Weighing in at only 3 lbs, including head, Billy is also the lightest tripod in their current lineup, and like his namesake, he rocks.
Built from carbon fiber, Billy is light and sturdy. Like any good rocker, he’s got quite a few tricks up his sleeve, and he’s surprisingly affordable. He’s not some stuffy elitist, he’s a true working class hero.
With legs that fold back on themselves, Billy packs to only 18″ long, so he’s the perfect companion for traveling, whether you’re on an extended tour… I mean road trip, or on a flight across the pond.
Billy walks tall, with a max height of 65″, but he can really get down, too. With 3 leg angles, you can fold the legs all the way out and achieve shooting heights of only 4″ above the ground. Or your can stand him up, invert the center column and hang the head upside down. This lets you get your camera into a variety of low and otherwise difficult vantage points.
And as with all the 3 Legged Thing Punks, Billy has a detachable leg that converts into a monopod.
Yea, yea, yea, blah, blah, blah. So it’s another tripod. There are tons of them out there. What’s so special about these?
It wasn’t the features that grabbed me, it was the style and workmanship. The 3 Legged Thing tripods are gorgeous. Unlike some tripods, they’re not the least bit clunky, they’re sleek and sexy and designed with both function and look in mind. This makes sense, seeing as how they’re marketing themselves to visual people like photographers.
I see a ton of tripods when I teach workshops, but it’s the 3 Legged Thing tripods that always catch my eye. And, of course this means, whoever, has one inadvertently gets extra attention from me. Is this entirely fair? Who knows. Who cares. All I can say is that if you line up 10 people with tripods and one of them has a 3 Legged Thing, guess which on I’m likely to spot? Can you use this to your advantage? Who’s to say?
It’s true, shiny looks don’t make a great tripod, even though the knobs and twists locks look really sharp, with anodized trim and different colors. However, that’s kind of a thing these days with tripods, even though noone quite does it with the same style as 3 Legged Thing.
And it’s not just looks, it’s attitude. Like the friction knob that says“Rock – Lock” instead of “Loosen – Tighten.” And the Union Jack on one of the legs. Nothing says rock and roll like the Union Jack.
Colors aside, what really matters, of course, is that they function beautifully, with exceptionally smooth precision. 3 Legged Thing tripods are very well engineered, and this is easily apparent as soon as you handle one. They have a high level of attention to detail, and they have excellent customer service.
Compare this with a huge company like Manfrotto. I broke one of my Manfrotto family tripods and am still waiting for a replacement. I first contacted them over 14 months ago, and… *crickets*. Still Waiting.
All the new punks features newly designed rubber grips, which twist easily and helps reduce weight. They also come with a dedicated quick release ball head with a rubberized Area-Swiss compatible plate, a little clip-on multi-function tool, 2 bubble levels, rubber feet that that can be swapped out with 3 different kinds of spikes and claws for varying terrain.
With a 40 lbs. load capacity, Billy is sturdy enough to support just about any camera system. He’s one of the strongest tripods in his class. As I said above, he’s light and small enough for travel and backpacking and more than cool enough for general use. Whatever that means.
Best part about Billy, is that he’s very affordable. While most high-end carbon fiber tripods cost anywhere from $300-500 and more, (priced a Gitzo lately?) Billy only costs $279. Like I said, he’s a working class hero, but he’s not cheap like those budget carbon fiber models that are light, but not all that sturdy. Billy’s the real deal.
If you’re looking for a very well made carbon fiber tripod for outdoors or travel, and you don’t want to break the bank, I highly recommend taking a look at this tripod. There’s really nothing about it that you won’t like.
Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
One of the most popular tripods around these days is the MeFoto Road Trip. In fact, I’ve seen more of these than anything else during my workshops and photo tours during the past couple of years.
It’s no surprise. The parent company Benro created a real winner with their compact, affordable, great looking MeFoto line that all have fold-back leg design and sexy anodized aluminum trim. Other companies have surely taken notice, including Manfrotto, who just released their own Road Trip style tripod called the Element.
The new Manfrotto Element is an awesome tripod and I’m glad to see them hit the market with an affordable, classic design such as this. I got to check it out in person over the weekend and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed. Nice job, Manfrotto! Sure, it’s an obvious copy of the Road Trip, but hey, it’s a great design, so there.
I’ve long been a fan of the Manfrotto line; I think they make great tripods that have usable features and excellent value. However, not everyone loves the “Flip Lock” leg design, which are found on their 190 series and the BeFree models. The Element uses the “Twist Lock” leg design, which gives the whole tripod a much cleaner look and and slimmer profile. (Most high end tripods brands like Gitzo use Twist Lock legs.)
Much like the MeForo Road Trip, (and the Gitzo Travlers), the 5 leg sections on the Manfrotto Element fold back on themselves over the head. This allows the tripod to collapse down to only 16.5″ when closed, which makes it small enough to fit in a suitcase or backpack.
