20 Best Carbon Fiber Tripod For Travel (2022 Updated)

This is my second travel tripod. Previously, I had the Sirui 1205x with the g20x ball head after a gentleman at B&H recommended it back in 2017, I though the tripod was great. at first. Being super lightweight, relatively small and compact and somewhat stable.

(After upgrading to the Peak Design later, I have come to realize the Sirui really wasn’t as stable as I thought. ) I came to realize that the Sirui was not reliable and customer service was as far as I’m concerned non-existent.

Eventually on the Sirui, one the legs came out because the clip inside broke and I was never able to get ahold of anyone at Sirui to fix it or get a replacement part. The panning on the Sirui no longer long runs smoothly, so I’m not too impressed with that either.

After repeated tries and months later with no responses I decided to upgrade to the Peak Design. The Peak Design intrigued me. I don’t know about the customer service, but it is super stiff compared to the Sirui.

It folds up nice and compact with nothing sticking out so it doesn’t tear up my bags when I repeatedly put it in and pull it out, making it easier and quicker to deploy too. Because of its compact size and easy of storage, I tend to carry it more than and the Sirui, meaning it gets a lot more use.

The tripod head is not as traditional or full featured as the sirui, but it is easy enough to use for most travel photos such as landscapes, family, etc. I’ve even used it for my son’s soccer practice and and it works well enough for quickly panning along with the action for video an stills.

For work, I usually use an Arca Swiss c1 cube gear-head on my full size tripod, so its a big difference, but easy enough. I’ve read complaints about using in in portrait mode, but I use (and would recommend anyone shooting in portrait orientation especially with a light weight tripod with heavier equipment) an L bracket, so this is not an issue for me.

Tripods are traditionally bulky, heavy, and expensive. I’ve been using the same Manfrotto tripod for 12 years because it works well, never broke, and was therefore not a priority. Except one thing: it is heavy! It’s so heavy that I will think twice before bringing it, and frequently not bring it at all if a shoot requires me to be nimble on my feet, is out in the field, or if I’m shooting alone.

As a result, I’ve been a heavy monopod user for a long time. Enter the Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod. This thing is a game changer. After hedging between the aluminum and the carbon fiber, I’m glad to say I went carbon fiber.

This tripod fits in my backpack and is light as a (2. 8lb) feather. It’s so light and easy to set up, that I don’t think twice about bringing a tripod anymore. Within the first week I bought it, I used it 4 times on shoots that I may have just brought a monopod to.

All 4 times it came in incredibly handy and I was thrilled to have it with me. You know what you can’t do with a monopod? Leave your camera standing at hand-height while you set up additional kit items, tend to audio, etc.

It doesn’t come with a video head (which would be handy), and I may upgrade with the add-on adapter from Peak Design, but even the set-up out of the box is incredibly helpful for fast, single-person use.

Very happy with this tripod!.

I love the portability and size of this Peak Design tripod. It’s really nice being able to just throw it in my camera backpack and not have to deal with strapping it on the outside or carrying separately, as I used to do with my old tripod.

However, despite its ultra-compact size, it still has some hefty weight to it. I think the carbon fiber model is slightly lighter, but I just couldn’t justify the price tag. If you travel a lot and every ounce of weight matters, it might be worth spending a few hundred extra on the carbon-fiber model.

But, for my current needs, this aluminum version works well. My only complaint is that the head only seems to fit the proprietary Peak Design camera plates and isn’t compatible with many other Arca Swiss-style plates (it might fit some, but not all).

Not a deal breaker, but it’s definitely a little frustrating that I can’t just slide my Arca-Swiss camera cage into it directly, which was a nice perk with my previous tripod. Otherwise, so far it’s been working well and does everything it’s supposed to do.

It’s well built and I have utmost confidence in Peak Design as a brand when it comes to quality and customer support. If not for that, I would be more apprehensive about paying premium prices for their products.

I purchased this tripod to support a 200-500 Nikon zoom attached to a D7200 in the backcountry of Alaska and i have been impressed for the price point. The Benro has supported the lens and camera without any issues and is light enough to carry that I don’t leave it in the car when i head into the back country of Alaska to for wildlife and landscape pictures.

