We all know that we should be shooting from a tripod as much as possible, because it is the single best thing you can do to dramatically improve the fine resolution of your images.  My normal tripod is a Gitzo 1325 with a Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead.  This is an unbeatable combination, but it’s heavy.  Under most circumstances, I bite the bullet and lug it around anyway.

Here’s the scenario: You’re going on a trip that is primarily a vacation, but you still want to make great photographs.  You’re going to be on foot most of the time, carrying everything you need for the day, in a mostly urban environment.  This is exactly the situation I found myself in on a recent trip to Athens, the Greek Islands, and Rome.  We would be leaving early, staying out all day, and going nearly everywhere on foot.  Anything I needed I would have to carry with me all day.  That meant going as light as possible.

I travel with two camera bodies in case of a failure, and since getting back to swap them wouldn’t be so easy, that meant keeping both of them with me during the day.  (And yes, I did have a problem with one.  I was able to switch on the fly and keep shooting.)  I pared it down to two lenses, a flash, spare batteries, flash cards, and miscellaneous accessories.  Not too bad, but still painful after a while.

But what about the tripod?  Since I wasn’t carrying heavy lenses, I knew I could get away with something lighter than usual.  I went with a carbon fiber Gitzo G1158T for the legs.  Unfortunately, this has been discontinued, but I was able to get a used one in virtually new condition on Ebay for a very reasonable price.  For the head, I got a Really Right Stuff BH-25.  This is about as minimalist a head as you can get, but still locks up solid and has an Arca Swiss style clamp.  I suggest removing the round platform from the top of the tripod before attaching the head.  You won’t need it.  I attached an Op-Tech tripod strap, so I could sling it over my shoulder.

The legs are surprisingly rigid, and the combo will reasonably support a pro sized SLR with a light to moderate lens on solid ground.  It is susceptible to movement from wind, but has a spring loaded hook on the bottom of the center column.  I put a snap link on the handle of my camera bag and hung it from the hook when I needed a little extra stability.  In breezy conditions you’ll want to keep one hand on your gear until you get it safely weighted down.  It can get a little bit top heavy, and you don’t want that camera and lens smashing into the ground.  Fully extended it reaches comfortably to just below my eye height, and I’m 5’ 10”.  Twenty five and thirty second night exposures turned out quite well.

This isn’t a tripod combo for everyday use.  It’s definitely a compromise for a specific situation.  If you can carry a heavier one, by all means do so whenever possible, but a tripod you leave in your hotel won’t do you any good at all.