With the legs and center column extended, the Element has a max height of 64.6″. With the legs folded out, it has a minimum height of only 16.1″ for low angle shooting. It’s rated to support 17.6 lbs.
Weight with the included ball head is only 3.5 lbs. That’s pretty darn light. In fact, it’s really no heavier than a carbon fiber Gitzo that costs over four times as much. That’s the best part about the Manfrotto Element, it only costs $149, which is $25 less than the Road Trip.
That’s pretty impressive, given that the Element is so close in design to the Road Trip. Like the MeFoto, it has detachable leg which allows you to turn the tripod into a monopod, it has an Arca-type quick release ball head and 3 independent leg angles for shooting low to the ground or on uneven terrain.
And like the MeFotos, the Element comes in different colors- all black, or black with gray or red anodized trim, and it comes with a nylon carrying case. If you’ve ever seen a MeFoto Road trip, you’d probably chuckle at Manfrotto’s obvious intention to capitalize on the extreme popularity of the Road Trip based on how similar they are.
I’ve owned a handful of Manfrotto tripods over the years and as I said above, I think they make great tripods for the money. They’re a very reputable company. So is Benro; I’ve also handled enough MeFoto’s recently to know that they’re good too.
Honestly, there’s not much difference between these two models, but given the fact that the Manfrotto Element costs a little bit less, why wouldn’t you go with that one?
If you’re looking for a decent lightweight tripod for use with a relatively lightweight DSLR or mirrorless camera, that packs small enough for travel and doesn’t cost very much, you really can’t go wrong with the new Manfrotto Element.
I can’t fault them for pretty much copying the winning formula of the Road Trip. Manfrotto certainly has a long history of innovation, so in my mind, they’ve earned the right to do something like this, at least for now. Bottom line, it’s a decent tripod for a great price. What’s not to love?
Support this site. If you’re in the market for new gear, consider purchasing through these links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it’s an easy way for you to show your support for the time I take writing these articles and reviews. Thanks ! 🙂 -Dan
Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
After your camera and lens, a good tripod is perhaps the most important piece of photography gear you can own. It’s an critically essential tool for landscape and travel photographers.
A good, sturdy tripod will ensure sharper images and it will allow you to shoot at slower shutter speeds. This is critically important when shooting long exposure subjects, like rushing streams, star trails, the Milky Way, and of course, northern lights.
You probably already know this, but do you know the other huge reason why tripods can make such a big different in your photography?
The “other” reason why tripods are so important
When you place your camera on a tripod, you’re essentially going “hands free.” You suddenly have the freedom to devote all of your energy towards refining your composition and making sure your picture will look exactly like you want it to.
Instead of trying to hold the camera steady, you can take a few (or many) moments to stand back, gauge your scene, study your subject elements, pick and choose, think about your exposure settings and make sure you’ve got everting right before your press the shutter.
In effect, using a tripod allows you to make the most of your most valuable and powerful compositional tool- your brain. Using a tripod gives you the freedom to step away and think about what you’re doing. This will make a bigger difference than any other aspect in your creative process.
And depending on your creative and “thinking’ style, and considering how much time you have, you might want to set it up and walk around for awhile while you engage the creative machinery inside your head.
You might even set it up and leave it for a few minutes while you wait for the “moment” to happen, or stand around and confer with your fellow photographers if you’re shoot with someone else. You might even leave it set up for a few hours while you wait for night, snow, rain, animals, etc…
And what about time lapse photography? Have you ever photographed the same subject under a different light, weather conditions or even different seasons? Using a tripod and marking your spot can lead to some very interesting picture “sets.”
Choosing the right tripod
If you get the “right” tripod, you’ll know. The “right tripod” will become your best friend. It will accompany you on countless adventure, trips and photography outing. It will get beat up, scratched, maybe even dented, and you’ll love it forever. It will be the thing that helped you create some of your favorite imagery. So yea, the pressure is on to get the “right” one!
But what is the “right” tripod? How do you choose the right tripod for outdoor, travel and landscape photography?
When it comes to tripods, you have three main things to consider. Essentially, you’re playing the tradeoff game between these aspects:
Stability
Size/Weight
Price
Stability
This is the important one. If your tripod won’t hold your camera still, then you won’t get sharp pictures. That’s it. That’s the whole point of a tripod, right?
It’s all relative, though. If you use lightweight camera gear, like a compact mirrorless body and small lenses, you obviously don’t need the same level of stability required for pro DSLR bodies and big glass; you could probably get by with a lighter set of legs. Likewise, if you often shoot in windy conditions, you’ll probably want a sturdier model.
Size/Weight
If you drive to your photo locations and hike a half mile to your vantage point, then size and weight may not be an issue. You could get the biggest, most burly one you can find and be happy.
However, if you backpack or travel with your tripod, then you’ll most certainly want one that’s lightweight, compact and folds down to a relatively short size.
Price
If money is no option, if landscape or travel photography is your lifeblood or your livelong passion, then you can likely afford to splurge on the very best model. However, if you only use it occasionally, or if you’re on a budget, then price could be an issue.
