ugh... Tripod help.

Cameron · July 31, 2008

Do you want 62 inches with or without a center column extended? Gitzo's are hard to beat.. I just reached the end of the tripod upgrade road (yes, should have bought the good stuff in the first place..) and ended up with the GT2531 legs. They extend to 54" without the column and 63" with the column extended. 3lbs without the head...

Opinions vary, but I really like the twist-lock style and appreciate the build-quality of the Gitzos. Did I NEED a Gitzo tripod? Nope.. but I sure love it.

Do you plan on traveling much? Is folded size important? I'm sure others will chime in with recommendations.

SciurusNiger · July 31, 2008

I need a tall tripod and ended up with a Gitzo and chose the Wimberley head. Tough combination to beat for stability, easy enough to use, and definitely does great things for muscle tone when carrying it around with the big lens on the camera.

Get the best tripod you can. It really DOES make a difference in photo quality.

mr peas · July 31, 2008

I happen to use an aluminum Dynatran/Amvona tripod head/legs outfit. Definitely cheap at around $60-$100 when purchased online through their Ebay store. I've had the legs get loose sometimes at their central attachment, but a few turns on their screws and they're good to go. The head however, could be better. If not tightened enough, it tends to drift w/ the weight of the lens/camera. But hey, I've had it for years and I still use it. Hah, and I don't feel bad when I throw it in the dirt or sand whereas if my baller $500 legs/head outfit hits anything w/out carpet, I cringe!! What I do dislike most about it is that its super heavy. I prefer to bring my cheap ol' flimsy tripod when it comes to walking farther than 100 feet from my vehicle. But hey this is my first real heavy duty tripod and for the price, I can't complain, it's paid itself off over the years and I'm sure your first purchase will too!

As stated before, a good tripod makes a HUGE difference when composing images. However, I think the most important part of the tripod is the head. You can purchase the most expensive legs but if the head is poop, the entire outfit is poop. However, if you purchase an extremely great head and the legs are adequate, honestly, you're way ahead of the game as is.

But if anything I'd say get a great head, something reliable and accurate that doesn't need much turning to really lock the camera's weight down. For legs, carbon fiber would be the best way to go if you're not shooting w/ something too big. Makes trips on airplanes or hikes much, much.. less of a hassle, and to me, that's worth every penny.

You should get something that you will enjoy and not have buyer's remorse. Go try them out yourself by going to stores or asking fellow photogs in your area to borrow their set-ups and see what you like. Our words mean nothing to what you can find out on your own. Get out there and cop a feel.

mackidbrendan · July 31, 2008

CSwinton wrote:

Do you want 62 inches with or without a center column extended? Gitzo's are hard to beat.. I just reached the end of the tripod upgrade road (yes, should have bought the good stuff in the first place..) and ended up with the GT2531 legs. They extend to 54" without the column and 63" with the column extended. 3lbs without the head... Opinions vary, but I really like the twist-lock style and appreciate the build-quality of the Gitzos. Did I NEED a Gitzo tripod? Nope.. but I sure love it.

Do you plan on traveling much? Is folded size important? I'm sure others will chime in with recommendations.

idealy i would like it to reach around 60 inches withOUT the column extended.
the one you suggested dosent seam too bad. im just not sure if i want to reach my 62 inches with the center column FULLY extended. i know gitzo's are the best hands down but there also $$$$$ :cry
thanks for your help.

mackidbrendan · July 31, 2008

mr peas wrote:

I happen to use an aluminum Dynatran/Amvona tripod head/legs outfit. Definitely cheap at around $60-$100 when purchased online through their Ebay store. I've had the legs get loose sometimes at their central attachment, but a few turns on their screws and they're good to go. The head however, could be better. If not tightened enough, it tends to drift w/ the weight of the lens/camera. But hey, I've had it for years and I still use it. Hah, and I don't feel bad when I throw it in the dirt or sand whereas if my baller $500 legs/head outfit hits anything w/out carpet, I cringe!! What I do dislike most about it is that its super heavy. I prefer to bring my cheap ol' flimsy tripod when it comes to walking farther than 100 feet from my vehicle. But hey this is my first real heavy duty tripod and for the price, I can't complain, it's paid itself off over the years and I'm sure your first purchase will too!

As stated before, a good tripod makes a HUGE difference when composing images. However, I think the most important part of the tripod is the head. You can purchase the most expensive legs but if the head is poop, the entire outfit is poop. However, if you purchase an extremely great head and the legs are adequate, honestly, you're way ahead of the game as is.

But if anything I'd say get a great head, something reliable and accurate that doesn't need much turning to really lock the camera's weight down. For legs, carbon fiber would be the best way to go if you're not shooting w/ something too big. Makes trips on airplanes or hikes much, much.. less of a hassle, and to me, that's worth every penny.

You should get something that you will enjoy and not have buyer's remorse. Go try them out yourself by going to stores or asking fellow photogs in your area to borrow their set-ups and see what you like. Our words mean nothing to what you can find out on your own. Get out there and cop a feel.

i wont send under 300$ simply because i only want to have to buy one, so i want it to be good.
carbon fiber will be my #1 choice just beacuse of weight

i wish i could try out some tripods but my local stores are carry manfrotto

and have very few gitzo's.

Art Scott · July 31, 2008

Giottos.....Not a Cheap Tripod
I have been abusing a Giottos MT9180 tripod for over 3 years now and it is every bit if not better in several aspects than the Manfrotto/Bogen 3021 legs I carried all over the Czech Republic.
Have no Idea where you got your info on the Giottos but in fact ALL mfg'ers of Tripods make some undesireable tripods......
When I am ready to make the last move to a lava,basalt or carbon fibre then I will again make comparative lists of the ones I am interested in and go from there...starting with 4 sections for collapsed backpackable size.........the above Giottos was much shorter (collapsed) yet taller (with just legs extended) and a few ounces lighter than my previous Manfrotto/Bogen 3021.....but I am not easily on a set of legs....they get used and sometimes abused so they must hold up.

brianb · August 1, 2008

I recently got a used Velbon El Carmagne 630A tripod, and then shortly after got a used Kirk BH-3 (my first real tripod/ballhead setup, about $400 for both). I'm tall (6'4"), so I was concerned about the height, but so far it hasn't been a problem. The tripod height + ballhead height + camera height add up pretty quickly, and even with the center column raised slightly there is no wobble. Initally the tripod seemed much taller/bigger than I expected, and in order to get a tripod really tall without a center column, it was many hundreds of $ more. So far I love it.

Some useful links:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/378781-REG/Velbon_ELCARMA630A_EL_Carmagne_630A_Tripod.html

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/velbon-acra.shtml

Also consider the 4 section 640:
http://bayimages.net/tech/equipment/velbon-el-carmagne-640.html

Good luck!
Brian

ugh... Tripod help.

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