I love what you’re doing - preaching camera support! I was out today at sunset doing the cityscape thing, there was another guy there trying to hand hold his DSLR. To be honest the lighting wasn’t that good, so I thought I would make his day, so I offered up my tripod. Apparently he’s never used a good tripod, he was shocked by the image quality. I then showed him how to move the camera into portrait orientation and shoot a pano with bracketing. I left him with instructions on how to stitch together an HDR pano and your RUclips channel.
I watched one of your videos about 2 years ago about the benefits of using a video head for Photography and I have never looked back. Best advice I ever got on YT. Brilliant video as ever with lots of great information. Thanks Hudson
Hi! Great video! Do you have any comments on the gxp-ss when composing on long focal lengths? I got a Fuji with a 70-300mm (450mm FF). With other travel ball heads, whenever I compose and tighten the main knob or the panning clamp, the composition moves a bit. With a long focal length, it's noticable when you want to be precise. What's your experience with this?
Totally 100% rock solid when locked. If there's any give it will be in the tripod below. It's rated to 25 pounds of hold, the base tension adjust is dreamlike and the lock knob is LOCKED. :-) That's the Acratech way.
You sold me on leofoto. Back in the spring I got the tall legs you promote with the Acratech GXP Ball-Head and the LB-75 leveling head and there QS 60 adapters so I can do a quick change between my ball-head and gimbal. It is good all good stuff and weighs less than my old stuff by quite a bit… and Leofoto is less expensive. Thanks for Your wisdom.
Thank you, sir, so very much, for your very good advice, showing different solutions for to choose a tripod with the right level of weight and being in balance with the need! Wishing you all the best and please stay blessed! Greetings from Sweden!
New subscriber here. Will this travel tripod support the Manfrotto head you mentioned in your other video (about why you will never use a ballhead again)?
No. That's a very bad fit. Super awkward and top heavy. It would defeat the design purpose here. I really designed this as a Fuji x100V, Leica Q / M, or smartphone support. It can accept Acratech's Panoramic head also, but the GXP SS is kind of perfect on it. I don't love ballheads in general, but that insanely engineered little gem in tandem with the built in leveler is splendid for this use case. I've done that panoramic head substitution for several people. They're exactly the same price. Thanks for the subscribing! Welcome.
Just bought a Leofoto LS-284C and it feels miles better than any other tripod in the same price bracked. It came with a ballhead but I will eventually replace that. That Accratech ballhead looks super interesting and might be the one that fits the bill.
Another great vid. I have that same setup except I have the Acratech Pan & Tilt head which I absolutely love. Fantastic lightweight and made for the Z cameras for sure!
You mean the featherweight? I build three systems another if which is my ultralight: www.hudsonhenry.com/tripods Any of them will safely support it if used correctly. That combo is close in weight to the Z9 + 800PF prime I demo in this very video with weight in the stone bag, but it's not the intended use. My 7 pound tall light fluid head setup is the dream rig for that.
A kilobuck for the lightweight tripod? I just backed a Kickstarter for Heipei that has a Peak Design-type travel tripod coming out that looks very nice for $300. I have a self-leveling Leofoto tripod with a VH30 head, and I lug that with me I'm out hiking around. I really like it, and it's not horribly heavy, but I'm looking forward to getting the Heipei. I'll let you know how I like it after I've been able to use it for a while.
Yes, I have nearly this identical setup for my lightest setup. I have the older GPSS head, which is about the same. To get even lighter and shorter, I also have a Leofoto pano clamp that I can screw on in place of the ball head. 90% of my shots are at or near level anyway….
Nice video, can you elaborate on why the leofoto spike feet cant fit on the 255 tripod? I thought they come with the same removable feet as the 284 tripod
I work for a recycling company my guys know I do photography so far I have gotten 2 tripods from them a SIRUI T-005KX 6 pound capacity backing tripod and Geekoto AT24 Pro Dreamer a 17 pound capacity tripod The Geekoto was brand new with the orgional tripod bag. I recently purchased a SIRUI AT125 Carbon Fiber tripod with a 22 pound capacity travel tripod. My camera with my 150 -450 lens weighs 8 pounds with camera and lens. I figure using my Sirui and maybe my Geekoto with my gimble head
I suppose you could add the ball head quick release and then share the ball head with the move shoot move as well as make the tripod smaller for packing. Thanks. Great setup
Yep, or just use the three little set screws on the built in leveler. So easy it takes under 30 seconds. You're right though. Another QR reciever would make it a simple twist. :)
Have you seen anyone show up w/ the Ulanzi travel Tripod? It's a direct competitor for the PD travel tripod (which I'm not a fan of at all). I bought the ulanzi one a few months back... and I think its a great option, lighter still at sub 3lb, and a real nice toss in your bag option. Doesn't have ALL the benefits of that small one you just showed but I feel its really good for the price and size.
