Tripod for someone with arthritis

[Vaughn]

I always carry my tripod fully extended, Granted it is a Ries A100 and head and the balance is better that way. And it is easy to put to the ground when stepping up or down. I already have 45 pounds of 8x10 on my back -- why make my legs/knees lift another 15 or so!

Carrying an extended light tripod would save a lot of fiddling with legs during a day of photographing. Perhaps shortening one or two sections for a set-up at the most, rather than doing all 6 (or 9 or 12 depending on the number of leg sections) for each set-up. Depends on how easy it would be for her to carry it.

[Jim Andrada]

I have a Manfrotto 4588 with a push button at the top of each leg. The legs extend in a rather different fashion - the larger diameter sections extend, not the (normal) smaller diameter sections. It's a bit heavy but I've been quite happy with it.