Choosing a tripod for Olympus E-M5

[ElenaShchur]

Hello! Could anyone help me to decide which tripod to buy for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II camera?

It's just the start of my photography experience and I've never had tripods before. I want something light and portable, on the one hand, and something reliable and sturdy, on the other. So I don't want to sacrifice quality to the price.
My main questions are: carbon or aluminum? And which one of these tripods would you recommend for my camera? Are they a good choice at all?
- Manfrotto Befree Travel Tripod (either carbon or aluminum)
- Sirui T-1204X Travel Tripod
- Benro Adventure TAD18CHD1 Carbon Fibre Tripod

Thanks a lot for the help in advance.

[Manfred M]

Welcome to CiC Elena. Would you mind clicking on the "My Profile" button on the top of this page and filling in at least your first name and where you are from. We tend to be a fairly informal group here at CiC and tend to go on a first name basis. The reason we ask where you are from is that members from that part of the world might be able to help you with some local knowledge.

It's quite difficult for us to answer your question, as we don't know how you would use your tripod. With you just getting into photography, I suggest that this might be difficult for you to answer. There isn't a simple answer to your question as both the legs and head need to be considered as part of the solution.

I own four different tripods (and a monopod) and I select the one I will be using based on what I will be shooting (subject type), where I will be shooting, whether I will be shooting still images or videos, etc.

I believe all of the tripods on your list are "travel" tripods, which means they are primarily small and compact. Two of my tripods are travel 'pods as well and while being small and light (both are carbon fiber Benro tripods), they are not suitable for long exposures and are relatively short, so I can't use them while standing straight up. My first consideration for a "generic" tripod would be one that is tall enough so that I can work standing up straight, without bending over and without having to extend the central column.

Carbon fibre tripods are definitely lighter than aluminum, but are much more expensive for that reduction in weight. If you are traveling a lot, this is a feature I would look for. Otherwise aluminum is a good material (unless you are doing a lot of outdoor winter photography).

Leg locks are another thing to look for. There are two main approaches; twist and flip locks. Flip locks are faster to use but tend to be easier to catch on things and can loosen over time. Twist locks take a bit longer to tighten and loosen but are not prone to either of these issues.

Legs come with different diameters and numbers of sections. Travel tripods tend to have more sections and smaller diameters which generally means they will be less rigid. Larger diameter tripod legs will be more rigid, so can be used for much longer exposures.

The other key aspect to look for is the head. Most photographers use a ball head for landscape or portrait work. Pan / tilt heads are great for product photography as they allow you to move your camera in a single direction only. Other heads tend to be specialized; bird photographers tend to shoot with gimbal heads, etc.

When it comes to heads, the other piece of equipment is the quick release plate that attaches to your camera body that allows you to quickly attach and detach your camera from the tripod. The Arca-Swiss plate is probably as close to a "standards" as there is and allows you to use equipment from difference manufacturers, where others use a proprietary design and locks you in to that particular supplier.

I've used Manfrotto tripods (they are quite popular where I live) but don't own any (that should tell you something). I have two Benro carbon fibre tripods that I use when I travel (one for the smaller cameras and a different one for the larger ones). My main tripods is a super heavy duty carbon fiber one made by Feisol and uses a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head (this tripod / ball head combination cost me more money than what you likely paid for your camera body). All these tripods have twist lock legs and use Arca-Swiss plates.

I've looked up the three tripods you are looking at and see little difference between the Sirui and the Benro. The Manfrotts tripods I've already commented on and I would not buy them for the reason I listed above. I do like Manfrotto equipment (I own a fair bit of it), just not their tripods.

I hope that this helps.

