The Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod, weighing in at only 1.9 lb (0.86 kg), is a medium duty support that is portable and affordable. This ultra-lightweight is compact... it folds down to a mere 14.5" (36.8cm) and with its split center column extended, reaches 56.0" (142.2cm). The split center column allows for low-angle photography.
This tripod features 5 aluminum leg sections with a twist-knob lock. The TravelLite comes with a great system to ensure precision camera positioning: a 3-way photo/video panhead with a quick release (2 plates are included), a bubble level, and rubber feet for indoor use. The TravelSmart Digital Tripod, which also comes with a carry bag, is the perfect companion for photographers who need a steady platform using the latest point and shoot, compact DSLR cameras and camcorders.
| General | |
|---|---|
| Load Capacity | 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) |
| Maximum Height | 56.5" (143.5cm) |
| Folded Length | 14.6" (37.1cm) |
| Spirit Level | Yes |
| Weight | 2.1 lb (1 kg) |
| Head | |
|---|---|
| Head Type | 3-way panhead |
| Quick Release | Yes (2 quick release plates are included) |
| Legs | |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminum |
| Head Attachment Fitting | 1/4"-20 |
| Leg Sections | 5 |
| Leg Lock Type | Twist and lock |
| Independent Leg Spread | Yes |
| Spiked/Retractable Feet | Yes |
| Center Brace | No |
| Center Column | |
|---|---|
| Center Column Type | Split center column with low-angle capability |
| Center Column Sections | 1 |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
TravelSmart is the perfect name
I believe a tripod is one of the most useful tools that anyone with a camera should never be caught without, so when I was on the lookout for a tripod that I could carry...Read complete review
I believe a tripod is one of the most useful tools that anyone with a camera should never be caught without, so when I was on the lookout for a tripod that I could carry around with me wherever I went without breaking the bank, I kept in mind that I needed something that I could rely on. I chose to purchase the TravelSmart because of it's low price and potential to be very handy. Now obviously it can not and does not compare with higher end tripods, but for the price it certainly does the job. It's easy to take on the go and comes with a travel bag and an extra plate. I use it with my Canon Vixia HFS100 and have no complaints about it, although the design is a bit unconventional.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Great price - you get what you pay for
You can't beat the price for this tripod, and that makes it a worthwhile buy in my opinion. But it has some annoying features.
- The legs extend quickly, due t...Read complete review
You can't beat the price for this tripod, and that makes it a worthwhile buy in my opinion. But it has some annoying features.
- The legs extend quickly, due to the fact that there is only one ring per leg to tighten them up. But that one ring sometimes loosens up a bit. It also can be annoying to retract the legs as the joints sometimes get "stuck." With a little fiddling, it's easy to fix....but annoying.
- The full vertical tilt leaves my camera overly tilted, and it's much less sturdy in this position. My camera (a DSLR - so a little heavy for this tripod) sometimes slides down slightly.
- The legs flex a lot, but it hasn't been too much of a problem. Again, it's a light, little tripod - about what you'd expect.
- The various dials and flip locks that allow different configurations are not especially intuitive in their design, but they work okay.
- It makes a good alternate tripod for when you just don't want to carry around a larger, heavier one. But, if you are buying only one multi-use tripod, this isn't a good choice.
Best features: Inexpensive, light, folds up very small, easy quick release mount
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 50 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This is a very affordable light weight tripod for use with light cameras. I will not use it for my Canon video recorder. I will use it mainly for road trips (flights) and for my monitor that goes with my Canon video recorder.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
It was compact and easy to carry around, however, it was flimsy when extended to full height and was very difficult to fold back down. It has little buttons you have to push in and hurt to use. It's worth getting a more heavy duty tripod with folding clips to break down.
