Whats the best digital slr tripod made for travelling, backpacking (which is still very sturdy!)?
Did you really mean “< 2 inches collapsed"? That would be pretty tiny, and flimsy. Didn’t you mean feet? I will go with that assumption. It depends on what camera you have -- how heavy it is. There’s a big difference in weight between a Canon Digital Rebel XT / EOS 350D (4 lbs.) and a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II (9 lbs.), for example, even though both are digital SLRs. Make sure you get a tripod that’s strong enough to carry the weight of your camera, but not overkill. The way to go is to buy your tripod legs and head separately. Then you can pick and choose exactly what you want for the use you’re going to make of it. Carbon legs are very light and also sturdy. Expensive, yes. But worth it! I take my Gitzo G1155T carbon tripod legs + Manfrotto #222 joystick ball head everywhere I go with my camera, including hiking. The collapsed length (legs + head): 14.2" + 8.3" = 22.5"; weight 2.2 lb + 1.7 lb = 3.9 lb. Combined price is out of your range, though, unfortunately. I don’t see that exact Git
