Tripod - parameters - satisfaction

[mapa]

I want to buy a tripod and I would like to know which do you have and whether you are satisfied with it (or know about better).
Thanks for your reply.

Have a nice day.

[genece]

The first tripod I bought was about 60 dollars and I quickly found out it was not a very good product then I bought a sunpak for about 100 dollars and while better than the first still was not a very good tripod for telephoto work.
A tripod needs to be sturdy and smooth..easy to line up with the Target( say a bear 300 yds away.)
The third tripod I bought and am very happy with is a B/M 3021 pro....but it would not be a good choice for a hiker its too large and heavy.
Then there is the thing of heads and quick release plates.....oh brother.

I would suggest you look at this line of tripods as they make good stuff ...perhaps not the best and certainly not the worst.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=

[mbbin2]

Tripods, monopods and bags have been where I made the most mistakes. If you have good camera stores near you, I would suggest that you go in tell them the weight you need to support and where you will be using the tripod. You may want to get the model numbers and order online from someplace like BH where it will probably be cheaper. I think it is very hard to order something like a head for the tripod unless you have seen and touched it.

Mary

[andyn]

Tripods, monopods and bags have been where I made the most mistakes. If you have good camera stores near you, I would suggest that you go in tell them the weight you need to support and where you will be using the tripod. You may want to get the model numbers and order online from someplace like BH where it will probably be cheaper. I think it is very hard to order something like a head for the tripod unless you have seen and touched it.

Mary

If you use the expertise of a good local store then you really should buy from them unless their price is utterly ridiculous - otherwise there will only be stores on the web and we'll never be able to try anything. Andy

[Donte]

I have this one and it works great. Plus you cab get one at any best buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5656462&type=product&id=1058188139866

[erichlund]

If you use the expertise of a good local store then you really should buy from them unless their price is utterly ridiculous - otherwise there will only be stores on the web and we'll never be able to try anything. Andy
I agree with you, with a caveat. If the local store is out of stock, and can't even get back to you with an estimate, they are falling down on the job. This is what recently happened to me. I ended up buying my tripod from Bell & Howell because the local store just couldn't seem to get it together and B&H had it in stock. I'll still support the store, but this was a case where I didn't want to wait.

BTW: I have the Gitzo G1327 tripod, the Really Right Stuff BH55-LR ballhead, and an RRS MD200 L plate for my D200 camera. The difference between it and my cheapo tripods (Velbon and Slik) is like night and day. The camera will never again sit on one of those cheapies.

[genece]

IMHO...
And Not to start a feud but that sunpak would be a little better than 3 sticks and some duct tape......I know thats only my opinion but I have been there.




I have this one and it works great. Plus you cab get one at any best buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5656462&type=product&id=1058188139866

[eddie_dane]

I have taken a similar path as Gene in regards to starting out cheap and learning leassons hard only I started out cheaper by buying not one but two models at wal-mart before I realized that both were not going to suit my needs. I ended up buying two from a company called amvona.com.

I found these on ebay, they have a lot of them listed and if you are patient, you can get them for much less than they have them listed on the website.

The first one I got was this one for about $35
http://www.amvona.com/v7/shop/?page=shop/flypage&view=1&product_id=2394
That's not the exact one but very similar.

I was so happy with it, I decided to get another model from them that I use all the time now, mainly because the center post can be reversed and is great for macro photography. It's not the lightest option but I have a manfrotto monopod for traveling stability.
http://www.amvona.com/v7/shop/?page=shop/flypage&view=2&product_id=1838

[genece]

I really should understand ...not everyone wants the same in anything...camera , tripod or car.....but my friend has that Amvona tripod and he really likes it..... After trying it, I can say it is not for me.

[eddie_dane]

I really should understand ...not everyone wants the same in anything...camera , tripod or car.....but my friend has that Amvona tripod and he really likes it..... After trying it, I can say it is not for me.

Yes, and I can't stress enough, I'm not proposing that they are the greatest, but by far the best for the money that I have found. And unlike my other tri-pods, I don't regret and regularly use both of them.

They certainly suit my needs (sturdy/stable/easy to use) fine. But if I were an outdoor photographer carrying it around through the woods, not so much.

[eddie_dane]

I guess it would be more constructive to talk about features rather than brands as it is subjective. Here are a few that I discovered only after going cheap and realizing that I, apparently, did have preferences.

Removable baseplate - to me this is essential although some classic purist will say the camers should mount directly to the mount on the head. I have found that this should absolutely be made of metal and secure very fast to the head via the locking mechanism. A plus to have a safety mechanism to prevent the base from being disengaged accidently. Some don't like these because it takes longer to get the camera off the pod. Both of my amvonas have a safety that lets you use it or not.

Pan-tilt vs Ball head - I have both and the reason is that I like each for different shooting.

Pan tilt has a dedicated pivot point and usually a shaft handle for at least two axis (twisting being the third). These are great for landscaps and panning as well as video recording because it lets you lock one axis and freehand the other and vice-versa.

Ballhead gives you freedom to move in any direction without fidgeting with a variety of controls, you just point it in the right direction and lock it down. The problem is the pivot point is below the camera and I find a lot of cases where I have to move the whole tripod to get the right position or adjust the height.

Dimension range - how high/low the tripod can be set up.

Most of the light or economic tripods have struts that connect the center post to the outside legs which automatically set a minimum height.

I don't know the right term for the kind that does not have struts but they tend to be more expensive because the joints and legs have to be out of a stronger material. They allow you to set up the tripod in a variety of heights and because there are no struts, a lot of them allow you to invert the center post that the camers is mounted on to allow downward oriented shots. Because the legs are typically have to be stronger, they are either heavier or more expensive because they are made of more exotic materials like magnesium alloy or carbon fiber.

Total height typically depents on how many pieces make up each leg and telescope out. Again, more tubs, more height, usually means more wieght.
Center Post Mechanism - There are two ways to adjust the height after the legs have been locked into position. You can have a crank or a free floating tube that has a twist clamp collar.

If you like fine adjustment, the crank is the way to go but a crank automatically makes inverting the center tube impossible.

A free floating tube allows for quick/easy adjustment but can sometimes be difficult to make minute adjustments. You can also invert the mount for downward/close-to-the-ground shots.

Genera Build Quality - Proably the overall most important aspect. Established named tripod manufactuers typically charge top dollar for their products for good reason. High quality build and the best materials. You can make a less expensive tripod with all the same features and quality as some of the more expensive brands but if you make it out of a heavy material (to keep costs down) it can be a labor to carry around. I find that a minimum use of plastic as a whole is a good indicator of quality.

Also weight is not necessarily a bad thing. The ball-head model of amvona that I have is fairly heavy but it's also very stable which is great when shooting stillshots. If you are on the move and want quicksetup and something that won't give you a hump when walking around, you need something lighter.

[genece]

Thats a very good summary......Two more things a ball head can have a pivoting base...adds to the price but I find it very important.

And smoothness....I can not emphasise smoothness enough, especially with a long zoom. It very hard to get framed on a distant subject if its not smooth and creep free.

One more thing something like a 3021 pro...has the flexibility in positioning to allow macros and low level shooting.

This is not my photo but it shows the flexibility.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/genece/tripods.jpg

Dang I wish I would have known all this about 5 years ago.