Will the Manfrotto Compact Action Tripod suit my needs?

mrsalty1223 · Jan 2, 2016

I am looking for a low cost tripod to use for a while until I can upgrade to a better, more permanent tripod. I like to travel so I am looking for a somewhat small tripod that I can easily take with me. I don't need anything professional just yet. Would the Manfrotto Compact Action tripod work for a while? Or should I look elsewhere?
My camera weighs 1.5 pounds and the tripod is rated for 3.3. I don't want any drift so would this tripod be strong enough to hold my camera steady?

I have found several used ones that seem to be in good shape. I just want to get some opinions before I pull the trigger.

Manfrotto Compact Action Aluminum Tripod (Black) MKCOMPACTACN-BK

KenC · Jan 2, 2016

Manfrotto tripods in general are good solid tripods, so among the compact tripods this is probably one of the better ones. Having said that, in answer to whether it will hold your camera steady, that is a relative term. There are conditions under which no tripod is really good enough (very strong wind or vibrations) and the compact ones are more prone to unsteadiness than the bigger, heavier ones, but with use for travel being an important consideration for you, then this is one of the better choices. Under good conditions it will work as well as anything.

mrsalty1223 · Jan 2, 2016

KenC said:
Manfrotto tripods in general are good solid tripods, so among the compact tripods this is probably one of the better ones. Having said that, in answer to whether it will hold your camera steady, that is a relative term. There are conditions under which no tripod is really good enough (very strong wind or vibrations) and the compact ones are more prone to unsteadiness than the bigger, heavier ones, but with use for travel being an important consideration for you, then this is one of the better choices. Under good conditions it will work as well as anything.

I am not so concerned with wind and such moving it around. I have experienced the head drifting with my camera on it. As if it wasn't strong enough to hold the weight of my camera. It would slowly drift down and I would lose the frame when I was near the end of my 50x zoom. Thanks for the reply. I think I will give this one a shot.

KmH · Jan 2, 2016

What do you need a tripod for?

Some general rules for tripods;
Don't use more than 1/2 of the rated weight capacity. Only using 1/3 of the rated max weight capacity is even better.
The more leg sections a tripod has the less stable it is.

The tripod you linked to has a max weight (load) rating of 3.3 lbs. 1/3 of that is 1.1 lbs.
The tripod has 5 leg sections. the lower leg sections will have very slim diameters and won't contribute much to making the tripod stable.
If you get that tripod I would not recommend ever using the tripod with the bottom 2 leg sections extended.

I would also avoid raising the center column because raising the center column will also make the tripod less stable.
Keep the center-of-gravity of the tripod as low as possible.

I would not buy that tripod.
I doubt it would work $55 worth better than this $20 tripod from Walmart:
Sunpak 5200D Digital Tripod - Walmart.com

Put $55 in your, get a good tripod savings account.

tecboy · Jan 2, 2016

You buy a cheaper tripod and then get an upgrade later. That sounds like you are wasting your money in getting two tripods. This tripod will not be stable for winter season.

mrsalty1223 · Jan 2, 2016

If I were to get this one for the time being, even if it's maybe not the best tripod out there, would it suffice until I get a better one? I am able to get it for around $30 used. I am fine with not extending it all the way. I have never needed to fully extend any of the tripods I've borrowed. This won't be seeing any heavy duty use. Just light casual use while traveling.

At a $30 price point with the ability to resell or keep as a backup, could this get me by for a while?

tecboy · Jan 2, 2016

Get a mini tripod. It is very handy

mrsalty1223 · Jan 2, 2016

tecboy said:
Get a mini tripod. It is very handy

Any in particular? Where should I look?

tecboy · Jan 2, 2016

There are plenty of mini tripods. Get the ones that can clamped on the tree branch, ramp, and pole.

mrsalty1223 · Jan 2, 2016

tecboy said:
There are plenty of mini tripods. Get the ones that can clamped on the tree branch, ramp, and pole.

Are either of these what you are talking about?

CowboyStudio Mini Table Top Tripod for Canon Nikon Sony Pentax M-026

Flexible Mini Octopus Tripod Stand Holder for Digital Camera Nikon Canon DV Sony

tecboy · Jan 3, 2016

I have this one. Pedco UltraPod II Tabletop Tripod with Mini Ball Head PD02010

I can strap on pole, branch, or fence.

JoeW · Jan 3, 2016

Okay, a bunch of thoughts:

1. Single biggest mistake new tripod buyers make is deciding on the basis of budget. Don't get me wrong, I make camera equipment decisions on the basis of budget all the time. But with tripods, one that doesn't do what you need it to do or isn't stable is worse than no tripod at all. If I shoot with no tripod in low light, I compensate. I lean against a doorway. I set the camera on a rock. I jack up the ISO. I use a remote or cable shutter release to reduce shake. Or I shoot to use blur (and emphasize movement). But if you put your camera on a tripod, you have an expectation that you've got stability and so you compose with that expectation. Do not buy a tripod unless you are absolutely positively completely sure it will do what you need it to do in terms of stability.

