Tripod advice.

[MacNut]

Looking to buy a better tripod. There are a lot to chose from. I don't want anything too heavy but also stable enough. I don't want to go over $200.
Currently eyeing this one. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175942-REG/manfrotto_mk290xta3_bhus_290_xtra_ball_head.html
Or, https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...la4bk_bhus_befree_advanced_travel_tripod.html

Suggestions welcome.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Looking to buy a better tripod. There are a lot to chose from. I don't want anything too heavy but also stable enough. I don't want to go over $200.
Currently eyeing this one. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175942-REG/manfrotto_mk290xta3_bhus_290_xtra_ball_head.html
Or, https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...la4bk_bhus_befree_advanced_travel_tripod.html

Suggestions welcome.

Always been very happy with my Manfrotto. Can recall the exact name but I was advised to get that one as the centre bar comes out parallel or even upside down for macro.

For travelling I managed to get a good deal on a Gitzo traveller series 2.
Kind of depends on what you want to shoot with it.

 

[mollyc]

I have a big, sturdy Manfrotto that I use inside; I've had it close to 10 years. I have a smaller BeFree Manfrotto that I use for travel - I don't think it's quite as sturday as the one you posted. I saw it one day at Costco for less than $100 so snatched it up. It's definitely not as sturdy as my studio one, but I've used it for family portraits on the beach, so it works well enough. ?

I don't think you can go wrong with Manfrotto as long as you figure out the weight distribution.

 

[Clix Pix]

Manfrotto make excellent tripods, but do they now use Arca-Swiss quick-release connectors? In the old days they had a proprietary quick-release plate. Arca-Swiss configuration is the one used by many these days and has been a sort of "standard" for some years now. A couple of months ago when buying my new camera I also bought an Arca-Swiss type plate that would work with my not-young Gitzo tripod. Works great. Today when buying my new lens I had the store swap out the existing foot for a Wimberley foot that includes the more-or-less standard Arca-Swiss configuration so that I can easily slide the new lens right on to the tripod when I need to do so.

If Manfrotto has now adopted the Arca-Swiss style, go for it! If not, look around at other manufacturers who do use that. I'm not up on current tripod manufacturers and such, so can't offer any names, but over the past several years the names Arca-Swiss and Gitzo, Really Right Stuff and others come to the surface more and more frequently.....

At the moment I have a Gitzo tripod with a Really Right Stuff ball head (can't remember, think it is the 55) on it. In the past I had another with a Wimberley gimbal head on it; that combination I sold a while back and wishing now that I had not!

Depending upon the types of environments in which you'll be shooting and also the type of shooting you'll be doing, yes, stability is the number one consideration..... Also, though, yeah, weight of the tripod and whatever kind of head is on it, not to mention the weight of the lens(es) and the camera body is important, too, if one will be trekking all over the place with this stuff.

Carbon fibre is lighter weight, but tripods made with that are also more expensive. It's an important decision, not to be treated lightly, taking into consideration what you want to do with the gear mounted on the tripod, the most likely circumstances under which you'll be working, and how much money you are willing to spend, etc., etc. If you're not shooting BIF and wildlife you don't really need to be thinking about a gimbal head. If you're shooting macro and other types of images closer to home you don't really need to be terribly concerned about light weight. If you're shooting landscapes out in a field somewhere you might need to think about not only the weight of carrying the tripod but also how much weight it will support and how stable it will be during the shooting process.

Good luck with all this!

 

[kenoh]

Looking to buy a better tripod. There are a lot to chose from. I don't want anything too heavy but also stable enough. I don't want to go over $200.
Currently eyeing this one. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175942-REG/manfrotto_mk290xta3_bhus_290_xtra_ball_head.html
Or, https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...la4bk_bhus_befree_advanced_travel_tripod.html

Suggestions welcome.

How heavy is your camera and biggest lens? It is really annoying to put your big lens on and have a droopy ballhead. So watch load bearing capacity.

Remember you have to carry it. Its a trade off, sturdiness vs weight vs cost you can only optimise two of these at a time. If it isnt sturdy enough, you wont use it and if it is too heavy, you wont use it. My personal tolerance before I reach the "cant be bothered to lug that around" level is about 2kg. After that I have to know I need my tripod with me.