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Right out of the box one of the legs is stripped ! I wanted this for my 50mm spotter to hike with but I will have to pay a little more to get the job done. Set the spotter on it and sat down to use it without the legs extended but the head is too rough and jerky to pan with. Only thing you could use this for is a light point and shoot if you get one that works. I tossed the box before I found out leg was stripped so I don't know if it can be returned but shipping it back would cost almost half what I paid and my time is worth way more. If you don't mind spending time to return one if it is defective and need a cheap point and shoot stand then maybe...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I will sending this back immediately. I know... what do you expect for this price, but come on. The legs (fully extended) are like wet noodles.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
The price is cheap an so is the product.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I did regret buying this tripod, my vacation got ruined cos of it. Very flimsy, wouldn't close right n all the way. It is very light but then it couldn't stand even just a 20 mph wind.i wish I didn't buy this tripod.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Bought this because it was cheap and small and I needed something for travelling. Unfortunately, the workmanship on this product is extremely shoddy. One of the legs do not lock open. Of the other two that do, one of them is extremely difficult to close.
The tripod is wobbly and I can't use it and risk my equipment.
Unfortunately its a cheap product so it's not worth the shipping to return it to the US from Canada.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
The tripod is cheap, light, small, great for travelling. But the quick release plate doesn't sit in tight enough, so my camera actually wabbles on tripod, makes it not usable for me. I hope I can replace the head with a better one in hopes to fix this issue. We'll see
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This isn't the sturdiest tripod out there, but that's to be expected at this price point. I would use it for point and shoots or mirroless cameras, it might be a little sketchy with a big dslr and lens. I like the quick release option, but you can't see the bubble level with your camera mounted up. I also like how compact it gets when you fold it up. If you have a dslr I would pass and get something a little sturdier, but if your a hobbiest with a point and shoot it will work great.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
TERRIBLE FOR DSLR CAMERAS. MAYBE GOOD FOR VERY LIGHTWEIGHT POINT & SHOOT CAMERAS. NOT ONLY ARE THE LEGS FLIMSY & UNSTEADY, BUT THE RELEASE PLATE POPS OUT OF THE LOCK MECHANISM WHICH CAN MAKE YOUR CAMERA GO FLYING.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Serves the purpose as a travel tripod. Fits in bag, one of the few I could find, and yet extends to a reasonable height. But very light weight.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I bought this for a trip to Europe as my Mannfroto is too heavy. This tripod practically buckled when I put my Nikon D7000 with 18-105 lens on it. Super flimsy and weak. I never used it even once. I don't want to go through the hassle of even returning it as it is only $20 nor do I feel good about giving it to anyone. DO NOT BUY THIS TRIPOD unless you have a very light cheap camera that you are ok with dropping!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
For the money I paid it's a good tripod but the buttons to collapse the legs are sometimes hard to release.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Nice idea but too flimsy and does not hole my dslr level when in the notmal position. Might be ok for point and shoot but would not recommend.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I can't ask for anything more. This is light, functional, and affordable. I was confused at the amount of options available in all price ranges for tripods. The B & H customer support person was a huge help! I told him what I needed to do with the tripod and he helped explain the differences in B & H offerings and helped me pick this one. Great job B & H!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
telescopes very easily, is very lightweight, and packs up small. only downsides are that it isn't very stable, or easy to fine tune on uneven ground, and the tabs that telescope the smaller extensions can open/close on their own sometimes, wouldn't leave a camera on there for long exposures becaue of this. that being said, it's hard to beat the value and the portability. is able to support a dslr, with a fully extended 70-300 lens without any issues. since it's shaky, i would recommend using a remote or delayed shutter release.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
If you need an inexpensive tripod for a kid to use or for some other non-critical purpose, this one seems like a decent value.
