Tri-pod advice please

[chim_knee]

Hi snapping-fans,

Anyone know much about tripods?

I'm after one for my Nikon D70 (i.e. dSLR, no video). It'll mainly be used for landscape shots but occasional indoor shoots too... and portraits occasionally... actually, maybe some macro stuff at some point. Oh bugger it... I need one for general use.

Light weight would be fantastic. Easy erection (ooo-err) and collapse too. Tall would be good as I'm quite tall and I like getting different angles (again, ooo-err).

What about head? (:sigh: ooo-err) Is it worth spending more on the head than the tri-pod or half-and-half?

I guess my budget would be around £150 for the lot (tri-pod and head).

Thanks in advance,
Phil (ooo-err)

[GetCarter]

I think the cry will be MANFROTTO (a good call)

... but you should also consider Benbo (perfect for streams, uneven ground and peat bogs)

...which is what I use

www.fotosense.co.uk/shop_details.asp?productID=1564

BTW Chim... re: another thread, no you can't dance to anything I've written!

Edited by GetCarter on Monday 9th October 16:29

[CVP]

As Mr Carter says, Benbo are very good for outdoors and odd angles but I found them too heavy to lug around.

My vote would be one of the Manfrotto tripods pref carbon fibre (light to carry around with you) but not sure it would come in under budget. Velbon also make some nice stuff and do CF now.

Cheers

Chris

[chim_knee]

GetCarter said:

BTW Chim... re: another thread, no you can't dance to anything I've written!

Thanks guys - that Bebo looks good. It "only" rises to 1.5m though. Another I saw went to 1.78 which I'd like... 2Kg sounds a touch heavy but that's only a guess.

Carbon Fibre would be great as I'm really, really lazy

Thanks for tips - a bit more searching. The only trouble is, I have to buy from Jessops as I have a load of vouchers for them. I think they price match.

[sparkythecat]

chim_knee said:

Thanks guys - that Bebo looks good. It "only" rises to 1.5m though. Another I saw went to 1.78 which I'd like... 2Kg sounds a touch heavy but that's only a guess.

Crikey, how tall are you then?

[CVP]

chim_knee said:

The only trouble is, I have to buy from Jessops as I have a load of vouchers for them. I think they price match.

I hope they do as their normal prices are scandalous. Mrs CVP was shopping for a 1GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card, warehouse express £39.99, Jessops.......£75.99

Chris

[chim_knee]

sparkythecat said:

Crikey, how tall are you then?

6' 3" (1.905m according to Google) - but am I being stupid with regards the height of the tri-pod? Obviously there's the height of the camera to add and the relative height of my eyes to subtract. But wouldn't 1.51m still mean I'd be hunched over it?

CVP said:

I hope they do as their normal prices are scandalous. Mrs CVP was shopping for a 1GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card, warehouse express £39.99, Jessops.......£75.99

Chris

I know. The trouble is, leaving present and birthdays etc. meant getting vouchers but I didn't know of anyone competitive to the internet who do vouchers. Virtual Vouchers(© Me. Just now.) for WarehouseExpress would have been ideal.

[Podie]

Loads of the photo mags offer tripods when you subscribe... and some of them are pretty decent models (I'm at the bottom rung of the DSLR ladder)... might be worth having a nose, getting a tripod and a mag subs into the deal.

[chim_knee]

Podie said:

Loads of the photo mags offer tripods when you subscribe... and some of them are pretty decent models (I'm at the bottom rung of the DSLR ladder)... might be worth having a nose, getting a tripod and a mag subs into the deal.

Cheers.

I've got a Velbon one at the moment but it's too heavy and requires two hands to erect/collapse.

I did get another tri-pod when I subscribed to a magazine but gave it to my Dad as it was no better than my current one (IMHO)

I was really after spending a bit of cash on getting a light-weight, easily handled one.

[tog]

chim_knee said:

sparkythecat said:

Crikey, how tall are you then?

6' 3" (1.905m according to Google) - but am I being stupid with regards the height of the tri-pod? Obviously there's the height of the camera to add and the relative height of my eyes to subtract. But wouldn't 1.51m still mean I'd be hunched over it?

