tips on picking out a tripod?

wlriv

while i have and love the gorillapod (both sizes), i have come to realize that i want a more traditional tripod as well.

while browsing around best buy the other day, i came across their tripods. their "high end" ones are made by sunpak, and felt kind of cheap.

plus, after reading some of the reviews on amazon, i think id like to stay away from their company.

can you guys suggest some other ones to check out?

id like it to extend to at least 5ft. higher would be nice, but not necessary.

TristanP

All depends on your intended use and budget. I have the Bogen 3001BPro legs and the 3030 head. Got them for about $180 over a year ago. Sturdy enough for my needs, and not too heavy for light hiking use. I'm looking into getting a ball head instead, but for now, it does just fine.

wlriv

TristanP wrote:

All depends on your intended use and budget. I have the Bogen 3001BPro legs and the 3030 head. Got them for about $180 over a year ago. Sturdy enough for my needs, and not too heavy for light hiking use. I'm looking into getting a ball head instead, but for now, it does just fine.

thanks for your reply. im not too concerned about the budget aspect of it. my philo is that you buy quality, and you only buy once.

intended use is everything from my wannabe model friends to everyday street/nature pics.

Manfr3d

Well,

-"Velbon Sherpa" carbon fibre tripod (Velbon CF630 or CF640) ~200$
weights about 1.3kg, has legwraps included, absolutely super bang and
quality for the buck

- Arcatech Ultimate Ballhead V1 or V2 ~ 270$ or 330$
lightweight (~0.5kg) and compact, very well machined and a joy to work
with, no slipping even with 70-200mm/2.8 lens.

- To that you need an arca swiss camera plate that fits on your camera,
so you can mount it on the ballhead. Thats another 50$ .


This combination is sturdy and lightweight. Earlier I used to think twice if
i wanted to carry a tripod all day with me. Now I just take it with me even
if I'm not 100% sure if I will need it. Even after a day of hiking you wont
notice the load. Thats my recommendation, but your requirements (weight,
bang for buck ratio) may vary.

claudermilk

The best tripod article. Ever. http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

The main leg brands to look at would be Bogen/Manfrotto, Gitzo, Velbon, some Slik, and the Chinese ones: Feisol and Benro. Heads seems to be Kirk, RRS, Acratech, Markins, some Manfrottos, and a few others.


For my own setup, I'll be juggling budget vs Thom's advice & plan on a Feisol/RRS BH-40 combination.

chuckh

claudermilk wrote:

The best tripod article. Ever. http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

I'm not certain there is "one" tripod setup that accomplishes everything you'd want in a tripod. Weight, stability, intended use and value are attributes to consider.

claudermilk's reference to Thom Hogan's article is a great start for your tripod purchase decision process.

I really like my Bogen/Manfrotto 3021BPro with the RRS BH40 ballhead. My LowePro mini Trekker AW backpack carries all my camera gear listed below with the tripod attached comfortably. :ivar

Bogen 3021BPRO Tripod

RRS BH-40 LR BallHead

RRS Plates

LowePro mini Trekker AW backpack

SteveF

Hello,

What's the biggest lens you see putting on it?

pathfinder

Thom's advice [ http://www.bythom.com/support.htm ] is darned good, and many of us have gone down the road he describes.

If we persist, we usually end up where he suggests also - I think I can speak for myself, Ian, and others who have been down this road. Cheap tripods ehter don't work, shake, or ar just too darned usless and get left behind, and hence, have no value. THey waste money, rather than save money.

Good tripods last darned near forever, much longer than any camera body, they fit almost any camera you are likely to want, and they are stable and do not shake. Consider them an investment in your optics. Nothing will make your optics better than a really good tripod.

Like Thom said, Galen Rowell used to stand on his to demonstrate its strength.