Do I need an expensive tripod?

[kundalini]

I'm surprised this hasn't been linked yet. Some light reading on tripods from Thom Hogan.

Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan

 

[nathfromslg]

Eh, I live on the edge. Mine is a cheapo. I don't even know what the brand name is off the top of my head.

I've used it maybe 3 times in the 3.5 years I've been shooting, and when I use it, I'm never more than 6 inches from it. ::shrugs::

I totally get the benefits of getting a quality one, but right now, for as little as I use one, I'd rather put that money towards new glass, a new modifier, lights, etc. I'd sooner buy a monopod than a tripod as that would be more useful to me for what I do, but even then, that's really low on the list right now.

same with me,camera strap always around my neck

 

[Mully]

Ebay has good prices on Majestic tripods ..... Item No 300837570611

Item number:​

 

[unpopular]

Lugging that thing around in 4' snow with my Grflex RB Series B

Good memories!

 

[pgriz]

I both love and hate my tripod. It's certainly sturdy enough. But it takes a few seconds to set up (they feel like long seconds!) and to adjust to the right level and orientation... And yet, when I skip using it, the ratio of keepers (ok, half-decent) drops. It makes me slow down, check the point of focus, examine the frame for extraneous stuff. It changes the act of picture-taking from snapshot to carefully constructed image.

 

[austriker]

Now that I have started to take more landscapes and nature type stuff as opposed to photoj I have begun to rely more on my tripod. I got one of those cheapo a few years ago as a christmas gift (probably like wal mart special). It was a nice gift, but sometimes its takes a photographer to understand (another year I got generic nikon batteries that wont charge anymore).

This year I got a manfrotto which I love. I can already tell its going to be awesome. My old tripod was never very secure (I was scared to death to mount my d700 on it when I upgraded a few months ago) and always always wobbling. Now I just need to find a good head for it!

To each his own I suppose though.. Good vid, although it was a bit long (second that earlier comment). His accent reminded me of Top Gear which in addition to his jokes made me smile.

 

[jrizal]

Not really. But a sturdy one is highly recommended. But sturdy, I mean that it should be able to support the camera without easily shaking or falling and with relative ease of use. It can be cheap or expensive. And the term cheap is a relative one. It can be cheap for some but expensive for others.

I use this "cheap" tripod Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Camera & Photo. It is no Gitzo but does the job and definitely better than my other tripod. Amazon.com: Targus TG-42TT 42-Inch 8-Section Travel Tripod: Electronics

 

[thetrue]

Not really. But a sturdy one is highly recommended. But sturdy, I mean that it should be able to support the camera without easily shaking or falling and with relative ease of use. It can be cheap or expensive. And the term cheap is a relative one. It can be cheap for some but expensive for others.

I use this "cheap" tripod Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Camera & Photo. It is no Gitzo but does the job and definitely better than my other tripod. Amazon.com: Targus TG-42TT 42-Inch 8-Section Travel Tripod: Electronics

How is that Dolica one? I was looking at that because my POS one is starting to fail, plus the "head" is terrible.

 

[pixmedic]

Not really. But a sturdy one is highly recommended. But sturdy, I mean that it should be able to support the camera without easily shaking or falling and with relative ease of use. It can be cheap or expensive. And the term cheap is a relative one. It can be cheap for some but expensive for others.

I use this "cheap" tripod Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Camera & Photo. It is no Gitzo but does the job and definitely better than my other tripod. Amazon.com: Targus TG-42TT 42-Inch 8-Section Travel Tripod: Electronics

How is that Dolica one? I was looking at that because my POS one is starting to fail, plus the "head" is terrible.

amen to that...i hate terrible head

 

[thetrue]

I was going to say that it sucks but I rethought that one :lmao:

 

[jrizal]

Not really. But a sturdy one is highly recommended. But sturdy, I mean that it should be able to support the camera without easily shaking or falling and with relative ease of use. It can be cheap or expensive. And the term cheap is a relative one. It can be cheap for some but expensive for others.

I use this "cheap" tripod Amazon.com: Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head: Camera & Photo. It is no Gitzo but does the job and definitely better than my other tripod. Amazon.com: Targus TG-42TT 42-Inch 8-Section Travel Tripod: Electronics

How is that Dolica one? I was looking at that because my POS one is starting to fail, plus the "head" is terrible.

