tabletop and travel

I am an intermediate digital photographer, and this is my third tripod. I travel frequently, and wanted something that could come anywhere. My first tripod, inherited from my father is exceptionally sturdy, but heavy and immense. My second is smaller, folding up to about 15 inches in length and nearly 3 in diameter. It's light enough to be portable, but large enough to be combersome. The Vanguard Tourist 2 is not designed to be a primary tripod. It's small and lightweight (it actually does weigh about a pound). It isn't very tall at full height, but it will due for those moments when you need to have either A: a steady camera in a low light or night shot (a tripod is a definite must here) or B: to use the self timer and hold above a crowd. It comes with a small travel case, so if you already carry a camera around with you, throwing this into a bag or hooking it to your belt (although a little weighty and sure to raise eyebrows at security checkpoints), it's an excellent choice to have. It's not plastic or flimsy, it feels surprisingly sterdy considering the size and weight, but don't expect it to take too much abuse. If you need something better, get a real tripod.

I was looking for a tripod that I can take with me anywhere. But I was wary of flimsy construction of the most compact tripods. The sturdier tripods, even the ones that claim to be COMPACT, fold down to the vicinity of 13 to 14 inches. The Vanguard Tourist-2 folds down to 10.5 inches. I decided to go for the Tourist-2, not really knowing what to expect since I bought it online, sight unseen except for the pic. Here is my assessment:

My first impression is that the tripod felt much heavier than I expected, even though the box states that it is only 1.1 pound. This may be a bit too heavy to loop around your belt, but it would work fine in a back-pack. The legs are on the flimsy side, as I expected. They are pretty much like large extendable antennas on cars. Construction is fairly nice, but I'd have to doubt that the longevity of this tripod is very long when it is used extensively. This tripod would work well for occasional use out on the road, as intended. However, I would NOT pay it's list price; it is not worth it! Fortunately, I got it for a lot less. Since it is still too heavy to loop around the belt and has to be toted in a back-pack anyway, I think I would prefer now a 13" tripod that extends a bit higher with much sturdier legs. Oh well...next time.