[ElenaShchur]

Dear Manfred, thank you very much for such a detailed comment! That's really helpful.
You're right saying that it's hard for me to say now how often and in what conditions I'm going to use the tripod. But I think that I'll mostly use it for landscape photography. I travel quite a lot and sometimes it goes extreme like mountain biking. I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to look for a tripod suitable for this type of traveling. May be I'll just need something different for the mountains. I guess that the main objects/conditions will be cities and nature at night, open landscapes (like fields), seaside, cathedrals. I'm also planning to buy a telephoto lens and I think I'll definitely need a tripod for this kind of photography.
I was a bit confused when I read different reviews on carbon and aluminum because some people claim that there is no difference except for weight while others argue that carbon reduces vibrations better. Can a beginner/non-professional photographer really spot this difference?

P.S. I've started to fill in my profile :-)

[William W]

Welcome to CiC.

Additional to Manfred’s comments concerning what features to look for relative to you needs and uses:

A quick scan of the common on-line dealers reveals that the Manfrotto is sold with with a Ball Head and the Benro is sold with with a Pan and Tilt Head as a “package sale”: but the Sirui is a “Tripod only” purchase, so you would need to buy an Head for the Sirui (you do not mount the camera directly to the Tripod).

There is range of payloads amongst the three – what lenses do you have or intend to have?
(The payload is the maximum weight capacity the unit can support – I treat that specification as “usually embellished” )

The Sirui has one leg which detaches; that can be used as a Monopod. That might be useful, I would consider that a useful feature for a ‘travel’ tripod.

It would be good if you outline some of your intended needs and uses and the environment(s) in which you’ll be using the tripod, even if you are unsure at the moment.

Also other information required: your height; a list of your lens(es); camera bag (if you use one); and your intended method(s) of transport.

WW

[William W]

Thanks you were answering some questions as I was writing.

My piecing together as to where you are in your Photography Journey - it occurs to me that it would be a good idea for you to supply more information (e.g. the questions I asked but are still unanswered) and have a think about the additional information I supplied regarding the differences in the three tripods you mentioned: don't rush in and buy - there's plenty of time.

I think that you might have seen "travel" mentioned as the 'type' of Tripod and assumed that was then suitable for you because you travel.

Get to a store and play with some open them up, and put your camera on it: tripods are one piece of equipment that a novice photographer can reasonably assess apropos: sturdiness, weight, ease of use, and manoeuvrability, etc


WW

[Manfred M]

I was a bit confused when I read different reviews on carbon and aluminum because some people claim that there is no difference except for weight while others argue that carbon reduces vibrations better. Can a beginner/non-professional photographer really spot this difference?

I will have to agree with the people who say that carbon fibre reduces vibrations better than an aluminum tripod. It's just a property of the materials used. This is more of an issue with longer exposures and with DSLRs rather than mirrorless cameras like yours (you don't have to worry about vibrations from the mirror slap). Yes, a beginner will notice a difference; an image that has blurred due to vibrations in the tripod are something anyone can pick up.

I'm not sure I would want to carry camera equipment when mountain biking though. There is too high a risk (for me) of doing damage to the equipment. All the mountain bikers I know tend to fall off their bikes fairly frequently.

I don't think any of the tripods you are looking at are particularly great for night time photography, they are simply too flimsy to get rock-steady exposures. My Feisol lets me replace the column with a rigid plate and that makes an excellent night photography platform that is rock steady.

That being said, all three of the tripods you are looking at look like a good general purpose travel tripod. I know that some of the members of this site that live in the UK have tripods that we don't see in North America, so there might be some other good, cost effective options out there in addition to these three.

[Clactonian]

Elena you have already received some good advice above none of which I would contradict.
I have a Manfrotto Befree aluminium tripod which is my 'hiking' equipment. It is relatively light but satisfactorily stable in good weather supporting a Nikon D3200 or Nikon D750 with lighter lenses with the included ball head. I also have a Manfrotto 055PROB aluminium tripod which is heavy, very stable in windy conditions but is not that compact when folded down. It does however support a heavy camera such as my Nikon D2X and a lightweight 70-300 zoom without trouble now that I have a meaty ball head. I originally bought a pistol grip ball head for it but it was hopeless and would not support the camera with a heavy lens such as a Sigma 150mm macro. It constantly slipped.
I guess what I'm saying is as others above. It is horses for courses but don't skimp on the head.

