Introduction
In our studio one of our most crucial pieces of gear are our tripods. Tripods give us the flexibility to create stable and unique shots; from bracketed High Dynamic Range shots to slow shutter drags, to wild 15 shot composite images. All of this is made possible by using a tripod. With so many on the market these days, it’s difficult to find good quality tripods that are reliable under heavy long-term use.
I’m extremely skeptical when it comes to tripods because I have been through so many, and almost all of them have failed in one way or another within about 3 to 6 months of use. When it comes to relatively inexpensive tripods, initially everything feels nice and great to the touch. But within a few months knobs begin to fail, joints begin to lose their strength, and the overall functionality of the tripod begins to diminish.
Case in point, I purchased a $300 Chinese carbon fiber Flash Point tripod and within 3 months of casual use, the leg snapped in half without it even coming close to the listed load weight. When I say “snapped in half,” I don’t mean the leg came out, but rather it literally snapped in half.
When I heard of MeFOTO and their new lineup of inexpensive, small, and colorful tripods, I was positive they wouldn’t be reliable. Then I found out that MeFOTO was a made by Benro, that they were a MAC Group represented company, and that their products have a 5 year warranty. After finding this out, I decided that it may be time to look into their tripods.
Check out the MeFOTO Tripods Review
In this episode of Rapid Gear Review we’re reviewing the two full sized tripod options; the MeFOTO RoadTrip and the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter.
Music: “Aerials” from Lights & Motion “Reanimation” (Deep Elm)
License this song at The Music Bed
Specifications for MeFOTO RoadTrip
Aluminum – $189
- When folded it is 15.4″
- Extends up to 61.6″
- Supports up to 17.6 lbs.
- Weighs 3.6 lbs.
- Comes in 8 different colors
Carbon Fiber – $329
- When folded it is 15.4″
- Extends up to 61.6″
- Supports up to 17.6 lbs.
- Weighs 3.1 lbs.
- Comes in 2 different colors
Specifications for MeFOTO GlobeTrotter
Aluminum – $209
- When folded it is 16.1″
- Extends up to 64.2″
- Supports up to 26.4 lbs.
- Weighs 4.6 lbs.
- Comes in 2 different colors
Carbon Fiber – $369
- When folded it is 16.1″
- Extends up to 64.2″
- Supports up to 26.4 lbs.
- Weighs 3.7 lbs.
- Comes in 2 different colors
Initial Impressions
I picked the MeFOTO RoadTrip and the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter, which are their two full size tripod options. Each of these tripods use Arca Swiss quick release plates, twisting leg locks, and everything else you would want in a tripod. The twisting knob head adjustments are smooth, yet firm, and are very easy to use.
These tripods can also be easily changed into a monopod giving you a wider variety of stabilizing functionality. One unique feature about the MeFOTO RoadTrip is that you can get the aluminum version in 8 different colors, which is nice if you are looking for something more unique and personalized.
The MeFOTO RoadTrip is perfect for travel and any situations where you need more portability. It is optimal for point and shoot , micro 4/3, and smaller DSLR setups as it can support up to 17.6 pounds. I would not load it with larger lenses and DSLR setups for something like telephoto photography.
For all of my professional shoots, I use the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter because of its stability under larger camera setups. Both are incredibly light and very small compared to my past tripods, and when traveling they both fit easily into my carry-on luggage. I prefer the carbon fiber variants of both the MeFOTO RoadTrip and MeFOTO GlobeTrotter because weight is a big concern for me when I am out and about shooting.
You could argue that there are a lot of tripods on the market currently with similar features and you may question “what’s so new and great about MeFOTO tripods?” The MeFoto tripods stand out because of their combination of quality, design, color variety, reliability, 5 year warranty, and most importantly, their affordable price.
Long-Term Reliability
Since I am extremely skeptical in regards to how reliable tripods are, especially after long term heavy use, I decided to take my time for this review. In fact I took 6 months on it because I didn’t believe the results. I have taken both of these tripods on 20-30 shoots each, and both operate just like the day that they arrived. They have been incredibly reliable!
In fact, we created a special video that shows the MeFOTO Globetrotters engineering perfection. If Jean-Claude Van Damme saw this I’m sure he’d agree that it truly is the most epic of splits (for a tripod).
Conclusion
After testing out the MeFOTO tripods, I have decided to retire my Manfrotto tripods and exclusively use these two MeFOTO tripods on all my shoots. Don’t get me wrong, I still dig my Manfrotto tripods and will still be using them inside of the studio as they are very well made tripods.
But given that MeFOTO tripods are light-weight, stable, reliable and overall more affordable, they have become my on-the-go tripod of choice.
MeFOTO has done a fantastic job with the GlobeTrotter and RoadTrip. These are well designed tripods that are extremely portable, compact and reliable. Given that they are also backed by a 5 year warranty, there is really no reason why we wouldn’t recommend them!
We give the MeFOTO Road Trip and the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter a 100% satisfied 5 out of 5 star rating for creating what is currently my favorite on-the-go tripod without breaking my bank.