I really like the ability to convert it to a monopod for those times when a tripod is is not what I am looking for but i need more camera stability than i can hold by hand. The included spike feet work well and bite into slick surfaces very nicely.

The legs are very easy to adjust the angles on and make for set up on steep mountain slopes easy. I have mixed the rubber feet with the spike feet to establish a firm tripod footing on steep Alaska mountains to get pictures of sheep and goats when the situation called for it.

Having the tools to tighten or adjust the fasteners are stored on the tripod attachments and not floating around in the bag was a nice feature, i have used the included allen wrenches to fix other camera gear that came loose.

I feel that you have to be careful when connecting the tripod leg to the extension tube to assemble the monopod to avoid cross threading or striping the threads. For travel purposes I would like a place to attach the feet that are not in use to the tripod body to keep things from rattling around in the back pack or potentially getting lost.

Over all feel that the tripod is great value for the price and would purchase it again. Overall the tripod has been a great improvement and i feel it has a lot of years of usage ahead.

I also wrote a similar review for my Benro FBAT24CVX25. This, the FBAT15CVX20, has replaced my Gitzo Series One Traveller. It has more features, is every bit as well made and costs significantly less than Gitzo.

I love how quickly I can set it up for low angle shots upside-down without removing the center column. Just spread the legs from the closed position and adjust the center column for the appropriate height.

No so for the Gitzo and PeakDesign which requires you to unscrew the bag hook, remove the center column, then reinsert the center column upside-down. After you get your shot, you have to reverse the process to put the tripod back in the normal position.

Too many steps involved which deters me from grabbing those quick low angle tripod shots. On the Benro, I also love how I can spread two legs up and lean it against a wall in tight spaces (watch Benro’s video).

The built in monopod has also come in handy, just unscrew one leg and attach it to the center column. I really like the built-in pano head. It’s not a full blown panohead with the degree markings, but it’s just enough to get the job done when the tripod isn’t on a level surface.

My only quibble is the locking lever on the pano head could be bigger. Lastly I like how the tripod has three tapped holes that allow you to mount a smartphone and two other devices (you’ll have to purchase the mounts separately) all simultaneously while still having the camera mounted.

Compared to the PeakDesign Carbon Fiber, the leg sections are of comparable diameters (roughly speaking as Peak’s isn’t round). PeakDesign’s ball head is neat, but annoyingly restricted when trying to flip the camera from landscape to portrait mode.

The ball head is also a pinch monster so you need to be careful of your hands. PeakDesign comes with a smart phone holder cleverly hidden in the center column but it requires you to mount it to the ball head which means you can’t use it simultaneously with your main camera.

Lastly it comes with a tool that’s clipped to the shaft. I would lose that in a blink. The only real benefit of the PeakDesign is how it folds so compactly, comes with a very nice zippered case and looks cool.

My Benro packs down to roughly the same length as PeakDesign but just a little larger in diameter and 0. 44lbs heavier. Comes with an ok bag which I only use when I pack to travel. Gitzo came with nothing.

Love this tripod and love Benro innovations.

I have had an old, heavy, low tech aluminum Manfrotto tripod for decades. In fact, I think it has a Bogen sticker from before the name change. I finally got the bright idea to splurge on a new tripod ahead of a Yellowstone trip this May.

Spent tons of time watching tripod reviews and finally settled on the Benro Rhino. There is always a trade off between between portability and sturdiness/load capacity, and the Benro hits the mark. The carbon fiber makes it both lightweight and sturdy and it has no problem with my Canon r5 and L series 70-200 lens.

The Benro folds up more compactly, but is taller (62) than my old tripod. It allows good low angle shooting for either macro or landscapes. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and quick to deploy, with nicely textured friction collars on each leg.

The ballhead is smooth and easy to adjust and shows no sign of drifting with a full size camera rig. One of the legs detaches to convert to a monopod which I intend to use for wildlife action. And the gray/black finish is very cool looking and is muted enough that it won’t startle the animals away like some of the electric-colored 3 Legged Things and other brands.

I do alot of exploring through urban landscapes and a tripod is a must. For years I’ve carried around a Manfrotto Tripod that was about 2. 5′ tall when collapsed, heavy, and generally a pain. Don’t get me wrong – I love the tripod, it was just wrong for the application.

