Need a inexpensive tripod

booda303

TPF Noob!
Joined
May 27, 2014
Messages
50
Reaction score
6
Location
New York
Can others edit my Photos
Photos NOT OK to edit
I need an inexpensive tripod. I have now Canon 7D and I don't much about tripods. I will just shoot in doors of my family , kids and dog. Someone suggested one for 300 dollars but for a beginner it's not within my budget. Less than 100 dollars is where I want to go .All suggestions are helpful.
 
How about a Manfrotto BeFree? Easy to travel with two versions one has a Video head and one a ball head


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
The problem is that cheap tripods can, and usually cost you far more than the original cash outlay.

You have a quality DSLR which runs around $1500 for the body, and you're going to risk it for a $100 support. At $300, you're in the ball park for a quality tripod. Never mind the cost of a good lens, flash, etc., attached to it. Try getting your Canon repaired for a broken lens mount, cracked lens housing, or some other damage for $100.

Your "signature" shows that you're in New York. By all means, go to B&H or Adorama, and get their advice on a quality tripod. They may even have some good used ones which will be a far better solution than a cheap, new model of Brand X.

I can't emphasize this enough! Save your money, and buy a quality tripod.
 
I really see no need for you to purchase an expensive tripod, or have one of "great quality". I believe I bought my current tripod from either eBay or Amazon. It collapses into a reasonably small size, lightweight, and came with a carry case. I have used it several times with no issue at all. My most recent use was when I hiked up a mountainside in Maui earlier this year. If a "cheap" tripod can handle that, I'm sure photos in your house will be a breeze.
 
Try the local secondhand/Salvation Army store. They almost always have light duty tripods for sale. Much of the time the plate that holds the camera is missing so don't buy that one.
 
Last edited:
To each their own, but I personally go along with the Buy A Good One crowd. I've used cheap and I've used good. I had a cheap one fold up once and I barely managed to catch things before they hit the ground. I will never, ever make that mistake again. Once was enough for me.
 
To each their own, but I personally go along with the Buy A Good One crowd. I've used cheap and I've used good. I had a cheap one fold up once and I barely managed to catch things before they hit the ground. I will never, ever make that mistake again. Once was enough for me.

Do you remember the specific tripod you had used that had failed you? Just curious as I would like to compare reviews with my tripod’s and this discussion has sparked my interest. I believe I paid around $30-40 for mine? I would consider that relatively cheap but I don’t see anything wrong with it for the quality. It is likely not the best out there, but it seems stable enough for my occasional use.

I agree with you 110% on buy a tripod that works. I would never want to risk my equipment (and I’m sure many of you have much more invested than I do). It would be in the garbage immediately if it seems unfit. OP - definitely buy a good tripod but that doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive IMO.
 
I really see no need for you to purchase an expensive tripod, or have one of "great quality". I believe I bought my current tripod from either eBay or Amazon. It collapses into a reasonably small size, lightweight, and came with a carry case. I have used it several times with no issue at all. My most recent use was when I hiked up a mountainside in Maui earlier this year. If a "cheap" tripod can handle that, I'm sure photos in your house will be a breeze.

I tend to agree if all you need is a tripod to support the camera for light-duty uses, and plan no use of it in the wind, and no use for timed exposures longer than say 5 seconds. MUCH work can be done with a cheap tripod. Can a cheap tripod be a PITA to use? At times, yes, it can be a PITA. Can it fall over unexpectedly? Yes, perhaps. Still...there are a LOT of low-priced 'pods out there. Buy one. Use it. See if it'll cut the mustard for you, and for __your__ needs. If so, great! If not, you'll need to "move up".

Wayyyy too much emphasis here on good, solid, reliable, lifetime-grade tripods...too many people insist on buying a good tripod that will work perfectly,easily, and successfully, every single time.
 
Do you remember the specific tripod you had used that had failed you? Just curious as I would like to compare reviews with my tripod’s and this discussion has sparked my interest. I believe I paid around $30-40 for mine? I would consider that relatively cheap but I don’t see anything wrong with it for the quality. It is likely not the best out there, but it seems stable enough for my occasional use.
No, I don't, sorry. It was back in the late 70's and all I remember is seeing my Olympus OM-2n and a slow Tamron 300mm prime headed for the ground, neither of which could I afford to replace ;) One of the leg locks slipped or unlocked or something and it headed for the ground.
 
Do you remember the specific tripod you had used that had failed you? Just curious as I would like to compare reviews with my tripod’s and this discussion has sparked my interest. I believe I paid around $30-40 for mine? I would consider that relatively cheap but I don’t see anything wrong with it for the quality. It is likely not the best out there, but it seems stable enough for my occasional use.
No, I don't, sorry. It was back in the late 70's and all I remember is seeing my Olympus OM-2n and a slow Tamron 300mm prime headed for the ground, neither of which could I afford to replace ;) One of the leg locks slipped or unlocked or something and it headed for the ground.

