Any 2ish pound tripods that don't suck?

[Overwire]

I'm looking for a 2ish pound tripod (without head) that extends to at least 54" that is solidly built/designed.

So I have a Sirui T-024sk and have noticed stability isn't great. Got to looking at it closer and realized that it is due to the poor design of how the aluminum end piece is attached to the carbon center column. There is slop/a wobble due to the way it is designed. Nothing that can really be done about it short of redesigning the end piece and how it is attached to the center column. Also the flimsy plastic collet that locks the center column adjustment isn't a very solid design either and is prone to flexing a little.

I played with a Promaster XC-M 525C before and remember being disappointed. It was very flexy and frankly I thought it was a POS. It's been a while so I don't recall exactly where the weak point was but I seam to remember it was in the leg joints.

I do have a cheap aluminum Vortex Summit that frankly is a much more stable tripod then the Sirui or Promaster, no slop/wobbles, but the leg adjustments sort of suck and the legs are a bit more flexy than I would like.

Hows the SLIK 634? Is there any play in any of the joints like the Sirui/Promaster or is it solid? Are there any other options out there in the 2lb range (2.5lb would be my absolute max) that extend to at least 54" that are solidly built?

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I use a gitzo mountaineer for backpack trips. Can’t remember the model but it extends probably close to what you need and is 1.6-1.8 lbs. it feels much more well built than the sliks I’ve fondled.

 

[Brian Fahs]

Love my slik 634

 

[tdot]

If budget allows the Really Right Stuff 1 Series tripods are solid and reasonably light, their new Ascent tripod should be even better, though I haven't personally tried it.

 

[wakedye]

The slik 634 is better than the carbon fiber pro master . I have both and prefer the slik. It is not as stable as an aluminum tripod. Carbon fiber just has more flex than aluminum. If you are looking for stability I would recommend going aluminum or a heavier carbon tripod. If you are willing to sacrifice a little rigidity to save some weight then carbon is the ticket. Check out the rokslide review of the slik vs the outdooorsman to get an idea of what I’m trying to say.


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[MrSunday]

You might check out the Feisol 3442. Slightly heavier than you asked for but a great option IMO. It's rated to 55lbs. Mine gets used for optics, LRF, and shooting off. Easily handles my PRS rifle with ARCA plate at 17lbs. Very functional and well made.

FEISOL Tournament Tripod CT-3442 Rapid

FEISOL Tournament Tripod CT-3442 Rapid

www.feisol.net

 

[Overwire]

I use a gitzo mountaineer for backpack trips. Can’t remember the model but it extends probably close to what you need and is 1.6-1.8 lbs. it feels much more well built than the sliks I’ve fondled.

These look like nice tripods that I haven't looked at before but I'm not seeing anything under 2.36lbs and that one is a bit short. The 1 series 4 section is almost 3 pounds and a bit more $ than I'd like to spend.

 

[Overwire]

If budget allows the Really Right Stuff 1 Series tripods are solid and reasonably light, their new Ascent tripod should be even better, though I haven't personally tried it.

Thanks for the suggestion. Those look nice but a bit too heavy for what I am after and the $ is a bit more than I want to spend.

 

[Overwire]

The slik 634 is better than the carbon fiber pro master . I have both and prefer the slik. It is not as stable as an aluminum tripod. Carbon fiber just has more flex than aluminum. If you are looking for stability I would recommend going aluminum or a heavier carbon tripod. If you are willing to sacrifice a little rigidity to save some weight then carbon is the ticket. Check out the rokslide review of the slik vs the outdooorsman to get an idea of what I’m trying to say.


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This isn't exactly true. There are many factors that impact the stiffness of carbon fiber (modulus of the fibers, construction process, fiber orientation, etc...) but generally speaking carbon fiber tubes will have an elastic modulus at least as high as aluminum and can be much greater, even approaching steel. Carbon fiber is generally a stiffer material on both a by weight and a by size basis. Where tripods are concerned, the design of the many different joints/connections is a huge contibuter to the overall stiffness and I think more important than the materials or even the size of the tubes used. One connection with slop/play will ruin the stability no matter how stiff the leg material is. That said, all other things being equal, a carbon tripod will have less flex.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

What optics are you wanting to put on the tripod? Easier to keep an 8x binocular stable than a 5 pound spotting scope, especially with high winds.

 

[BBob]

It's a little heavier than you want and a touch shorter than you want but the Outdoorsmans Standard is noticeably more stable than any of those 2lb carbons. OD Std 2.75lb @ 51.5". I've tried all of them and prefer the stability of an OD even though it's heavier.

 

[WestNE]

I've got a little Leofoto LS-224 that I really like and find considerably more rigid than others I've looked at.

Not sure why they never come up as a brand recommended on here but one to look at.

Nick

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[Overwire]

What optics are you wanting to put on the tripod? Easier to keep an 8x binocular stable than a 5 pound spotting scope, especially with high winds.

Mostly binos but also a Kowa 88 at times.

I'm not looking for a super rigid set-up, weight is more important to me. The leg structure of the Sirui T-024 is perfectly adequate for my needs, I'm just looking for something similar where ALL the adjustments lock down solid and ALL attachment points are tight. The Sirui is really close to being a great lightweight tripod if they would just use a better design for attaching the mounting plate to the center column and optimize the collet on the center column adjuster (the collets on the legs are the same basic design and work fine).

Hell, I could live with the Vortex Summit if the leg adjustments weren't so cumbersome. Maybe when I find some extra time I'll just end up making a new mounting plate for the Sirui that is actually rigidly attached to the center column and be good. Sirui said I could use a center column from a T-005sk. I might have to see if I could find one to take a look at and see if the design is any better.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I’ll use my Kowa 883 on my slik 624 with the right head (VA-5) if weight is a concern no problem. High enough to glass steadily from chair zero or ground. 624 with rrs BPC-16 is an awesome set up for binoculars and smaller spotters, comes in right at 2lbs.

 

[Overwire]

Thanks for all the replies. I had been wondering why Sirui didn't just epoxy the end piece to the center post. Anyways, I ended up finding some time to take apart the center post on my Sirui. Turns out they actually did epoxy the end piece to the center tube but the epoxy had failed and separated from the carbon, hence the wobble. I cleaned and roughened everything up and re-epoxied (used a lot more epoxy then Sirui) and pressed the roll pins back in. Nice and tight now. I also drilled and tapped the spider and added a thumb screw as a secondary point of contact on the center post adjustment which stiffened that up nicely. It is very solid now for a 1.75lb tripod.

I did also have a chance to look over a Vortex Summit Carbon 2 and Slik 634. I thought the Slik was fine. The leg adjusters needed to be twisted extremely tight to eliminate flex at the joints but as long as that was done everything locked up solid. Everything locked up nicely on the Vortex but the legs are pretty flexy on that tripod. The Carbon version doesn't seem to offer any improvement over the aluminum version I have in that regard. Overall I think my Sirui, with the fixes, is significantly stiffer then the Vortex and pretty comparable to the Slik at about 6oz less weight, but the Slik can go a few inches higher at it's max adjustment.