Carbon tripod (require low macro work too)

413x

413x

413x

Caporegime
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The macro seems to be the issue

The main 2 I have seen are the
Giottos - MTL8361B but the centre column positioning seems slow
3 legged Eddie - reversible column and monopod built in
Manfrotto 055cxpro3 - never seems to win reviews but seems to have a quick centre column adjust

My main requirements are
Light
Being able to do macro work setup quickly, the closer to ground theBetter

I don't mind spending 200 ish on the tripod alone
 
I've got the Manfrotto. It is a nice tripod, quite sturdy and light due to being made of Carbon Fibre.

It is relatively easy to put the centre column at right angles to the legs and you just press a tab a the top of each leg to enable it to splay the legs out really wide.

To be honest, if you're using a tripod forget about the speed of setting it up. If it is a static object such as a man made item, flower or fungi etc. you can take your time, so there is no benefit to being able to quickly convert the tripod.

If it is an insect etc., then take photographs of them early in the morning or evening - they are sluggish at these times since they are either waking up and cold or starting to go to sleep. Again you can set up the tripod and have time to take the shot. During the day insects, particularly butterflies can be very skittish and you'll end up chasing them all over the place. I can guarantee you will see an insect, set up your tripod, compose the shot and just be about to press the shutter when the insect will fly off! - you will end up using the camera hand held in these circumstances.

If you're taking shots of particularly quick insects it might be better to get a beanbag so you can just drop it on the floor and use it to support the camera whilst lying flat on the floor yourself - you'll likely get a bit muddy this way :)

Personally I don't think you would go far wrong with any of the tripods you mentioned - there is one big advantage of the 3 Legged Eddie in that you also have a Monopod as well.
 
I've got a 3 Legged Thing Eric which I bought nearly two years ago now. Only issue I've had with it is that the bolts which secure the legs to the centre column area always seem to loosen, meaning that the legs move really freely, rather than having resistance. They do provide a couple of allen keys which fit into the top of the bag, but I always find myself tightening them up.

It is a newer design of the tripod now though, so perhaps its better, but in the pictures it looks similar. It's also about £50 more expensive than when I bought the model I have, perhaps just because they have grown as a company.

I'm sure the more well known brands are solid performers, it was the design, colour and britishness that drew me to 3 Legged Thing.
 
thanks for the insight!
the attraction of the eddie was it looked really nice, looked sturdy, the monopod and the ability to put the centre column upside down
that is a worry what you say about it nexus, there isnt that much about it anywhere

Yes, i am more than aware that a lot of non still insects will be handheld and this is what i do now.
One question if you have the manfrotto is ..does the centre column take the camera when pointing directly at the floor?
 
I'd been meaning to do a video review on YouTube, because like you say there isn't a lot out there, especially as 3 Legged Thing isn't a big company. That said, I got it nearly two years ago and haven't got round to it and the model has been superseded by a newer version.
 
I dont think the manfrotto goes low like the other 2 does it? not without its legs being splayed flat? I may be wrong but i havent seen anything to say otherwise

it does seem with both of the others you can be basically touching the floor in normal tripod position
the giottos is much cheaper
 
ive decided the giotto is the most flexible it has a 180 degree vertical and 360 degree horizontal centre and seems the cheapest
the eddie doesnt have the 180 degree but only upside down or normal
the manfrotto only sits at 90 or 0

Now they have a whole load of model numbers
the two i am torn between are
YTL8383 - this has a Y column, carbon
MTL8361 - no Y, seems only difference
 
Giottos also do standard vertical column tripods. However, reversing the 8361B column is exactly the same as for any other reversible tripod, and only takes a second. Just loosen the column retaining bolt, slide it out, reverse it, and retighten the bolt.

The bit that does seems "slow" is switching the column to 180 degrees but, again, that only takes an extra couple of seconds in practice. Loosen the same column retaining bolt and slide the column out, then loosen the the second bolt and rotate the column holder to the required position, slide the column back into place, and retighten. The only difference between reversing the column, and switching it to 180 degrees, is the second bolt.

One other option to consider is the Benbo Trekker. I've had one for years and there's no other tripod that can get your camera as close to the ground, or provide support in the most unlikely environment. However, it's not light and the single locking lever that controls all three leg angles as well as the centre column does take some getting used to - it's a bit like wrestling with bagpipes. But, once you've mastered the technique, it can be erected far more quickly than a standard tripod and with just one hand. I've used it in places you couldn't imagine using a normal tripod - middle of streams, on cliffs, even inside a car. This clip gives you an idea of its versatility:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxNHauCqlhM

Although I have the Giottos tripod, the Benbo is still the one I grab first for any macro work.
 
al4x said:
YTL8383 - this has a Y column, carbon
MTL8361 - no Y, seems only difference
Click to expand...
The Y refers to the shape of the centre column in cross section. This allows the three legs to close together more so it makes the folded tripod more compact. To be honest, the legs on the MTL8361B get pretty close together when it's folded anyway, so I don't imagine there's a great deal of advantage to the Y shape.

The main difference is the the YTL8383 is 8cm taller (without centre column), 13cm taller (with the centre column), and about 300g lighter. Being taller isn't always a good thing though, if you're having to stand on tiptoes to use it.

