honestly man i had the same heartbreak with my old setup. i thought buying a mid-range manfrotto was enough but unfortunately it just wasnt as good as expected once i started using bigger glass like that 100-500. i had so many issues with vibration in the wind, especially near the coast... it really sucks to lose shots after traveling all that way. if you dont want to spend a fortune on RRS or Gitzo, i switched to the Leofoto LS-365C Ranger Carbon Fiber Tripod and its been a total game changer for the price. its got no center column which is basically why its so much more stable than what you have now. i also looked at the Benro Mach3 TMA37C Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod which is beefy but still way under $700. carbon fiber is definitely the way to go for iceland because aluminum gets way too cold to touch and cf actually dampens vibrations better. dont waste your money on the high-end name brands if youre on a budget, these brands are actually legit tho.

I saved a ton buying a Leofoto LN-364C Carbon Fiber Tripod when I shot that coastal storm. It stayed rock solid.

• heavy legs
• no column Handles my R5 gear tho.

Building on the earlier suggestion, i actually disagree about aluminum being better for mass. unfortunately, i had issues with aluminum legs vibrating like a tuning fork in the wind... not as good as i expected, tbh. to help find a fix for that Canon EOS R5:

• are you hiking long distances or staying near the car?
• do you actually need a center column for height?

Like someone mentioned, that center column is basically a vibration antenna. I totally feel your pain tho... it is honestly the most soul-crushing thing to spend thousands on an R5 and then have a pro tripod shake like a leaf in a light breeze. I went through the exact same heartbreak on a trip to the coast last year and ended up wanting to toss my gear in the ocean. It is just maddening when you think you are set but the gear fails you at the worst time. it makes you feel like you wasted the whole trip. If you want a solid setup without the Gitzo price tag, I highly recommend looking at the Innorel RT90C Carbon Fiber Tripod. Its basically a giant systematic style leg set with no center column to wobble. I use it with my R5 and it is a total tank. Since youre going to Iceland, maybe grab some Feisol Spike Feet to swap out the rubber ones. A huge DIY tip that helped me was actually taking a mesh stone bag and filling it with rocks on site to hang from the apex... it keeps the whole rig anchored when the wind is trying to ruin your day. Good luck with the trip, Iceland is gonna be epic if the gear behaves.

I totally agree with what MysticKernel mentioned about carbon fiber being the better choice for reliability! I love how much more stable it feels in the field compared to my old aluminum legs. Since youre heading to Iceland and really need that rock-solid performance for the R5, you should definitely just check out The Center Column website. They have these amazing, super methodical lab tests that rank tripods by stiffness and vibration damping. Its basically the gold standard for this kind of stuff! Also, there is a fantastic video on YouTube where a creator puts different setups through a wind tunnel test to see which ones actually hold up. I dont remember the exact channel name but if you search for tripod wind test for long exposures its like the top result tho. It honestly shows exactly how much vibration each model handles... super helpful for making a final call before your trip!

Late to the party here but i wanted to share what works for me. Honestly im really satisfied with how some of the newer brands are handling the weight of the R series glass. One thing you gotta be super careful about tho is the ball head. People always blame the legs but if your head isnt rock solid that 100-500mm is gonna cause some serious creep. Its a safety issue too... you dont want your rig flopping over in a gust. I personally found that brands like Sirui or Feisol offer way better damping than the entry level Manfrotto stuff without hitting the crazy RRS prices. Just avoid anything with a skinny center column for Iceland. That wind is no joke and basically turns your tripod into a kite. I've been happy sticking to legs that skip the column entirely for maximum stability. Just make sure the load rating is at least double your heaviest setup or you'll regret it when the spray starts hitting the lens.

ngl i totally get being scared of that R5 and the big lens just taking a dive. im pretty satisfied with my current setup now but i was so paranoid at first. you really gotta be careful with those quick release plates tho... i once almost lost my whole rig because the plate wasnt seated right and it started sliding while i was adjusting the legs. its a safety thing honestly, i always double check that click now. actually, speaking of safety, make sure you look into some gear insurance before iceland. i spent like three hours last night reading about travel insurance because im so worried about dropping my camera in a glacier or something... it's kinda overwhelming how many policies dont actually cover water damage from extreme environments which is basically all of iceland lol. anyway, just stay safe out there.

This is exactly what I needed to hear. Youre a lifesaver honestly.

@Reply #8 - good point! Honestly i am in the exact same boat as you right now. i have been hunting for a setup that actually handles the R5 and that massive 100-500mm lens without vibrating every time a sparrow sneezes nearby, but i am still coming up empty handed after months of testing different rigs. it is so incredibly frustrating to see those high-end specs on paper and then have real-world physics ruin the shot because of some tiny vibration.

• i have to be so careful with the torque on the tripod collar of my Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM because it just never feels truly locked in.
• i am constantly worried the ibis might be fighting the tripod dampening, but honestly even with everything off i still get that dreaded blur.
• the weight distribution of the R series bodies feels so different from my old DSLRs that i dont think traditional tripod designs are catching up fast enough. i have been dealing with this for like four months now and it is just soul-crushing to lose images when you have spent so much on the glass. i still havent found an answer that actually works in the field...