You are not allwoed to release vids with this title, while I am waiting for a new tripod to arrive in the mail!

Outrageous ! I grew up believing that tripods eat badly behaved children - it was only after i turned 70 that i suspected some sort of malfeasance had been committed with the truth !

Your enthusiasm is infectious. ❤

That final sunset picture was warm and comforting to me. Thanks for sharing it.

I’ve had many mate. Now I have weeded out the rubbish and stick with two. Manfrotto carbon for my landscape work and a 3 Legged Thing for travel. You do get what you pay for in most cases. I highly recommend a geared head over a ball head, locks the composition in and stays there. Great for fine tuning too. Great vid as always. Keep at it 👍📷

Enjoyed the video as usual Henry. I have started using my trypod more because normally it ends up just being carried around. Great image. Look forward to seeing your next video.

Great Vid Henry, Thank you.. That wainwright sounds like the perfect fell for me with my arthritic knees.. I struggle with them so have to pick my battles.

Hey Henry, just want to say I just soak up all the energy you give off here every time I watch a video. I have no comments on tripods as it's probably an individual choice for the most part. Thanks a gain for my spirit gift in this video.

Thanks for the video, Henry. Love the HDR merge😊

Cheers Henry, it’s Sean in Atlanta! I “learned” photography utilising KZfaq videos, just like yours. And the primary authors of those videos were using Olympus cameras, so that was my first camera. The image stabilisation, as you know, is stellar and probably the very best in the entire camera industry and always has been. So I never purchased a tripod because I didn’t see the need for the landscape/opportunistic photography that I was experimenting with. in fact, to this day I don’t own a tripod nor have plans to get one. I see the need for them if you shoot certain types of images but I don’t need it. I rather like the lightweight of a shoulder bag and that is where I have been and where I will continue to go with my photography. Great food for thought, mate! Sean

Great video and perfect timing as I am having a heated debate with myself on this very subject LOL. Travel size or heavy duty?

Superb video Tom.Your street photography was really interesting.

I like to use the tripod as i can then concentrate more on compositions whilst "hands free" and study more on live view while experimenting with settings. Great shots up there Henry and another great image with layers in background. Liked how you showed the different exposures for the final merged image.

That is a beautiful shot the light is amazing. It was worth waiting for the light to improve 👍

Great as always

Another great video with cracking photography, but also I really appreciate your choice of music to accompany them, very much appropriate and atmospheric. Cheers. 🍷🍷

Great video and discussion, loved the last picture and love seeing the Lake District 😍

Great video henry.

Very interesting video. Views were brilliant.

I’ve used the same Benro travel tripod in the peak of winter for years. I also have a 3.3kg Benro Alu 3 piece but I haven’t used in years. I can shoot handheld down to 1/80th shutter up to 300mm and with my 16-80 I can get handheld shots down to 1/6th of a second. If I genuinely need my tripod because it’s windy, I just hang my pack off the centre column hook and stand in a way to block the wind. Considering I do regular 4 night trips, I don’t find the 3x heavier tripod gives 3x better results so I’d rather save the 60% in weight and increase my enjoyment of the whole experience.

I have 3 tripods. A big solid one I use in the studio and my garden for still life, macro and film "scanning". I have a mid-size carbon fibre that I keep in the car and I use when shooting near the road(say up to a 2 or 3-mile hike) and I have a little travel tripod that I take up the hills with me. (I also have a Manfrotto pixie table tripod that comes backpacking!). The biggest compromise with the smaller units is height. The smaller they get the lower they reach, so the travel one only gets to waist level. But the main purpose of a tripod (especially nowadays) is not to hold the camera steady (IBIS does that!) it's to hold the composition steady while you wait for the light/clouds/animals etc to get in place. If these things are fleeting you might only have 5 or 10 seconds to get the shot and you don't want to be trying to recompose a handheld shot, and you don't want to hold a handheld position for the 10-30 minutes or more that might be needed for things to coalesce. But holding a composition steady doesn't require the big heavy tripods of yesteryear, modern lightweight (but still well made!) ones are great.

Yet another awesome, inspiring, and informative video. I know for me, I use Manfrotto tripods. I had someone recommend one and I fell in love with them. I know I use different ones for studio and out and about. I don't do much outside when the weather isn't good but I should really try that.

