Tripod - LTB or at least your opinion

[Nikkor]

I have a Nikon D60 and really want a tripod for my long exposure shots. But I'm not sure what's going to be the best for the buck. I've seen a lot of these Gorillapods in my Popular Photography magazine but I've seen 50/50 on the reviews.

I would really like to not spend more than $100 on something.

Let me know. Thanks!

 

[Inst!nct]

i bought sunpak at bestbuy that, although its not GREAt for macro use, its pretty upholding, bought for 75 bucks i believe..

would you trust your **** on a gorillapod? ehh

 

[Dao]

I have this. It is a little over your budget, but it is very solid.

390RC2190XDB Manfrotto (Distributed by Bogen) 390RC2 Pan & Tilt Head with 190XDB 3 Section Black Aluminum Tripod Legs, Supports 11 lbs, Max Height 57"

It is not the best of course, but it will do the job SECURELY.

 

[Nikkor]

It's not too far over the budget. Thanks!

And yeah, the trust thing is my biggest issue with the Gorillapods.

 

[GFreg]

One thing I have heard about tripods is that they are definitely an investment. Chances are if you buy something of better quality you wont need to replace it later down the line. On the other hand, unless you are dealing with a lot of weight or extreme conditions then you probably wont need more than a $50 tripod from Walmart. I have used a $50 Walmart tripod for a while now and never had any problems with it. To be fair though, I have only needed to hold up a D40 with the kit lense attached. As you can imagine, the weight isn't going to stress the tripod. It is pretty old though and the knobs and levers to make adjustments are cumbersome.

I kinda forget where I was going with this. Anyway, my suggestion, would be to go to a store and check them out in person. I think you will find that there are many decent tripods for less than your $100 limit. See which ones you feel comfortable operating.

 

[sinjans]

Have you thought of buying used? I just bought used and i swear you would say its new. Used is a good way to get quality without breaking the bank

 

[Big Mike]

I agree with Greg. A good tripod is a good investment, whereas a cheap tripod isn't a very good investment...either because it will break on you, or you'll end up replacing it eventually anyway.

You really can't go wrong with Manfrotto and they have a wide range of tripods. The 190 series (like Dao linked to) is a good place to start looking.

In case you didn't know, most 'good' tripods come separate from the head. So you have to buy the 'legs' and a 'head'. The choice of head should be based on your weight requirements, but also on your personal preference. You might like a 3-way head or you might light a ball head. There are pros & cons to either so maybe get into a camera shop and try a few out, just to see what you like best.

And yes, if you can find a good used tripod, that should allow you to get more for your money. I have, I don't know...maybe 10 tripods...and only one of them was brand new, and that was an X-mas gift from my wife, many years ago.

 

[KmH]

Most new photographers think all a tripod does is hold the camera up near eye-level.

Not even close. Plus, putting together a good tripod usually means getting tripod legs and a seperate head to mount the camera on.

There are times you want the camera lens 2 inches off the ground, or the terrain is uneven and you need one or more of tripod legs a different angles, or you need the camera cantilevered out away from the tripods centerline. Some of those situations mean the center column has to be removeable and reconfigurable.

Next what kind of tripod head do you need? Will a ballhead work, or do you need a pan/tilt head. A good tripod head costs more than $100.

Go look at some of the tripod configurations at www.giottos.com to get an idea of what I mean.