Mefoto Globetrotter, Roadtrip travel tripods - anybody has one?

[BrentC]

I'm looking at getting a travel tripod to take on vacation and hiking trips. I am liking the Mefoto Roadtrip and Globetrotter. Anybody has one? Thoughts, good and bad? I seems the only difference between the two is Height, Weight and weight capacity. Otherwise they seem to be identical with all the same features. Then there is the choice between aluminum and carbon fibre.

 

[waday]

I have the aluminum Mefoto Roadtrip, so I can't compare to the globetrotter.

I think the Roadtrip is pretty good, and it comes (at least mine did) with rubber feet and spikes. The spikes were tucked away in a zipper pocket inside the tripod case, which I didn't realize it was there for over a year, lol.

It can also turn into a monopod, which is very cool. It packs up pretty small, and I've been able to easily take it with me on several trips. I don't necessarily mind the weight of the aluminum vs carbon fiber, but that might be more of a personal decision on what you want to carry and what else you'll be carrying.

I'm not sure about the weight of the heavier lenses you have, but the ball head works great with the m4/3 system.

It does have 4 leg segments, so if you're using it in windier conditions, I can see needing to weigh it down.

 

[BrentC]

I have the aluminum Mefoto Roadtrip, so I can't compare to the globetrotter.

I think the Roadtrip is pretty good, and it comes (at least mine did) with rubber feet and spikes. The spikes were tucked away in a zipper pocket inside the tripod case, which I didn't realize it was there for over a year, lol.

It can also turn into a monopod, which is very cool. It packs up pretty small, and I've been able to easily take it with me on several trips. I don't necessarily mind the weight of the aluminum vs carbon fiber, but that might be more of a personal decision on what you want to carry and what else you'll be carrying.

I'm not sure about the weight of the heavier lenses you have, but the ball head works great with the m4/3 system.

It does have 4 leg segments, so if you're using it in windier conditions, I can see needing to weigh it down.

Thanks Wade. I won't be using my larger lenses, will be strictly for landscape and maybe some macro focus stacking. How did you find the height of the Roadtrip? Tall enough for you?

I think the Roadtrip will do me just fine, and its 1lb lighter than the Globetrotter, but there is a guy selling a brand new Globetrotter he won in a contest for $170CAD. I think that's hard to pass up for 1lb difference. I think the carbon fibre is out since its over $400CAD and only a 1lb difference.

 

[waday]

I won't be using my larger lenses, will be strictly for landscape and maybe some macro focus stacking. How did you find the height of the Roadtrip? Tall enough for you?

It's been tall enough for me, but I'm not that tall to begin with, lol. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing...

Based on this comparison, it looks like the extended height difference is 3" or so. It also looks like the main difference is with build quality/stability and the amount of weight it supports (considerable difference, actually--about 10 pounds).

Roadtrip seems to be more for travel, with Globetrotter being more for professional shoots. But, when folded up, they're about the same size and weight (making the assumption that 1 pound isn't all that bad if being carried in/on a bag). So, frankly, they both seem travel-friendly.

If you found a Globetrotter that close to new Roadtrip price, it might be worth the extra money. But, it's easy spending someone else's money.