Whichever you go for, the Giottos are a solid choice and their support is pretty good. For example, I enquired about the chances of getting a spare platform that I could keep permanently attached to another tripod head just to make it easier when using the low angle adaptor. They were good enough to send me one for free.
 
that does look an interesting tripod the benbo, i watched the vid and indeed it does look very good for macro!it is fairly hefty!

\is it more appropriate as a second tripod option?

And in regards to the manfrotto suggestion above, i had dismissed it due to the restriction of the centre column
 
Last edited:
al4x said:
thanks for the insight!
the attraction of the eddie was it looked really nice, looked sturdy, the monopod and the ability to put the centre column upside down
that is a worry what you say about it nexus, there isnt that much about it anywhere

Yes, i am more than aware that a lot of non still insects will be handheld and this is what i do now.
One question if you have the manfrotto is ..does the centre column take the camera when pointing directly at the floor?
Click to expand...

Take a look at the following Youtube review of the Manfrotto 055CXPro3, it shows how the centre column works. At 9m 20s the video shows how the legs splay and how low it can go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5ePvT2_Lw
 
It's not just hefty, it's ludicrously heavy. But that just makes it incredibly stable no matter how it's contorted to fit the location. Luckily you can also get it in a kit with the standard ballhead and a really comfortable padded holdall. In fact, it's that comfortable, I use the holdall for whichever tripod I decide to use. I think they've also bought out a new version which is a lot lighter but you'll have to do a bit of research into that. I do know that there is a mini version available.

The big advantages of the Benbo is that it can be erected anywhere and it can be submerged in water, mud, sewage, etc. without coming to any harm. It can be set up in seconds (admittedly after a heck of a lot of practice) and the legs can be splayed so that it's literally lying flat on the ground. As it is, you can arrange it so the camera is actually lower than the feet which is quite remarkable. So it can be used for taking a picture of something that's lower than the tripod, say the bank of a river, or the underside of a bridge. The picture may well be upside down but that is easily corrected with a single click.

I wouldn't worry about it as a secondary or backup tripod though as I'm sure the Giottos will serve you well. Think of it more as a specialist bit of kit for those rare occasions where a standard tripod won't go.
 
Andy90 said:
Take a look at the following Youtube review of the Manfrotto 055CXPro3, it shows how the centre column works. At 9m 20s the video shows how the legs splay and how low it can go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI5ePvT2_Lw
Click to expand...

tbh that looks particularly awkward, and id rather not have the legs splayed all over the ground if it isnt fat or something

this is what appeals about the giotto

d5okGmXl.jpg

glosrfc said:
It's not just hefty, it's ludicrously heavy. But that just makes it incredibly stable no matter how it's contorted to fit the location. Luckily you can also get it in a kit with the standard ballhead and a really comfortable padded holdall. In fact, it's that comfortable, I use the holdall for whichever tripod I decide to use. I think they've also bought out a new version which is a lot lighter but you'll have to do a bit of research into that. I do know that there is a mini version available.

The big advantages of the Benbo is that it can be erected anywhere and it can be submerged in water, mud, sewage, etc. without coming to any harm. It can be set up in seconds (admittedly after a heck of a lot of practice) and the legs can be splayed so that it's literally lying flat on the ground. As it is, you can arrange it so the camera is actually lower than the feet which is quite remarkable. So it can be used for taking a picture of something that's lower than the tripod, say the bank of a river, or the underside of a bridge. The picture may well be upside down but that is easily corrected with a single click.

I wouldn't worry about it as a secondary or backup tripod though as I'm sure the Giottos will serve you well. Think of it more as a specialist bit of kit for those rare occasions where a standard tripod won't go.
Click to expand...

think you are right, does look awesome for macro

ill asses if the Y is worth it, but i dont think so, the price is £70 different as far as i can see
 
al4x said:
tbh that looks particularly awkward, and id rather not have the legs splayed all over the ground if it isnt fat or something

this is what appeals about the giotto

d5okGmXl.jpg
Click to expand...

Erm the Manfrotto can do the same thing. The chap in the video folding the legs completely flat is highlighting the fact that they can actually go flat. They will move from the normal position to flat and any position in between and guess what - they splay out just like the ones in your picture!

BTW good luck with keeping that tripod stable with a couple of kg of camera and lens on the end - you will have to put some weight on the opposite side.

I've tried to give an idea of how the Manfrotto works, however it is your money and you seem to have already made your mind up. As I said I don't think you will go far wrong with any of the tripods.
 
Andy90 said:
Erm the Manfrotto can do the same thing. The chap in the video folding the legs completely flat is highlighting the fact that they can actually go flat. They will move from the normal position to flat and any position in between and guess what - they splay out just like the ones in your picture!

BTW good luck with keeping that tripod stable with a couple of kg of camera and lens on the end - you will have to put some weight on the opposite side.

I've tried to give an idea of how the Manfrotto works, however it is your money and you seem to have already made your mind up. As I said I don't think you will go far wrong with any of the tripods.
Click to expand...

i didnt think the manfrotto went beyond horizontal on the centre column?
 
I have the Giottos you mention and it's fine. It' doesn't take particularly long to adjust the centre column in reality.
 
seems a fair few here have it, the Y seems a waste for the small benefit
think the decision is made
would have gone with the manfrotto if it had 180 degree vertical
 
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