" .....One of the leg locks slipped or unlocked or something..."

VERY OFTEN this is user error, in my experience. I have used some of _the_ crappiest tripods EVER...one from the 1940's (back in the 70's), a mini-pod from the 60's in the 80's...and those were atrociously poor...and I've forgotten to snap flip-lock legs closed, many times...so...I say that with all due respect: if a leg "slips"...it's 99% likely that the slipping was due to the user not locking the leg.

I've owned a CHEAP, old, light-duty Manfrotto with flip-lock-on-top (ruined by a friend who was loaned the ;pod and who 'effed it up), as well as the aforementioned 1940's and 1960's pods, and a crap Velbon...and slippage was always due to my own forgetfulness or hurrying...


How steady a tripod needs to be depends on the desired end-use; if all one needs is a camera-holder for the occasional self-portrait, etc, then a $49 Velbon is fine, or a Goodwill tripod. Once you start talking about multiple exposures, or 10-second timed exposures, or use in the wind, then the need for a truly good 'pod and head, starts.
 
Thanks everyone , before I posted this I actually called one of the photography stores mentioned in this thread so i came and posted here. I called and told him what I needed it for and what type camera I had . He gave me a suggestion for one and said it would cost me about 300 dollars which I didn't think it would cost me that much considering what I was using it for. Thanks for everyone's suggestions, it actually cleared things up a bit.
 
VERY OFTEN this is user error, in my experience. I have used some of _the_ crappiest tripods EVER...one from the 1940's (back in the 70's), a mini-pod from the 60's in the 80's...and those were atrociously poor...and I've forgotten to snap flip-lock legs closed, many times...so...I say that with all due respect: if a leg "slips"...it's 99% likely that the slipping was due to the user not locking the leg.
That's possible, Derrel. I certainly can't say absolutely that I did lock it or made certain it locked completely. It was far too long ago and I do have to agree that it might have been user error. I prefer to think it wasn't, of course, but the possibility is there. But I did learn a lesson from it: Make sure the tripod is stable BEFORE mounting the camera on it, not afterwards!
 
Do you remember the specific tripod you had used that had failed you? Just curious as I would like to compare reviews with my tripod’s and this discussion has sparked my interest. I believe I paid around $30-40 for mine? I would consider that relatively cheap but I don’t see anything wrong with it for the quality. It is likely not the best out there, but it seems stable enough for my occasional use.
No, I don't, sorry. It was back in the late 70's and all I remember is seeing my Olympus OM-2n and a slow Tamron 300mm prime headed for the ground, neither of which could I afford to replace ;) One of the leg locks slipped or unlocked or something and it headed for the ground.

No problem, just curious! I think I would have a heart attack if I came that close to dropping my camera! :p One of my better "stunts" was while hiking the Rockies in Colorado... I had my GoPro on a telescoping pole, filming occasionally as I went along. I decided to try for a cool underwater stream shot and about 5 minutes after dunking I had realized that I had forgotten to swap cases! (The GoPros come with a full waterproof housing and a semi-waterproof housing with an open back for better audio) Lucky for me my attention to detail, and a bag of rice, had likely saved my GoPro. I had immediately noticed my lense had fogged up, which was very odd for that camera (especially given the conditions at the time).
 
VERY OFTEN this is user error, in my experience. I have used some of _the_ crappiest tripods EVER...one from the 1940's (back in the 70's), a mini-pod from the 60's in the 80's...and those were atrociously poor...and I've forgotten to snap flip-lock legs closed, many times...so...I say that with all due respect: if a leg "slips"...it's 99% likely that the slipping was due to the user not locking the leg.
That's possible, Derrel. I certainly can't say absolutely that I did lock it or made certain it locked completely. It was far too long ago and I do have to agree that it might have been user error. I prefer to think it wasn't, of course, but the possibility is there. But I did learn a lesson from it: Make sure the tripod is stable BEFORE mounting the camera on it, not afterwards!

I think we are starting to stretch the truth here now... c'mon, us guys don't make mistakes! ;)
 
Thanks everyone , before I posted this I actually called one of the photography stores mentioned in this thread so i came and posted here. I called and told him what I needed it for and what type camera I had . He gave me a suggestion for one and said it would cost me about 300 dollars which I didn't think it would cost me that much considering what I was using it for. Thanks for everyone's suggestions, it actually cleared things up a bit.

Yeah, that price is a bit outrageous for what you would be using the tripod for. I would definitely recommend the one I had purchased on Amazon; there are also multiple to choose from. I did see that my particular tripod is rated for up to 6.6 pounds, so you should be well under the limit unless you are running some massive lenses and/or flash.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top