jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Sounds like you've made your mind up. Tripods are a personal preference. Go for it.

Elmerviking

No..I haven’t made up my mind.
Due to my engineering background I do a lot of research before I make a purchase. I went to the local store, Norman Camera in Kalamazoo, and checked out a lot of tripods. Unfortunately they were sold out of many I considered. They had one Manfrotto Befree advanced which actually impressed me and ALMOST made me buy it. I have watched hundreds of YouTube videos and for the moment I am interested in the Manfrotto Befree GT, which is carbon fiber and a taller version of the Befree Advanced. I am also a little bit hesitating between twist lock and lever lock. As you understand I want good quality at a reasonable price.
Norman Camera have ordered more tripods and will get them in a couple of weeks, so I’ll be back there to check out more.
UHH is just one part of my research and I appreciate any opinion!

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I have Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods and they are all very high quality and I've had no problems with any of them. That said, I can say I have both, twist lock and lever lock tripods. Quality tripods with the lever locks are not a problem, but cheap tripods with lever locks can get lose and require adjusting at the most inopportune moments. I've seen it.

My take on the twist locks are that they are the most reliable but take longer to adjust. Lever lock are much faster to set up and adjust, but as I said can require adjusting and I've pinched my hands once in a while when they snap closed. It hurts. Yes it does. LOL.

I have 2 Manfrotto aluminum lever lock tripods that have never needed adjusting of the levers. But I have pinched myself more than once on each one.

My Gitzo is a twist lock made of carbon fiber and it's never given me a lick of trouble.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

You said you are 6' 2" tall.... 74".

The Manfrotto BeFree GT Carbon is 54" tall without the center column raised... and 63" tall with it fully raised, which will be the tripod's least stable setup.

What I don't know is if these dimensions are the tripod alone or if they include the Manfrotto 496 head that's normally sold with the tripod. I'm guessing the latter because I don't see the leg set selling anywhere without the head. If that's the case, unless you're seated while using it, you'll always be extending the tripod to it's max (and wobbliest) and still will be stooping to use it, which I suspect you'll find pretty uncomfortable fairly quickly.

Travel tripods, in particular, may be rather short for tall people.

You would probably be happier buying a "regular" tripod leg set separately and choosing your own head to use on it. For example, the Feisol Elite CT-3372LV M2 tripod weighs about 5 lb. and is about 60.5" tall without any head installed and without its center column raised (this model is available with or without center column... also available is a leveling platform that takes the place of a center column). Once you add a typical ballhead to that, the height will be around 65", still without using the center column. Of course, when it's mounted the cameras' viewfinder eyeport will be an inch or two higher than that.... and you're getting pretty close to your eye level. Further, this tripod has 3-section legs which make for better stability (and quicker setup) than travel tripods with 4-section or, worse, 5-or-more-section legs.

I no longer have any tripods with lever type leg locks. I've used them in the past and they're prone to wear and need adjustment or repair sometimes. Possibly more concerning, they also can catch on branches etc. while carrying the tripod... or snag on cuffs and sleeves while working with the tripod.

I have a heavy duty "studio" tripod with thumbscrew fasteners on the legs and leg braces. My "field" tripods are carbon fiber Gitzo with twist type leg locks. Both thumbscrew type and twist type locks are pretty much self-adjusting and not prone to wear. The twist type are low-profile, too... less likely to catch on things while carrying or using the tripod. They would be pretty hard to damage during shipment, too.

There are several companies making tripods like the Feisol mentioned above. I'm just using that as an example, partly because they have good info about it's dimensions online. And I think that the height of any tripod should be your first concern.... a lot of them will be too short to be used comfortably... or you'll need to extend them to the point they're so wobbly as to be hardly worth using.

Elmerviking

Thank you for your reply!
I am well aware of the lesser stupidity with the center column extended. I am mostly concerned about the carrying weight of the tripod. I have a very sturdy and tall Manfrotto which is probably 30 years old and still functions perfectly. But..and a big but...it’s very heavy so I tend to leave it at home. That’s why I started checking out travel tripods, like the Manfrotto Befree GT. As usual you get tons of suggestions here, which is both bad and good. I have now decided to stick with twist lock legs, but that is all I have decided so far. I am waiting until my local shop gets in more to chose from, which they said will be in a couple of weeks. Then I will go there with my camera (Nikon D7100) and my heaviest lens to really find the most cost effective and sturdy light weight tripod.
Meanwhile I am checking reviews of all brands the UHH’ers have recommended. I am on a pretty tight budget as I am retired. It might be the best choice to stick with a monopod..I dunno.
I have to thank everybody for many good suggestions!
/Bosse

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

You don't say how far you are wanting to go with your tripod, or how much other "stuff" you carry...but Manfrotto makes shoulder slings for their tripods. They have an eyelet on one end that screws into a threaded hole on the leg hinge casting and an eyelet on the other end that makes a sliding loop to secure around the legs. I've had one of these for a larger tripod (that I wish I still had) and for a more moderate-size one that I still use. Made transport of the tripod much easier, at least for shorter distances. That might be a pretty inexpensive option, especially if you like your current tripod once you get where you are going.