Henry's back!! Your enthusiasm, passion, energy and excitement is so enjoyable to watch. Love these photos!!!

Wonderful walk and photos.

Another great video really enjoyed it i only use a light weight one but i very rarely go were there is lots of wind so it works for me thank you Burt

Worth mentioning that I abandoned carbon tripods years ago because with heavier lenses (telephoto or just wide aperture) the whole arrangement can get very top-heavy and unstable. There are advantages in having a heavier tripod!

Great adventure Henry thanks. Take care.

Great video Henry I’m just thinking of getting a tripod so a very useful video 😊

Think of your back.... In years to come you will thank me 😊. Cheers Ian.

Just found your channel. I've watched a few and looking forward to seeing more (just subscribed too)

Which zoom did you use? How do you manage dust?

Great video thanks always a pleasure to watch. I maybe need to consider changing my tripod. I prefer the lighter version when out and about but have on occasions weighed it down from the hook with a bag and a few a rocks on windy days😅

I think choosing to use a lighter or heavier tripod comes down to what you're putting on it. If the longest lens you use is 200mm, then something lighter may be all you need. But if you regularly use a much bigger lens, say 500mm or bigger, then a bigger, heavier tripod will likely be beneficial. A 200mm lens is approximately a 4x telescope. A 600mm is 12x, and any camera shake is magnified by 12 times. I usually shoot wildlife and birds with a long lens, and most often use a heavy tripod. And even so I sometimes still have to hang my pack from it to anchor. It's physics. Can't beat mass for gaining stability.

Thank you for another thought provoking video with beautiful images. I have a big, sturdy Leofoto tripod that I use for astro, especially when I need to add a heavy tracker. I have a Manfrotto 190 4 section tripod I use 90% of the time. It fits in my carry-on when I remove the head, and is OK carrying in my backpack. I have long considered a lighter/smaller tripod, but at 6’5” I simply have not found one tall enough for my liking.

Great point Henry I have fallen into the trap having a lighter pod and a much heavier one for my main work, in 15 or so years I have only had bother with the wind twice both times I had the heavy pod and both times it was still a struggle getting the shot as I was holding down the pod for dear life, you have made me think why am I carrying more weight than I have to, good job my friend

Hi Henry, great video, and after watching half a dozen of yours I'm now subscribed! I'm just starting to use my camera again (an old D7000 and N90 35mm), but after a massive stroke 2 1/2 years ago, I'm in the unusual situation of requiring a tripod all the time. Yep fun, but I'm frankly happy to still have that choice! So I've decided that my original tripod which I've kept since 1985 (Manfrotto 3001), although very sturdy, weighs in at 1.6kg without head and is just too much for me. I was actually thinking of changing from Nikon to Fuji cameras but that's another story. Anyway, I'd just about decided on the Benro Slim like yours, but kept hesitating because of my fear of lack of sturdiness and the tiny little ball head. Your video has been very helpful, but is this tripod also useful with the legs fully extended, let alone with the centre column raised? I'm no longer allowed to drive and am very limited in my walking distances so weight (and ease of use) is really an important factor for me now... Cheers!

For my landscape photography I'm walking a lot, so light weight and a small pack size are most important to me. A good quality travel tripod is therefore just right for my needs and absolutely sufficient. Thanks for the video!

I personally use a large tripod that has no center column with a leveling bowl. A tripod is just like a lens, everything is a compromise. So use the gear that works for your needs.

Another great video, Henry. I lived in Tokyo for 5 yrs (2001-06) and had several thrift stores that I enjoyed visiting. On one trip I found a SLIK aluminum tripod in very nice condition and picked it up for only $10. I don't tend to use a tripod very often and I'm sure it's a bit heavier than a more modern carbon fiber unit but it still does a good job for me when I need it.

I need a sturdy tripod for my tracker, but I have a travel one too. Thanks for the video, great images

Great as always, Henry. I'm still waiting for a video of Henry with making-ofs or take-outs, in which he films himself setting up his actual video equipment, crossing a small stream (which will then be seen in the productive video clip), coming back again, dismantling his video equipment, crossing the stream, setting up his video equipment again for a different perspective, crossing the stream again, and then coming back again, which will then be seen again in the productive video clip. 😏

Excellent video Henry. I very rarely use a tripod, maybe just for photography in low light conditions. Enjoyed your hike and the great photos when you reached the top. Many thanks.