[William W]

Just re-iterating the same message but stating it a different way: the TYPE and the QUALITY of the HEAD and the MOUNTING MECHANISM (i.e. how the camera is mounted on the Head by a Plate; screw etc.) is just as an important purchase choice as choosing what Tripod to buy.

Your choice of Head should reflect what you want to shoot and with what gear and in what conditions.

Your choice of Head must be capable of delivering ease of movement to get the camera into position, but when locked must remain stable, absolutely supporting the payload on it. The Head must be stable for the Position of the Camera.

Example of considering the position of the camera and the type of Head which would be suitable to use: If there is a 'Moment of Turning' i.e. if the camera's centre of gravity is NOT mounted directly over the centre stem, there is a 'twisting' force, which can cause slippage.

***

Aside:

. . . I also have a Manfrotto 055PROB aluminium tripod which is heavy, very stable in windy conditions but is not that compact when folded down. It does however support a heavy camera such as my Nikon D2X and a lightweight 70-300 zoom without trouble now that I have a meaty ball head. I originally bought a pistol grip ball head for it but it was hopeless and would not support the camera with a heavy lens such as a Sigma 150mm macro. It constantly slipped. . .

What is the Model Number of that Pistol Grip Head?

WW

[ElenaShchur]

Thanks a lot for all your comments! The only lens I have for the moment is Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro. In the future I'm thinking of buying Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro.
The are two photographers who are using the camera. The height is 176 cm (around 5.7 feet) and 155 cm (5 feet).
As for the methods of transport, mainly - on foot, may be bikes. A car doesn't seem a very likely option for the next couple of years.:-)

I saw and "played" a bit with Manfrotto Befree in a shop (that's the only tripod from my list available in "real" shops in Cambridge), but I wasn't sure about the quality of the Head. It didn't seem to have a very good "fixing capacity", but may be I'm wrong.

For Sirui I'm looking at a G-10x Head.

And I've just found another option that could be suitable - MeFoto RoadTrip tripod. What would you say of it?

And another question I have (forgive me if it's a stupid one) is: as my camera has a good image stabilisation, can it help for long exposures with a travel tripod? Or the use of IS during a long exposure is a bad idea?

[Manfred M]

The height is 176 cm (around 5.7 feet) and 155 cm (5 feet).

The 176 cm person will be the limiting factor here. I measured the distance from the top of my head to the centre of my eye as ~ 13 cm. My Benro B00 ball head measures ~8 cm from the base to the bottom of the clamp and my Panasonic GX7 (also a micro fourh-thirds camera like your Olympus) adds another 6 cm from the base plate to the middle of the viewfinder.

176 cm - 27 cm = 149 cm; so in other words the fully extended height of your tripod legs with the column all the way down should be at least 149 cm.

As for the methods of transport, mainly - on foot, may be bikes. A car doesn't seem a very likely option for the next couple of years.:-)

In that case go for carbon fibre for sure. You'd be amazed how much a few ounces less weight help when you are carrying something around all day.

And I've just found another option that could be suitable - MeFoto RoadTrip tripod. What would you say of it?

That's just the line of Benro travel tripods. They have all the basic features of their larger family members. My smallest tripod was marketed as a "Travel Angel", and that line was replaced by the MeFoto line a few years ago.

And another question I have (forgive me if it's a stupid one) is: as my camera has a good image stabilisation, can it help for long exposures with a travel tripod? Or the use of IS during a long exposure is a bad idea?

The stabilization is not that good. In fact you turn off stabilization when shooting on a tripod as it gives you a sharper image.

[DanK]

I agree with most of what has been posted. However, I'd like to suggest a different approach.

First, I agree about carbon fiber, and I agree that the head and plate is a very important decision. There is no reason at all to buy legs and a head as a package, and I wouldn't. I think you will quite likely end up with an inferior head.

I carry mine on my back a lot, so my preferences may be relevant to yours. I bought carbon fiber legs and a relatively inexpensive ball head with an arca-compatible clamp. The latter was a mistake, and I replaced it with a more expensive head perhaps a year ago. A good head may end up costing you more than a set of legs.

