Looking for Tripod Advice...
Discussion
Hi all,
I am trying to find a decent tripod for occasional use (5-6 times a year at best).
Main use for it will be for landscape shots and long exposure cityscape night shots using my DSLR kit.
Currently have a 20+ years old tripod that is up for the task, but is very heavy to carry and rather clunky in setting up.
Kit I will be using with it include:
Canon 550D + Battery grip
Canon 16-35 F2.8 L
Canon 28-135 F3.5-5.6
End plan is to get a 70-200 F2.8 L or similar lens to add to the glass stock, and also upgrade to a full frame body at some point (5d 3).
Main thing I need is a good tripod that is easy to carry around which will support the weight of the camera (current and future) plus battery grip and lens while shooting.
Don’t really want to spend silly money on it. Something reasonably priced with a good maximum height and a decent adjustability on the head.
Sorry for the long winded question. Hope it all makes sense!
Thanks in advance
I am trying to find a decent tripod for occasional use (5-6 times a year at best).
Main use for it will be for landscape shots and long exposure cityscape night shots using my DSLR kit.
Currently have a 20+ years old tripod that is up for the task, but is very heavy to carry and rather clunky in setting up.
Kit I will be using with it include:
Canon 550D + Battery grip
Canon 16-35 F2.8 L
Canon 28-135 F3.5-5.6
End plan is to get a 70-200 F2.8 L or similar lens to add to the glass stock, and also upgrade to a full frame body at some point (5d 3).
Main thing I need is a good tripod that is easy to carry around which will support the weight of the camera (current and future) plus battery grip and lens while shooting.
Don’t really want to spend silly money on it. Something reasonably priced with a good maximum height and a decent adjustability on the head.
Sorry for the long winded question. Hope it all makes sense!
Thanks in advance
I recently bought a carbon Oban tripod, with 4 extensions per leg to try to keep the height down.
I also have a small travel tripod in aluminum.
As ever its all about compromise, the small one is conveinant to carry on the side a a bag, and has a hook on the bottom to help weigh it down for stability, but, it doesnt go that high so you have to bend down to see through the view finder, and its stil a bit wobbly compared to the carbon Oban.
The issue with the Oban is size, you tend ot have to carry it around with you which is a pain, but using it is a pleasure, makes life so much easier to stand straight!
Overall i would go for carbon version of what ever you chose, lighter the better, then decide if you will be doing hikes or jumping from a car and a small walk
The small one is useful for the plane as well, but im looking at getting a new carbon version of it.
No such thing as somthing cheap AND good, well, not in photographers world it seems, so expect to drop some cash, but it should last a long time if you look after it.
Finally, the ball head is also important, again for the carbon tripod i got a Oban ball head, fairly signifiact in size to ensure a tight grip on any heavy equiptment
It is, as ever, a whole big subject by itself, and more expensive than i first thought!
Good luck
I also have a small travel tripod in aluminum.
As ever its all about compromise, the small one is conveinant to carry on the side a a bag, and has a hook on the bottom to help weigh it down for stability, but, it doesnt go that high so you have to bend down to see through the view finder, and its stil a bit wobbly compared to the carbon Oban.
The issue with the Oban is size, you tend ot have to carry it around with you which is a pain, but using it is a pleasure, makes life so much easier to stand straight!
Overall i would go for carbon version of what ever you chose, lighter the better, then decide if you will be doing hikes or jumping from a car and a small walk
The small one is useful for the plane as well, but im looking at getting a new carbon version of it.
No such thing as somthing cheap AND good, well, not in photographers world it seems, so expect to drop some cash, but it should last a long time if you look after it.
Finally, the ball head is also important, again for the carbon tripod i got a Oban ball head, fairly signifiact in size to ensure a tight grip on any heavy equiptment
It is, as ever, a whole big subject by itself, and more expensive than i first thought!
Good luck
Redsnapper get my vote for the best bang per buck: http://www.redsnapperuk.com/camera-accessories/Tri...
UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
Take a look at Benro. I think they're really good value.
http://www.wexphotographic.com/photography-tripods...
http://www.wexphotographic.com/photography-tripods...