There are other off brand options like MeFoto Roadtrips or Vanguard, Benro, Sirui etc that are all similar and very good in that price point. I still use a MeFoto RoadTrip and a Manfrotto Elements for lightweight carry as they dont take up much space and unless I am using the heavy artillery, they are plenty sturdy and easy to clean.

Sorry waffle over

 

[Apple fanboy]

How heavy is your camera and biggest lens? It is really annoying to put your big lens on and have a droopy ballhead. So watch load bearing capacity.

Remember you have to carry it. Its a trade off, sturdiness vs weight vs cost you can only optimise two of these at a time. If it isnt sturdy enough, you wont use it and if it is too heavy, you wont use it. My personal tolerance before I reach the "cant be bothered to lug that around" level is about 2kg. After that I have to know I need my tripod with me.

There are other off brand options like MeFoto Roadtrips or Vanguard, Benro, Sirui etc that are all similar and very good in that price point. I still use a MeFoto RoadTrip and a Manfrotto Elements for lightweight carry as they dont take up much space and unless I am using the heavy artillery, they are plenty sturdy and easy to clean.

Sorry waffle over

Nobody wants a droopy ball head!

 

[Indydenny]

I don't think anyone has suggested this one, but I have the Neewer Carbon Fiber 63"/160cm Tripod which is great for home and travel and is also inexpensive at just over $100. It folds to less than 18" in length; uses arca Swiss plate; and is carbon fiber. It also breaks down to a monopod, should you need it.

Here is a link to it although I'm sure that you can buy it about anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I1C8VGI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[mpfuchs]

+1 on arca swiss.
Depending on your use case, it might make sense to look into this more.

 

[someoldguy]

+2 on Arca Swiss .Don't know if this matters , but one other thought is to see if your proposed tripod will extend far enough so you don't have to crouch down to see through the viewfinder . Measure the distance from your eye to the ground , then the distance from the viewfinder to the camera's base ; subtract the second value from the first and that's the height you're looking at for a minimum total extended height .

 

[Clix Pix]

That's a good point, especially for those who are tall. Shorties like me don't have to worry as much about that! It is important to have everything at the correct height for shooting and looking through the VF.

 

[mpfuchs]

+2 on Arca Swiss .Don't know if this matters , but one other thought is to see if your proposed tripod will extend far enough so you don't have to crouch down to see through the viewfinder . Measure the distance from your eye to the ground , then the distance from the viewfinder to the camera's base ; subtract the second value from the first and that's the height you're looking at for a minimum total extended height .

You should preferably be able to do this without the extending the center column.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Nobody wants a droopy ball head!

That's what she said.
[automerge]1578441809[/automerge]
I like the Manfrotto tripods, as well... but I also do a lot of video work... and I need a panning head... the models the OP listed are more fixed head, and a PITA for video... but Manfrotto has a solid, quality line of tripods, to be sure.

 

[kallisti]

I use a RRS tripod (can't remember the model) which is solid as a rock.

My favorite head is an Arca-Swiss Cube (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1029552-REG/arca_swiss_8501003_1_c1_cube_geared_head.html).

Yes, it's the price of a lens (so not within the OP's budget). But it is a damn good head and one of my best photography purchases ever. Since it's geared, you can easily and precisely adjust your compositions without overshooting in any direction. Very easy to level. You can loosen the top portion for horizontal panning without fear of the camera moving in any other plane. You can attach rails to it if needed. It is solid and doesn't budge, even under heavy loads. It can be flipped up to 90 degrees to hold the camera perpendicular to the ground rather than horizontal. This means you can position your camera to point in pretty much any direction (from straight up to straight down, with everything in-between), precisely adjust the composition, and then maintain that position without any creep.

Again, it's the price of a lens. But if you do a lot of tripod work it may be worth it to you. I sometimes still use ball-heads for some things (like a table-top tripod). They drive me crazy after using the Cube head. Significantly more work getting the exact composition I want compared to the Cube. And yes, I've used "good" ball-heads. But the Cube is just amazing when I'm shooting something on a tripod. In a class by itself.

