Looked at the Peak Design travel tripod but the price is just wild and the Manfrotto Pixi seems way too short for real landscapes. I'm packing a GX85 for some Vermont hiking next month and need something that:
Is there a middle ground I'm missing here...
Like someone mentioned, finding that middle ground is a total headache. Honestly, I've wasted so much money on tripods that promised the world and just wobbled when a breeze hit my GX85. It's super frustrating because you dont want to carry a boat anchor, but the cheap stuff usually fails right when you need it.
Like someone mentioned, finding the middle ground is tricky, but I actually disagree that you need a heavy travel tripod for the GX85! I took my Ulanzi MT-44 Extendable Tripod 43 inch Max Height on a sunrise hike and it was fantastic.
Check out the Sirui T-005SK Aluminum Travel Tripod with B-00K Ball Head. In my experience, its way more stable than a Pixi but way cheaper than PD. Perfect hiking companion.