Nice travel tripod, an alternative for those that like using fluid heads might be the Leofoto BV-1R while it doesn’t have the load capacity of the Acratech head its works great with a Z 7II and a 70-200mm it has a panning clamp so easy to use with either the camera mount or the lens mount. BTW I have the two other Leofoto tripods you recommend and love them.
I hear you Ron and I'm stoked to hear that's working for you. I mean no offense, but I'm just not a fan of any of Leofoto's heads. I am currently working with them trying to improve them, but right now everything from the clamp action to the way the base tension adjustments work annoy me when I try to use them. I know they're cheaper, but unlike the legs Leofoto is making, the heads aren't as good as the more expensive competion. That said, I don't think anyone really competes with Acratech for head design and build quality. Yes, they're expensive, but wow are they amazing. In their own league really.
Too bad, this video is 10 days late. I bought the Leofoto 324CEX with the Arcatech head. However, the smaller version than you are using. Now I probably would have ordered this one as it is comparable to the 324CEX and to the 284CEX. It would be easier to transport, especially on a plane. Why didn't you use the Arcatech head like you did with the 284CEX? I may still follow your advice and buy the 255CEX as well, but would stick with the Arcatech head. Regardless, I love your videos. I have learned quite a bit in the meantime. I set up my Z50 based on several setup videos. On my last trip to London (UK) and Singapore I tried the whole thing out. There will always be minor fine tuning.
The GXP-SS just suits the little pod better. It even has a miniature of the lever clamp and it's a touch lighter but holds even more weight (.8 pounds holds 35). I do substitutions for the pano head they're the same price exactly and I stock them both. I'll have links to the 255 legs up on my list in the next hour if you care to use it. Thanks in advance. Www.hudsonhenry.com/atslinks
A few ounces (which matters more the lighter you get) plus it's just such an epic compact little head the SS. I wanted to build a system around it, the minute I tried it out. It's a marvel! If someone wants a pano head we can easily sub it. They're exactly the same price with the lever clamp. :)
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I bought the panoramic head on your recommendation and it has been great. Now I'm intrigued by that SS. But I already have an old ball head though that I don't use any more! :(
We will also sell the 255cex legs and they go great with the pano head too. The GXP-SS is a work of art, but yeah I totally hear you. I have so many oddball heads lying around. ;)
Could you add the folded length including the head to your tripod pages? I've been trying to compare the fluid head vs panoramic head (and now vs the travel ball head) collapsed length with the head installed, and the listings seem to list the folded leg length only. Thanks!
I'll put a tape to them next week and add that. But... On the tall systematic legs, the fluid head and leveling adapter pop off with a twist of the systematic cam knob and pull of the lock pin. Takes about 2 seconds without a tool. The other two require a quarter twist of the three exposed Allen set screws in the leveling adapter and a gentle spin of the head to remove. Maybe 15 seconds total? Getting to the length of the legs alone is easily done in under 30 seconds on any of the 3 designs. I didn't feel the overall length was too critical to note. I just pop the head off if that matters. :)
The Leofoto 255CEX seems to be a great little tripod with just one problem (for me!), the Spikes do have ¼" not ⅜" so neither my ⅜" Rock Claws nor my Leofoto TFS Spikes will fit. Do you know an alternative in this weight range with ⅜" Spikes? The Leofoto 3xx are much bigger and heavier. Thank you!
No, I don't think the diameter could be large enough in this weight class. You'd need to go up from the "featherweight" to the "ultralight" rig I build and sell www.hudsonhenry.com/tripods That said, we are about to start selling the brand new 1/4" TFC and TFS spikes and claws. :-)
I love what you’re doing - preaching camera support! I was out today at sunset doing the cityscape thing, there was another guy there trying to hand hold his DSLR. To be honest the lighting wasn’t that good, so I thought I would make his day, so I offered up my tripod. Apparently he’s never used a good tripod, he was shocked by the image quality. I then showed him how to move the camera into portrait orientation and shoot a pano with bracketing. I left him with instructions on how to stitch together an HDR pano and your RUclips channel.
:) you rock Ed!
