Tripod Suggestions

[zirkle2007]

Hey guys. Just wondering if there is any difference when it comes to tripods for dslrs. Will one from Wal-Mart or some other store do the trick or is there a better kind I should be looking at? I want a good one, but just thought I should see what you guys think. Thanks!

 

[Father Jack]

Regardless of where you buy it, make sure it is sturdy. Light tripods are as much use as a chocolate teapot ..

 

[compuwar]

Hey guys. Just wondering if there is any difference when it comes to tripods for dslrs. Will one from Wal-Mart or some other store do the trick or is there a better kind I should be looking at? I want a good one, but just thought I should see what you guys think. Thanks!

I've never seen a good tripod at Ritz, let alone Walmart. Tripods are about stability- the sturdier and heavier the better. You can get rid of some weight by going to carbon fiber (in exchange for lots of money.)

You should read http://www.bythom.com/support.htm before going too much further.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Whats your budget for a tripod?

I've never seen a good tripod at Ritz, let alone Walmart. Tripods are about stability- the sturdier and heavier the better. You can get rid of some weight by going to carbon fiber (in exchange for lots of money.)

You should read http://www.bythom.com/support.htm before going too much further.

I can attest to the Ritz tripods not being worth much. I received one as a gift and its rather heavy, clunky, and just not a pleasure to work with, but it works in pinch.

That article on bythom.com is great. I was thinking about posting that before I even read your post. Beat me to it

 

[zirkle2007]

Good article, but way out of my price range. I'm thinking maybe $100-150. I'm not professional or anything by any means at this time. I'm just getting together some basic stuff as its more of a hobby at the time. I can see myself in the future buying the good expensive stuff, but at the time I just can't justify that price.

So I guess anything around $100 would be great if you know of anything. The less money the better! I like to do landscapes and such, so it really doesn't need to be anything light. I'm not worried about that.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Well, personally, I'm an all or nothing kinda guy, so my suggestion will reflect that. If you think you're going to take photography more seriously in the future and would like to invest in good gear later, I'd suggest to buy a cheap Quantaray or Sunpak tripod and then really put money in later when you feel you're ready for the commitment for higher end equipment. Just my opinion

 

[zirkle2007]

Well, personally, I'm an all or nothing kinda guy, so my suggestion will reflect that. If you think you're going to take photography more seriously in the future and would like to invest in good gear later, I'd suggest to buy a cheap Quantaray or Sunpak tripod and then really put money in later when you feel you're ready for the commitment for higher end equipment. Just my opinion

Thats more along the lines I was thinking. I'm not really thinking this will ever be much more than a hobby. But at the same time, I would like to get more expensive and nicer gear as time goes on. Its just at the moment I can't justify the prices. I just realized while I was out today I could do a lot more with a tripod.

Where could I pick up one of those you mentioned?

 

[Kamera RAWr]

You can pick them up at Ritz or Wolf Cameras... same stores, different name, I believe. They're at almost every mall in America (under the assumption you're American or in America ), I'm sure. Probably other places like perhaps Best Buy or some other electronics retailer with a "decent" photography section.

 

[zirkle2007]

You can pick them up at Ritz or Wolf Cameras... same stores, different name, I believe. They're at almost every mall in America (under the assumption you're American or in America ), I'm sure. Probably other places like perhaps Best Buy or some other electronics retailer with a "decent" photography section.

Thanks for the help! I'll do some looking around. Oh, and yes I'm in America

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ChrisA]

Hey guys. Just wondering if there is any difference when it comes to tripods for dslrs. Will one from Wal-Mart or some other store do the trick or is there a better kind I should be looking at? I want a good one, but just thought I should see what you guys think. Thanks!

The are three qualities that define a tripod

1. Light weight
2. Sturdy
3. low price

As it turns out you can only have two of these qualities in any one tripod. So you pick which two are important to you.

 

[jlcharles]

Try searching ebay for user amvona.com

They sell a house brand of equipment called Dynatran. I have one of the carbon fiber tripods. I paid something like $65 shipped for the legs. I also had one of the regular tripods which I paid something like $30 for. It was a tank, but just way too heavy to take with me anywhere. If you are patient you can get a good deal on the legs.

These are very similar to mine.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMVONA-PRO-PHOT...ryZ30095QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You can then pair any head you like with it or they have some kits like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PRO-CARBON-FIBE...ryZ30094QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I personally paired mine with a Bogen 3030 head, but I would like to get a ball head instead one of these days.

 

[ChrisA]

Thats more along the lines I was thinking. I'm not really thinking this will ever be much more than a hobby. But at the same time, I would like to get more expensive and nicer gear as time goes on. Its just at the moment I can't justify the prices. I just realized while I was out today I could do a lot more with a tripod.

Where could I pick up one of those you mentioned?

LIke I said pick any two quaites. There is something to be said about a low priced, light weight tripod. Yes it will not be well built any tripod is so much better then none. A lot of people say that the number one peice of gear that can must improve your photography is a tripod. Of course it will dramatically sharpen your photos but more then that, it makes you slow down and think about the composition. Maybe you will nudge the camera slightly right or move the tripod three feet forward. Trpods encourage you to set up a shot rather then just take a quick snapshot. It will change the way to shoot. And of course it will greatly reduce camera shake.

I actually have a low price Silk tripod that is just about one pound in weight. I'll take it when I can't cary the bigger one. Anything is so much better then nothing

The other thing about buying a cheap tripod is that you can always use it later as a light stand after you've bought your $300 carbon fiber Gitzo. A lot of flash equipment is a 1/4 inch tripod socket on the bottom

 

[Abstract]

I actually have a low price Silk tripod that is just about one pound in weight. I'll take it when I can't cary the bigger one. Anything is so much better then nothing.

So true.

Buy a Slik or Velbon one if you can. I think you can pick one up for $100 to $150, which you said is within your budget. They're not the greatest companies out there, but still better than the no-name $50 tripods that won't last a week.

Tripods are about stability- the sturdier and heavier the better. You can get rid of some weight by going to carbon fiber (in exchange for lots of money.)

Yep, the heavier the better. That's why I always wondered why people spend so much on carbon fibre tripods. They don't carry much weight, and they're too lightweight to be really effective. May as well buy a Manfrotto Modo (7 series) tripod, as it's also lightweight and carries around 3 kg or so.

Is the price difference due to the build quality? I have only used one carbon fiber tripod (a Gitzo), and it didn't seem all that sturdy. I've never used a Manfrotto Modo series tripod, but I can't imagine it being worse.

 

[Kamera RAWr]

Is the price difference due to the build quality? I have only used one carbon fiber tripod (a Gitzo), and it didn't seem all that sturdy. I've never used a Manfrotto Modo series tripod, but I can't imagine it being worse.

I think the price differences would be due more to the cost of the materials themselves, although I could be wrong. People have argued that carbon fiber dampens vibrations far better than aluminum. Though my guess is most people just buy carbon fiber simply because its lighter, especially when hauling lots of gear around