So Ive been planning this trip to Kyoto for like six months now and I finally leave in three weeks. Im taking my Lumix GH6 and maybe a couple of lenses but I realized my old cheap Amazon tripod is just too bulky to haul around all day on the trains. I need something super compact that wont make me regret my life choices while walking 20k steps a day. I mostly do street stuff but I really want to get some of those smooth long exposures of the shrines at night so stability is actually important. My budget is capped at like $250 max because I already spent way too much on glass this year lol.

Im currently torn between a few options but I keep going back and forth. First is the Peak Design Travel Tripod in the aluminum version. I love how it looks and how thin it gets when it is packed down but I keep reading that the aluminum one is a bit heavy for what it is and might be over my budget if I dont find a sale. The other one I keep seeing everywhere is the Ulanzi and Coman Zero Y. Its carbon fiber for roughly the same price as the PD aluminum and it looks like it copies a lot of the same design features which is tempting. But then theres the Manfrotto Befree Advanced which feels like a safer bet for a Lumix setup but it looks a bit more traditional and maybe a bit chunky when folded up in a backpack.

The GH6 isnt the heaviest camera ever but with the 12-60mm Leica lens it definitely gets a bit front heavy. I need something that wont wobble if there is even a slight breeze while I am doing a 5 second exposure. Has anyone used these specifically with a Lumix body? Im leaning towards the Ulanzi just for the weight savings because every ounce counts when you are hiking but I worry about the long term durability compared to a brand like Manfrotto. Which one do you guys think would survive a hectic two week trip better without being a literal pain in the neck?