Enter the Befree Advanced. This little guy collapses down to a very manageable size that fits well in the side pocket on my backup I use for exploring. It’s lightweight which is a welcome change from my bigger tripod as it’s usually carried around on my back.

It’s well constructed and generally sturdy. Only one star removed for the lack of a hook on the bottom of the center. As it’s so light you will not be able to use it for a longer exposure in a windy situation as there’s no way to attach a counter weight.

Otherwise, an excellent investment for supporting my camera when needed.

I purchased this after chatting with a B&H sales professional for an upcoming trip. Wanted to go for a relatively smaller and lighter but still sturdy tripod. Based on that criteria it did the job. It is easy to pack and not a burden to carry while walking.

That said, if you are serious about photography, this tripod should not be your reference item as it is not sturdy enough to withhold strong wind or other extreme environmental conditions. This doesn’t make it a bad tripod, just a good travel one.

I knocked off one star as I wasn’t a big fan off the twist locks and there are some other compromises to make it smaller and lighter. It is a product I can recommend.

I bought this tripod to be used with my RP camera. It holds the RP with RF 50mm lens very well, but it does not hold the RP with RF 24-240mm lens. The head keeps moving and sliding down for not being able to hold the weight of the lens.

When trying to extend the legs, there are small white pieces falling out which makes the whole leg falls apart when adjusting. This is not an issue when I put them back together. But extremely annoying.

The outside blue material has scratches after less than 10 times of use. I will definitely need an upgrade in the coming 6 months. Waste of money. I gave it 2 star only for its light weight which is very helpful for a traveller/hiker.

Terrific travel tripod. This thing packs very small and super practical for traveling. It is definitely a challenge to use on high winds, even weighted down. I could not get a single long exposure image on windy conditions, 15+ mph winds.

However, it is great for the fact that I can take it everywhere without weighing me down. The vertical extension has 2 stages but its max height is still less than 5 feet. Don’t expect this tripod to reach eye level for most people.

Other than that it is an excellent tripod. It comes with a head but it is quite average. I use a spare Oben 117 which is small and very sturdy.

Pros: Decent fluid head, stable legs considering the size and price. Small fold up size of 21 Cons: Bubble is finicky for getting correct level. Camera can get in way of tripod plate lock screw. Some spring-back on pans.

I bought this little tripod for its advertised purpose: as a travel tripod. As such it does a fairly good job fitting into this role, although as expected there are some inherent compromises in travel tripods.

The construction is reasonably solid, the legs do not twist much when fully extended and panning. This is very important to reduce spring-back when starting or stopping a pan. The legs do not extend as smoothly as my Robus RC-8880 carbon fiber legs on my main tripod, but then again, these are smaller, aluminum, and a fraction of the price.

And this does not really affect the functionality of the tripod. I do wish the leg spread was wider at the default setting, so be careful not to bump the tripod over. The leveling adjustment works easily and locks in place.

While not as nice as a 75mm ball head, it is still way better than trying to adjust the legs 1 by 1 to get the head level. The single biggest issue is getting the head really level. It may look level with the bubble, but when doing the pan, one end or the other may be a little off.

This may take some practice and I wish the bubble level was much bigger and more precise. The camera plate is very small, although the safely lock works, and it’s easy to insert and remove. The second biggest issue is that when using a wide camera or camcorder body (GH5S in my case) the bottom of the camera interferes with tightening the camera plate screw.

This is a common and annoying problem with many smaller tripods. You have to get the screw to within half a turn of being tight, put the camera on, and then finish tightening it. I was very impressed with the quality of the pan/tilt head given its small size.

The fixed fluid drag resistance is about the same compared to the medium level setting on my Libec NH30 head. This is a good default setting for a tripod where pan and tilt drag can not be adjusted. In fact it is better than the looser fluid drag on my old Manfrotto DV501 head which this will replace.

Both pan and tilt are smooth given the small size of the head, although it does have some spring-back (when you stop a pan and take your hand off, the camera will rotate opposite the direction of pan slightly) which is common on smaller heads mounted to smaller legs.

As expected, there is no tilt counter-balance. Ultimately if you need buttery smooth pans where the pan stops and stays in place where you want it to, and counterbalanced tilt, you will need to pony up some money for larger and more expensive kit like the Libec NH30 with Robus RC-8880 carbon fiber legs that serve as my main tripod.

