Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

hey, given the price, this is the best value for a tripod that can "get small"!!!

i bought it for putting in my bike's tail bag along with my micro 4/3 camera and when i have the occasion, i have the right stuff.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

Not exactly as pictured and described; it does not have a center locking collar, but I don't think it's really needed, it seems quite secure with just the one locking knob.
The legs are a bit flimsy - it is almost like a telescopic antenna from a portable radio and they have quite a bit of flex in them. Don't trip over it, I'm pretty sure the legs will snap. It does not provide a very stable platform due to the flexing, so if you are planning on using slow shutter speeds on a windy night, or say on a cruise ship where there is movement, you may get a lot of blurring.
I needed something that I could carry easily - only 14.5" closed. Do not plan on using this as an all around tripod - use it for an easy to carry travel tripod. If used for just regular snapshots with faster shutter speeds, I think it will be okay. I think it will okay for a small camcorder too.
Too bad they don't include a center hook - adding a little weight may stabilize it a bit.
I looked at other tripods, but this folded the smallest and still had a decent extended height.
If available, I would rate it 3 1/2 stars.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I took it out of the package extended out and put it right back in and called B&H to return it the legs are junk. There is alot of play in the legs and they seem to be not vwery durable.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I plan on using this tripod for traveling. I have tried it and it works great. Small enough and light enough to attach to my camera bag. It fits well, and works well.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I needed a light wieght tripod for walking/hiking to take landscapes when a tripod is needed. It does trade off some stability for light wieght but it works for my purpose.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

Needed to get the smallest tripod reasonable for a "talking head" video kit that will be shipped around the country. Sunpak has chosen good compromises to achieve this balance of function and size. Notably, only one of the five leg sections are continuously adjustable; the rest snap in place with spring-loaded pins. There is no elevator crank, just a tension knob. Leg spread to one of two positions, controlled by tabs at the top of each. Active panning/tilting will suffer from the compact design. Would probably be okay with image stabilization in the camera, but is pretty glitchy. Not at all unexpected for the size and price. And no problem for our intended use.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I've only had the opportunity to use the tripod once, but from what I can tell, it was worth every penny. I wanted a tripod that was compact enough to attach to my camera bag, and this one fits the bill perfectly. It is small (collapses to 14"), lightweight (not even 2lbs.), and has a wide range of use (expands to 56"). The legs are easy to adjust and tighten (great grips). The only flaw is that it seems a bit unsteady when expanded to it's full height, however, if you are gentle with your equiptment like I am, this probably won't be a problem.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

This was a complete waste of [$]. Once I got it I decided it wasn't what I was expecting (legs aren't very sturdy)[...] I decided to keep it to hold my flash. Less then a month after owning it, the pan/tilt handle fell off. The threads were stripped on it. [...]Look else where, you get what you pay for!

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I bought this after buying a much cheaper tripod that said it could support the weight of my glide track for DSLR video. It couldn't. This has a FIXED plate, not quick release, which works better with my glidetrack since it doesn't want to "snap" off if the weight is pulled in the wrong direction. The head is a little cheap, but perfect for small DSLR's. The foam on the top of the handels are AWESOME. Can't wait to take this in the field.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I've just bought this tripod. It is great! I use it with a nikon d3000 with nikon 18-105 lens. It weighs about 1 kg and it is perfectly stable on the tripod.
The tripod is really small and lightweight, great to carry around as I wished. The construction seems to be good enough. I am 1,78m (5'10") tall and the camera gets almost at eye level with the tripod fully extended.
And all that for 30 bucks!

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

The legs are rather flimsy and does not retract smoothly. Better to spend a little more and get a better quality tripod.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

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.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

Bought this for my Canon 7d even though it is over the recommended weight maximum for this small tripod. Wanted something small I could put in a backpack with my camera and ride my motorcycle with.

For static shots it will hold up the 7d with a 24x105 LSeries IS lens hanging off the front, but panning is obviously a bit jerky since the camera is too heavy for this tripod and you have to steady the tripod with 1 hand and pan carefully with the other. Cant fault the tripod for that though, it's only meant to hold up like 3 or 4 pounds and I knew my camera was running about 7 or more.

One thing I will say is that the single bubble level is pretty much usless. It sits right next to the quick release plate so it is almost hidden under the camera base, but the worst part is it really only helps you determine if the camera is tilted up or down because of it's shape. The tripod could be leaning left or right and the bubble would still balance in the center of the level. Also, the small pop out beads that lock the leg sections are a bit questionable and hard to squeeze back in when trying to collapse the legs.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I bought this tripod from B&H after having earlier bought another tripod from another online retailer. That tripod was advertised as weighing just a pound - pretty impressive -- except it wasn't true. It weighed 3 pounds. This tripod, the one from B&H, advertises as 1.9 lbs. That's pretty close. The light weight and compact size make it just right for putting into my checked luggage for carrying on trips overseas. It appears pretty sturdy and stable and is relatively easy to set up. It has no problem holding my Canon Rebel XSi with long lens. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I wish it were even lighter.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I use a Sony HD HardDrive Camera with this tripod taking it on airlines in a carry on the weight was the reason I brougt this. I would not put a heavy camera on this tripod but a light weight camera you can not go wrong.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

This holds my SLR with no problem, it would be nice to have a ball head but for the price I think it fits the bill.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

I normally will not use a tripod because of the extra weight and bulk but now I can because this one is small and light weight. I'll especially use this one when I travel. I take a lot of wildlife and landscape photos and this will come in handy in the situations where a tripod is really needed.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

This is a great, compact tripod for traveling. I already own a more expensive tripod for home use, but as a backup for traveling I have found this tripod to be more practical.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

The tripod is well made and tilts or rotates in every direction. It folds up so small and weighs so little that it makes it very easy to take places.

Comments about Sunpak TravelSmart Digital Tripod:

This guys seems to be sturdy, like a larger pro tripod might be built, but on a smaller scale. The bag it comes with is convenient, but I hope it will last a good decent amount of time as it seems on the cheap side, however, it is carrying a light tripod so, should be good.

Nice overall tripod, would recommend for sure if you need a small tripod for social media flip cam type work.