Good tripod under $200

ksully · January 15, 2012

I am in need of a new tripod. Looking for something around $200. What are good brands? I like the ball head. Are they easy to use? Is the pistol grip any good or do the knobs work better? I am sick of my SunPak. Any brands to stay away from? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks for any help.

Art Scott · January 15, 2012

For the less than $200..I will recommend Giottos....mine is over 7yrs old and has been used heavily leaning towards abused some...I went from Bogen/Manfrotto to Giottos due to 2 reasons...1- I wanted a shorter tripod that would not stick out above my jead when attached to my backpack, so this meant a 4 section pod and 2- the cost factor...I firmly believe that Giottos gives great bang for the buck....a couple of things that I look for in a pod are the height of the pod with legs fully extended and the center column (if it has one) all the way in...most of the time mine is not in the pod at all...but that is the beauty of the Giottos you can remove the center column and still use it... ... ... ... My pod was right at $159, 7 yrs ago..they still have similar models for about the same price......other important thing is weight capacity...for me a light weight pod (weight capacity of 10-15lbs ) is no good...i prefer 20+ pounds of weight capacity, also I shhot near the ground a lot of I need legs that will spread out and allow the pod to be just inches off the ground......

Pistol grip heads...most do not support much weight...but I do use the Manfrotto 322RC2 and really like it...for me it is much better than regular ball head with twist knobs, i do a lot of wildlife shooting and need a ball head with fast controls...the 322rc2 is a grip but a horizontal grip that allows me to squeeze the handle and release quickly and it is sturdy sturdy sturdy....

System · January 16, 2012

Here is a link to the tripod I've got. Works good. Fit & finish is good. It's stable with a D700 and a 70-200 VR II lens on it.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/687336-REG/Oben_AC_1420_BA_1_AC_1420_4_Section_Aluminum_Tripod.html

TonyCooper · January 16, 2012

I have a ball-head, and I love it. I wanted a pistol-grip, but I couldn't
find a tripod with a pistol-grip lightweight enough for my own use. Ball-
or pistol-grips allow quick re-positioning.

I don't use a tripod in rough conditions or with a long lens, so I was
looking for something easy to carry around. Mine's a STX Pro at $99.
The pros would sneer at it, but I've never been in a situation where
I felt it was not adequate.

cab.in.boston · January 16, 2012

I agree about Giottos. I have a set of their legs, which were a little north of $200, but not by much. I needed a taller set than most as I am 6'5" and wanted to be able to shoot at eye level. You can find many more choices if you tend more towards the middle of the height distribution.

You have a fairly decent sized lens listed in your sig line in the 70-200 f/2.8. While that on a 50D won't trouble too many decent tripods, it's just something to bear in mind when building a support system. I use a Kirk ballhead, the BH-3 with an Arca-Swiss quick release and L-plate mounted on my camera, and I really like it. It's easy to use, can operate it with gloves on in the cold, and it's rock solid when locked down. However, adding a good ballhead to a set of legs is going to go quite a bit over your $200 target. In my case, with the legs, ballhead, and L-bracket, I believe it ran me around $650. It was a couple of years ago, and I don't remember exactly. You can find cheaper legs and ballheads, but it all depends on how much stability you want. I think that honestly you're not going to find a complete system that will be as sturdy as you want and last a long time for under $200, but you don't necessarily have to completely break the bank, either. There are a lot of choices out there.

If you haven't read this article by Thom Hogan, I'd recommend looking through it.

ziggy53 · January 16, 2012

It's best to budget for your tripod and head the same as you should for other equipment. Base your budget on your "needs" versus what is available (and how much that might cost).

Using your existing tripod and head as your basis for standards, what, specifically, do you not like about it and what do you "need" to improve?

Do you need more height?
Do you need less lash/flex/drift?
Do you need something lighter?
Do you need more load capacity?
Do you need a "boom" capability?

Once you answer these questions and actually define your needs (like what load capacity you need and what height you need, etc.) you can start to explore what's available to satisfy your needs. Also consider used equipment to save some money. (My best pan-head is a used Bogen/Manfrotto 3047, which is no longer being manufactured.)

For myself, I greatly prefer a set of legs with a half-ball, for leveling, but then I generally prefer a 3-way pan head on top. For my heavier loads, like a 4" x 5" view camera, I'll switch out the legs with the half-ball for a set without. Sometimes I need a fluid head, like for video work, so I'll swap heads at that time.

At times, only a monopod will work. Still other times I've used a tripod for the camera and a separate "shooters rest" for the (long) lens.

While I have a variety of tripods legs and heads to use, I will mix and match to meet my particular needs of the moment.

Pupator · January 16, 2012

I'd add to the advice above: buy used. You'll get more for your money.

cmason · January 16, 2012

Been extremely happy with my Benro Carbon Fiber tripod. Its the C-158m8, but it does not seem to be available any longer. Compact, fits in my suitcase, and very lightweight. I added a Kirk ball head and this thing is stable, and very compact.

ziggy53 · January 16, 2012

cmason wrote: »

Been extremely happy with my Benro Carbon Fiber tripod. Its the C-158m8, but it does not seem to be available any longer. Compact, fits in my suitcase, and very lightweight. I added a Kirk ball head and this thing is stable, and very compact.

It looks like the Benro "Classic C1580F" replaces the "C-158M8", with similar dimensions, size and load ratings. The difference being that the "Classic C1580F" uses flip/snap locks for the leg adjustments.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/744085-REG/Benro_C1580F_Classic_C1580F_4_Section_Carbon.html

That set of legs is a bit beyond the user's original budget by itself, not to mention adding a head, unless they could find a used copy. Then again, a $200 budget may require a used purchase for best value.

cmason · January 16, 2012

[shrug]I paid less than $130 for my Benro on Amazon a year ago...

