Recommend tripod for m4/3 setup

[microcosm]

You'd be better off with a Sirui.

Don't get me wrong, the Slik is decent - in fact it was the old favourite for budget tripods in CS before.. but the build is inferior to Sirui. After Sirui came to Singapore you hardly see Sliks being used these days. I have used Slik Sprint Pro 3-way before. How much does that go for these days anyways?

I have to agree that Sirui's build is better than Slik's. I would recommend the Sirui too. They might be seen as a Manfrotto rip off but they are built well and priced competitively. I have a few of their monopods and tripods and they served me well.

 

[kababoom]

thks for all the feedback but how about the tripod rubber feet nails some are rubber while other has metal spike any pro & cons between the two?

 

[spidey89]

Some can twist, if you're on a flat surface, use rubber, if uneven or soil, use the metal spike, but in practice, I've not had any issues with rubber feet

 

[makinjosh]

I am not too sure what you budget is, but I bought a Manfrotto Befree recently and I am really loving it. Especially the solid construction, it is not light by any chance. It is 40cm when folded and about 1.4kgs which I think is manageable for a solid tripid. =) Just my two cents.

 

[liveevil]

How much did you get the Manfrotto Befree for? I checked the Amazon price and it's $198USD. So about $250-$270 in local stores?

 

[spidey89]

This Manfrotto Befree looks pretty sturdy, but I wonder how it'll handle something like the D3

 

[liveevil]

This Manfrotto Befree looks pretty sturdy, but I wonder how it'll handle something like the D3

Yah it does look good. Maybe I should head down to CP when I'm free. The Sirui T-025X is not stable enough.

 

[makinjosh]

How much did you get the Manfrotto Befree for? I checked the Amazon price and it's $198USD. So about $250-$270 in local stores?

Heys I got it slightly more than $200 if I remember correctly. Got it just before national day with some promotion from Cathay Photo can't remember the exact price but I reckon current price should be somewhere within the range you mentioned.

For the price I really believe this is a bang for buck tripod, seems REALLY sturdy, tried an E3 on it with a 18-180 and even tried to apply some body weight to test if the tripod creeps under pressure. No movement whatsoever. This tripod also has a locking mechanism that allows the user to spread the legs to allow for "tall" mode and "wide" mode (my own terms -if it makes sense).

However, that being said, I haven't really had any travel experience with any other tripod other than those cheap ones included with kit purchases. I've gone to the shops to look around just for the fun of it and I believe Sirui tripods can perform just as well as this tripod but the befree just gives me a little more security because of its "sturdier" looking construction. Just my two cents, not saying Sirui tripods aren't good! =)

 

[makinjosh]

This Manfrotto Befree looks pretty sturdy, but I wonder how it'll handle something like the D3

I believe something like the D3 with LARGE lenses might cause a bit of a problem for this tripod and would require a sturdier model (which usually means heavier). Usually for larger sized models I think people would prefer to use tripods that come with a counterweight hook (correct me if I am wrong) and even the spikes if using on soil/snow. That being said the specs of the befree says max payload of 4kg which I think seems like a pretty decent weight even if you discount it by 1kg.

For M43 or even 43 purposes I would think this tripod would suffice since the load, even with the heavier 43 lenses is not going to be as heavy as a D3. Eg. E5+18-180.. (Approx. 1.2kg) D3+55-300mm (Approx. 1.8kg). Just a rough comparison.

 

[spidey89]

I believe something like the D3 with LARGE lenses might cause a bit of a problem for this tripod and would require a sturdier model (which usually means heavier). Usually for larger sized models I think people would prefer to use tripods that come with a counterweight hook (correct me if I am wrong) and even the spikes if using on soil/snow. That being said the specs of the befree says max payload of 4kg which I think seems like a pretty decent weight even if you discount it by 1kg.

For M43 or even 43 purposes I would think this tripod would suffice since the load, even with the heavier 43 lenses is not going to be as heavy as a D3. Eg. E5+18-180.. (Approx. 1.2kg) D3+55-300mm (Approx. 1.8kg). Just a rough comparison.

Sometimes what's on paper is just a safe guideline, it may or may not be able to take more. Besides, only times I use a tripod would be D3 and 14-24 and 24-70, seldom I use my 70-200. Even with tripods that come with counterweight hook, if the tripod is not heavily built, I won't even put it on. So far my 055PRO has been a good companion through the years, only thing it doesn't do is proper video, which I hardly do so no issues on that end.

Only 2 lenses I can think of that may not be suitable are the ZD 90-250 and 300. But for m43, certainly no issues whatsoever.

 

[makinjosh]

Sometimes what's on paper is just a safe guideline, it may or may not be able to take more. Besides, only times I use a tripod would be D3 and 14-24 and 24-70, seldom I use my 70-200. Even with tripods that come with counterweight hook, if the tripod is not heavily built, I won't even put it on. So far my 055PRO has been a good companion through the years, only thing it doesn't do is proper video, which I hardly do so no issues on that end.

Only 2 lenses I can think of that may not be suitable are the ZD 90-250 and 300. But for m43, certainly no issues whatsoever.

Fully agree, video wise, the befree is not meant for videos as well.. the ballhead that comes with it is more for photos (static) it can't be used for panning etc. You could change ballheads for that purpose but that would affect the folder capabilities as the ballhead that comes with it has a mounting plate that is contoured for folding the legs.

 

[spidey89]

I used to use a 3 way head, can use for video, just not exactly smooth. Using a ball head now, still can pan for videos, but extremely limited in movements. For the past 2 years whenever I did video, it has always been handheld with some static since some videos I did were interviews