Tripod Recommendations

gooseattack · July 5, 2005

I am an amateur "photographer-wanna-be" (planning to take classes) and bout to purchase a Canon 20D. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good tripod that you are satisfied with?

Chase · July 5, 2005

gooseattack wrote:

I am an amateur "photographer-wanna-be" (planning to take classes) and bout to purchase a Canon 20D. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good tripod that you are satisfied with?

I bought a Slik able 300 dx with a pan tilt head for about 90 dollars. The head aint so great, and it isnt very small or light, but it is very damn sturdy.

ian408 · July 5, 2005

Take a look through the Accessories Review sticky.

I would suggest buying a tripod that is heavy enough to hold the camera and what
ever accessories you want to put on the camera. This could be something like a
Slik or Bogen. If you feel you need a heavy tripod, the Gitzo is also a nice (but
expensive choice).

What ever you do, find one that meets or exceeds your requirements and will be one
you'll use as opposed to leave home when you might otherwise need it

Let us know what you decide!

Ian

wxwax · July 5, 2005

As always, good advice from Ian.

Buy the heaviest you will willingly tote, and spend the most you comfortably can. There's a good article around here somewhere about how people buy cheap tripods, then keep upgrading as they realize they need something better. In the end, by trying to save money they spend more. I think that's a very valid point. So IMHO get the best you can afford right off the bat.

marlof · July 5, 2005

First time around, I spent about $60 on a cheap tripod with pan and tilt head. It lasted a year, then I was fed up with it. I decided I didn't want to make tripod hunting a yearly occupation, so I went for a better brand. My needs: small enough to fit into hand luggage on a plane, and sturdy enough to carry a DSLR with 50-200 lens. I ended up with a Gitzo 1298 (from their new basalt series, a bit heavier -but a lot less expensive- than their carbon fiber range, but a lot lighter than the aluminum ones) and a Gitzo 1276M excentric ball head. Gitzo is quite expensive, but I managed to get a good enough deal in the photography shop. I like the tripod and head for my type of usage (landscapes, streetlife, architecture etc.), but if for example I'd be a birder, I'd think I'd like a larger one -or an angular viewfinder-, and another head.

pathfinder · July 5, 2005

wxwax wrote:

As always, good advice from Ian.

Buy the heaviest you will willingly tote, and spend the most you comfortably can. There's a good article around here somewhere about how people buy cheap tripods, then keep upgrading as they realize they need something better. In the end, by trying to save money they spend more. I think that's a very valid point. So IMHO get the best you can afford right off the bat.

One thing to remember about a GOOD tripod - it will still be around and work fine, years after the NEW camera you lusted after is long gone. A good tripod will last a lifetime if cared well for. Makes it easier to swallow paying for a really good tripod. And really good tripods usually are not cheap - they are highly desireable, and, hence, not cheap. But like all really good tools, they are a joy to use, rather than a PITA.
Look for a tripod that will accept Arca-Swiss quick release clamps and mounting plates. Once you experience these, everything else will seem second best. Look at Kirk Enterprises and Reallyrightstuff.com for a good intro to good tripods and quick release clamps.

ian408 · July 5, 2005

pathfinder wrote:

Look for a tripod that will accept Arca-Swiss quick release clamps and mounting plates. Once you experience these, everything else will seem second best. Look at Kirk Enterprises and Reallyrightstuff.com for a good intro to good tripods and quick release clamps.

This was a very recent lesson I learned. Arca-Swiss is good stuff. But
www.reallyrightstuff.com is better stuff--ok, it's different stuff. Regardless, both are
thoughtfully designed and well built. Also on the good stuff list are heads from
Acratech.

But the real key is to get things that you will use. There's no point spending over a
grand on a tripod and head if you leave it home because it's too heavy or because
it's too hard to work with. Better to spend $300 on something you'll use.

