We’ve changed the legs on this tripod kit: after 2 years of using the Velbon El Carmagne we’ve become more impressed with the Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 legs and now combine those with our favorite Markins Q3 smaller ballhead. The combination will support a professional series body and 300 f2.8 size lens, is easy to carry or travel with, sets up in a snap, and provides good height.

The Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 4-piece carbon fiber legs have quick release flip lock latches to set up in an instant to a maximum height of 67"(with centerpiece extended), weigh only 3.7 pounds, have a built-in bubble level, and can support a 12 pound camera/lens combination.

We’ve topped it with a Markins Q3 ballhead. We’ve tried a number of other ballheads that were less expensive but keep coming back to Markins because they are so reliable and smooth. The Q3 has a panning base, very smooth progressive ballhead friction adjustment, an Arca-Swiss compatible quick mechanism and we include a single AS plate.

Please Note: This item does not include an arca-swiss type plate, which is required to use this tripod head. We do rent the plates separately, but the size plate you’ll need will vary depending on what size lens you’re using. We rent 4 different sizes to give you the most flexibility.

We carry a lot of tripod/ballhead kits. Here’s a quick comparison to help you pick the one that’s right for you, from lightest to heaviest.

Benro Ultralight is the lightest and most transportable tripod we carry and capable of supporting slightly heavier loads than the Giottos Tripod/Monopod.
Benro Medium Duty maintains the very short folded length (17 inches) of the ultralight tripods, but has the heavier construction (and weight) of a medium duty, capable of handling a camera and 70-200 f2.8 size lens (and a 300 f2.8 in ideal conditions).
Giottos Tripod/Monopod A versatile carbon fiber tripod that also converts to a monopod. Small, inexpensive, easy to carry, and flexible. Not appropriate for lenses larger than a 70-200 f2.8
Medium Duty Tripod and Ballhead combines a set of sturdy carbon fiber 4 section legs with a Markins Q3 ballhead which is small and light but very robust. A great choice for a more sturdy platform than the lightweight kits, and capable of holding a 300 f2.8 lens and camera with no trouble.

If you’ll be using a 400 f2.8 or similar size lens, we recommend getting a separate heavy duty tripod and a Wimberley II or Markins Q20i BV-20 Ballhead

If you’d like to mix-and-match to get exactly what you want we also carry separate Tripod legs and Heads