I have a number of heavy duty tripods designed to support 20 to 40 pounds, but those aren’t always the best choice when you’re trying to travel light. So I’ve been looking for a lightweight compact tripod that I could carry with me. I still wanted a decent maximum load capacity and if possible the ability to be used as a monopod.

After doing a bit of research I came across the Sirui N-1004 Tripod. It has a maximum load capacity of 26 pounds, folds down to about 17 inches, and weighs about 2.6 pounds. On top of that, you can remove a single leg to transform the unit into a handy little monopod.

For $155 the manufacturer includes a nice padded bag for the Sirui N-1004 Tripod, with pockets for all the random hardware and parts. It also includes quit a few unique hardware features that make it an interesting mid range tripod stand (more on that in the full review).

Build quality is very good, though some might not like the twist lock type of adjustments the Sirui N-1004 Tripod uses. Some tripods give you a maximum load capacity and it’s not a problem to exceed it by a few pounds, however the N1004’s size and hardware thickness does seem to indicate that 26 pounds is an honest assessment. Still that’s enough to support a, fluid head, mid size dslr rig, and a camera without much of a problem. I’ll be testing the Sirui N-1004 Tripod out over the next few weeks and let you know how well it works out.

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