Tripod Recommendations?

[Little Dragon]

Picking up a 60D this weekend and I'm starting to look around for some tripods.

Hoping some of you can help me out and recommend tripods you have used or owned.

Notes:
Tripod will primarily used for video (panning, still, etc.) so head must have smooth fluid motion.
Weight doesn't matter too much, as long as its not stupidly heavy.

Price:
Initially, I wanted to get one for under $100. But after some reading I realized that spending more on camera gear will be better in the long run.
But I don't have money to throw everywhere especially after this purchase so looking for around $150-$200 or under at this point.

These are a few I've been considering:

Manfrotto 7321YB ($135)
http://www.thecamerastore.com/products/tripods-heads/tripods/manfrotto-7321yb-m-y-tripod

Manfrotto 7301YB ($180)
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/manfrotto-manfrotto-m-y-tripod-with-3-way-head-7301yb-7301yb/10150369.aspx?path=6b39875667c23f42f962ea86df7d5312en02

Velbon C600 $130
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX30183(ME).aspx

Feel free to recommend others as well.

[dragonone]

both of those manfrotto tripods are ridiculously not sturdy when i played with them at bestbuy. most ppl start with the manfrotto 190 legs. i'll let someone else recommend a decent video head.

on cheesycam, he tries out a lot of cheap monopods and a good video head. you can try to google his posts.

[Bukka]

I have a pair of Manfrotto 055XB legs that I absolutely love. Cost me somewhere around 200-250 a few years ago.

[Mitsu3000gt]

If you want sturdy & smooth you're looking at the $400+ range. Carbon fiber does not transfer vibrations.

It's hard to meet your requirements with your price range IMO.

A good tripod/head will literally last forever, and they don't depreciate hardly at all on the used market.

I think this would make an awesome starting point on a budget:

http://www.feisol.net/feisol-classic-tripod-ct3401-rapid-p-26.html

And this:

http://www.feisol.net/video-heads-c-21.html

Or this:

http://www.feisol.net/feisol-ball-head-cb40d-with-release-plate-qp144750-p-76.html

Or one step up in size from that.

That will get you a pretty sweet setup without getting into the Markins/RRS/Kirk/Arca Swiss ballheads which are all $350-450 (but worth it).

Check out used stuff too.

[AccentAE86]

I personally use Manfrotto 055CLB legs and a 486 RC2 head. It works really well. But it is a bit on the heavy side.

I've been playing around a lot with the Benro tripods at Vistek. They actually seem like they make some pretty darn nice legs... I'm thinking of ditching my manfrotto setup and using Benro legs and an Arca Swiss (or compatible) quick release system, so I can use the compatible QR accessories.

[blitz]

Lots of good suggestions, but if you're wanting it for video, a ballhead might not be the best choice.

It'll be hard to stay under $200 for a decent setup, but I'd say spend the money on the legs first, then upgrade the head later.

[Go4Long]

On my recent trip down to the states I forgot my tripod at home (it was by the front door, just forgot to make the last trip to the house to grab it), ended up picking up a new tripod and ballhead down in Kalispell that I was decently impressed with for the price...it's a Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod, and 498RC2 ballhead. it's still a little out of your price range though. Funnily enough the tripod was the only tripod they had left in the store (it was a pretty pathetic camera store).

As blitz said, for video a ballhead might not be the best choice unless you're not doing any movement of the camera.

For the wife I bought the benro travel angel kit:
http://vistek.ca/store/ProPhotoTripods/247607/benro-tra169-aluminum-travel-angel-kit/Specs.aspx

hard to beat for the price...but it's still a ballhead, so the previous comment still applies.

Look for a head more like this:
http://vistek.ca/store/ProPhotoTripods/247635/benro-hd28-hd-series-3-way-panhead.aspx

might get you a little closer...I dunno :dunno: it's pretty easy to destroy a $200 budget really...a good set of legs alone is well over that.

[blitz]

I've used a lot of tripods and spent a lot of money on them.

At first I bought on of the Manfrotto combo's like you linked to. If you're going to be standing beside it all the time it might be ok. I would never trust it enough to walk away from it.

Then I bought a Manfrotto 055XPROB and a 486 ball head. Awesome legs, but pretty heavy. Head was fine.

Because that one was heavy, I bought a Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 Carbon fiber tripod for hiking and got a Photoclam Arca Swiss ballhead. Both those worked pretty well for me, but I kept wanting the stability of the 055 with the weight of the 190 (I do lots of long exposures)

Finally I bit the bullet and dumped $800 on a top of the line tripod and sold everything else.

So basically, if you buy cheap tripods you're tossing money down the drain. The Feisol stuff or a Manfrotto 190XPROB would be the minimum I'd spend money on. My rule of thumb is that if it comes with a head attached to it, it won't be enough. You basically have to get to the level where you're buying the head and the legs separately.

[Little Dragon]

Excellent info!
Thank you very much.

I'll try and save up a little more. Looking around for used ones as well right now.

[bighead2267]

i agree with Blitz only in certain point(no offense here) about investing on tripod.

it all depends on what's your purpose of the tripod as it will make different. IE if you using on top of the mountain or in the city.

How often will you use it to make the tripod worth? i understand everyone keep saying go best or go home as it's life time investment but not everyone can afford the best of everything they want. i could be the perfect example that i can't afford a Gitzo but i want something decent to suit my need.

also, you need to put your height as factor as you should try to look into tripod without using the centre column if possible. i just order a FEISOL 3441S from reallybigcamera as i found the spec and price is decent or you should keep checking Adoarama and BH as they have random instant rebate happen.

good luck and have fun shopping.

[blitz]

I agree with that. A $800 set of legs is overkill for most. If I didn't use it so much I would have stopped at the Manfrotto 055 or 190 with a photoclam head.

But I would say that anyone who's at all into photography will outgrow the sub $200 setups very quickly.

[D'z Nutz]

blitz, what are you using for your monorail?

[bighead2267]

not sure if it's good idea but should OP look into monopod?

[blitz]

Originally posted by D'z Nutz
blitz, what are you using for your monorail?

RRS legs, Photoclam P36N head and one of the photoclam lens plates I bought fits perfectly into it's base.

The ballhead is a little small for the purpose, but it holds pretty well.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/4989094284_50cac358da_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryankarr/4989094284/)
Calumet CC-400 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryankarr/4989094284/) by ryankarr (http://www.flickr.com/people/ryankarr/), on Flickr