Mr Will said:
Redsnapper get my vote for the best bang per buck: http://www.redsnapperuk.com/camera-accessories/Tri...
UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
Very pleased with mine on the couple of outings it gets a year.UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
From a peasant's perspective, I have totalled my cheap-ass tripod in a careless shopping-in-the-boot incident. It was only a super cheap Amazon job though, so not overly bothered. I have ordered a Hama Star 61 today, it has more height, and it is currently on offer for £17.99. Now I know the hardcore DSLR fanboys will be baulking as it is not a million pounds worth of carbon space engineered tripod, but it is allegedly lightweight, does the trick and if it is only being used 5/6 times a year it should do the trick and if it breaks then it isn't a massive amount of money to be losing. i will happily review it once it arrives if anyone is interested in the cheaper end of the tripod scale.
SlidingSideways said:
Mr Will said:
Redsnapper get my vote for the best bang per buck: http://www.redsnapperuk.com/camera-accessories/Tri...
UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
Very pleased with mine on the couple of outings it gets a year.UK based company too with decent customer support should you need it.
1st pick one that puts the camera to your eye level without a center column.
Center columns are the devils work, get one but try not to use it.
A tripod is never too high, you can always not extend the legs out as much.
If its not rock solid its not worth using.
Cheap, light, strong, pick 2.
ok next bit..
Leg locks - I prefer twist to manfrotto style clamps, quicker and safer , some prefer the clamps.
More leg sections - more locking/unlocking, slower use, but shorter overall for the same height. Unless its a travel specific model keep this to 3 or 4.
Make sure the 'spider' ( bit the legs connect to) is strong and the legs are well fixed.
Carbon is a great material for tripods but costs more, aluminum is heavier
Most good tripods dont include a head which can get expensive so look for a package.
Makes -
Manfrotto are pretty robust if not light - the 190 and 055 are classics and decent.
The meFoto/3 legged thing style chinese stuff is ok
I use Feisol and Sirui
Center columns are the devils work, get one but try not to use it.
A tripod is never too high, you can always not extend the legs out as much.
If its not rock solid its not worth using.
Cheap, light, strong, pick 2.
ok next bit..
Leg locks - I prefer twist to manfrotto style clamps, quicker and safer , some prefer the clamps.
More leg sections - more locking/unlocking, slower use, but shorter overall for the same height. Unless its a travel specific model keep this to 3 or 4.
Make sure the 'spider' ( bit the legs connect to) is strong and the legs are well fixed.
Carbon is a great material for tripods but costs more, aluminum is heavier
Most good tripods dont include a head which can get expensive so look for a package.
Makes -
Manfrotto are pretty robust if not light - the 190 and 055 are classics and decent.
The meFoto/3 legged thing style chinese stuff is ok
I use Feisol and Sirui
Zerotonine said:
From a peasant's perspective, I have totalled my cheap-ass tripod in a careless shopping-in-the-boot incident. It was only a super cheap Amazon job though, so not overly bothered. I have ordered a Hama Star 61 today, it has more height, and it is currently on offer for £17.99. Now I know the hardcore DSLR fanboys will be baulking as it is not a million pounds worth of carbon space engineered tripod, but it is allegedly lightweight, does the trick and if it is only being used 5/6 times a year it should do the trick and if it breaks then it isn't a massive amount of money to be losing. i will happily review it once it arrives if anyone is interested in the cheaper end of the tripod scale.
If it breaks when the OP has £2Ks worth of camera kit on it then he won't be best pleased. If you've invested in some decent value kit, then put it on a decent tripod. I use Manfrotto and 3LT. My Manfrotto 055 is as good as when it was new about 10 years ago, the legs clamps have need tightening once and that's it.
DavidY said:
If it breaks when the OP has £2Ks worth of camera kit on it then he won't be best pleased. If you've invested in some decent value kit, then put it on a decent tripod.
I use Manfrotto and 3LT. My Manfrotto 055 is as good as when it was new about 10 years ago, the legs clamps have need tightening once and that's it.
