Tips on a Good Tripod/Filter

[Vel]

Hi Guys,

I am interesting in purchasing a new tripod as my original one just isnt stable enough anymore (it was only a cheap one which I got with my camera and cost ~£20)

I am would be happy to save for a few extra months however I really need a tripod for when I go travelling around Italy in a few months time.

I would like for the tripod to be made from Carbon Fibre and I would like the head to be a ball head (possibly with a option to lock vertical movement, as I mainly shoot landscapes/panoramas)

I've would also be interested in purchasing a filter to assist with my landscape shots, however I'm not entirely sure where to start with this subject. Any suggestions of brand/type would be greatly appreciate, also would I need some sort of bracket to attach the filter to the lens. If so is it possible to get a one size fits all so I can attach it to all my lenses.

I would like to spend up to £350 but the maximum I could afford is £400 if the price difference could be warranted,

Thanks,

Vel

 

[Designer Dale]

You need to find a thread titled Let's Talk Tripods opened by Phrasikleia. It will tell you what you need to know.

Dale

 

[Westside guy]

Here ya go - "Let's talk tripods".

 

[jampat]

For landscapes, a grey gradient filter is what you need. You can either buy a holder (Lee, Cokin and others make them) or handhold them in front of the lens. These filters are square to allow you to slide the filter to match the horizon. The holder takes various rings to allow you to screw it to different lenses.

A circular polarizer helps clouds to pop and can drastically change water and vegetation shots depending on the lighting. You can either buy a CPOL to fit the holder for your grads or you can buy a screw in CPOL. Buy a CPOL for the largest lens you intend to buy (probably 77 or 82 mm). It may cost more upfront to buy, but the stepdown rings to allow it to fit smaller lenses are ~$15 each.

Whatever you buy, don't cheap out. Cheap filters can add a color cast to images, flare easily and reduce the contrast of your images. Search for posts by compuwar. He knows what he's talking about and has brought up grad filters in a number of threads.