My Tripod Dilemma and Solution

Throwback. For those of you of a 'certain age,' you will remember the local burger hangout with
their pink Formica tables, Coca-Cola napkin dispensers, soda fountain, etc. (click to enlarge)

I am tripod averse.  There.  I said it.  I don’t like using or carrying tripods.  They are unwieldy and restrictive to use in my photographic endeavors.  With the advent and improvements in image stabilization for cameras and lenses as well as the improvements in sensor technology allowing us to utilize higher ISOs, luckily I don’t have to use them nearly as often as in the past. However, they are still a necessary photographic accessory and it would be foolish of me to not always have one at hand when out photographing.

About 1995 or so, I purchased what was for me a very expensive Gitzo Mountaineer GT2540 carbon fiber tripod.  It has four-section legs, 1/2 turn twist locks and a center column.  I don't remember the cost but the replacement, the GT2542, sells for about $1200 today.  After buying a few less expensive but largely inadequate tripods, I came to subscribe to the saying, “Buy once, cry once.”  I spent the money for a very good tripod and it still works as new.  I haven't had to replace it after these 28 years of use.  

Gitzo Mountaineer GT2540
(Press Photo)

With the legs fully extended and a ball head (or geared head) mounted on it, my camera sits at a comfortable working level for me when out photographing in the field.  I’m 6’1” (or was until a couple of years ago—doggone old age spinal shrinkage has set in!) and I didn’t want to have to bend over too far to comfortably work for long periods of looking through my viewfinder.  With today's articulating and tilting LCD screens, that is not so much of an issue.  Thankfully.

However, there has been one issue that has dogged me about this tripod and that is the inability to get very close to the ground.  Yes, the legs spread wide enough to get very low, but the center column, which must be used (the ball head mounting plate is attached to the center column not the tripod collar) and that prevents it from getting very low to the ground.  Several years ago, I found a shorter replacement center column which allows me to get lower, but sometimes not low enough.

I like a center column.  That is not the popular thing to say today but I think they get a bad rap for creating instability from those who say they are in the know, but I’ve never found that to be true.  Let me qualify that, if you will.  I never extend my center column fully, only three to four inches maximum and, of course, the higher you extend one, the more potential for instability is created.  But center columns have a very utilitarian function that I have engaged hundreds of times.  I wouldn’t want to be without it.  Very frequently the center column allows me to make small vertical adjustments when carefully composing an image whereas I would have to repeatedly fiddle with the three legs to get that little bit of extra height required.  The center column, if used judiciously, can make your compositional fine tuning a much more efficient and pleasant process.  But I digress.  How am I going to solve the 'getting low' problem and also have a center column?

Over the past years, I’ve toyed with purchasing another medium sized carbon fiber tripod of similar quality that does not have a center column.   Good ones like my tried and true Gitzo  are now really expensive.  The best ones cost more than I want to pay.  Also, if I purchased a newer, more expensive carbon fiber tripod, what would I do with my perfectly good relatively expensive Gitzo that still works like new?  I guess I could sell it as used ones are selling for generally around $400.  But, that strategy seems wasteful.  I hadn't yet developed a satisfactory solution so I’ve put off and put off purchasing a replacement tripod.  But I still have a need to ‘get low.’

Before Christmas last year, as I watched several YouTube videos by photographers offering Christmas gift ideas, the thought hit me that instead of replacing my perfectly good Gitzo, could I possibly supplement it with a smaller, lighter, less expensive high quality carbon fiber tripod that may not reach as tall as I would need if it were my main tripod, but could widely spread its legs and get down to almost ground level?  Hmmm.  That’s an idea worth exploring!

After doing a little looking around on the Internet, I saw that small, well regarded carbon fiber tripods were plentiful, not that expensive and had all the attributes that would fully serve my purposes.  Additionally, I knew I had an older, but very good medium-sized ballhead that I haven't used in a few years that could be returned to service and attached to the small tripod.  This alternative sounded as though it would work.

