Giotto's MT-9241B
So I ended up buying a Giotto's tripod (with Joby ball head). Giotto's is a brand I hadn't heard of, but it's design, features, and price are outstanding. Giottos is a Taiwanese company, but my first impression was that they were a German or Italian company.
First the
tripod...
It's got some great features...
- 18" folded height
- Light weight
- Attractive gun-metal finish (darker than the pic above... more black than silver)
- Easy twist-lock leg extensions that can all be loosened with one motion
- Hook on the bottom of the center column - you can easily hang your camera bag there to add a lot of extra stability
- Tool kit to adjust joint tension should things loosen over time
It's remarkably sturdy - even fully extended, and with some weight hanging off the center column (my flippack is perfect) really adds to the stability of this tripod. I have no concerns about the tripod falling over, even in windy conditions or with the camera oriented in portrait off the side of the ball head.
I also like the 1/8th turn twist locks on the leg extensions much better than the clamp types. Simply one twist of the hand for each leg will loosen all of them allowing the leg to extend and then a simple finger/thumb twist of each to lock them makes setup a snap.
For $109 sans head, it's a great value.
The
ball head...
Joby is the maker of the Gorillapods. Their ball-head has a number of great features:
- 6lb capacity - can easily hold my T1i and 17-55 f2.8 lens although reviews I read indicted it can solidly hold a 5D2 and 70-200 lens.
- Quick release with small clip that won't block your battery compartment and it has an integrated bubble level
- Easy to tighten... you don't need a lot of finger strength to lock the ball
I'm really impressed with the solid holding power of this small light-weight ball head and the fact I don't need to work hard to lock the ball in place. You don't need a lot of torque to clamp the ball which makes the rubberized knob perfect.
The fact that the quick release clips in without activating a lever on the plate, is a nice touch as well. Disengaging the camera from the quick-release simply requires you to press on the release button and pull the camera back from the head.
My camera retailer bundled this head with the tripod above for $139 CAD.
I highly recommend this combo for anyone looking for a decent travel tripod.
