The MeFoto Roadtrip is a budget tripod oriented towards travel and portability.  The RoadTrip Classic sits in the middle of MeFoto’s line of tripods, sandwiched between the larger Globetrotter and smaller Backpacker.  All of the tripods share a similar design, and differ only in terms of size.  The RoadTrip is most similar in size to most travel tripods, striking a nice balance of size and overall portability.  The overall package though is uninspiring.  The Roadtrip doesn’t stand out in any particular way.  It has the feel of a tripod designed by committee to a price.  It is definitely a tripod.  It does its job, but its difficult to get excited about.

Note that this review closely follows the review of the aluminum version of this tripod, which is identical save for the leg material.  This tripod was purchased through retail channels.  I was not paid by any party to write this review, and the opinions are entirely my own.

The test results are included here as I consider them to be part of the tripod’s specification.  For full discussion of the stiffness and damping, see the test results page of the review.

There is nothing I find particularly outstanding or interesting in the specifications.  The weight is in line with what we expect from a carbon travel tripod.  The carbon fiber tubing appears to be of low quality.  This isn’t to say it will fall apart, just that the stiffness performance is not fantastic.  There are a number of tripods at this same price point that have significantly higher quality tubing.  The height is about average for a travel tripod.  Five leg sections result in a somewhat compact folded package, but reduce the inherent stability.

At 20 degrees, the leg angle is too narrow.  This results in a tripod that is a bit too tippy and it detrimentally impacts the yaw stiffness.  I suspect this is a design choice made to pad the specs, as it results in taller tripod for the same weight.  Again though, there is a penalty to be paid in stability.