Ian

gtc · July 10, 2005

good tripods
benbo are very good out in the field for macro-they can be adjusted to just about any angle or configuration

manfrotto/bogen are good too-they can get down very low as the legs splay out and also the center column is reversible so that you can position camera just off the ground

although light is good for carrying purposes it is not good for taking photos,especially with long lenses-the slightest puff of wind can vibrate light tripods and ruin your shot.

heavy as you can reasonably carry is best-remember you have to suffer for your art-in photography the suffering is both financial and physical.

a heavy tripod will not move in the wind and is much harder to knock over than something lightweight.

If shooting a lot outdoors it may be worth getting some tripod legs with spikes on the bottom to stop your gear from sliding down hills and into rivers etc-my big fear!

but,not so heavy that you leave it at home! a good camera rucksack which allows the triopod to be attached will make carrying a heavier tripod so much easier

Matthew Saville · July 11, 2005

REALLY RIGHT STUFF!!!

That stuff is the most overpriced, yet once you get it, the most oh-so-satisfyingly-worth-every-penny equipment...

I cannot stress this more: The head is the important part. It is the piece that will either melt your heart when it does what you want it to, or make you want to throw your camera in the sea.

It's hard advice to give to an amateur "photographer-wanna-be", but you just can't skimp in this department. I'd rather have a $500 point and shoot camera and a $600 tripod / head setup, than a $1000 pro DSLR setup and a $100 tripod / head. That is of course, if a tripod is essential in the situation. Because if I was shooting wildlife or sports, I'd surely settle for a D2x and my monopod that's made out of a ripped-off tripod leg that I JB-welded a bolt to the top of. But you get the picture. When stability matters, megapixels and sensor size and FPS are down the drain without a sturdy tripod.

Expect to pay $150-$250 for a set of tripod legs. Without a doubt, you'll want to go with Gitzo or Bogen/Manfrotto, or if you're on a budget, Giottos or Slik... Personally, I've fallen in love with the quirky yet versatile Giottos MT series. They won't last you decades, but they're nearly un-matched in their versatility. The aluminum models can run sub-$200, which is an absolute steal. Take good care of 'em though cause the leg locks will start sticking with any sea-water or sand contact...

For the head, don't spend less than $100-$150, and definitely stick with brand-name. Don't buy a Giottos head, and definitely don't settle for whatever cheap plastic pan/tilt head that might come with your set of legs, even if the legs are nice and metal... One note to remember: there are heads that have built in quick-release attachments so you aren't actually screwing the camera straight to your tripod each time you want to take a picture- you just screw this little plate to your camera's tripod socket, and then the plate gets clapmed to the rest of the head. Let me tell you, it's almost entirely essential to have this feature, and try to make sure the working parts in this quick release setup are all metal.

Arca Swiss is a specific, standardized size of clamp and it's nice but it's not too necessary if you're never going to shoot with more than one or two bodies at a time, because you can just buy a second plate that matches the head you have. I went and bought an RRS L bracket for my D70, a $150 piece of masterful artwork which is cool because it allows me to clamp to my tripod with my camera in the vertical position, but the problem is that the bracket is usable ONLY on my D70. Most Kirk and RRS brackets, though they're compatible with ANY Arca Swiss ballhead, are ironically limited because the other side of the plate is designed to fit just ONE camera.

However I have discovered that Wimberly makes a very nice universal bracket that I plan on putting on my vertical-gripped N65, which I can remove and continue to use once I get an N80 / F100 / F6 etc. etc...

In summary:

~An all metal, quick relase head is almost a must. Expect $100-200 for a nice one. Oh and panning bases are nice.
~Any legs that are sturdy and metal will do. Sub $100 legs will be too lightweight and floppy for serious stability, especially with a 20D.
~Twist leg locks versus lever leg locks is really a matter of preference. Go into a local store and try stuff out!

