I am a professional photographer, and "no brag, just fact" I would wager that I own and have used more tripods and camera support systems than any other customer at Amazon. Dozens, including all manner of exotic special purpose tripods, and tripods dedicated to specific applications. I'm not talking about junk, though I do have some inexpensive tripods like the Joby GorillaPod Video, which is excellent. But most of my tripods are high end professional grade from companies like Vinten, Gitzo, and even Microdolly (a pro brand made in Hollywood).
For 3 decades, my primary still photo tripod has been a Gitzo Studex. This is an outstanding, highly reliable, and super stable tripod. It weighs a ton, but it is required for the type architectural photography I do, which these days involves fully configured Canon DSLR cameras and heavy tilt-shift lenses.
All this said, I recently purchased the MeFoto GlobeTrotter Carbon Fiber tripod, and I absolutely love it.
It is essential that your tripod is well matched to the load. Don't think this tripod is adequate for. Canon 5D Mk III with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. If you are shooting with any full size DSLR, this may not be the tripod for you.
But matched to the right camera, say a crop from Canon or similar sized Nikon, this is a wonderful tripod
My MeFoto is paired with a Panasonic GH3, and the two are a superb match. In fact, this combination is like falling in love with photography all over again. I have carried tripod and camera all day long recently at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and also hiking in Zion National Park. It would have killed me to do this with the Gitzo and Canon combo, but there was no pain, suffering, or regret with the Panasonic and MeFoto.
The MeFoto is very well made. It is highly stable, the first criteria for any tripod. It is also incredibly small and lightweight. Yes, this carbon fiber version costs $100 more than the aluminum, but unless you abuse equipment and know you will destroy anything within a year or two, I think the carbon fiber is worth the money. A good tripod can last a lifetime, and I am coming to appreciate more and more the value of reduced weight. Light weight makes the difference in decisions you make, which hike to take, what gear to carry. Considering the cost of travel, the surcharge for carbon is a bargain.
This MeFoto tripod is a joy on many levels, but the real proof is it has become my go-to tripod for personal photography. That's saying something from a guy who has maybe 3 dozen tripods at his fingertips, some costing thousands more than this MeFoto.
Understand this glowing review only applies if the tripod is well matched to the camera.
For me personally, I cannot imagine serious use of any of the smaller tripods in the MeFoto line unless your intended application is to support a point and shoot camera. Tripods are something few point-and-shoot photographers ever consider.
Final observation: the MeFoto GlobeTrotter is highly suitable for camera backpacks which include a tripod pouch. I am using a Lowepro Video Fastpack whichmI highly recommend for still cameras as well as video. It has a tripod attachment point that fits this MeFoto tripod perfectly.
Bottom line: I purchase tons of photographic gear, but this MeFoto tripod is not only superb, it is one of those rare pieces of equipment that really changes my life, coming at it as I am from much heavier professional caliber equipment. My highest recommendations - buy it now, you will not regret this purchase!
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From the manufacturer
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Sleek DesignWe were tired of the all black tripod, so we came up with something that's smaller, lighter, and doesn't weigh you down, topped off with a spritz of color. |
360-degree PanningAccurate panoramas can be easily orchestrated using the graduated panning scale for accurate image alignment. |
Supports up to 26.5 lbWeighs just 3.5 lb yet strong enough to support a full DSLR and telefoto lens |
Travel FriendlyThis little number folds down to a quarter of its extended size, making it small enough to fit in your carry-on, shoulder bag, or backpack |
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CompactThe tripod legs can be inverted and folded back 180° making it small enough to carry just about anywhere |
Twist Lock Legs with Anti-Rotation SystemMeFOTO's innovative rubberized locking grips combined with anti-rotation legs enable fast and fumble-free set-up plus weather and dust-resistance. |
Also a MonopodWho says you can't teach a tripod new tricks? The BackPacker tripod converts into a monopod. The removable leg and center column combine to make a full size monopod without tools. |
Carry Case IncludedEach MeFOTO comes with its own carrying case for transport and protection. |
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| MeFOTO BackPacker Classic | MeFOTO BackPacker S | MeFOTO RoadTripper Classic | MeFOTO RoadTripper S | MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Classic | MeFOTO GlobeTrotter S | |
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| Product Weight (lb) | Aluminum: 2.6 lb | Aluminum: 2.5 lb Carbon Fiber: 2.2 lb | Aluminum: 3.6 lb Carbon Fiber: 3.1 lb | Aluminum: 3.4 lb Carbon Fiber: 2.9 lb | Aluminum: 4.6 lb Carbon Fiber: 3.7 lb | Carbon Fiber: 3.5 lb |
| Leg Material | Aluminum | Aluminum or Carbon Fiber | Aluminum or Carbon Fiber | Aluminum or Carbon Fiber | Aluminum or Carbon Fiber | Carbon Fiber |
| Maximum Load (lb) | 8.8 lb | 13.2 lb | 17.6 lb | 17.6 lb | 26.4 lb | 26.5 lb |
| Folded Length (in) | 12.2 in | 13.19 in | 15.4 in | 13.98 in | 16.1 in | 15.75 in |
| Minimum Height (in) | 16.5 in | 13.2 in | 15.4 in | 14 in | 16.1 in | 15.7 in |
| Maximum Height (in) | 51.6 in | 54.7 in | 61.6 in | 59.4 in | 64.2 in | 61.6 in |
| Head Type | Ball Head | Ball Head | Ball Head | Ball Head | Ball Head | Ball Head |
| Quick Release Type | Arca-Swiss Style | Arca-Swiss Style | Arca-Swiss Style | Arca-Swiss Style | Arca-Swiss Style | Arca-Swiss Style |
| Monopod Conversion | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Colors | Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Purple | Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, Green | Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Purple | Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, Green | Black, Titanium, Blue, Red, Green | Black, Titanium |
Reviews with images
The Dolica was wonderfully lightweight, about 2
I have a Nikon D3300. I also had the Dolica Proline 57" tripod. The Dolica was wonderfully lightweight, about 2.5 pounds and it held my camera and the kit lens 50-200mm well. It was rated for 13 pounds.When I bought a new Tamron 70-300mm VC lens, the Dolica could no longer hold the setup. When shooting pictures of the moon, I could see the image dropping from the center of the viewfinder. No matter how tight I turned the knobs.So I went back to the camera store and compared various tripods. Originally I wanted a Manfrotto that was $280. But then Amazon offered a promotion. With the purchase of selected Mefoto tripods, there would be a $50 voucher for a future camera/lens purchase. So that cinched the deal for me to buy this tripod.I am very pleased with it. It is much heavier than the Dolica I had. It is also taller. I am short, 5'2" so generally, I don't even have to unlock the last set of legs on the tripod. It's plenty tall with the center column raised up. So if you are a tall person, this could be a good tripod for you.It has an extra dial that allows you to tighten the head while still being able to move it some and then you tighten down the position with the main dial. My other tripod did not have that feature.When I mounted my lens to this tripod, it did a great job of holding the position. I did not withness my image slipping in the viewfinder.For the life of me, I cannot seem to get it to fold up completely and sit in the bag properly. What is the trick???
Top reviews from other countries
Holger
Nicht schlecht, aber doch Punkte die mich stören
Reviewed in Germany on December 13, 2016