How heavy is your benbo? I guess wind might affect things just use sheltered spot 😅

Another great video Henry - thanks. Over the years I've probably been through 5 or 6 different tripods in a futile effort to find perfection! For a long time I was sold on a large, heavy, Manfrotto tripod as my go to, but as I aged I found it sitting in the closet more and more because I just didn't want to lug it around. I switched to the Three Legged Thing travel tripod for the weight and size and loved it - still have it as a backup plan. Over the last year I jumped in on the startup company Heipi for their 3-in-1 travel tripod and have been very happy with it for its compact size, weight and sturdy design. For me I think it's as close to perfect as I'm going to find, so I'm done looking - at least for a while. 😅

That is some cracking scenery you are walking through, Henry. I have learned to my cost that if I am out and about and lugging a tripod around it needs to be lightweight. My tripod is a Manfrotto 055PROB which is an aluminum model. This is indeed a sturdy tripod and great for use indoors but when used with a fairly chunky Manfrotto 3 way pan and tilt head that I used to have it paired with is a bit of a pain to carry any great distance outside. I recently bought an Ifootage monopod as I am a great admirer of the build quality and design of their products. A gazelle TC6 is staring to look very appealing at this point.

Hi Henry, new to your channel, I was brought in like many other because of the YT algorithm. The video I watched was of your micro camper, then this video about tri-pods. With regard to this video I have been using a luckily good quality compact no name tri-pods bought off Amazon about 10 yrs ago. I am able to put this tri-pods into pretty much any backpack and I'm set. It's heavy enough that it doesn't get blown over in strong gusts of wind, etc. I predominantly use mobile devices now for image and video capture and as I said the compact tri-pods does the trick perfectly. I have also, since a mobile upgrade started to get into astral photography and find a compact mono-pod again delivers. I have had heavier built tri-pods but haven't used such a device for over 10 yrs as they a total pain to lug about. With regard to 'light' I have the following observation, for what's it's worth. For the longest time I foolishly thought the often used phrase 'golden hour' for the perfect light in either the morning or evening was a bit of BS. Wrong! Many yrs ago I was visiting my father, who lived in Penrith one weekend (I've lived I Ireland with my husband for 30yrs) and he decided that we would go for a drive down memory lane, again! This time it was a along the A686 and over Hartside to Alston, he (we the family as well) was stationed there from 1964-66 as a police officer. We were about half way up toward the Hartside Pass and I took a look out of my passenger window over the Eden Valley, and Oh My GOD! The scene that I observed was like nothing I had ever seen before. Everything was bathed in the most magical golden light with a back drop of a crimson sun lighting up the entire sky. When we set off it was grey and had just stopped raining but now it was quite magical with an amazing golden glow to the light as the sun was close to setting. Every hollow was in the shadows, but could clearly be seen, but everything touched by light seemed to be glowing gold. If I was a religious person, I am not or have ever been, this scene over the 'Eden Valley' would have convinced me of a higher being, it was that beautiful. My father pulled up and we just sat on the bonnet of his car for a few minutes until the light ran out. As this was about 15 yrs and I didn't carry a camera with me it is now only a memory. However, I have since become a firm believer in the 'golden hour' and where I live in Ireland I have witnessed some absolutely stunning sun rises and sun sets. As I'm a native of Cumbria (nee Cumberland) I tend to get a ache in my chest when I see beautifully taken video of the Lake District, and this video was good start for me. Great pictures by the way.

Nice to see the sun and some beautiful light again, even if it's in a video 😅 But we are supposed to finally get nice weather as well now, it's been so bad lately. Nice video once agian, I did enjoy the view from up there ☺

I had a spinal fusion 8 yrs ago so struggle with too much weight on my back. When I take a tripod out I have the K&F Concept A255C2 carbon fibre tripod which only weighs 1.3kg and never had a problem with stability 👍🏼

Great video henry, I've got a lightweight tripod a nd a big manfrotto 055xprob, to be absolutely honest I do prefer using the travel tripod purely because of carrying less weight, but I think at the end of the day it's horses for courses.