But try getting that stuffed into your carry-on bag, or lugging a 11 pound tripod on a long hike. It should be noted, the small size also limits the size and weight of the camera that can be placed on the Benro Aero 2; I’m almost at max load weight with a GH5S, xls adapter and microphone.

The pan and tilt lock work well, and when locked down it holds the camera in place. While I have not tried this tripod in the wind, I expect it to be vastly inferior to my main tripod in this regard given the small size and weight.

So while it will never replace the main tripod, it does serve a niche as a travel tripod. It would also be suitable for tight budgets, or as a first tripod for students or casual hobbyists. And when purchased on sale at B&H it’s a good tripod for the money.

Got this to replace my Manfrotto 502AH Video Head & MT055XPRO3 (yes, you read that right) after the tilt stopped holding it’s place, but even before that I just felt the functionally to adjust the tilt and pan wasn’t as practical as I liked.

I feel like I stumbling trying to adjust it every time I used it. Not only that but storing it became might’ve been the biggest downfall. I’ll explain down below. Packaging: Upon opening the box, it has it’s own case! I didn’t even know that before ordering but it’s a solid Cordura fabric with an inside pocket to dismount the pan arm bar and store.

Quality: A bit on the heavy side but makes sense depending on the usage. Definitely study and durable. TBH better than I expected. Just as good as Manfrotto 502AH Functionality: SUER EASY TO USE. The main selling point was the proprietary knobs that specifically catered to each pan, tilt, and counterbalance, so no need to keep turning the dial to loosen.

The fluid dials are only for adjusting the tension. You just turn the proprietary knob once or twice and it’s good to store. This is important b/c I noticed that with my Manfrotto I wouldn’t turn the dial loose enough that when I went to break it down and place in my car that it would bump around and from what I believe, it’s the reason the tilt lock gear inside broke.

I know that’s my fault, but I felt like it was almost inevitable. Conclusion: I don’t think this tripod gets enough reviews and I’m not sure why. It’s functionality is beyond any other tripod I’ve used.

I would highly recommend going with this Benro over any of it’s competitors. Save the extra money and use it for something else you’ll need.

Moving up from weak photo tripods and this kit is another world. Just arrived, so time will tell, but it seems like the whole package. True fluid head with pan and tilt resistance variation plus separate lockdowns.

Adjustable counterbalance including 0. Lighted bubble level on head will be a lifesaver. Very sturdy legs. Weighs a ton compared to my old SLIK. Not recommended for bushwhacking. In lieu of a Sherpa the padded bag comes with shoulder straps and a handle.

Internal pocket and velcro straps to hold tripod. Tripod and head fit in bag perfectly. I did a lot of on-line research and it looks like this is very good value for money spent. Great B&H service.

Got this on one of B&H’s daily deals plus it also came with mail-in rebate, so the price was actually less than half of list. It sounded like a good deal. And it was. The tripod is very solidly built and the twist locks are very secure.

The leg angle adjustment is also very solid. I don’t normally use the center post in tripods due to stability issues, but the 2004SK has a 2-section center post. And if you use just raise the lower section, it maintains good stability.

It should be noted that without raising the center post, the tripod is fairly low. I have mounted a Sirui K-30x ballhead on the tripod and that turns out to be a very good combination. The maximum load I have placed on the tripod/ballhead is 5 lb.

(Canon 7D-II plus 100-400mm lens). I have had no issues with this combination. As a bonus, the tripod comes with a case. The case is made from a high denier material and is lightly padded. The tripod initially comes in the case with the legs reversed (which is the way it needs to be to fit in the case).

With the ballhead installed, reversing the legs creates a form of cradle around the ballhead adding extra protection to the ballhead. And the tripod/ballhead assembly fits in the case fine. Overall, this is an excellent tripod, and I highly recommend it.

I’m glad I ordered this to try out. I got it after getting a Sirui K-40X Ball Head. All folds up nicely fits in the provided case (not flimsy but substantial and it protects the tripod and head). Well made, solid, appears it will last forever.

