berchman Loc: South Central PA

If you take a travel tripod on a small group tour, given the pace of such tours, when do you have the opportunity to set up a tripod and take pictures? The tours I have been on with Overseas Adventure Travel (small groups not exceeding 16) keep you moving from early in the morning to after dinner. I barely have time to grab shots which I do while the guide is talking to the group and sometimes I have gotten so absorbed that the group has moved on and I don't know where they have gone. In those cases (which I try to minimize, not wanting to be a pariah), I just remain where I am so I can be found. (I also explain to the tour guide at the beginning of the tour that photography is my main interest so don't be insulted if I'm not listening to the lecture.)

You may ask why I don't go on photography tours and the reason is that I can't afford them. Even in those cases where it's just me and my wife and another couple who are friends touring (India, Burma, Iran), it imposes a burden on the non-photographers to go around setting up a tripod. I probably don't know what I'm doing, but on the rare occasions that I've bothered with a tripod (Induro C214 8X CF and RSS B40 head) when on a field trip with my camera club, it is a major pain to get the tripod at just the right height for the shot, especially since I've been warned not to use the center column because it reduces stability. It just takes a long time fooling with the legs.

ottopj Loc: Annapolis, MD USA

Monopod? Other ways of steadying the camera? Rocks, walls, pillars, etc. Good luck.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Funny concept. That is all a monopod is but a center column.

mr. don

look into a platy pod, small and do the job,also fit in your pocket when not in use.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

A tripod is not an appropriate piece of equipment to take on a group tour. I have been on several such tours, and they do move according to the pace you described.
A group tour is a vacation for most people who usually have interest in taking some travel snapshots to record their memories of the trip; it is not a photography tour and should not be treated as such. When you get lost, and need to be found by the tour guide, you are causing a disruption to the group and are being rude. No one in the group appreciates it. I suggest you take one camera and an “all purpose travel lens” and learn to set up and compose quickly and move on with the group. From experience I can tell you, you can capture some very nice photographs that way. If you want more, you should consider traveling alone or spring for the photography tour.
Steve

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I have one, but unless one is lucky enough to find a surface high enough on which to place it, it is no substitute.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

You men tioned that you travel with your wife. Wives come equipped with a great variety of stable photography platforms. shoulders are a great camera steadying location. Wives can be a suitable wall to lean against. Wives can even carry themselves around, and set up quickly. But they are a LOT MORE expensive than even the most expensive tripod.

ottopj Loc: Annapolis, MD USA

Agree.

OviedoPhotos

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I agree that it is inconsiderate and in ten tours it has happened only twice. And I do follow the practice you suggest with a Fuji X-T2 and the 18-135 lens, plus another Fuji fitted with a Rokinon 12mm in a small shoulder bag. I'm simply soliciting comments from those who have used a travel tripod on such tours and how they have managed to do so.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

From personal experience, and we have done a few large group tours, never ever whilst actually touring.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Consider a Monopod.
P.S. I get left at the Pantheon because I got involved in what I was shooting with a tripod and the tour bus left without me.I made my way back to the hotel and learned when I approached police officers in Italy, before I could open my mouth to confirm that I am going in the right direction, I was told..No Speaka da English.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

Instead of telling you what you can not do on tours, I tell you what you could do. And I realize that you have Fuji gear. Olympus EM1 mark2 and Olympus 12-100 f4 6.5 stops of stabilization. Even older folks who may not be as steady, can hand hold and don’t require a tripod or monopod. At least read up on it, you ar a perfect candidate for all that technology.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

I had the same problem and finally got smart. Buy a carbon fiber monopod such as the Sirui model P-326. It only weighs 0.9 pounds, is 60 inches high, holds 22 pounds and folds to 15 1/2 inches. Add a Arca Swiss style clamp to the monopod (don't waste your money on a ball head) and a Arca Swiss mounting plate and L-bracket to your camera and you will be in business. One thing you should be aware of when using a monopod is that if you fully extend all the legs, they are usually not 100% ridgid (even the expensive ones). By leaving about 3/4" of each leg retracted into the leg above, they will become very rigid and your camera will still be at eye level.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

I do hand hold. The newer Fuji lenses have excellent stabilization and I have not had any trouble with camera movement. I simply raise the ISO to keep the shutter speed high enough. But I guess that for serious panoramas and night shots, a tripod might be necessary.