oris642
Mu-43 Regular
Looking for a tripod that holds my Panny G1 yet fits in my Think Tank Photo Shape Shifter backpack (https://www.mu-43.com/showthread.php?t=2036), I narrowed it down to three candidates:
1) Slik Sprint Mini II: http://www.thkphoto.com/products/slik/slik-sprint-mini-2-a.html
2) Manfrotto 785B: http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/pid/4006/lang/en
3) Velbon Ultra Maxi L: http://www.velbon.co.uk/newvelbon/pages/ultramaxil.html
While I have not tried the first two, I'm quite happy with the Velbon. I picked this particular model in the Velbon line because the weight (900 grams) gets a lot heavier for the next size up, the Ultra Luxi L (1320 grams). Also, the Ultra Maxi L is 152.5cm(60") high whereas the Ultra Maxi M is only 138.5cm(54") high - a bit short, and that's with the center column fully extended, not too stable that way!
The Velbon comes with the usual pan/tilt head with a quick release clamp and plate. The plate is only 43mm x 31mm ( 1 11/16" x 1 1/4") so it clears the battery door of a Panasonic G1 nicely (see photos).
The specs lists the tripod capacity at 2 kg, or 4.4 pounds. I've always felt that "real world capacity" for a tripod is half its rating, so it's perfect for a Panasonic G1 with a 45-200 lens being the heaviest-case scenario.
1) Slik Sprint Mini II: http://www.thkphoto.com/products/slik/slik-sprint-mini-2-a.html
2) Manfrotto 785B: http://www.manfrotto.com/Jahia/site/manfrotto/pid/4006/lang/en
3) Velbon Ultra Maxi L: http://www.velbon.co.uk/newvelbon/pages/ultramaxil.html
While I have not tried the first two, I'm quite happy with the Velbon. I picked this particular model in the Velbon line because the weight (900 grams) gets a lot heavier for the next size up, the Ultra Luxi L (1320 grams). Also, the Ultra Maxi L is 152.5cm(60") high whereas the Ultra Maxi M is only 138.5cm(54") high - a bit short, and that's with the center column fully extended, not too stable that way!
The Velbon comes with the usual pan/tilt head with a quick release clamp and plate. The plate is only 43mm x 31mm ( 1 11/16" x 1 1/4") so it clears the battery door of a Panasonic G1 nicely (see photos).
The specs lists the tripod capacity at 2 kg, or 4.4 pounds. I've always felt that "real world capacity" for a tripod is half its rating, so it's perfect for a Panasonic G1 with a 45-200 lens being the heaviest-case scenario.