Half turn loosens legs to extend or retract and half turn locks it up solid. Fantastic foam padding on each leg. Fully extended legs and center column keeps my Nikon D750 and Sigma 70-200 mm F2. 8 steady as can be (great shots of the comet NEOWISE).

I purchased the Aluminum Travel Tripod. This purchase did not disappoint. I work on set for visual effects and need to lug gear all over in difficult spaces and locations. This is a very sturdy and lightweight tripod for holding large DSLRs with added components.

The height for me is not and issue but those looking for a tall tripod may wish for something else. Great travel case, well made tripod, you get what you pay for !.

Recently purchased a Benro MeFoto GlobeTrotter Aluminum Travel Tripod Kit (Black). It appears to be well made. The mounting plate that came with the tripod is relatively large and incompatible with the Peak Design Slide Lite camera strap.

The strap utilizes a custom quick disconnect that loops onto one side of your camera (like a wrist strap would on a point and shoot camera). The other end can then be connected to the other side of your camera or to the tripod mounting plate.

I ended up buying the Peak Design (PD) Standard Plate (PL-S-3) to replace the plate provided with the tripod. The PD plate is a much lower profile than the Benro plate and designed to be compatible with their strap QD of the Slide for an easy connection to the mounting plate.

With this configuration, the camera can be slung over your shoulder by connecting one end of the strap to one of the strap loops on the side of the camera and the other end to the tripod mounting plate disconnect.

(The weight of the lens causes the lens to be looking at the ground making for a comfortable carry and easy access to shot. ) I have not used the tripod much to comment further on the ergonomics of its design.

The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Carbon fiber Travel Tripod is fantastic, I use this with Canon 6D mk II and EF 100-400mm L lens, its stable, its light weight and its folds up nicely. I have also put my astrophotography kit on this and it holds up well there too! I bought this model specifically because its portability and weight.

If I were going to leaving this in the car for parking lot photos I would pursue a heavy weight one. using the 2second shot delay is a key ingredient to ensuring no shaking.

Light weight, steady, solid construction, easy and fast to set up and store thanks to the quarter turn of the leg locks. I?m 6?2? tall and the extended height is just right for me. The ball head is a great addition for the price.

It?s also well built and easy to adjust. Not sure if the monopod leg is worth the effort to set up, since I haven?t had a need to use it as of yet. Wish there was another way to have the rubber leg tips installed.

They are very difficult to remove to expose the spikes. Maybe with time they will become easier to remove. I would definitely recommend this tripod.

I was skeptical by reading the reviews, like, how could it be that good? I’ll buy one to check it out. I am blown away! It is very well built, sturdy and lightweight tripod. It has well surpassed all of my expectations.

I have other carbon fiber tripods, and this is honestly amazing. The diameter of the legs are not widdled down to a wobbly, unstable diameters. When extended, it stays firm and retains a diameter to give the tripod a stable platform and base.

This also has a carbon fiber center column. The ball head that was included with this tripod is solid and well built. It is a solid platform for my cameras. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great CF tripod!.

Tripod is awesome. Definitely portable for the size and strength I need to hold my full frame camera. Love everything about it: The built in phone holder; able to rotate the camera to portrait mode or different angles and feel confident that the tripod will hold it; and the ability to mount the camera “upside down” or really low to get those low or up-angle shots.

The size when collapsed is perfect for carrying it around as compared to other “full size” equivalents. I can stick it in my water bottle pocket on my backpack. If you are concerned about weight (and that is your top priority), then you’ll may want to pony up for the carbon fiber model.

You definitely feel the weight difference when you carry both models. Although for me, I don’t really mind the weight as I am used to carrying heavy loads when going out. I was ok with dealing with the “heavier” (aluminum) version as I did not want to spend more $$ on the carbon fiber.

But, if you got money to burn, I say go for the lighter carbon fiber model. Lighter is always better, but for those that don’t really care about weight as much, save your money and get the aluminum model.

Cant go wrong with the Peak Design tripods.

I did extensive research before pulling the trigger on the Tripster. A travel tripod will always be a compromise, a trade-off between folded length, extended length, weight and stability. In my opinion, the Benro Tripster provides an optimal relationship between these factors.

It also provides the best bang for the buck among travel tripods. Folded, this Carbon Fiber tripod compacts to 14. 1 and weighs in at 3 pounds. It comes with a draw-corded, lightweight travel sack. You might consider purchasing a separate padded case for excursions on a plane, but in the backpack, the corded sack works just fine.