Any lightweight tripod won't be very stable extended to full height. I'm 6'3" and find hunched over is the usual position. But I find I usually bend down a bit to take landscapes anyway, or lie in the grass, whatever. Ususally you want to be a bit lower down I find, though my Gitzo extends to about shoulder height if needed. Rarely need anything much taller.

[CVP]

CVP said:

I hope they do as their normal prices are scandalous. Mrs CVP was shopping for a 1GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card, warehouse express £39.99, Jessops.......£75.99

Chris

I know. The trouble is, leaving present and birthdays etc. meant getting vouchers but I didn't know of anyone competitive to the internet who do vouchers. Virtual Vouchers(© Me. Just now.) for WarehouseExpress would have been ideal.[/quote]

I was told they do price match UK based web sites so just print out the page from Warehouse Express and ask the manager nicely

Chris

[agent006]

I've just bought a Manfrotto 190Pro and a 222 head. Just over your 150 budget but it's easily tall enough for me at almost 6'3.

[Podie]

CVP said:

chim_knee said:

The only trouble is, I have to buy from Jessops as I have a load of vouchers for them. I think they price match.

I hope they do as their normal prices are scandalous. Mrs CVP was shopping for a 1GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card, warehouse express £39.99, Jessops.......£75.99

Chris

£25.99 at www.mymemory.com

[elderly]

tog said:

Any lightweight tripod won't be very stable extended to full height.

Agreed;
but carry a couple of supermarket plastic bags with you and fill one with whatever
is lying around (stones, rubble etc.) and suspend it from the top of the lightweight
tripod just below the head, it gives more stability under many conditions.
When you want to move to the next location put the ballast back where you found it
and travel light to the next one.

[chim_knee]

agent006 said:

I've just bought a Manfrotto 190Pro and a 222 head. Just over your 150 budget but it's easily tall enough for me at almost 6'3.

How much over? - if you don't mind me asking.

The £150 was a ball-park as I'll put a bit extra towards it if it's the difference between something about right and something ideal.

Thanks.

[speedychrissie]

i am in a very similar situation to the original poster, i have a D70 and am currently looking at spending upto about £100 on a tripod. i would love to be able to afford a carbon fibre one but they all seem to start at a lot more.

i have looked at manfrotto but i have found that teh cheapest ones still seem to be more than my budget.

i think the best thing to do is go down to a good camera shop and have a play with whats on offer. i went into a shop thinking that i needed something like a slik 700dx tripod, but found out that actually it was much bigger than i needed and was therefore heavier than i really needed, and i feel that if i get a slightly lighter tripod i will be more likely to carry it around with me.

i am going for a second play on wednesday afternoon when i have more time, and i am hoping to come home with a tripod so i will let you know then what i get, but i think the main message of my rather large post is: play around with them and decide what you want from the tripod

[chim_knee]

Yeah - I think you are right. Each will handle differently and so on. I think I'll go and have a play.

I do appreciate everyone's thoughts though. Thanks! (Keep 'em coming if you want!)

Edited by chim_knee on Monday 9th October 20:25

[longers]

I've got a Manfrotto 190 MF4. Very flexible and stable, especially with a bag of stones hung from it.

Being 4 section it's compact and lightweight to fit in a rucksack for a days walking in the hills but don't forget to allow for the weight of the head, water, sarnies etc - the combined weight might put you off taking the tripod so you may want to consider saving some cash and getting a non CF one.

Because they are more compact and easier to squeeze in a backpack I went with a ball head - very strong and stable but more difficult to get horizons dead level so if buying again I might consider a 3 way head.

I appreciate that the above is over your budget but from experience I'm a firm believer in "buy cheap, buy twice" so I'd suggest waiting until you can afford what you want - it'll be cheaper than changing again in the future!!

Longers

[agent006]

chim_knee said:

agent006 said:

I've just bought a Manfrotto 190Pro and a 222 head. Just over your 150 budget but it's easily tall enough for me at almost 6'3.

How much over? - if you don't mind me asking.

Just short of £200 i think. Tripod was 90ish (black, so a tenner more) and the head was 70odd.

[Dibble]

I just got a Manfrotto Nat 190.

Sweet.

£120ish, including head. Nice green colour, so I (my tripod) doesn't frighten the wildlife...