There is a newer version that also has geared panning (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1373798-REG/arca_swiss_8501303_1_cube_c1_gp_geared.html). Not something that is important enough to me to justify an upgrade.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I bought a geared head for my manfrotto for studio work. A bit heavy for in the field.

Tripods are like bags and lenses. Difficult to find one that does it all!

 

[r.harris1]

Great advice from everyone here. You don’t have a slappy mirror problem on your Sony and you don’t currently have a really long lens, if I recall from the “what lenses do you use” thread, but spend time thinking about how you want to use it, the various lens lusts you have, and the shots you want to make. A tripod and head are as important as any bit of kit you get for your camera - as important as lenses - so definitely don’t skimp. Remember, you’re putting expensive equipment on top. ?

I was the poster child for Thom Hogan’s Tripod 101 article (google it, you should read it, though it’s a bit dated). When first purchasing a tripod and seeing the costs for a really good system, I kicked. I screamed. After cycling through cheaper ones, I eventually ended up with a RRS kit. In my case, it made sense because I very much have a slapping mirror problem and I have a variety of long lenses, including an old 600mm f4 manual focus beast. I also shoot at the lowest ISO I can manage so shutter speeds can be on the low side.

There are cheaper high quality options for sure, many already mentioned, and I’ll throw Feisol into the mix. I’ve been happy with their quality and price.

Adding to what others have said, think about your shooting scenarios, how high you need the legs to extend, etc. For example, for birds if flight (or in general), I need longer legs to get the vertical range (point up) with a long lens without having to stoop too much. Same with landscapes, longer legs help in steep situations or when the ground is uneven.

Have fun!

 

[mpfuchs]

Same trip. I was standing on the bench to shoot over the hedges and trying to get low to the ground to get the hare.

Loving my Induro GIT404XL

 

[tcphoto1]

I would figure out the weight of the heaviest load you may need and go from there. I buy used whenever possible and your $200 budget would buy a lot of tripod. Do you need a head or will you use what you already own? I have two tripods, one Manfrotto that fits in my luggage for shoots I fly to and a heaver Manfrotto that I linked to below. I bought it for about $175 on ebay, it was in excellent condition and a Gitzo head for $60 that I thought that I stole at that price.

Manfrotto 475B Pro Geared Tripod with Geared Column

Buy Manfrotto 475B Pro Geared Tripod with Geared Column featuring Load Capacity: 26.5 lb, Max Height: 74", Min Height: 16.9", Folded Length: 31.5", Leg Sections: 3, Weight: 9.5 lb, Geared Center Column, Center Brace, Black Anodized Aluminum Construction. Review Manfrotto null

www.bhphotovideo.com

 

[MacNut]

Im going to use this for landscapes and long exposures the most. Twist lock or clamp, pros and cons of each? This will be used at the beach a lot. Will the twist lock gum up easier?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Im going to use this for landscapes and long exposures the most. Twist lock or clamp, pros and cons of each? This will be used at the beach a lot. Will the twist lock gum up easier?

Not in my experience. But if you are using it at the beach remember to rinse it with fresh water. Then dry it thoroughly.

 

[MacNut]

I think I need to get to a camera store and actually see and feel a few tripods in person.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think I need to get to a camera store and actually see and feel a few tripods in person.

Excellent idea. Take your heaviest lens and camera with you.
[automerge]1578511514[/automerge]
Also ask if they have any ex demo models for sale.

 

[tcphoto1]

I don't care for the twist locks at all. Back when I was assisting, I saw a Gitzo collapse with a Contax 645 mounted. I like the confirmation of the Manfrotto tripods, it's never failed me.

 

[kenoh]

I don't care for the twist locks at all. Back when I was assisting, I saw a Gitzo collapse with a Contax 645 mounted. I like the confirmation of the Manfrotto tripods, it's never failed me.

I prefer twist locks frequently but typically only for the 20 minutes following nipping my fingers in a lever lock... lol... - Tripod bite, like gun owners slide bite but in slow motion.