It is great to see someone wax so poetically about tripods. Your love for your craft comes through.
I watched one of your videos about 2 years ago about the benefits of using a video head for Photography and I have never looked back. Best advice I ever got on YT. Brilliant video as ever with lots of great information. Thanks Hudson
Hi! Great video!
Do you have any comments on the gxp-ss when composing on long focal lengths? I got a Fuji with a 70-300mm (450mm FF). With other travel ball heads, whenever I compose and tighten the main knob or the panning clamp, the composition moves a bit. With a long focal length, it's noticable when you want to be precise. What's your experience with this?
Totally 100% rock solid when locked. If there's any give it will be in the tripod below. It's rated to 25 pounds of hold, the base tension adjust is dreamlike and the lock knob is LOCKED. :-) That's the Acratech way.
You sold me on leofoto. Back in the spring I got the tall legs you promote with the Acratech GXP Ball-Head and the LB-75 leveling head and there QS 60 adapters so I can do a quick change between my ball-head and gimbal. It is good all good stuff and weighs less than my old stuff by quite a bit… and Leofoto is less expensive. Thanks for Your wisdom.
Thank you, sir, so very much, for your very good advice, showing different solutions for to choose a tripod with the right level of weight and being in balance with the need! Wishing you all the best and please stay blessed! Greetings from Sweden!
New subscriber here. Will this travel tripod support the Manfrotto head you mentioned in your other video (about why you will never use a ballhead again)?
No. That's a very bad fit. Super awkward and top heavy. It would defeat the design purpose here. I really designed this as a Fuji x100V, Leica Q / M, or smartphone support. It can accept Acratech's Panoramic head also, but the GXP SS is kind of perfect on it. I don't love ballheads in general, but that insanely engineered little gem in tandem with the built in leveler is splendid for this use case. I've done that panoramic head substitution for several people. They're exactly the same price. Thanks for the subscribing! Welcome.
Just bought a Leofoto LS-284C and it feels miles better than any other tripod in the same price bracked. It came with a ballhead but I will eventually replace that. That Accratech ballhead looks super interesting and might be the one that fits the bill.
Another great vid. I have that same setup except I have the Acratech Pan & Tilt head which I absolutely love. Fantastic lightweight and made for the Z cameras for sure!
Great video content as always! But man, the AF on your camera is all over the place in your video. What are you recording with?
Great video! Is there any way to hang your bag from the center of the tripod without the stone-bag?
Would you feel comfortable putting a Sony A9ii with 200-600 on this ultralight setup?
You mean the featherweight? I build three systems another if which is my ultralight: www.hudsonhenry.com/tripods Any of them will safely support it if used correctly. That combo is close in weight to the Z9 + 800PF prime I demo in this very video with weight in the stone bag, but it's not the intended use. My 7 pound tall light fluid head setup is the dream rig for that.
A kilobuck for the lightweight tripod? I just backed a Kickstarter for Heipei that has a Peak Design-type travel tripod coming out that looks very nice for $300. I have a self-leveling Leofoto tripod with a VH30 head, and I lug that with me I'm out hiking around. I really like it, and it's not horribly heavy, but I'm looking forward to getting the Heipei. I'll let you know how I like it after I've been able to use it for a while.
Yes, I have nearly this identical setup for my lightest setup. I have the older GPSS head, which is about the same. To get even lighter and shorter, I also have a Leofoto pano clamp that I can screw on in place of the ball head. 90% of my shots are at or near level anyway….
Nice video, can you elaborate on why the leofoto spike feet cant fit on the 255 tripod? I thought they come with the same removable feet as the 284 tripod
Smaller threads
I work for a recycling company my guys know I do photography so far I have gotten 2 tripods from them a SIRUI T-005KX 6 pound capacity backing tripod and Geekoto AT24 Pro Dreamer a 17 pound capacity tripod The Geekoto was brand new with the orgional tripod bag. I recently purchased a SIRUI AT125 Carbon Fiber tripod with a 22 pound capacity travel tripod. My camera with my 150 -450 lens weighs 8 pounds with camera and lens. I figure using my Sirui and maybe my Geekoto with my gimble head
I suppose you could add the ball head quick release and then share the ball head with the move shoot move as well as make the tripod smaller for packing. Thanks. Great setup
Yep, or just use the three little set screws on the built in leveler. So easy it takes under 30 seconds. You're right though. Another QR reciever would make it a simple twist. :)
Have you seen anyone show up w/ the Ulanzi travel Tripod? It's a direct competitor for the PD travel tripod (which I'm not a fan of at all). I bought the ulanzi one a few months back... and I think its a great option, lighter still at sub 3lb, and a real nice toss in your bag option. Doesn't have ALL the benefits of that small one you just showed but I feel its really good for the price and size.
