Low Tripod

[Jimlau]

I'm looking for a tripod that can hold ~12 lbs at a height of only about 2 feet, without using a center column raised upward. Some of the ones I have seen can spread legs out, but in that position they are not strong or stable enough.

Thanks.

[Louis D]

I use a Manfrotto 058B which has a minimum height of 17.3" and a weight capacity of 26.5 pounds.  It is rock solid thanks to the locking leg spreaders.

[Louis D]

Tried it out this weekend splayed out almost to the max so I could sit in a stackable patio chair while viewing through the eyepiece of my GSO 6" f/5 Newtonian on my DSV-2B mount.  It worked great.  I did have to put vibration suppression pads under each foot; but once I did, it was rock solid with no vibrations at all.

If you look for used Bogen 3051/3251 or 3033/3036 tripods, you can save a bundle.  I picked up a used 3033 for my daughter's camping kit off of ebay for $75 in absolutely new condition 3 years ago.  It had been used to shoot a corporate video years ago, and then was stored and forgotten for over a couple of decades.