With respect to legs: there are several companies that sell a number of different carbon fiber leg sets in the price range of the brands you have considered. The specific features you pick will likely matter more than the brand, and there are quite a number. Folks have already mentioned several--the number of segments, the type of lock, and height. There are more. Do you want a center column? (More on that below.) If so, do you want it to be articulating, removable, or reversable? Do you want a built-in hook for a bag of weights? (This is to add stability when you use a lightweight tripod.) How far can the legs extend outward, to bring the camera close to the ground? Do you care about having spikes at the bottom?

The answers to these questions depend on your use. For example, landscape photographers often do without center columns or buy legs that have removable columns. (Manfred mentioned one.) the reason is that a center column is less stable. In contrast, for my purposes, a reversible center column was a requirement. I do a lot of macro work, and the center column allows me to make small vertical adjustments without losing the position of the camera. In addition, when I need to get the camera close to the ground, it allows me to get low:



My one disagreement with the comments above is a half-disagreement with Manfred. I agree with him--if you are going to be doing long-exposure work, a heavier tripod is better, and in some conditions, a lightweight tripod won't work well. However, except when the wind is bad, you can usually make do with a lightweight carbon fiber tripod for long exposures, although you might end up weighting the tripod. For example, here is a 10-minute exposure that I did with an Oben CF tripod, I believe without any weight:



And here is a 3-second exposure, same tripod:



So, I think my bottom line would be: if you can afford only one and are going to carry it on your back, carbon fiber is the way to go, but you will sometimes be compromising in situations where a heavier tripod would be better. If you are going to buy two, you can avoid this compromise. I haven't, at least yet.

Choosing among them, however, is tough. In the end, I picked 3 or 4 reputable brands and made a spreadsheet, where columns were tripods of the height I wanted and rows were features. Then I decided which features I most wanted.

As for a head: a problem you will face is similar to that with legs: low weight entails compromises. In general, larger balls are smoother, but larger ball heads weigh more. In the end, after reading a ridiculous number of reviews, I bought a Markins Q3, which seemed like one of the best compromises between weight and smoothness of motion. I have been very satisfied. The one weakness, which appears in many reviews, is that the screw lock for the panning motion has to be cinched down very hard.

Good luck.

[Clactonian]

Aside:

What is the Model Number of that Pistol Grip Head?

WW

Manfrotto Grip Action Ball Head 322RC2

[jcuknz]

One of the hazards of modern photography is the profusion of offerings and my most used tripod is not one of the modern kind and has lasted and served me well for the past fifty years carrying everything from a 16mm film camera or half-plate still to what I have now ... a similar camera to yours except I choose Panasonic, a GH2 which is likely a bit heavier than yours.
Knowing that I have an inferior tripod to what professionals use I have two practices. Firstly to always use delay release or cable release to trigger the camera and secondly when condiions are not perfect I do not use the centre column on the basis that tripods are steady, ccolumns are less so.
So fifty years ago I paid NZP 10 at a sale and a couple of years ago I bought a product by the same firm for US$ 120 approx which was inferior but following my usual practices I made it work AOK for me.[ I had gone to America to see my son and was buying it for him]
So I suggest that you buy what you can afford bearing in mind it could last you hopefully fifty years like mine. NZP10 was about two thirds of my weekly income in those days.
Taken a year or two/three back with my 950mm rig on my bridge camera. Tripod carrying the lens with camera hanging on the back ...... The Rig 'Big Bertha'

The shot

And finally my most used tripod ... a mini tripod at NZ$35 with my adaption to enable landscape view when holding tripod against a wall or tree.

And finally in general you do not NEED a tripod but something steady to support camera ... concrete gate post at my front entrance. I heard the train approaching and only had time to find camera and rest it on post.


This is my personal approach to the subject, take of it what you will

[LazyPilgrim]

Hello everybody! I am the second 176cm-tall user of the camera mentioned above. Nice to meet you all, guys! Thank you a lot for your detailed answers, it helps a lot.