As with everything else in life, price dictates everything with tripods. You can usually get sturdy and lightweight, but it will cost more. If you sacrifice some stability or weigh, you can bring the price down.
However, this might not always be a bad thing. Again, if you use lightweight gear, or if you like to travel, maybe you can get by with less by realizing your limitations and working within these boundaries. Less is better than nothing if it means having or not having a tripod with you on your awesome photo trip.
My Recommended Tripods
As a workshop instructor, I’ve seen and used a number of different tripods, and I’ve gotten to know which ones are good, which ones aren’t so good and which ones offer a great compromise in stability, size/weight and price.
With all this in mind, here area few of my favorite tripods I recommend from each category.
The “No Compromises” Category
You’re looking for maximum stability and decreased weight, and you’re willing to pay for it. In other words, you want the best tripod you can get, because you’re going to lug it everywhere and beat the heck out of it.
The Gitzo Traveler series offers rock-solid stability and incredible strength to weight ratio. They’re very sturdy and lightweight, and the carbon fiber legs fold back on themselves, which makes the Travelers pack up very small.
After years of wanting a Gitzo, I recently bought the GT-0545T Traveler, which is the smallest and lightest Traveler in the series. It folds down to only 14.4″, extends to 48.2″ and weighs 2.1 lbs. Unless you’re really tall, 48″ is an ideal height if you’re using the LCD screen to compose your shots.
You can reverse the center column for ground level shooting, or you can use the optional short center column which saves even more weight.
If you need a little more height, you might consider the next size up, the GT-1545T, which extends to 60″.
The Travelers come with newly redesigned magnesium ball heads which are shaped perfectly to fit when you fold back the legs, and they’re sturdy enough to hold up to 22lbs. You can also get the Travelers without heads.
@Danbaileyphoto 🙂 I got the Gitzo traveller. I wish it was a little taller, but it's really light and fits in my suitcase.
Anne McKinnell
The “Good All Around, Lightweight, Affordable” Category
You want a good tripod that will get you by in a variety of situations, that offers decent stability and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Well, there are quite a few models that fit in this category, but here are the ones I like.
The MeFOTO Road Trip is one of the most popular tripods around, and for good reason. They’re well made, offer decent stability, they don’t cost too much and they’re very compact and easy to carry. I see a lot of these on my photo tours.
The aluminum Road Trip extends to 61″, folds down to only 15″, weighs 3.6 lbs. w/ the included ball head and costs less than $200.
It has four twist lock legs that you can set in two positions for shooting on uneven ground, or for shooting low to the ground. As with the Gizto Travelers, the MeFoto Road Tip legs also fold back over the center column when you pack it up.
And like the Gitzos, they also come with straps, and very nice carrying bags which make them very easy to pack and haul around. And they come in a variety of anodized colors.
Easily the best value around, the MeFoto is a great tripod for the money, and will easily hold any mirrorless camera and a lightweight DSLRs. MeFOTO also have a carbon fiber version of the Road Trip.
It has a max hight of 61.7″, it’s rated to hold 9 lbs, it folds down to only 15.2″, and it doesn’t weigh very much at all: Only 2.9 lbs, and that’s with the included ball head.
All of these tripods are able to support larger camera gear than the MeFOTO, so if you’re a DLSR shooter, you might look towards those options.
The “Super Ultra Lightweight and Budget Friendly” Category
Face it. It doesn’t matter how great your tripod is if it’s too heavy to carry for the activity you’re doing. Sometimes it’s worth sacrificing a little bit of stability if it means having a tripod with you on fast and light adventures and photo trips.
For this reason, you might consider getting super ultra lightweight option as a second tripod. This gives you more options, and these super light ones are not all that expensive.
When it comes to lightweight and inexpensive, you can’t beat SLIK Tripods. My first tripod ever was a SLIK and it got a lot of use during my first few yeras as a photographer.
The SLIK Mini II only weighs 1.7 lbs and folds down to 13.8″. The tradeoff is that it’s only rated to hold 2.2 lbs, so if you shoot heavy DSLR gear, then forget it.
However, if you shoot mirrorless gear or a really light DSLR, the MINI will give you way more options than you would have with no tripod.
I actually used my friend’s SLIK MINI this winter during one of our overnight fat bike camping trips this winter, and it worked just fine with my X-T2 and my smaller glass, like the 18mm, 35mm f/2 and even the 56mm f/1.8.
If you need a little more stability, the SLIK Sprint models are probably the best all around tripods for the money if you’re looking for a super lightweight and budget friendly tripod for your lightweight camera gear.
Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
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Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
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Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
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Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography BlogPosted on by Dan
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Everyone, meet Billy. On second thought, you probably already know him. After all, who doesn’t know Billy?
And depending on your creative and “thinking’ style, and considering how much time you have, you might want to set it up and walk around for awhile while you engage the creative machinery inside your head.