I just love how everything has a name its seems so British to me, you describe the landscape as if out of a Tolkien novel. I live right next to a national forest in America and I don't know any of the names of the landmarks.

Hi Henry, Love the landscapes you shoot. I have a Manfrotto Tripod, its about average in weight. It is very sturdy for photoshooting hands free. I do have a taller one which is lightweight.

I have the Swiss Army knife of tripods, K&F Concept £100. I love it, centre column comes out and can be inverted. The column inside the centre column will come up and bend 90 degrees and you can also make a 7 foot mono pod.

What a beautiful final image Henry, also loved the one midway through too. In terms of tripods I use a large Benro for my architecture work and main reason is for height and to also hold my geared head. I do use a smaller one occasionally but tend to be either the big gun or out hand held

I have the same tripod as what you have got in this video and also a very cheap and flimsy tripod which I never use, I only use them for long exposure shots and photo stacking as I haven't got the steadyest of hands, Another cracking video.

Great vlog Henry! It's another million dollar question, shall I take my tripod or not, whenever I set out on a hike. I've also had many types over the past 30 years, and weight is the key consideration these days. Good quality travel tripods are the best trade-off between sturdiness and weight. You don't want to restrict your hike because of excess weight!

Very timely Henry… I’m heading to Iceland in November and I’m waffling between my large Manfrotto carbon fiber, and my Heipi travel tripod that is pretty steady at half the weight and bulk…. What to do…

Thanks Henry for another interesting video....I own a tripod but very rarely use it as I like to use hand held when out & about....also I don't carry a lot of gear with me... cheers from Australia 🦘🦘😊

Great video Henry. I use a small travel tripod with great results. I admit I don't usually get into windy conditions and when I do I'm usually hand held etc. I use a Ulanzi & Coman . It's not necessarily machine precision setup but I can carry it all day and get great results.

Good video. I also have 2 tripods for photo and two for video. The light one for my edc, and the heavy one for weddings events or anywhere someone might bump into it. I also have a couple of monopods but that's a different story.

I have this exact same tripod, and I absolutely love it, its lightweight but sturdy to use. In windier conditions a tip I use, is to rest my camera bag against the tripod legs to make it a bit more steady; put my camera on timer and then take the shot. Thanks once again for your videos and beautiful pictures, look forward to your next adventure....

Hi Henry, super video as always, just wanted to say I only have a travel tripod. It’s great and generally is all I need but worth noting that some can be a bit short. Sometimes I find that, even with the central column at full height, it’s not quite enough. Also when using the central column I feel it becomes a lot less sturdy. Cheers Baz

I agree! I've got a couple of travel Manfrotto's, cost about £60 each... they're great. Light, small and cost effective. The only thing you have to be aware of is, as you have pointed out, really windy days.

I watched a new Nikon DSLR disappear down a waterfall on a lightweight travel tripod - that was a decision made there and then for me. Enjoyed the video Henry.

I have found any center column is a disaster in the wind. If you use the pixel shift, your solid tripod is worth it. Get a stone bag as you can add rocks to weigh the tripod in the wind and adds no weight moving. Wide angle is easier to stabilize than a telephoto in the wind. Skinny legs should be avoided just set the tripod lower. A big tripod is great on slopes where the height gives extra perspective and the long legs help level the slope. If you spend a lot on a lens to get tack sharp edge to edge, why not spend a bit on a decent tripod. If it's not windy and you are hiking with a small kit, then light is ok. If you are out in the mountains or at the coast in strong wind leave the travel tripod and handhold or take a big tripod. I have a big gitzo purchased used, and smaller leofoto carbon and a crap mefoto for hiking and indoor. It's noticeably bad in the wind

Thanks for your video. I prefer using a lightish travel tripod and hang my camera bag to add weight if needed

The tripod required depends on the following criteria: 1. The focal length of the lens 2. The Shutter speed to be used. 3. The camera/lens height required 4. Wind speed I normally use Manfrotto 055 tripods with various Manfrotto heads. The adapters for the tripod heads live on my cameras. I have others for special occasions. I shoot a lot at 1 second and longer. At 1 second and shorter with a 24 to 120mm lens, my cameras with image stabilization allows me to shoot hand held. Get a good tripod and You will have it for a long time, buy a cheap tripod and replace it soon.

