Jason Schroeder
29 de enero de 2019
Budget friendly without feeling budget friendly
I was looking for an economic replacement for my old tripod. A couple of months ago I was out of town and had forgot to pack my tripod. I stopped at Best Buy and picked out a similarly priced tripod. Even though it claimed to be able to support a DSLR weighing 11 lbs I was greatly disappointed. I tried it out and it felt like it was way too flimsy for my camera, which weighed roughly 5 lbs. I was afraid it would tip over. It definitely did not make me feel very secure. I returned it the next day.I considered going with a more expensive option after that experience but decided to browse some sub $100 options. I stumbled upon the Geekoto tripod and began reading the reviews. Those reviews convinced me to give the tripod a chance. I figured that if it was not sturdy enough I would give it to my daughter who recently got a Sony A6300 which is much lighter than my Canon 5D iv.Unpacking the tripod I was impressed with the quality compared to my previous purchase. It seemed to be a much higher quality. It's not quite as sturdy as my old tripod, but I knew that going in to this. I attached the quick release plate ( and here's one of my minor complaints, the piece of metal that you twist to tighten the plate seems a little thin). Once I secured the plate onto the ball head I was satisfied that it was solid enough to handle my gear. If I had larger lenses like the 100-400 or other similar lenses I would want a bigger, more robust tripod, but for my gear it seemed completely adequate. I use a Canon 24-105, Canon 135 L, Canon 16-35 2.8L and a rokinon 14mm. I shoot a lot of vertical landscapes, so I tested how the ball head would handle the weight. To my surprise it seemed very solid. It was easy to position and hold it's position.I live in Wisconsin and shoot a lot in the winter. My carbon fiber tripod used twist leg locks but in the cold sometimes they would stick. It would make adjustments to the legs very difficult and at times impossible. In the past I've avoided the lever locks like the ones on the Geekoto tripod, so I was curious how they'd perform in the cold. Well, today we had a blizzard and temps near 0°F so I headed down to the lake to shoot our local lighthouse. I was changing position quite frequently, changing from high to low perspectives. The lever locks worked well and I had absolutely no issues. I love to get low for some more unique perspectives, so I put the legs out to their widest position to see how low I could go without inverting the center column (which is still possible with this tripod) and was pretty happy. For most applications I don't think I'd need to invert the center column as it was low enough for my taste but it's nice to know it's an option if I need it.I haven't used a monopod much in the past but recently started experimenting with video and found myself wishing I had one. Well, the Geekoto can break down to one. I wasn't actively shopping for a monopod but having that included is awesome.Some other thoughts on this tripod : the hook to add weight is nice to have. I carry a sandbag in my car and with my old tripod I had to find a way to kind of wrap around the head.. it wasn't very secure. Having the hook will help greatly. The bubble level is one of my nitpicks.. it's hard to see. When the camera is mounted to the head (at least in landscape orientation.. I'll have to look in vertical) it covers up the bubble. If you look hard enough you can find it, but it is a little awkward. I use the level or grid on my live view anyway, so for me it doesn't matter too much. And one last thing, it's super light! I attached it to my backpack and the length and weight are not intrusive at all.So, after one fun test day I'd say I am very satisfied with the Geekoto. It's a good economical choice that doesn't punish you for saving some money.Ver másVer menos
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