Tri-Pod

[teggypimp95]

Can any one suggest to me a decent tri pod? I just have a cheap 50 doller one right now, and its pretty plasticy and cheap. The nobs and dials are starting not to tighten very well. PLus it was never the stable in the first place.

Im not looking for top of the line or spend a pile of money, just something that is pretty decent and a bit better than what i got.

[Melinda]

How heavy is your set up that you would be putting on it?

[Bukka]

well there are some factors that come into play here.
- How much are you looking to spend?
- How much weight are you putting on the legs/head
- Weight of the tripod itself..are you looking for something lightweight?

[AccentAE86]

In addition,
-do you want a quick release?
-do you want the ease of adjustment with a ballhead?
-how high do you need it to go?


The best way to do it, unfortunately, is to get a different tripod for every type of situation. I have my more or less sturdy tripod (manfrotto 055CLB with 486RC2 head), a light travel tripod that folds really small and can fit into a backpack (Manfrotto 785SHB), a tabletop tripod, and a point and shoot tripod that extends reasonably tall but folds small enough to fit into a small bag or large purse.

There is no 'one that does it all' tripod. If there were then i'd have it.

[teggypimp95]

I dont mind if its a bit heavery, its not really for vacations just for shooting on the weekends and such. But i dont want some that weighs a ton either.

I have a D40 with a 18-135 lens so it seemed ok with my stock lens, but now its a little front heavy.

Maybe like something around 100 dollers?

I do have a quick release right now and i like that.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I ordered a Feisol 3442 because I wanted something for travel, but its in transit so I can't tell you about it yet. It was $300 but Feisol makes cheaper ones too. They apparently have amazing customer service (based on what existing customers have told me) and make a product (supposedly, as I haven't seen it myself yet) very close to the equivalent Gitzo in quality, but also 1/2 the price, lighter, folds smaller, and supports more weight. Most people I talked to told me they couldn't tell the difference between their Gitzo/Feisol so I decided to try the Feisol. Feisol also makes Ballheads but I don't know anything about those. Do you know what style of tripod head you like? Maybe you already have one you can use?

Check out www.feisol.net and www.feisol.com for some tripods.

I'll let you know what I think about the quality when I get it - should have it next week (everything USPS ships to Canada so far has waited 2-3 weeks in customs regardless of shipping method). My Dynatran e-bay tripod broke so I needed a replacement. Every time I buy cheap, I end up buying twice lol. You certainly don't need the best, but after my Dynatran failed on me with thousands of dollars of stuff perched on top of it, I won't cheap out on support again.

[Bukka]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
I dont mind if its a bit heavery, its not really for vacations just for shooting on the weekends and such. But i dont want some that weighs a ton either.

I have a D40 with a 18-135 lens so it seemed ok with my stock lens, but now its a little front heavy.

Maybe like something around 100 dollers?

I do have a quick release right now and i like that.

Don't just look at supporting you current lens lineup.
Take into account, what if you decide to upgrade lenses, and the added weight of those lenses with the body.
Last thing you want to do is buy a pod to support everything you have now, and then end up needing to buy a new pod as soon as you upgrade your camera body, or lenses.

[mr_ballroom]

I'd look for some used Manfrotto stuff. Or you can get some knockoff carbon fiber stuff off ebay for cheap...I mean not even benro, like knockoff of benro even.


Cheers,
Andrew

[MrSector9]

i bought a manfrotto 190x with the 168RC ball head (i think that is the stuff)

TCS sells it as a package and someone (i think melinda) recommended it to someone in a previous post so i picke dit up.

I like it alot, it is pretty light, has quick release on all the legs, has quick release on the head, also has 2 foam covers on the legs for when it is cold out.

[ex1z7]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Titanium_.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ro_Tripod.html

Slik makes some nice stuff, for the money.

[Hash_man]

I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I am in the same boat... some good suggestions definately it looks like... but ive got an xti w/grip and biggest lens i have right now is 70-200 f4L...

Are ballheads the best solution?

[ex1z7]

It depends on the type of ball head. I notice with my heaviest combo (d100 + 70-300vr) that when you squeeze the grip for the head to release, you have to make sure you have a decent grip, it's easy to fine tune - but I would advise supporting the lens with your hand while you release the head lock as you position it..

Pan heads are easy as balls to move around as you adjust one axis at a time, usually, the thing I dislike about the majority of pan heads is when you release them, and let go, it doesn't lock automatically like pistol grips etc.. Something to be considered..

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Hash_man
I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I am in the same boat... some good suggestions definately it looks like... but ive got an xti w/grip and biggest lens i have right now is 70-200 f4L...

Are ballheads the best solution?

I'd say that ballheads are the most popular and versatile. IMO their the best for macro work as well. Good ballheads can support a lot of weight, have pan bases, levels, don't sag after you set them, and can drop to 90 degrees so you camera can face straight down if you want. Another advantage of a ball head is you can use things like the Wimberley Sidekick, which gives you a gimbal type head for much cheaper if you ever acquire some larger lenses. I'm also of the opinion that its better to buy a good ballhead because it will last you forever. Also after a scary incident, I will never leave thousands of dollars of equipment on cheap/low quality support devices again. Kirk, Markins, Arca-Swiss, Really Right Stuff, and Acratech all make really good ballheads at a variety of price ranges. If you want you can go on any of the big camera forums and do a search on ballheads you can read "which is the best ballhead" threads for as many hours as you want and come to your own conclusion. I ended up with the Markins M20 and it has been excellent so far.

[dragonone]

i'm thinking about the 190xprob and 488 as the 488 lets you pan. is this a balanced combination? i'm asking because on manfrotto's website it does not recommend that combo. also, does the 488 tit down since it pans?

finally, where's a good place to get the feisol tripods?