One of the hazards of modern photography is the profusion of offerings...

I absolutely agree with it! Trying to stop from spending too much time on the choice, but sometimes this merchandise swamp just catches you.)) Another problem is that in Cambridge we have only one photography shop with Manfrottos.

So after summarising all of the above and reviewing again the range of the available tripods (+reading different reviews) Elena and I have the following. Could you please comment on these thoughts?

It is impossible to have one universal tripod for all situations, so it is important to understand which tasks our first (and possibly not the last) tripod will be capable to solve and which features we decide to sacrifice for now. A mobility is still rather important for us, so such options as Manfrotto 190 are not our current choice.

I divided all tripods which we consider in three categories. I think we need to decide which category fits our needs better and then decide which tripod in this category is our choice.

The most portable options.
- Manfrotto Befree - not tall enough, no hook, 4 section, 144mm max height (I think it is with the extended column)
- MeFoto Roadtrip - 5 section, 135mm,
- Sirui T-1004X or T-1204X - 4 section, 116mm
Mefoto is the tallest in this category, but I am afraid that 5 section with rather thin legs could be already too unstable. Manfrotto and Sirui are too short. Manfrotto's head did not impress me (possibly I am wrong?).

I begin thinking that the first category will not be our choice: the next two tripods seem to be still very compact, but more functional.

- MeFoto Globetrotter - 5 section, 140mm
- Sirui N-1205X - 5 section, 132.5mm, 1.1kg (legs)
From my point of view the legs are quite similar, though Mefoto is a bit taller. So the main question in this comparison is a head (and price: Mefoto seems to be overpriced compared to Sirui).

And finally here are rather heavy (still reasonably compact) tripods. Are they significantly sturdier than all of the previous legs?
- Sirui M-3205X - CF, 140mm, 1.8kg (legs only).
- Sirui N-2004KX - Alloy, 136mm, 1.8kg
The second legs are cheaper, thicker and with 4 sections, but the folded size is 47cm instead of 39cm for the M-3205X.

All Sirui legs I consider to supply with a Sirui G-10X ball-head. As I understood Manfrotto's heads are not recommended in general, there are also Vanguard heads available here - are they in anyway better than Sirui?

Concerning a centre column, neither Elena nor I do macro often, so I think we do not require anything special in this aspect.

Thank you again for your patience and advice!

[Manfred M]

Vladimir - you are getting into a level of questions that we really can't help you with. Unless a member happens to work in a bricks & mortar camera shop that stocks all three brands, the chances of getting any of the information your are looking for is going to be impossible. Again I can only answer your questions in general terms.

1. Price - everything on the market is priced to hit a specific price point where the seller feels that their product has an attractive price point that will sell within that market segment AND will provide income at a profit margin that they find acceptable.

While there are exceptions (sale prices), in general you can assume that a less expensive product that has similar specs to a more expensive one will be less well made. There are only a very few brands in tripods where there might be a higher cost due to "brand premium". None of the brands you are looking at fall into this category.

2. More sections - smaller size when folded; BUT with smaller diameter legs. So your compactness comes at a price, less stability. Set up and breakdown takes a bit longer with more sections too.

3. Carbon fibre weighs less than aluminum and damps out vibrations more quickly BUT costs a lot more.

4. Leg length sections - longer leg sections means that the tripod is less compact but generally means that the leg diameter is larger.

5. Ball heads - larger diameter ball = better clamping strength but more weight and higher cost.

Here are my three tripods:



From left to right are the two Benro units and the one Feisol. The Benro units I travel with. The left most one fits my camera backpack really well and is a joy to carry, but I will only use it with smaller camera bodies. If you are looking at Benro ball heads, this is the B00 head. This short 5-section one is the only one of the group that was marketed as a "travel tripod".

The middle one fits with the backpack as well, but due to its length is less pleasant to carry, but I can use it with my large camera body.

The right one does not travel easily, so even though I have taken it with me on flights, I only use it when I don't have to carry it very far. It does not work at all with my camera backpack.



