Best Travel Tripod for Professionals: Gitzo Traveler Tripod Guide

I have to confess to being a professional tripod fanatic – I use one for the majority of the work I do. I also enjoy long exposure photography because the world I photograph is never static - clouds change, water moves – it is constantly changing, and I like to frame this energy and dynamism in my photographs. But, most importantly, using a tripod forces me to slow down, to consider my subject more thoughtfully, to reflect on what I am trying to communicate about my subject and decide on just how to do that most effectively in a visual image.

Professional Travel Tripods: all the Advantages

When choosing the right travel camera tripod I have been a committed Gitzo user for more years than I can remember and I own a range of their tripods from a large Systematic Series 4 to a Mini Traveler. They have been all around the world with me, used in some inhospitable environments and have never let me down. As a professional who totally relies on his kit and needs to have complete confidence that it will operate faultlessly I have come to depend on them to do what I ask, wherever I am and whenever required. A lot of my work takes me overseas and travelling by plane with camera gear plus tripod can be hassle. And that has got worse in recent years. And it is likely to get even more so in the foreseeable future and the immediate post Covid 19 period.

The Traveler Series 1

The Traveler Series 1 is the smallest and lightest tripod I take on dedicated photography trips, but it is still strong and sturdy enough to carry my Olympus cameras and lenses (including the OMD EM1ii body plus the 12-100mm Pro lens). Its maximum height means I don’t feel overly compromised when I need to get as high as possible or when working on uneven ground but it’s small enough when folded to take up very little space in my checked suitcase.

When I first used this tripod, I was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly rigid and stable it felt in relation to its overall size and weight. This is the camera support I choose if I am working on location in a town or city and want an unobtrusive tripod that is not going to become a hindrance to me or a hazard to other people in the urban environment.

I use the Series 1 Traveler with the GH1382TQD Center Ball Head which is a ball & socket type and is impressively small and compact (in keeping with the tripod itself). Its unique design also ensures that it doesn't prevent the legs from closing completely when in the folded down mode. It has two controls for the ball movement and for panoramic rotation and is incredibly smooth in use. The Series 1 Center Ball Head is supplied with a short, Arca-Swiss compatible quick release plate which is kept locked with a screw-knob and a bubble level helps ensure that my horizons are kept straight (an important consideration for most of my work).