used the pieces separately. It is small, but not necessarily especially lightweight for its size.
My setup looks like this:
(tripod + flex-tilt head + macro rail)
I want to mention the usefulness of the flex-tilt head for being able to get the camera close to small subjects from various angles without the tripod itself being in the way. Do note that this set-up is rather top-heavy and thus likely to become unbalanced in certain configurations; I haven’t found it to be a problem if I keep a light hand on the camera to prevent unplanned tipping.
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