It looks like all they are using are the foldup fibreglass poles used in hiking tents, and not even the bigger/thicker ones. Wobble would be an understatement.
Saw one locally at a local camera store chain. You are right and the head would be ok for a 4/3 rig but not much more. Ray is right that the tubes are the same from a tent set-up and not too strong. If I remember right, I think they were aluminum but am not sure. The legs did stiffen up pretty well but they had a lot of play and never seemed to be really locked in beyond where the feet were placed on the ground. I would be worried in even a light wind.
It looks like all they are using are the foldup fibreglass poles used in hiking tents, and not even the bigger/thicker ones. Wobble would be an understatement.
The legs look exactly like the tent poles we have for our very light weight camp gear. They are very strong, although you can snap them. The will support the weight of the tent in a gale but they do it by flexing. Flexing is not a good thing for Tripods.
You'd be suprised at how stiff and durable they are. But they are expensive. It cost me 12 dollars just to get a 36" CF rod and cut to length myself to replace one that had broke.
The legs look exactly like the tent poles we have for our very light weight camp gear. They are very strong, although you can snap them. The will support the weight of the tent in a gale but they do it by flexing. Flexing is not a good thing for Tripods.
I own it. It actually supported my D300s (quite heavy) very well when I was in a tight stitch. I had to shoot some 1/4 second exposures, but they came out clean... I have yet to try it on my GF1, but I imagine it would hold it very well.
I recomend it if you must travel light. My favorite part is how compact it gets.
I made a DIY version of this tripod last year using three $5 tent poles I got from Tarptent.com, and the mini tri-pod from one of these kits. Then as an option, I added a small Manfrotto ball head to it that makes it a little more user friendly. Total weight with the ball head is just 11oz. It looks kinda flimsy, but it's a lot sturdier than you might think. I took this shot of one of our local waterfalls using the DIY tripod and my Nikon D80 with a Tamron 11-18mm lens:
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I was using a 9-stop neutral density filter. The exposure was 10 seconds. There was a gentle breeze coming from the falls, but the shots I got are quite sharp. I didn't have as much luck shooting the nearby Columbia River. The wind there was more like 10 or 15 mph, and the shots I took weren't very sharp. 10 to 20 second exposures for those as well.
Here's what my tripod rig looks like:
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The 3-section tent poles are shock-corded, so it sets up fairly quickly and folds up nice and compact. I haven't measured, but it must stand around 45 inches tall. Useable but a little hard on the back. The leg lengths aren't adjustable but I found with a little improvising I could make it work on uneven ground.
I originally got the idea for the tripod from this thread at Backpackinglight.com.
I think in general it would work quite well for m4/3 cameras, but it's usefulness for heavy DSLRs is limited to small lenses and calm conditions.
I guess if you're looking for the ultimate in compactness and light weight, it's better than nothing, and bushwalkers tend to measure things in grams. There's a guy at work who does a lot of bushwalking and wants a camera that's better than the P&S he currently uses. I showed him my EP2 and suggested that the E-PL1 would suit him to the ground, being compact, lightweight and great image quality. The 14-42mm lens would also allow him to do close up work as well, which he likes to do on his walks. Despite all this, he is looking at getting a Canon 550D, just for the MP from what I gather.
I guess if you're looking for the ultimate in compactness and light weight, it's better than nothing, and bushwalkers tend to measure things in grams. There's a guy at work who does a lot of bushwalking and wants a camera that's better than the P&S he currently uses. I showed him my EP2 and suggested that the E-PL1 would suit him to the ground, being compact, lightweight and great image quality. The 14-42mm lens would also allow him to do close up work as well, which he likes to do on his walks. Despite all this, he is looking at getting a Canon 550D, just for the MP from what I gather.
Yeah, this ultralight tripod isn't ideal by any means. I much prefer my little 2 lb Gitzo for most things. But for multi-day backpacking trips this saves well over a pound, and is more compact. A few years ago my backpacking photo kit weighed in at 7 lbs. This year, using m4/3 gear and this little tripod, I think I can put together a great backcountry kit for about three pounds. It all adds up as they say. Or subtracts as the case may be.:smile:
that gibberish is a web site it should look blue click it and if your web browser offers translate [chrome mine does] you can read a positively awful translation of an asian web page
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