The frame is pretty decent but the ballhead is so-so. I like the spikes and the hook for support. It's Dolica's most popular and cheapest model. But I'm fairly satisfied with it in spite of the ballhead's so-so performance because I don't often use it (same with my monopod) Anyways, you can either get a better ballhead for an average of $60 (Manfrotto or similar - Amazon.com: Manfrotto 496RC2 Ball Head with Quick Release Replaces Manfrotto 486RC2: Electronics) and there are budget ballheads too (Amazon.com: Tripod Monopod Metal BALL HEAD Quick Release Plate By Fancier: Electronics) or get a better tripod with a better ballhead like this - Amazon.com: Dolica ZX600B300 Proline ZX Series 60-Inch Carbon Fiber Tripod with Ball Head: Camera & Photo. (Costco sometimes sells this for $80). No spikes and hook though but it's carbon fiber. Do note that these tripods are knock off designs from other brands as well such as Ravelli indicating that it may just come from one manufacturer in China and being sold under different brands. So in this case, it makes sense to get the cheapest one. But if you are a pro or simply have a lot of heavy gear, then it would make sense to get a branded performance tripod which usually costs a whole lot more.

 

[equivocalchick]

my tripod cost a whopping $20. I've used it twice in 5 years. One of those times I had to climb over some slimy beach boulders, and boy was I ever glad it was narrow enough for the to fit in the cup holder of my camera bag. I'm generally content to just sit my camera on a wall or rock or somehow twist my body solidly to brace it up against something. If you can get away with not having to drag the thing around with you at all, that's always a plus. Bastardly contraptions...

 

[bsinmich]

I had a Linhof tripod with a ball head on it that I found at a garage sale. I pinched my finger one time too many and took it to the camera shop. They gave me $250 for the setup. I still have 3 tripods. One has an elevator lift and instant release clamp for the camera, another is very small and portable. My favorite tripod is one that I saw sticking out of a trash can on my way to Church. It is very solid, has a nice panhead, and a manual lift center post. I also use 2 unipods for quick shots.

 

[MyEyeCreative]

In all categories of photography, a tripod can always be a helpful tool,whether it's framing the perfect wildlife shot, or capturing the best portrait possible, tripods will always help get the job done. The question is, do you really need to spend $500 for a decent one? The direct answer is no, you do not. So maybe it has the super reinforced legs and 5 levels on it with a phone holder attached to it but in reality, do you actually need all of that? For the past few months I have been shooting with a tripod that cost me $30, allowing me to invest more into my camera and lenses. So far, that tripod has worked perfectly even after the adventures I put it through. From bushwhacking for 5 hours to crossing long and deep rivers, it ceases to let me down. When buying a tripod it comes down to asking yourself if you absolutely need that extra oiled pivotal head or do you just think it would be cool to have? My point is If you do not have a massive photography budget but still want a tripod, don't bother spending hundreds, buy the most inexpensive one that is obtainable and make it work. Now if you do have a larger budget then buying a higher end tripod will definitely help you, I am just telling you that it is not a mandatory item. Who knows, maybe you shoot better free hand, maybe you need a monopod, go out and see what works for you and build from that!

 

[table1349]

In all categories of photography, a tripod can always be a helpful tool,whether it's framing the perfect wildlife shot, or capturing the best portrait possible, tripods will always help get the job done. The question is, do you really need to spend $500 for a decent one? The direct answer is no, you do not. So maybe it has the super reinforced legs and 5 levels on it with a phone holder attached to it but in reality, do you actually need all of that? For the past few months I have been shooting with a tripod that cost me $30, allowing me to invest more into my camera and lenses. So far, that tripod has worked perfectly even after the adventures I put it through. From bushwhacking for 5 hours to crossing long and deep rivers, it ceases to let me down. When buying a tripod it comes down to asking yourself if you absolutely need that extra oiled pivotal head or do you just think it would be cool to have? My point is If you do not have a massive photography budget but still want a tripod, don't bother spending hundreds, buy the most inexpensive one that is obtainable and make it work. Now if you do have a larger budget then buying a higher end tripod will definitely help you, I am just telling you that it is not a mandatory item. Who knows, maybe you shoot better free hand, maybe you need a monopod, go out and see what works for you and build from that! myeyecreative.weebly.com