I've got a nice sturdy aluminium tripod that I end up leaving at home (or in the boot of the car) half the time because it's heavy and cumbersome for any shoot where you have to walk too far. So last week I purchased a Benro tortoise carbon fibre travel tripod and the difference is fantastic. Yesterday I was out for about 5 hours and I didn't notice it was there, it wasn't too windy so I don't know how it will cope with the wind, but my first impression is definitely favourable.

The Z8 has completely changed when I need a tripod now. The f/6.3 lens are so much lighter and the stabilization so much better than my previous gear. I can now shoot most of my shots handheld. However, with that said I still appreciate my super heavy duty Gitzo tripod and my ultra light Gitzo travel pod when I respectively need them. I have to decide which set of lens and which set of legs I will be taking out depending on the requirements of the shoot.

Great topic Henry. I've had my carbon fiber Gitzo for about ten years...use it on 85% of my photos. The legs can spread out flat to the ground which is the game-changing attribute a tripod must have for me since I love macro shooting. There's no reason a quality, well-built tripod shouldn't last for years and years, outlasting most other camera gear, so a tripod can be your truly one-time purchase in your photography life! Weight is important enough that if they could make one like my Gitzo that weighed half as much, I'd jump at it. BTW, don't forget about the tripod head. A good one can cost 50% of what the tripod costs!

Henry, what a beautiful park!! I use a Bento Mefoto Globetrotter and it suits my purposes fantastically. I would love to have a more expensive one but I always wonder about value for the money. Again, just love your location today!!!

I use my 3 Legged Thing Billy for pretty much everything. Lightweight, sturdy enough, versatile. Haven’t felt a need for anything else.

Ive just purchased a different tripod. My current one is a Benro AL47 something 2.8kg aluminium tall chunky one(incredibly sturdy). Swapped to a Benro Tortoise columnless #3 carbon fibre tripod, 1.8kg. similar height etc. I will be going out on Sunday to feel the difference... I use a tripod to slow me down. But the main purpose is for focus stacking macro & if I want to get focus front to back in a woodland scene. (Though lately I've just been using higher aperture's handheld, Z8 IBIS is great!!!) Plus anything long exposure.

I'm enjoying this video of an area I know well. I decided I needed to upgrade from my 43 year old metal Velbon tripod as I wanted a lighter and taller tripod for my travels. After ordering a total of three tripods, from different manufacturers, I realised that my old 3-section Velbon had many 'innovative' features! It was solid: fairly so even with the centre column raised (on a ratchet). It was 22.5 inches long retracted and 60 inches fully extended with the (pan and tilt) head. The pan and tilt head of course didn't have a quick release plate, but a 1/4" screw tightened with a knurled wheel and a short lever for the final clamping. This turns out to be far more secure and risk free than the not-quite-secured-but-looks-like-it-at-first-glance fashion of quick release plates. It also had spiked feet that appeared by screwing in the rubber feet. I've never needed allen keys to adjust anything either! The upshot being that I did eventually keep a carbon fibre Innorel GT 284C tripod and a smallrig AP10. In other words, I ended up with a similar set up to you I'm keeping the old Velbon though! Keep up the entertaining and informative work. Barry.

The beauty of the 'light/travel' tripods is that you can spread the legs wider, yes it does lower the height but the wider spread gives much more stability even in strong wind conditions. Great videos Henry.

I've been using a Benro Travel Angel tripod for a good few years now and only on a very few occasions have I wished I had its big brother with me, and those involved long lenses. Thanks for sharing Henry.

I bought a manfrotto 190 GO! 7 years ago and whilst I've had to replace a few plastic shins over the years it's still going strong and copes with dslrs no problem for my needs, only been a few occasions I've wanted some extra height but not enough to justify replacing it

after buying several bad tripods one of which i wrapped around a tree, I bought a Slik tripod and that was 40 years ago and I still use it. It was a very light weight tripod then, It's a beast now had to replace the center column and have been using Bogen heads for the last 25 years still sturdy, versatile and in complete working order. I bought a K F a year ago very sturdy and versatile and weights a little over haft has much has the Sik. And I use the same trick with both if I think they need to be more rigid I hang a weight from the center column a camera bag or whatever handy and neither one has let me down yet. and they both have excellent leg locks.

