Tripod for F55

[the jiffle king]

I am looking to buy a tripod for my girlfriends Nikon F55, but would like something lightweight and which can be carried unobtrusively. I was looking to pay £80 or less, but have only seen the Jessops catalogue and have very little clue about what is good

Any ideas or links to good sites, and where to go on the web to purchase?

T-J-K

[simpo two]

the jiffle king said:

I am looking to buy a tripod for my girlfriends Nikon F55, but would like something lightweight and which can be carried unobtrusively. I was looking to pay £80 or less, but have only seen the Jessops catalogue and have very little clue about what is good Any ideas or links to good sites, and where to go on the web to purchase? T-J-K

IMHO you should look for a tripod that has a 3-way head (pan, tilt and portrait format) which moves smoothly when the camera a fitted. A quick release plate is useful too. Equally important is sturdiness. Extend the tripod to max height, grasp the top and see how much it wobbles/flexes as you push/twist it around. Cheaper and more lightweight (ie flimsier) tripods will wobble more.
Also see how high it will go and, equally importantly, how low it will go.
I'd go along to Jessops etc and get your hands on some. They will put a demo camera on if you ask nicely so you can get the true feel of it. Do the smoothness and wobble test again.
£80 is a good budget; you'll get something nice for that: and as it will last for many years, there's no point in skimping.
I've always liked Cullmann but there are several brands which I'm sure my colleagues will mention too
Hope this is a start!

Edited to add link: have poke about but this is the current version of mine:
www.cullmann-foto.de/en/products/tripods/advanced/3335.htm

>> Edited by simpo two on Friday 8th October 19:37