Travel tripod for Sony A7III+24-70 F4? SIRUI 223 or 225?

[uday029]

Hello,

I am looking for a lightweight tripod that won't break my bank account, to carry with me while hiking or for quick non-photography weekend trips via flight. I have a pro tripod for those times when I need the camera to be rock steady for long exposures.

I am considering SIRUI AM-223 Carbon Fiber Tripod B-00K Ball Head. It is one of the lightest that Sirui makes. However, I have no idea if it can hold the weight of Sony A7 III with Sony 24-70 F4 or Sony A7 III with Sigma14-24 F2.8 combinations? I am debating whether to get SIRUI AM-223 or SIRUI AM-225. Any recommendations or suggestions on which one to pick - A223 or A225?

Couple of things important for me:

• Need to be less than or equal to ~3 kilos
• Height of the tripod is not a major consideration
• Weight and stability are my main criteria
• Don't care much about macro shots or ability to get close to ground

Thanks.

TLDR: SIRUI AM-223 or SIRUI AM-225 for Sony A7 III + Sigma14-24 F2.8/Sony 24-70 F4 combo

[Monochrome]

Have you looked on B&H's website at the customer reviews of these tripods? I've found reviews there very helpful.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Monochrome
Typo

[FunWithCameras]

A good lightweight travel tripod that won't break the bank.

There are times I think tripods are designed so that any weight they remove from the tripod is replaced by the same weight in bank notes on the price 😞

I also think that I've already bought too many tripods in my life 😞  I use an aluminium one when I'm not travelling - it is not compact, and not particularly light, but it's sturdy, and wasn't too expensive.

The last travel tripod I considered buying was a Gitzo centenary special edition for Sony - it has a rather nice tripod plate that works well on Sony bodies, with a curved lip that nestles against the front of the body (so it doesn't twist) - the plate has an Arca bottom, so the head will take other plates, too. It's a nice tripod, and quite light: 1.43kg, and it holds up to 10kg.

So it's light, strong, and it's Sony-specific. Has to be a catch, right? The price was eye-watering! Double what I was willing to consider paying, and quadruple what I'd consider a bargain. 

I'll keep reading this thread in case you've found a good one!

[Pieter]

The AM-223 seems to be really tiny. Very specific use case which I doubt is suitable for everyone.

I have a Sirui T-025X, an older model which got superseded by the T-025SK. It is pretty comparable to the AM225 with some key differences:

The T-025 uses a center column above the tripod, the AM225 does not. This center column adds a lot of height and reduces packing length a lot (packing width is increased a bit because the legs have to fold around the center column). Downside of the center column is that it's a bit unstable. In normal conditions I didn't really find this a limiting factor, but if I have a heavy lens or do long exposure shots, the center column can be removed and the ballhead can be mounted directly on the tripod, essentially turning the T-025 into an AM-type tripod.

Something to consider is that on the 'cheaper' tripods, Sirui now uses the B-00K ballhead. This ballhead doesn't have a panoramic platform above the ball bearing, so you'll have to level the tripod if you want to use the panoramic platform below the ball bearing and the cameras has to be perfectly level with the tripod for panning. The more expensive tripods have the A-10R ballhead, which does include a panoramic platform above the ball. I find this a major feature as it's much faster in operation. Just pop up the tripod, level the camera with the ball bearing and then you can use the upper panoramic platform for panning.

[Phormula]

My choice for tripods has always been Manfrotto. In my early days I had a friend working in one of the Italian factories and although this didn't mean the chance to buy cheaper, I had the possibility to get spare parts and accessories that usually shops did not stock. At that time there was no internet. 

My current travel tripods are the Manfrotto MKBFRA4GTXP-BH Befree GT XPRO aluminium version with 496 head, which I like for its versatility and the Manfrotto MKBFRLA4B-BHM Befree Advanced 2N1, which is lighter and can be turned into a monopod when necessary. Such feature saved my day in several situations where a tripod was not allowed or not useful, e.g. last time I attended an air show. I know they are not sturdy as rocks, but I do not have big lenses, but for my purposes they are more than adequate unless I extend the central column. On the other side the relatively low weight increases the chances that I bring them with me instead of leaving them at home or in the car trunk.