The tripod legs fold over the ballhead for trasport and then fold down in use. Most tripods that fold up smaller than 15″ do not extend beyond 53″; this one extends to 59″. There is a hook on the bottom of the tripod where you can add ballast like a backpack to increase its weight to add stability.

useful if there is a stiff breeze. While the Benro Tripster is rated to hold 17. 6 pounds, I suggest you do not exceed half the rating for this and other carbon fiber tripods. B&H is a first class operation.

The tripod was well packed in a sturdy shipper, and arrived two days after I ordered it. B&H remains my go to source for camera gear and accessories. They get it right!.

Nearly identical to the MeFOTO RoadTrip Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod at nearly half the price. I?m convinced they come out of the same factory. At one point I saw a photo of a Benro tripod with MeFOTO engraved in one of the screw heads.

It weighs almost nothing, supports 18lbs and is incredibly compact when fully folded. I have used these extensively for virtual shooting with remote presenters and absolutely love this tripod. I own two other Benro fluid heads for video work.

They are one of the best values in film gear, rivaling the quality of the better known brands at a fraction of the price.

I have been looking for a small light tripod that does not cost $700. I tried multiple including the Manfrotto element travel carbon small and a couple more. I wanted a tripod up to 2. 4 lbs, that folds to less than 14″ and can lower center column.

There is probably only one YouTube videos on this tripod but based on the description ticked all boxes. It holds my Leica SL2-s with the 24-70 2. 8 lens which is a heavy combo. In some angles I have to tight well the head to avoid drifting.

It is a great solution for me. Try it.

This kit arrived promptly from goHUNT shop–my first time dealing with this vendor. I had recently got a Vortex Razor HD 27 60x 85 scope for birding and was in search of a decent quality, budget friendly carbon leg tripod with a fluid head kit for panning up, down, and around and easy packing for travel by air.

It was love at first try with this set up. Solid and stable, very fluid panning capability up, down, and sideways. Easy to set up. The light weight is also nice because I didn’t want anything too heavy to lug around, though I wanted something sturdy.

This fit all my needs and wants and was very affordable for all the features is provides.

I’ve been a pro photographer for 30+ years, had 5 studios, and have used many tripods. My tripods vary depending on intended use. in studio, wildlife, light lenses, heavy lenses, portability, etc. As a general, all around tripod that will support my 200-600 and anything smaller I find this Sirui ET-2204 to be the very best I’ve ever had.

The clip leg extension style is my favorite for fast sizing, the light weight makes it easy to carry in the field, and it’s fine in studio, although I don’t use ball heads in studio. I have 3 of these.

The wife uses one I use the other two depending on where I’m located. The carrying strap is also useful if hiking or just for long walks, freeing up both hands.

I have a Sirui K30 head for my Manfrotto 190xprob tripod. I really like the Sirui quality, so I decided for a Sirui travel tripod versus an equivalent Manfrotto. The ET-2004 is very comparable to the Manfrotto Element Big model.

But the Sirui is rated for 26lbs weight vs 17, has 4 sections vs 5, flip lock vs twist lock, 6 yr warranty vs up to 5, 2 foam covered legs vs 1. The Sirui has an extra short center column, shoulder strap with the case and metal knobs vs rubber coated.

The 17” folded length, 57” max height, 3. 5lbs weight, reversible center column are the same. The only extra Manfrotto feature is 1 leg can be used as a monopod with the ball head that this model Sirui does not have.

The E20 ball head is solid with pan and ball tension knobs. Sirui heads have an extra safety button that depresses the safety pin under the Arca plate which takes some patience to learn to use. The plate and head can easily hold my 70-200 with lens collar and Nikon D750 with grip or even my 200-500mm with lens collar.

There is a spike at the bottom of each leg that can be exposed for use on outdoor surfaces. The flip lock tabs are buttery smooth. Some may debate more sections means more compact, but in this case not so, just more effort to extend to full length.

Some may prefer twist lock but I like flip locks since they deploy faster though they can be noisier. I have 2 minor gripes however. There’s lots of friction on the legs and they don’t fall freely to extend or collapse.

