What tripods are you tote'n around?

[Lan-Lord]

Just wondering what kinds of tripods people are using? And how do you like them?

My very first pod was a Sunpak. It works pretty good. I had never used a tripod before so I didnt know much about them. It did the job, but was sometimes awkward and kind of jerky when adjusting.

I have since evolved to a bogen/manfrotto 3001 pod with a 3030 pan/tilt head. Man this thing is as smooth as silk. Adjustments are very precise and the industrial feel of the components are nice to work with also.

I also have a small minipod made by omega. Its good for putting in the backpack or my wife's purse. It comes in handy for a long exposure on a waterfall or something to that effect when not expected. It works good in a pinch and is very compact.

Whats in your camera bag?

 

[Skipper]

I need to buy one of the Bogens. I've been using similar to the Sunpac and haven't found them very durable. Things keep breaking or stripping.

How much does the Bogen weigh? I used to do some commercial video for television and used Bogen equipment there, but they were heavy as an arm load of bricks to carry around. That one looks much lighter than the tv camera versions.

Skipper

 

[Lan-Lord]

The Bogen is NOT light when compared to other camera tripods in its class. However, it is not as heavy as the pods used for video. Mine weighs about 7 pounds.

 

[foulshot]

I've got an older SLIK that works ok for now, looking to get one of the ball heads on top of a nice pod.
For toting around lightly, I have a mini-pad that came with my spotting scope. Light, easy, quick to set up.