-Matt-

jthomas · July 11, 2005

I'm also considering the purchase of a new tripod. My ambition is to do panoramic shots. I tried doing a 3-shot pano last week using the inexpensive Ambico tripod my daughter left in my care, and it was a disaster. Even though I took great care to keep the head level as I rotated it, the shots don't match up at all.

Would any good quality tripod and head do panos well, or does this require specialized equipment?

Thanks for your advice.

pathfinder · July 11, 2005

Matthew Saville wrote:

REALLY RIGHT STUFF!!!

That stuff is the most overpriced, yet once you get it, the most oh-so-satisfyingly-worth-every-penny equipment...

I cannot stress this more: The head is the important part. It is the piece that will either melt your heart when it does what you want it to, or make you want to throw your camera in the sea.

It's hard advice to give to an amateur "photographer-wanna-be", but you just can't skimp in this department. I'd rather have a $500 point and shoot camera and a $600 tripod / head setup, than a $1000 pro DSLR setup and a $100 tripod / head. That is of course, if a tripod is essential in the situation. Because if I was shooting wildlife or sports, I'd surely settle for a D2x and my monopod that's made out of a ripped-off tripod leg that I JB-welded a bolt to the top of. But you get the picture. When stability matters, megapixels and sensor size and FPS are down the drain without a sturdy tripod.

Expect to pay $150-$250 for a set of tripod legs. Without a doubt, you'll want to go with Gitzo or Bogen/Manfrotto, or if you're on a budget, Giottos or Slik... Personally, I've fallen in love with the quirky yet versatile Giottos MT series. They won't last you decades, but they're nearly un-matched in their versatility. The aluminum models can run sub-$200, which is an absolute steal. Take good care of 'em though cause the leg locks will start sticking with any sea-water or sand contact...

For the head, don't spend less than $100-$150, and definitely stick with brand-name. Don't buy a Giottos head, and definitely don't settle for whatever cheap plastic pan/tilt head that might come with your set of legs, even if the legs are nice and metal... One note to remember: there are heads that have built in quick-release attachments so you aren't actually screwing the camera straight to your tripod each time you want to take a picture- you just screw this little plate to your camera's tripod socket, and then the plate gets clapmed to the rest of the head. Let me tell you, it's almost entirely essential to have this feature, and try to make sure the working parts in this quick release setup are all metal.

Arca Swiss is a specific, standardized size of clamp and it's nice but it's not too necessary if you're never going to shoot with more than one or two bodies at a time, because you can just buy a second plate that matches the head you have. I went and bought an RRS L bracket for my D70, a $150 piece of masterful artwork which is cool because it allows me to clamp to my tripod with my camera in the vertical position, but the problem is that the bracket is usable ONLY on my D70. Most Kirk and RRS brackets, though they're compatible with ANY Arca Swiss ballhead, are ironically limited because the other side of the plate is designed to fit just ONE camera.

However I have discovered that Wimberly makes a very nice universal bracket that I plan on putting on my vertical-gripped N65, which I can remove and continue to use once I get an N80 / F100 / F6 etc. etc...

In summary:

~An all metal, quick relase head is almost a must. Expect $100-200 for a nice one. Oh and panning bases are nice.
~Any legs that are sturdy and metal will do. Sub $100 legs will be too lightweight and floppy for serious stability, especially with a 20D.
~Twist leg locks versus lever leg locks is really a matter of preference. Go into a local store and try stuff out!

-Matt-

I couldn't agree more about Reallyrightstuff. It is priced like jewelry. But it also works flawlessly, and does not seem to break or wear out. Once you experience it, nothing else seems quite as desireable.

Tripod heads are either something that works very well and a joy to use, or a true PITA that just gets in the way of trying to take a decent photograph. I would rather have a joyful experience, and that means RRS ballhead, or an Arca-Swiss head, or even a Acratech head for lower price and light weight. Poor quality heads either won't hold your camera steady or simply will not lock down without shifting your composition - and that gets frustrating in the dark of sunrise very quickly.:nono

ReallyRightStuff does make a few universal L brackets - I have one at home - it was designed for the Olympus OM-1 and the Nikon FM3a as well as the Canon G5. But it would fit on a 1DMkll as well, but then you could not change the battery in the 1DMkll without removing the L bracket.