I personally use a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod for my own gear, but not every situation warrants such solid support.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I haven't used it yet. Not once, but twice, I was sent a tripod that was missing the tension-adjustment collar for the center post. As soon as I have a complete tripod, I anticipate much use and great satisfaction, as has been the case with previous Sunpak tripods I have purchased.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Purchased to take on a backpack trip specifically because of its lightweight & compact size. Did serve its purpose in that respect, but fell short on durability. Would not recommend using cameras more than 3 or 4 lbs and definitely not with long lens attached, as the ball head does not lock in tight enough. Sets up and adjusts easily, but take down is a bit clumsy. Will be used soley on backpack trips, where size matters.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This is very small and lightweight, much smaller and lighter than the carbon-fiber tripods by other manufacturers (Manfrotto, Gitzo). It is not all that sturdy and I would only use it for long exposure with a point and shoot camera, even though it is spec'd at holding 3.3 lbs. It would be fine for a small DSLR for a group shot. I often use it to hold a wirelessly-controlled flash. For the price, one can't go wrong, and it is so small it can almost fit in a pocket!
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
TravelSmart is the perfect name
I believe a tripod is one of the most useful tools that anyone with a camera should never be caught without, so when I was on the lookout for a tripod that I could carry...Read complete review
I believe a tripod is one of the most useful tools that anyone with a camera should never be caught without, so when I was on the lookout for a tripod that I could carry around with me wherever I went without breaking the bank, I kept in mind that I needed something that I could rely on. I chose to purchase the TravelSmart because of it's low price and potential to be very handy. Now obviously it can not and does not compare with higher end tripods, but for the price it certainly does the job. It's easy to take on the go and comes with a travel bag and an extra plate. I use it with my Canon Vixia HFS100 and have no complaints about it, although the design is a bit unconventional.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Great price - you get what you pay for
You can't beat the price for this tripod, and that makes it a worthwhile buy in my opinion. But it has some annoying features.
- The legs extend quickly, due t...Read complete review
You can't beat the price for this tripod, and that makes it a worthwhile buy in my opinion. But it has some annoying features.
- The legs extend quickly, due to the fact that there is only one ring per leg to tighten them up. But that one ring sometimes loosens up a bit. It also can be annoying to retract the legs as the joints sometimes get "stuck." With a little fiddling, it's easy to fix....but annoying.
- The full vertical tilt leaves my camera overly tilted, and it's much less sturdy in this position. My camera (a DSLR - so a little heavy for this tripod) sometimes slides down slightly.
- The legs flex a lot, but it hasn't been too much of a problem. Again, it's a light, little tripod - about what you'd expect.
- The various dials and flip locks that allow different configurations are not especially intuitive in their design, but they work okay.
- It makes a good alternate tripod for when you just don't want to carry around a larger, heavier one. But, if you are buying only one multi-use tripod, this isn't a good choice.
Best features: Inexpensive, light, folds up very small, easy quick release mount
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 50 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This is a very affordable light weight tripod for use with light cameras. I will not use it for my Canon video recorder. I will use it mainly for road trips (flights) and for my monitor that goes with my Canon video recorder.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
It was compact and easy to carry around, however, it was flimsy when extended to full height and was very difficult to fold back down. It has little buttons you have to push in and hurt to use. It's worth getting a more heavy duty tripod with folding clips to break down.
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Right out of the box one of the legs is stripped ! I wanted this for my 50mm spotter to hike with but I will have to pay a little more to get the job done. Set the spotter on it and sat down to use it without the legs extended but the head is too rough and jerky to pan with. Only thing you could use this for is a light point and shoot if you get one that works. I tossed the box before I found out leg was stripped so I don't know if it can be returned but shipping it back would cost almost half what I paid and my time is worth way more. If you don't mind spending time to return one if it is defective and need a cheap point and shoot stand then maybe...
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I will sending this back immediately. I know... what do you expect for this price, but come on. The legs (fully extended) are like wet noodles.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
The price is cheap an so is the product.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I did regret buying this tripod, my vacation got ruined cos of it. Very flimsy, wouldn't close right n all the way. It is very light but then it couldn't stand even just a 20 mph wind.i wish I didn't buy this tripod.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Bought this because it was cheap and small and I needed something for travelling. Unfortunately, the workmanship on this product is extremely shoddy. One of the legs do not lock open. Of the other two that do, one of them is extremely difficult to close.