The Peak Design Carbon travel tripod is a great mixture of lightweight and strength.

It really depends on the gear you are using on how sturdy of a tripod you need. Some lenses and bodies do not work that great with IS turned on when on a tripod. The Tripod I use most now is a Benbo Trekker. A bit of a weird setup but it works great for what I normally use it for and it can drop pretty much all the way to ground level and is pretty sturdy. For larger / heavier gear a sturdy tripod is a must as smaller tripods will not be able to support / steady the setup properly.

Doing a lot of star-timelapse with the camera locked in place for 4 hours and more. Never had an issue with a tripod where I could hang a couple of weights off the central column. A hessian bag and a couple of rocks. I don't take the rocks home. And the best, most sturdy of tripods is as good as the ground you plant it in.

I used to haul a Benbo Mk1 around, then 'upgraded' to the Benbo Trekker. Which I still use. By todays standards it's still massive and heavy, however I've become an expert at wielding the bagpipes around so have just stuck with it.

Personally I have used a few, and I am down to one currently. It is heavy, but I don't take the same hikes you do. I have also been experimenting with a monopod. I have been surprised how well it works, but it will never replace the tripod. When I was using cheap, light tripods, I always had to hang my bag to reduce shaking in the wind. I had rigged up an adjustable rope to ensure my camera bag was sitting on the ground, and could adjust how much weight was on the tripod. Seemed to work, but a good tripod would avoid the extra steps. Really enjoy your channel. No matter the circumstances, you seem to be having fun. Keep up the great work.

i travel for wildlife and landscape photography, and i completely agree, a lightweight tripod is sufficient. That's particularly true with most of today's high quality high ISO cameras. crank up the ISO and use one of the several amazing AI noise reduction programs. For wildlife, i use a super lightweight tripod when I'm waiting for the right moment. I use it simply to take the weight off my arms. I steady the camera. its not the tripod being steady. the tripod simply takes the weight for me. for landscapes, you're right, it can be less than ideal in windy conditions, but then again, the wind is blowing the subject too, so you're kind of forced to increase shutter speed, and hence ISO, so who cares if the tripod is flimsy. on the other hand, lowering the tripod can also help. my first move is to not deploy the lowest/thinnest sections of the legs. then the next section. the remaining sections are almost always sturdy enough, although you do lose a bit of altitude. there's always a way.

Thanks! I was wondering what tripod head you have? I have a carbon fiber Induro tripod with the BHD-1 ball head. It is a great tripod weighing in at a little over 3 pounds. I wish I would have bought the BHD-2. My 500 mm lens will sag a little if not tightened down hard. Concerning tripods everything will move in a strong enough wind especially with the longer the lens.

I usually hand hold but you can always hang your bag on the tripod to make it more solid.

Depends on individual shooting preferences I think. I have three tripods, a heavy one, a travel one and a tabletop one. I use the heavy one for astrophotography and seascapes, because it can withstand rushing water better and shifting sands (i use spikes), plus its often breezy, and i like to shoot rushing water at 1/4 second to about 1 second. The travel tripod is nice and compact and light, but sufficiently sturdy for most of my other landscape needs. It's ok in the wind, but not for really long exposures, say 3 seconds plus. The table top tripod is great for close-up and macro photography, e.g. flowers, patterns in rocks and sand and pebbles - it weighs barely anything, and its less tiring (working at ground level is tiring, even if you don't walk very far). Having a van means I can take all three and choose between them.

I have a Sirui travel tripod because I often travel on the motorbike and I don’t want a big heavy tripod. I really struggle doing long exposures when it’s windy though, I think it will be ok if I sandbag it though.

I just bought a new travel tripod for one of the reasons you touched on - stability. My “main” tripod is a solid rock and stable as all heck, but my travel tripod always wiggles a bit and I didn’t really trust it unless I shot with it at its lowest setting. I heard so many good things about it in the past which is why I got one but I never really enjoyed it because of its lack of being as rigid as my main tripod, so I finally bit the bullet and bought a new travel tripod that claims to be ridiculously stable. Here’s to hoping!

