Half Sized Tripods

hotdrop · Apr 9, 2014

Not to beat this topic to death but since where all actively talking about tripods I'd like to know if anybody has some decent 1/4-1/2 tripods. What you use them for as opposed to full size styles and what are their advantages and drawbacks. When do you really need the full 6" and when is 1-3" enough. It seems like for hiking or other outdoor adventures a 1/2 size might be good enough. It wont be comfortable to setup the shot and you may need to get on one knee or sit on the ground but the weight advantage and stability improvement should be considerable. If you own a smaller tripod Id really like to hear your opinions on this, and what products you like.

Big Mike · Apr 10, 2014

Tripods (and I'll add camera bags) are sort of like shoes. It's unlikely that one specific model will be the best for everything that you do.
I have several tripods and I'll use the most appropriate or convenient one for whatever I'm doing that day.

I'm not really sure what you're referring to with 1/2 or 1/4 tripods...there is no standard 'full size' tripod.

For smaller tripods, I have a couple that are very small. Maybe six inches in length and would only hold a camera a couple inches off the ground/surface. But they can easily be kept in a camera bag pocket, so they are always on hand. The may not hold up a large DSLR & lens though.

There are some tripods that are a 'regular' size, but fold down smaller. Usually they will have 4 or 5 leg sections, rather than three. These are good for travelling or hiking because they are easier to pack.

As for the height when you're using them, I find it annoying when I want it to be up to my face/eye level and it's not. But I'm usually more concerned about the camera's position/perspective and I'll crouch down if I need to.

Many newer DSLR cameras (and even more bridge cameras) have an articulating screen so that you can view the screen (and compose the shot via live view) without having to use the viewfinder....and save yourself from laying in the mud.

hotdrop · Apr 10, 2014

I thinking tripods that do 12-36" in height. Instead of a 60-80" height that would be typically used for portraits and typical large tripods. Enough to just clear some minor ground obsticales but not enough to comfortably have the camera at eye level.

petrochemist · Apr 10, 2014

I have a collection of table top tripods <1' high that can be taken practically anywhere, then more standard sized ones which will reach over 5'. The cheapest of these are reasonably stable at the sorts of heights you're talking about, and are quite light. The lower sections could be easily removed if weight was critical, and there wasn't going to be the need for the full height.
I also have one tripod that probably reaches over 12' - which tends to make me think of the standard ones as half sized.

If you feel the need with a little patience you might be able to pic up a quality tripod, going cheap because the lower stages have been damaged...
I'd expect the demand for this intermediate size to be too minimal for any manufactuers to be interested in making them new.

Gavjenks · Apr 10, 2014

I really like this ~1/3 size tripod: Amazon.com: Mefoto A0320Q00T DayTrip Tripod Kit (Titanium): Electronics

It holds up a heavy lens and DSLR up to almost 3' in an only slightly unstable fashion, 1.5-2' pretty solid, an 1' it's like a chunk of granite. Weighs less than 2 pounds, excellent build quality, folds to 9" and fits pretty much anywhere a 70-200 lens would fit.

I use it for virtually everything. There's almost always something to wedge it onto, especially if using rope, if you need a high vantage point, and most things don't need a high vantage point anyway. The only recent exceptions I've decided I needed my 6 foot tripod for were self portraits. Literally that is all. And even then, only because one was in my living room and another was with a group in an open field.

hotdrop · Apr 10, 2014

Gavjenks,
Your post in the other tripod thread actually inspired me to start this one. You seem to have a great solution to the weight and size problem of a typical tripod and I was wounder if others were doing the same thing (also im cheap and i couldn't find a comparable used one otherwise it would have already been in the mail). If you end up using rope to support/tie your tripod any time soon I'd love to see some pictures of how you do it

Derrel · Apr 10, 2014

Gavjenks said:
I really like this ~1/3 size tripod: Amazon.com: Mefoto A0320Q00T DayTrip Tripod Kit (Titanium): Electronics

It holds up a heavy lens and DSLR up to almost 3' in an only slightly unstable fashion, 1.5-2' pretty solid, an 1' it's like a chunk of granite. Weighs less than 2 pounds, excellent build quality, folds to 9" and fits pretty much anywhere a 70-200 lens would fit.

I use it for virtually everything. There's almost always something to wedge it onto, especially if using rope, if you need a high vantage point, and most things don't need a high vantage point anyway. The only recent exceptions I've decided I needed my 6 foot tripod for were self portraits. Literally that is all. And even then, only because one was in my living room and another was with a group in an open field.

That little MeFOTO tripod looks kind of nifty!