I have the bigger tripod setup and love it but the lighter version is something I could see myself using a lot...!!
I use all three in different situations, but the big one is my go to whenever possible. It makes everything easier.
Nice travel tripod, an alternative for those that like using fluid heads might be the Leofoto BV-1R while it doesn’t have the load capacity of the Acratech head its works great with a Z 7II and a 70-200mm it has a panning clamp so easy to use with either the camera mount or the lens mount. BTW I have the two other Leofoto tripods you recommend and love them.
I hear you Ron and I'm stoked to hear that's working for you. I mean no offense, but I'm just not a fan of any of Leofoto's heads.
I am currently working with them trying to improve them, but right now everything from the clamp action to the way the base tension adjustments work annoy me when I try to use them. I know they're cheaper, but unlike the legs Leofoto is making, the heads aren't as good as the more expensive competion. That said, I don't think anyone really competes with Acratech for head design and build quality. Yes, they're expensive, but wow are they amazing. In their own league really.
Too bad, this video is 10 days late. I bought the Leofoto 324CEX with the Arcatech head. However, the smaller version than you are using. Now I probably would have ordered this one as it is comparable to the 324CEX and to the 284CEX. It would be easier to transport, especially on a plane. Why didn't you use the Arcatech head like you did with the 284CEX? I may still follow your advice and buy the 255CEX as well, but would stick with the Arcatech head.
Regardless, I love your videos. I have learned quite a bit in the meantime. I set up my Z50 based on several setup videos. On my last trip to London (UK) and Singapore I tried the whole thing out. There will always be minor fine tuning.
The GXP-SS just suits the little pod better. It even has a miniature of the lever clamp and it's a touch lighter but holds even more weight (.8 pounds holds 35). I do substitutions for the pano head they're the same price exactly and I stock them both. I'll have links to the 255 legs up on my list in the next hour if you care to use it. Thanks in advance. Www.hudsonhenry.com/atslinks
Hudson, why not just use the Acratech Panoramic head in lieu of the GXP SS head? Any advantage to the GXP SS?
A few ounces (which matters more the lighter you get) plus it's just such an epic compact little head the SS. I wanted to build a system around it, the minute I tried it out. It's a marvel! If someone wants a pano head we can easily sub it. They're exactly the same price with the lever clamp. :)
@@HudsonHenryPhoto I bought the panoramic head on your recommendation and it has been great. Now I'm intrigued by that SS. But I already have an old ball head though that I don't use any more! :(
We will also sell the 255cex legs and they go great with the pano head too. The GXP-SS is a work of art, but yeah I totally hear you. I have so many oddball heads lying around. ;)
Could you add the folded length including the head to your tripod pages? I've been trying to compare the fluid head vs panoramic head (and now vs the travel ball head) collapsed length with the head installed, and the listings seem to list the folded leg length only. Thanks!
I'll put a tape to them next week and add that. But... On the tall systematic legs, the fluid head and leveling adapter pop off with a twist of the systematic cam knob and pull of the lock pin. Takes about 2 seconds without a tool. The other two require a quarter twist of the three exposed Allen set screws in the leveling adapter and a gentle spin of the head to remove. Maybe 15 seconds total? Getting to the length of the legs alone is easily done in under 30 seconds on any of the 3 designs. I didn't feel the overall length was too critical to note. I just pop the head off if that matters. :)
@4:40
Where do I send in my best photo of 2022?
That's for January's office hours. I just said start thinking about it. :) it's not open yet.
The Leofoto 255CEX seems to be a great little tripod with just one problem (for me!), the Spikes do have ¼" not ⅜" so neither my ⅜" Rock Claws nor my Leofoto TFS Spikes will fit.
Do you know an alternative in this weight range with ⅜" Spikes? The Leofoto 3xx are much bigger and heavier.
Thank you!
No, I don't think the diameter could be large enough in this weight class. You'd need to go up from the "featherweight" to the "ultralight" rig I build and sell www.hudsonhenry.com/tripods That said, we are about to start selling the brand new 1/4" TFC and TFS spikes and claws. :-)
On your page linked to the tripod you have the max height of the tripod wrong…
Fixed that typo on the inches (55.4). Metric was correct. Thanks so much. To many editors working on that probably.