Perhaps over time they will wear in and loosen up. The tab to change leg angle needs is a bit difficult to depress usually requiring a downward motion to engage and held down to skip over other locking positions.

Aside from that there’s enough added features/higher specs on the ET-2004 and E-20 head to make it a better buy.

I have a Nightforce TS-82X spotting scope that I finally decided to give a good set of legs. I’ve been using a Vortex High Country tripod, but finally decided on this one after an array of research. When I pulled this out of the box, the immediate and distinct difference in quality was more than obvious.

The adjustments for panning and tilting are far smoother and tighter when locked. The leg lengthening adjustments are solid, no more flimsy clips that break in the cold from getting brittle. This tripod was built with a hunter in mind, where it would need to be space friendly and able to withstand abuse.

I am thoroughly impressed, and the difference is most noticeable when making fine-tune adjustments while glassing big game over a mile away. Worth every penny!.

Nice overall. Legs are a little bouncy when fully extended and loaded with an optic. Otherwise seems like a great quality tripod

The tripod is light weight and it is strong/stable enough to hold my spotting scope up. I have a Swarovski ATX 65mm spotter. I liked that it came with all the accessories, makes it a nice little kit.

Summary: It is lightweight, great height, fits in carryon and works great. Long version: I have had several travel tripods. First the Gitzo GT1542T that I sold to get the RRS TVC-24 – as it was more stable but not much more weight.

The TVC-24 was great as a single tripod to have – but I wanted a taller and stronger tripod for bigger lenses/car travel (600mm f/4, etc. ) and a slightly lighter travel tripod for airport travel. And at times it was too short.

So I sold the TVC-24 for two different tripods: RRS TFC-14 (lightweight air travel tripod) and a TFC-34 (everything else / car based travel, reasonably tall). The TFC-14 was great but the height was a little too short.

And then the new RRS Ascend 14 Long was introduced. I bought one with an integrated head. Subsequently I have also bought the Ascend platform center column from RRS which makes the tripod same as the ASCEND-14L-PF.

So I am in position to write reviews for the Ascend 14 long with either the platform column or the integrated head. I used it for a European vacation and found it a dream to use because of it’s height.

We had traveled carryon bags only during this trip. I can fit the tripod in a 21 inch wheeled carryon if I remove the center column with the integrated head. Interestingly I do not need to remove the center column of the Ascend 14 long with the platform head to fit it in the carryon bag size.

I use the Ascend 14L PF with an RRS BH-30 ball head – which is a great combo. This is essentially what a long version of the TFC-14 would have been – more costly but comes with a center column. I personally do not see myself using the center column, but it is available to use and it does not take up any space due to its triangular design.

Coming from a 34L RRS tripod, I got this one to be used for daily activities such as, portraiture, landscape and macro, even cityscapes. I use this with a Magpul MS1. This tripod is strong but most of all I don’t feel it, the weight is really what I was missing from this, the strength is like all RRS tripods this handles the 5D line to the 400mm Canon lens in sure it can hold a 600mm as well.

I’m using it with the bh30 not with the built-in Ball Head and I’m loving it. I’m sorry I wasn’t traveling with this tripod at first. It will fit the new R bodies like a glove it’s so small and clean.

Nothing gets in the way. I must say the 34L I had was heavy compare to this one, I can walk with it and not feel a thing. I use the tripod leg sleeves to protect it from the cold and for handling it does make a difference, it may add some weight though but for bme I’m OK with that.

The extension piece has a dropout lock so I cause your lock slips the rail along with your camera will not hit the floor. Something very cool that RRS added. Everything else you can break down and clean if you happen to go out at sea or in dirt, the tripod maintenance is very simple and easy it also holds all the removable feet like the claws and spikes.

I have no regrets I got this, if your looking for a light tripod for the new small mirror less camera’s this trpoid is what your looking for the size is just right. Not to big or small and it will fit in a carry on luggage with ease.

I love walking with my tripod in its bag whwn traveling it’s sweet but this is so much smaller than my 34L Mk1 in afraid I’m loose it but I’ll not let that happen. I’m looking into getting me a fresh 34L mk 3 as I gave my precious 34L to someone special to me.

RRS Tripods are my choice not because of hype but because of quality and also made in the USA.