Plus one for the Manfrotto 055, solid as a rock and high enough to use without bending down to the camera too much. Plus the extending centre column can also be used horizantal which is a bonus if you want to get right down to the ground for some reason. Although it's solid I carry it for miles, just get used to it!I use Manfrotto and 3LT. My Manfrotto 055 is as good as when it was new about 10 years ago, the legs clamps have need tightening once and that's it.
Whatever you pick, enjoy.
Second hand vintage tripods can be good.
Chuffed with the slik sl76 prototype I got for about £15 on eBay a couple of years back.
Really well made and indestructible, shudder to think what a similar effort would be new.
Not my review but you get the idea http://www.pentaxforums.com/accessoryreviews/slik-...
Chuffed with the slik sl76 prototype I got for about £15 on eBay a couple of years back.
Really well made and indestructible, shudder to think what a similar effort would be new.
Not my review but you get the idea http://www.pentaxforums.com/accessoryreviews/slik-...
silentbrown said:
Take a look at Benro. I think they're really good value.
http://www.wexphotographic.com/photography-tripods...
Well reviewed tripods. I bought a carbon version. Seem to be quite good copies (Chinese after all) of Gitzo.http://www.wexphotographic.com/photography-tripods...
JAGS said:
Stuff
Well I read all that and my first thought was "Hey, this is PH - you must be a powerfully built company director". For a use-every-two-months tripod, why don't you just stick with what you've got? Going significantly lighter but remaining a solid base can only mean the expense of carbon fibre and you're on course for using it 60 times over the next ten years?
By all means consider changing the head for something "less fiddly". That might be the step forward.
I'm not a big fan of the tripod, but my ancient and heavy 055C Manfrotto is good for pumping iron.....
Thanks to you all that have replied. Much appreciated and food for thought.
Problem with the one I have already is that it is very short in height. Max height extended is 1350mm.
I really should have mentioned this in my original post. Apologies.
It is adequate for the amount of times I use it. However, the lack of height really gets tiring when out using it. Having to hunch over it to compose and take a shot gets very annoying, very quick.
Ideally need something that can extend to 1700mm or more.
Have no problem in getting something fit for purpose.
It doesn’t need to be carbon. I don’t want to spank mega money on it.
Most times it will be lugged around in a car and carried for short periods from the car to the place of shooting and back.
It will not be used for travel. Never had the need and I don’t see that changing for the future.
Thanks.
Jags. Powerfully built benefits scrounger.
Problem with the one I have already is that it is very short in height. Max height extended is 1350mm.
I really should have mentioned this in my original post. Apologies.
It is adequate for the amount of times I use it. However, the lack of height really gets tiring when out using it. Having to hunch over it to compose and take a shot gets very annoying, very quick.
Ideally need something that can extend to 1700mm or more.
Have no problem in getting something fit for purpose.
It doesn’t need to be carbon. I don’t want to spank mega money on it.
Most times it will be lugged around in a car and carried for short periods from the car to the place of shooting and back.
It will not be used for travel. Never had the need and I don’t see that changing for the future.
Thanks.
Jags. Powerfully built benefits scrounger.
Edited by JAGS on Thursday 28th January 09:59
JAGS said:
Ideally need something that can extend to 1700mm or more.
Have no problem in getting something fit for purpose.
It doesn’t need to be carbon. I don’t want to spank mega money on it.
Most times it will be lugged around in a car and carried for short periods from the car to the place of shooting and back.
It will not be used for travel. Never had the need and I don’t see that changing for the future.
The Manfrotto 055 goes up to my eye height easily - and I'm 6'. It's heavy but you're not travelling with it. Maybe look for a s/h one?Have no problem in getting something fit for purpose.
It doesn’t need to be carbon. I don’t want to spank mega money on it.
Most times it will be lugged around in a car and carried for short periods from the car to the place of shooting and back.
It will not be used for travel. Never had the need and I don’t see that changing for the future.
Well the Hama Star 61 has arrived, and for the bargain price of £17.99 it is an absolute bargain. It is solidly built, extendable to 153cm (enough for my requirements), and I would have absolute faith in putting my CSC on it. I understand that if one is shooting with 2k's worth of camera then a more expensive one would be beneficial, but for the amateur photographer with a lesser camera would feel confident with this offering from Hama. I look forward to going out with it very soon, and will post pics when I can be bothered.
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