The tripod is wobbly and I can't use it and risk my equipment.
Unfortunately its a cheap product so it's not worth the shipping to return it to the US from Canada.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
The tripod is cheap, light, small, great for travelling. But the quick release plate doesn't sit in tight enough, so my camera actually wabbles on tripod, makes it not usable for me. I hope I can replace the head with a better one in hopes to fix this issue. We'll see
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This isn't the sturdiest tripod out there, but that's to be expected at this price point. I would use it for point and shoots or mirroless cameras, it might be a little sketchy with a big dslr and lens. I like the quick release option, but you can't see the bubble level with your camera mounted up. I also like how compact it gets when you fold it up. If you have a dslr I would pass and get something a little sturdier, but if your a hobbiest with a point and shoot it will work great.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
TERRIBLE FOR DSLR CAMERAS. MAYBE GOOD FOR VERY LIGHTWEIGHT POINT & SHOOT CAMERAS. NOT ONLY ARE THE LEGS FLIMSY & UNSTEADY, BUT THE RELEASE PLATE POPS OUT OF THE LOCK MECHANISM WHICH CAN MAKE YOUR CAMERA GO FLYING.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Serves the purpose as a travel tripod. Fits in bag, one of the few I could find, and yet extends to a reasonable height. But very light weight.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I bought this for a trip to Europe as my Mannfroto is too heavy. This tripod practically buckled when I put my Nikon D7000 with 18-105 lens on it. Super flimsy and weak. I never used it even once. I don't want to go through the hassle of even returning it as it is only $20 nor do I feel good about giving it to anyone. DO NOT BUY THIS TRIPOD unless you have a very light cheap camera that you are ok with dropping!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
For the money I paid it's a good tripod but the buttons to collapse the legs are sometimes hard to release.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Nice idea but too flimsy and does not hole my dslr level when in the notmal position. Might be ok for point and shoot but would not recommend.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I can't ask for anything more. This is light, functional, and affordable. I was confused at the amount of options available in all price ranges for tripods. The B & H customer support person was a huge help! I told him what I needed to do with the tripod and he helped explain the differences in B & H offerings and helped me pick this one. Great job B & H!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
telescopes very easily, is very lightweight, and packs up small. only downsides are that it isn't very stable, or easy to fine tune on uneven ground, and the tabs that telescope the smaller extensions can open/close on their own sometimes, wouldn't leave a camera on there for long exposures becaue of this. that being said, it's hard to beat the value and the portability. is able to support a dslr, with a fully extended 70-300 lens without any issues. since it's shaky, i would recommend using a remote or delayed shutter release.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
If you need an inexpensive tripod for a kid to use or for some other non-critical purpose, this one seems like a decent value.
I personally use a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod for my own gear, but not every situation warrants such solid support.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
I haven't used it yet. Not once, but twice, I was sent a tripod that was missing the tension-adjustment collar for the center post. As soon as I have a complete tripod, I anticipate much use and great satisfaction, as has been the case with previous Sunpak tripods I have purchased.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
Purchased to take on a backpack trip specifically because of its lightweight & compact size. Did serve its purpose in that respect, but fell short on durability. Would not recommend using cameras more than 3 or 4 lbs and definitely not with long lens attached, as the ball head does not lock in tight enough. Sets up and adjusts easily, but take down is a bit clumsy. Will be used soley on backpack trips, where size matters.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:
This is very small and lightweight, much smaller and lighter than the carbon-fiber tripods by other manufacturers (Manfrotto, Gitzo). It is not all that sturdy and I would only use it for long exposure with a point and shoot camera, even though it is spec'd at holding 3.3 lbs. It would be fine for a small DSLR for a group shot. I often use it to hold a wirelessly-controlled flash. For the price, one can't go wrong, and it is so small it can almost fit in a pocket!