The MeFoto Roadtrip Tripod is easily a prime example of the best of the best when it comes to compact travel tripods. This tripod is constructed with lightweight aluminum and features rubberized locking grips on the legs.
Photographers who consistently travel out into the great outdoors for nature photography will need this tripod and its lightweight construction. At a total weight of 3.6lbs, this tripod won’t dramatically weigh down a travel pack or photography backpack. This MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod can even convert into a monopod for handheld use and even use when hiking.
MeFOTO also includes a carry case to add an extra layer of protection to the tripod and the company even offers a 5-year warranty.
Design
The MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod is made out of quality, lightweight aluminum and comes in eight different colors to choose from. This tripod comes with the utmost focus on being compact as possible as to not take up too much space when traveling. The legs to the tripod fold up and into a 180° position for a total compact size of 15.4 inches.
The maximum height to the MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod in its standard tripod mode is 61.6 inches while the monopod’s maximum height is 64 inches. Five leg sections on each leg assist in achieving any desired length with full customization to each leg’s height.
The supported maximum weight for this tripod is 17.6lbs and easily supports a range of heavy-duty zoom lenses.
Briefly mentioned earlier, this tripod can convert into a monopod with a maximum height of 64 inches. This monopod mode can support a mount for a further added selfie mode, however, the mount for iPhones or Android phones is not included in the base tripod purchase.
The MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod is designed with a 360-degree panorama ball joint to capture panoramic photos as smooth as possible. The panorama ball joint has a separate pan lock and additional locks can be found on this tripod. Additional locks such as a head lock through individual head tension and a lock knob help ensure no movement or wiggle room is present when the tripod is set to the desired angle.
The MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod in Use
The MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod provides one of the smoothest tripod experiences available in the travel tripod market. A lightweight aluminum construction gives photographers a lighter travel pack while it still doesn’t make it easy to dent or scratch. The tripod’s flexible legs allow for it to fold into an extremely compact bundle of a mere 15.4 inches.
This tripod demonstrates such a wide range of features that were thoughtfully introduced in the early design phases of the MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod. One of the best features of the tripod is its ability to convert into a monopod in only a matter of minutes.
Panoramic photos with the MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod are as simple as locking in a camera, choosing panorama mode, and swiveling the camera a full 360-degrees. This simple panoramic experience is made possible by the tripod’s panoramic ball that is built within the center tripod leg’s center mount.
One of the greatest features of this tripod that dramatically increases the ease of use is its precision-matched Q-series ballhead. On top of its panorama ball mount, the Q-series ballhead is a quick-release camera system with an arca-swiss style level of compatibility. This precision ballhead comes with a bubble level to ensure that any panning shot is entirely level and that head movement is level as well.
The setup of the tripod isn’t difficult at all as it features twist lock legs with an anti-rotation system. Rubberized locking grips, along with the anti-rotation system, provides a fast setup. Weather resistance and dust-resistance qualities are also found within the twist lock legs to ensure that different environments won’t degrade the quality of the inner locking mechanism and to the experience of the tripod.
How Does the MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod Compare?
The MeFoto Roadtrip tripod is the pinnacle of travel tripods. An abundance of quality features and, as well as its lightweight construction out of aluminum, ensures that this travel tripod is one of the best.
A tripod that can be compared to the MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod is the MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Tripod. Both tripods are made from the same manufacturer and share similar high-quality designs, but there is a clear winner between the two.
The MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod is the superior tripod as it is the more compact and lighter tripod. With a difference of just a few inches, the MeFOTO GobeTrotter does reach a higher maximum height. However, the difference is severely minimal and the MeFoto Classic Aluminum Roadtrip Travel Tripod can reach the same height when converted into monopod mode.
With all the variables compared, the MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod is the clear winner because of the weight difference and the ability to fit it into a tighter space when it is folded down.
| MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod | MeFOTO GlobeTrotter Tripod | |
| Quick Release Legs | No | No |
| Weight | 3.6lbs | 3.74lbs |
| Max Height | 61.6 inches, 64 inch monopod | 64 inches |
| Folded Length | 15.4 inches | 16.9 inches |
| Monopod | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod is the way to go. A better travel tripod will be hard to find as this tripod by MeFOTO has a range of pros and not many cons that are easy to find. This tripod is lightweight, extremely compact, has weather and dust-resistant leg locks, a panoramic head mount, and a Q-series mount that provides for quick-release camera use.
Not to forget, this tripod can be converted into a monopod with a maximum height of 64 inches in less than five minutes. This conversion is easily achieved through screwing together the removable center column to the tripod and combining it with a tripod leg.
Photographers who find themselves on road trips and in the great outdoors can rest assured with the absolute quality found in the MeFOTO Roadtrip Tripod. The features along with the quality design and construction of the tripod ensure that this tripod is the last stop. The MeFOTO Roadtrip tripod is just too good to consider another purchase.