After some research, I asked my wife to buy a Sirui AM-223 carbon fiber tripod for me as a Christmas gift.  As she normally has no idea what I would want for Christmas, this was of help to her also.  (It’s always good to get the spouse on board with new purchases and excellent if you can get your spouse to actually buy something for you!  Win-win! 😁)  The AM-223 is relatively inexpensive, has good reviews and would fit the bill nicely.  Generally, Sirui (I'm told is pronounced "Seer A" but that might not be correct) tripods have been well thought of and, if this didn’t seem sturdy in use, I had the option of returning it.  (NOTE: I see that the AM-223 might be now discontinued but there are many alternatives, one of which I have heard others say, a Leofoto, is an excellent small tripod.)

Sirui AM-223 Tripod
(Press Photo)

Before opening the box, I dug out that old but high quality ball head that I had used since the time I bought the Gitzo tripod.  I don’t think you can easily buy these heads in the U.S. today, but it is a Korean made Markins.  It has proven to be an excellent ball head.  It, too works as well as when I bought it 28 years ago.  I only stopped using it when I decided to use a geared head a couple of years ago.

Upon receiving it, the Sirui tripod seems very well made, appears to be constructed and engineered of high quality materials, is sturdy and I believe will perfectly fit my needs.  It is much smaller than my Gitzo and will fit nicely in the side pocket of my Think Tank Photo Backlight 18L backpack if necessary.  With the ballhead attached and the legs fully spread, the Arca-Swiss style clamp is less that 5.5" (14cm) from the ground surface.  Certainly close enough to the ground for any work I can envision.  With the legs fully extended, the clamp sits at 17.25" (43.8cm).  That difference in working height provides a very nice solution to low level photography.

In the past, I written about two tabletop tripods that I have.  One is a Gitzo Model G0011 and the other is a Manfrotto Pixie.  The Gitzo's legs do not splay beyond a standard spread so it can't get lower than about 10 inches (25.4cm) and both are not sturdy enough to hold a camera with a longer lens attached.  I have found the Pixie suffers from a bit of ‘droop’ which is when you attach a camera and longer than normal lens, the weight of the lens will pull the front of the ballhead down slightly.  They both work well, however, for lightweight kits.

Before concluding and if you have been following this blog, you know that I've started a journey of learning how to better photograph birds and wildlife.  It is a real challenge!  Probably the most challenging type of photography I’ve tried in the past twenty years.  Birds and wildlife require the use of long focal length lenses.  Doesn't that also require a large, heavy, sturdy tripod with potentially a gimbal head in order to be successful?  My answer to that is that at one point in time, yes it did.  However, in my experience, I have found the image stabilization, either in lenses, bodies or a combination of both working together, is so good today that one can largely not have to rely on large, gimbal laden tripods nearly as much as just a few years ago.  Then there is the ability to successfully use higher ISOs than ever before and that allows us to use faster shutter speeds.  Finally, add to that fact that mirrorless cameras and today's zoom lenses are lighter than in the past and that also allows one the freedom to photograph without a tripod.  I still have my very robust, tall and heavy carbon fiber Induro 400 series tripod with a gimbal head but I have not used it in probably 4 years.  I will keep it, but I don't anticipate using it unless there are some very unusual circumstances.

Some of you may disagree with my two-tripod solution but for the way I now work photographically, this will serve me well.  I don't anticipate needing to carry both at the same time, the cost to add the small and well-made Sirui was minimal and I've increased my ability to photograph low.  I no longer take long hikes into the woods carrying all my photo gear at once like I did in days past.  When exiting my vehicle, I only take what I think I will need in any particular circumstance.  Whether having the backpack on my back or a small messenger bag with a camera body and a couple of lenses, I can now choose which tripod will work for any particular composition.

With inflation running rampant and the cost of photography gear more and more expensive, sometimes it is necessary to develop alternative, less expensive but adequate solutions to old problems.  This solution may not work 100% of the time, but I’m confidant it will work well enough to suit my needs.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

All content on this blog is © 2013-2023 Dennis A. Mook. All Rights Reserved. Feel free to point to this blog from your website with full attribution. Permission may be granted for commercial use. Please contact Mr. Mook to discuss permission to reproduce the blog posts and/or images.