Here are the smallest leg diameters of the three. It's not hard to guess which one can hold the most weight and is the most stable.



And finally here are two of the ball heads. The Benro B0, from the middle tripod and the RRS (Really Right Stuff) BH-55. Again, it's not hard to guess which one is lightest and which one is heaviest; but the heaviest one is also the one that holds the camera rock steady (and yes, it costs the most by far).



You ask about ball head quality - I'm afraid that there are just a handfull of brands that are consistently classified as being top notch; RRS, Markins, Novoflex, Arca-Swiss and perhaps Kirk. The rest, as I said before you get what you pay for.

By the way, if you run across a brand called Induro. It is identical to Benro (made in the same factory).

So, you are going to have to figure this out all by yourself. None of the members here can help you put all of the tradeoffs you have to make for your needs. As we have all said before, there is no perfect tripod; a one size fits all unit.

[DanK]

I agree with Manfred--at this point, the issue is what features are the best compromise for your own uses. That's why I gave up and created a spreadsheet.

If you decide on carbon fiber, I would look more broadly. There are quite a number of manufacturers that produce CF tripods in the $200-$300 (US) range, which I decided was the sweet spot for a compromise between quality and cost. These include Benro/Induro, Manfrotto, Feisol, Sirui, Slik, Vanguard, Velbon, and Oben (which might not be available in the UK). I went to a big bricks-and-mortar store (B&H in NYC) so that I can handle some. I no longer have my spreadsheet--I bought mine several years ago--but my recollection is that the Benro/Induro, Oben (which I bought), Sirui, and Slik all seemed well made. I wouldn't trust the details of that memory, but my point is that quite a number of them seemed quite fine, just different in features.

[William W]

Elena & Vladimir,

What Manfred and Dan have already outlined: further -

I am a 'spreadsheet' type person too.

Unless you absolutely know now that you will end up with more than one tripod and you know the precise uses for each (which obviously you do not and cannot, because you don't yet have the experience) then you need to evaluate and then compromise.

You're streets ahead now and will make a much wiser and more informed choice, than where you were 27th November before this conversation: and you'll know a lot more after using whatever you purchase for two or three years. . . that's integral to the journey.

Good luck with your choice.

WW

[William W]

Originally Posted by William W
Aside:
What is the Model Number of that Pistol Grip Head?

Manfrotto Grip Action Ball Head 322RC2

Thanks for replying.

I have the 222 Pistol Grip Ball-head. These particular experiences of mine when using an heavy payload and at an angle might be applicable and useful for you:

1. the pressure thumb screw needs to be REALLY tight to adequately lock the ball at an angle
2. with use, that pressure lock loses its bight and needs repair
3. counter balance by using a tripod mount ring onto the lens is very useful: I rarely even mount a Camera to the Pistol Grip and I do it is a really Small Camera, like a PowerShot or Fuji X100s and not ever a DSLR



(The lens is the EF 100/2.8 Macro in both images.
In the top image that's a Two-way Macro Focusing rail.
Cameras in both images are probably Canon 5 Series, with Battery Grip.
In the bottom image that's the set of three, Kenko Extension Tubes)

WW

[LazyPilgrim]

Dear all, thank you very much for your help! It was a very helpful and interesting conversation, which Elena and I appreciate so much.

Manfred, you have an impressive collection. Looks awesome.

Bill, exactly, now I have much clearer understanding of the tripod market. We also decided to take a bit of time to check if we find a convenient used tripod to gain more experience with it. Anyway, we are looking now at the larger travel tripods which are not too small.

[jcuknz]

Rest assured as you wait to make your choice that a tripod is not a 'very essential' item in these days of image stabilisation
and I rarely use any of mine, except the last few shots in recent weeks that I have taken 'in my studio' [ read work/junk room] have been using a tripod simply so I can view the image on my fully articulated LCD and for extra care taken using the 10 second delay release .... but I am not using a DSLR and have 'live view' as standard.

I prefer to view the LCD rather than bend my back to look through the EVF