Art Scott · January 16, 2012

Here is one from ebay ... http://tinyurl.com/7679xu9
A simple search on ebay yielded lots of results....I picked
this as an example and to let you see what all these pods
are capable of .... just depending on your requirements
you can go 10-25 $ less to add a head that fits your needs.

Plus this retailer offers FREE shipping....

the above tripod should last you a very long time if semi taken
care of....in my op I said i abuse my pod...and I mean it ...
I use it in soft sand, sandy rivers ... ... even with the legs spread
out and the camera nearly in the water also...then i forget to take
apart and clean all the crud out of it until I feel the sand grinding
as I tighten the legs for another shot a day or 2 later....
I would bet you can easily get 5-20 yrs out of it....I have had
mine nearly 10yrs and I will be selling it to fund a new one...
Not because this one is wore out because it is not...but simply
to give me another tax right off for 2012...Once the equipment
is off the books i replace it...

Good Luck.

ksully · January 16, 2012

Thanks for the advice...I'll be checking out my options and visiting the websites you recommended. Thanks again everyone

ksully · January 16, 2012

Maybe $200 was alittle unrealistic. I guess I would rather spend some more now and get something that I will not have to replace again in a few years.

Pupator · January 16, 2012

$200 isn't that unreasonable unless you're a pro. Manfrotto 055XProB are a good sturdy set of legs that can be had (used) for cheap.

ksully · January 16, 2012

I found an Oben that I really like...has anyone used Obens...or have an opinion on this brand?

Art Scott · January 16, 2012

if it is online then post a link to it please... ... ... ...

System · January 16, 2012

ksully wrote: »

I found an Oben that I really like...has anyone used Obens...or have an opinion on this brand?

If you go back to post #3 in this thread, I linked to B&H photo's page for the Oben I have. It works great with a D700/70-200 VRII combo. I've had it about 6 months. While it doesn't get heavy use, it is used often. Good tripod keeping within your $200 budget.

davev · January 17, 2012

I have an A313 Induro.
Very tall, very solid.

This set looks like its replacement as mine is about 5 years old.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/655224-REG/Induro_472_313_Alloy_8M_AT313_Tripod.html

babowc · January 18, 2012

Completely agreed with the used route..
I picked up a Manfrotto 055XPROB and 322RC2 for $150 on craigslist in LN condition.. I was scouring CL for a good minute and drove 60 miles for it though!

puzzledpaul · January 18, 2012

babowc wrote: »

Completely agreed with the used route..

Also agree - 2 examples being a (very cosmetically challenged) Gitzo giant for approx $110 (including shipping from US > UK) and a smaller (series 4) Gitzo with Sinar pan/Tilt head for about £60.

pp

Matthew Saville · January 19, 2012

I am the poster boy for Thom Hogan's famous "I can save you at least $700" article. In the past ~7 years I have COMPLETELY DESTROYED one Sunpak tripod, three Giottos tripods, and one Induro tripod.

The Sunpak was a complete joke, even though it had enough metal to be heavy as a brick, somehow it also had enough plastic and cheaply made parts to just wiggle itself to pieces within a yaer.

The first Giottos was one of their first generation tripods, and was just a downright terrible design, I sent it in once for full warranty replacement, and then destroyed it again. Sand in the legs, totally wobbly leg-head connections, flexy as heck.

The Induro was actually not bad, the only flaw being that the shims inside the leg extensions were all plastic, and got really messed up over time, eventually so bad that just extending the legs was a huge ordeal and I had to open and lock each section in the righ sequence or all the leg joints would torque themselves into a terrible jam.

The second (third) Giottos was one of their newer generations, a traveler-type tripod where the legs fold backwards for extreme compactness. I bought it a year ago for $199, and just recently had to send it in for warranty replacement because once again the leg locks got all screwy, one of the shims completely fell out and so the leg would just extend itself right off if I wasn't careful, and the center column had come just completely loose in a way that it seemed only the factory could re-tighten.

I also have had at least three ballheads over the years, two of them were generics (Giottos?) and one was an RRS BH-25. That BH25 was by far the best investment I ever made; it was built like a tank and a rolex. Unfortunately it was stolen along with my Induro legs. But that ballhead lasted me 3 tripods, I believe.

Anyways, when this latest Giottos comes back from service, it's going up for sale. I'm done with crappy tripods. I'll be buying into a two-tripod system, one Manfrotto aluminum tripod for daily work, (weddings, portraits, and misc. commercial stuff) and one Gitzo tripod (someday, not now) for adventures and anything else lightweight.

The good news is, after my whole long rant about how many generic tripods I've destroyed, ...you CAN still get a great 'pod for under $200! You don't have to spend $1000 like Thom hogan says, not unless you're a serious, hardcore landscape photographer who backpacks all the time and uses a tripod for 99% of the photos they take. At least for general work, you can get a good set of Manfrotto legs for ~$150, more or less, just look into the Manfrotto 190X series. The "DB" series has wingnut-style leg locks, which I've never tried but it's the cheapest and lightest of the 190X series so as long as that type of leg lock is reliable, you could get that set of legs for $115 or so and still fit a good Manfrotto head into your $200 budget. Or if you're okay with going just a little bit over $200, you can find a 190X Pro kit, with nice lever-lock legs and leg grips, ballhead included. And like others have pointed out, you can probably get your price back down under $200 if you buy used; just test before you accept it!

Moral of the story: Everybody has a nice story to tell about this tripod or that tripod, but at the end of the day you take a risk buying anything other than one of the tried-and-true brands, which in my opinion are still Manfrotto and Gitzo.

BTW I've tried the pistol grip and it seems cool at first but after a while it just gets in the way. Stick with a regular ballhead!

=Matt=

Good tripod under $200

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