I enjoy using my lightweight K&F Concept travel tripod. BA225 It works for me. I did replace the head with a heavier duty one than the one that came with it.

I also have two tripods -- A Bogen / Manfrotto 3211 aluminum model (from the early '90s) with a 3-way Manfrotto 3-way head. It weighs 8 lbs and is nearly 31" long collapsed, i.e., too big / heavy for backpacking. The only minor disadvantage at times is the legs won't splay out wide, so it can't go really low (the next module "up" does though). I also have an Oben AT-3586 aluminum travel tripod with its own brand ball head. The Manfrotto is very sturdy (I bought it for use with 10x70 binoculars) and has two leg sections that extend. The Oben is much lighter but still good in context of what it is. It has four leg sections that extend and it's not as tall as the Manfrotto. But even though I'm 6' 1" it's still plenty good. I think as long as you stay above the "baseline of rubbish" in quality terms and use a tripod within its design context, you'll be good. The Oben certainly isn't a Gitzo (nor did it cost like a Gitzo) but it's fine for what I need and it collapses very small. Occasionally I'd like a little more vertical height, but that's rare. What's more important -- again as long as you're above the rubbish level -- is to use good tripod technique. Maybe one day I'll get a carbon fiber tripod, who knows...

I usually either carry no tripod when out hiking or a short, lightweight one for the lewer light sunsets and macro shots. Ialso have a full height "travel" tripod. There are two things that can make a difference without carrying extra weight. One is hanging your backpack (or a small bag of stones) from the tripod and the other is the addition of spikes to the legs. I am considering investing in the latter. Looking at the way that you shoved the legs into the pocket, I assume that you do not have spikes on the legs unles they are retractable.

only have a cheap 3 legged thing but i find it fine with spikes be it up a mountain or down the beach

I use my tripod when I absolutely need the stability on the camera. I have a nice Vanguard one that is lightweight and works well with my L-Bracket. That said, I have been using my tripod and my monopod way less in my photography as I get more steady with the camera and more sure of my technique. It's really down to using the right tools for the right job. Cheers from Canada!

When I need a tripod, I use the The ifootage Gazelle TC-6 for astrophotography and my 150-450. For general usage I have a Ulanzi Zero. The shake reduction thing is a hit and miss. My Pentax K3-III can make thing worse if there is no shake (like on the tripod with no shake) so even on a windy day, if I leave the shake reduction on but I take a shot when the gust subsides, I can occasionally get a little motion blur.

I've got a Rollei and it weighs quite a lot ,, tried using it in January on the Pennine way but sent it home as pack weight was too much and there are enough stone walls to use,,,so yeah weight is an issue

I have the same Benro travel tripod and I have the Benro Mach 3. I’ve found that when I’ve taken the travel tripod to cut down on weight I’ve had a problem with wanting to take certain images even with little wind and have regretted not having my main tripod with me. I think with most things gear related it’ll be subjective. Great vid as always Henry.

My camera system is large and heavy (Fuji GFX) so a travel tripod wouldn't be much use unless it's a very calm day. I take a lot of long exposure shots, often on the coast, or in windy locations. It's a pain carrying a larger & heavier tripod, but less sturdy tripods just don't keep the camera steady enough, which shoes in the final shot.

What is the backpack you're using? I really like the look of it. I've got a Vanguard, but this might be better. I often find it is functional but not ideal. It can be frustrating when in a hurry to get gear out. As for tripods, I have a Ulanzi lightweight travel tripod I like. It's fairly sturdy and works for what I need. I should really remember to carry the spikes with me. Those would help with adding some stability in high winds or precarious situations.

Still using my over 20 year old aluminium Manfrotto 190 tripod and 308 ballhead. I quite fancy getting a carbon update for less cold hands while carrying* as much as weight so these considerations are continuously in my mind. Small and light or tall and sturdy. Or save my money and keep what I have... I'm not sold on a new one yet. *I prefer a shoulder bag over a backpack for easy access. Also holds my gear while changing lenses or adding filters.

I have a Manfrotto 055 and LEOFOTO ball head. Yet to use it with my Canon 6d as I’ve done very little tripod/landscape work so far. I like your content, and have subscribed! 🙏