The point I like to make about a good tripod is that it will outlast your camera in all probability. Unless your tripod and camera fall off a cliff into the abyss, which has been known to happen in the wilderness....... But not to me!:):

Very good Post, Matthew!

Matthew Saville · July 12, 2005

Thanks Pathfinder... I do the best I can to save other people from mis-spending as I have. And yeah, RRS seems to be the Rolex of photography, without a doubt. Beautiful but functional...

And Jthomas, about panning!

Yes, having a nice ballhead and a panning rail will make your panoramas nearly seamless.

The deal is, simply rotating your camera messes up the depth perspective unless you rotate the camera exactly over the "nodal point", which is where the image passes through the apeture and flips upside down and backwards, as it does when you see it on a 4x5 view camera ground glass. To do this, you don't necessarily need a ballhead but those help. What you do need is an adjustable strip of metal so that you can slide your camera back and forth to find this nodal point, and then pan your camera right on top of that. I say "strip of metal" because that's theoretically all you need. However, nobody yet has decided to just chop up old scrap steel, poke a few holes in it and sell it as a panning head, of course. What you have is VERY expensive panning systems from companies like RRS. Currently their basic panning setup is $360, yowza! And that's not counting the $150 L-bracket I'd buy for stitching vertical frames horizontally. (view RRS's diagram to see what I mean) And if you want to stitch a grid, that's a $405 package. But like we agreed, RRS is like Rolex. It will be equipment that you'll give to your grandkids, and I'm not kidding.

Having said that, I've done incredible panoramic stitches with a cheap-o pan-tilt head, both horizontally, vertically, and horizontal stitches of vertical images and vertical stitches of horizontal images. It just takes a lot of practice in Photoshop to correct the perspective and layer and mask each image well. So you don't really need the $360 setup, just for the record. It's just a pain to have to correct things, especially if you're taking your shots with the camera pointed at a hard angle, such as in this photograph:

But, I still greatly desire panning equipment of course! Good luck to all,

-Matt-

blackwaterstudio · July 12, 2005

I've got a Manfrotto 3021BPRO tripod with the Manfrotto 3047 head. It was around $280 and will support upto 14lbs.

A good tripod is worth its weight in gold. I had mine in the middle of a creek a couple days ago getting pictures and it never moved.

gtc · July 12, 2005

tale of the snapping tripod head
I couldn't agree more about getting a good tripod head-

one night on a flat concrete roof,shooting grey headed flying foxes,my quick release tripod head snapped-it was the light manfrotto pan and tilt,and the cast spring anchor on the side of the head gave up the ghost.this was not apparent until i accidently nudged the release lever whilst shooting-without the safety mechanism of the spring the plate quickly released all over the place-the camera fell to the concrete floor-it was one of those slow motion moments of terror.
the camera survived but the next day I replaced the head with a heavy duty one, which would easily support a large video camera.

it seemed overkill at the time but it will be more than enough to support some big L glass and a heavier camera sometime in the (distant and fanciful) future.

it has also increased tripod stability-if i need more i hang my rucksack beneath the head.

now that I am in Canon 20d country I am thinking even more carefully.I now know that there is no such thing as overkill when it concerns tripod strength and stability.

re weight issues-this should only be an issue if you are hiking(and i mean hiking) and have lots of gear.then maybe you would need fancy carbon fibre legs.

if its a walk around town or the country then a good camera back pack is useful-it distributes the weight .in any case carrying some weight around is good for your cardio vascular system-i lost quite a lot of weight last summer carrying around my camera gear -some power walkers carry little weights around-a fully stocked rucksack leaves those for dead.

greg

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