2. I love Manfrotto. I own me 2 Manfrotto's right now. I had another that developed legs (i.e.: someone stole it while I was shooting at Great Falls here in the DC area). All told, I have 6 different stabilization devices (like a clamp, 2 small tripods like a gorillapod, etc.)...different device for different setting. I'm not arguing you need 6. But that gets to the point: just b/c I love Manfrotto doesn't mean it's perfect for everything. In fact, that get's us to...

3. Every tripod is a compromise. No tripod (including ones that will cost you $1,200) does everything perfectly or well. So it's critical to be clear about what you want your tripod to do. For instance, you said you like to "travel." That's way too fuzzy for me to offer a really definite recommendation for you. I have a Manfrotto Befree MKB FRA4-BH. I just took it with me to shoot the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in winter (pre-sunrise so some long extended shots). I love it. it's great for flying (fits in to carry-on easily). But I wouldn't put a 200mm-400mm bazooka lens on it. And if I was a serious hiker, I wouldn't choose it (I'd want a more stable tripod that had spikes and could handle soft or uneven ground better). You see, saying you like to "travel" doesn't tell me if you want a good tripod for hiking, a good tripod for shooting with big glass on it in low light, a good tripod for carry-on luggage, or a tripod that you can setup and breakdown quickly. Those are 4 different jobs and a tripod that is superb at one of them is probably less good at the others. If you're going to be shooting birds, you'll be putting a 400mm lens on there and you'll want one that pans smoothly. If you're shooting landscape, than stability in uneven ground is critical. If it's macro or food photography than you want a center column that tilts. For flowers, I'd want a quick release head that is intuitive and quick. B/c you can't find one that will do all of those things really well. So when you say "travel"...be more explicit about what that means and what you expect your tripod to do.

4. I would NOT buy the tripod you've picked out. Forget the price for a second. And yeah, it's a Manfrotto...and I'm a Manfrotto slut. But here's why I wouldn't buy it:
--5 leg segments. The more leg segments, the less stable and more wobble you get. A really stable tripod will have 3 leg segments ideally, no more than 4 (my BeFree has 4). But the problem is that this means either a very short tripod OR one that doesn't travel as well.
--height. It's says 61 inches...so that's 5 feet. But that's with the center column extended which you almost never want to do. So we're really talking a tripod that (without extending the center column) will be about 4 feet. Unless you're really short, that means you're going to be hunched over when you shoot--not a problem for 2-3 pictures but if you're shooting a series or waiting for the eagle to leave the branch or the humming bird to approach the feeder, than you're going to need to buy a chiropracter with this tripod.

5. Options: Let's assume you can't afford a tripod that fits what you need it to do right now. So look at different possibilities:
--a small folding tripod. Perfect for travel or taking in to a building, quick set up. Great if you've got a remote release. Not so good if you need to compose/frame your shot exactly or are shooting a lot with it (dozens of photos from the same location). There are many cheap and effective options like this (I have one from REI that I believe cost $6) but they're small, stable, travel well, set up quickly and you can also use them to hold a speed light. I usually carry one when doing street photography and don't anticipate needing a tripod but "just in case" want to be ready if a good time lapse shot possibility is there (like some flowing water or a still life in low light). Folding Mini Travel Tripod
--a bungee cord. I was doing a group shoot with some light painting (so a tripod is critical). One newbie found her cheap tripod wasn't cutting it. I pulled out the bungie cord I always carry in my Tamrac holster and we bungeed her D4 to a tree and she got great photos.
--A camera clamp. Lots of limitations (there may not be anything to clamp on to or it may be too big for the camp). But I've used them in plenty of buildings (Union Station, Library of Congress) where I needed stability, cameras were allowed, but tripods were not). They can work very well with cars (clamp it to a window or mirror...you don't even leave your car to shoot...just aim outside the driver or passenger's side open window. I've seen them for as low as $10:Multi-function Clamp with Tripod Head for Camera and Flash Tripod Attachment - CL3 - Kaezi Photography
--Some kind of remote trigger (be it cable or infrared). You'll want it anyway for long exposures. But I've done plenty of long exposure shots where I put my camera on a rock or a car or a fence and then did a remote trigger for the shot.

If you were to buy all of those items I just mentioned, it would cost you less then the tripod you're eyeing. And you'd be better off (and travel lighter).

SCraig · Jan 3, 2016

Since your camera only weighs 1.5 pounds and has a 50x zoom lens that tells me it's some sort of point-and-shoot or bridge camera. Either way, small and lightweight. The tripod you listed will probably work OK as long as you keep it low and keep your hand on the camera if it's windy. I would NOT trust that tripod with anything heavier or anything with a large lens on it. In fact I probably wouldn't trust it to hold one of my speedlights under anything but perfectly calm conditions. And, yes, I am a Manfrotto fan.

Bottom line is that you are trusting a tripod to hold up your camera. Unless you have a really cheap camera don't get a really cheap tripod. If you do it is probably going to fall over, collapse, or otherwise dump your camera on the ground. If a cheap tripod is all you can afford then save until you can afford something better or use something solid for support (a table, a fence post, a big rock, anything but a cheap tripod).