Best Tripod on budget?

[madisonofriel]

I just want to give kudos to the kid. I read your thread in another forum asking about pricing, and I want to tell you that you have a bright future ahead of you. Congrats and have fun!!

Thank you very much!

 

[madisonofriel]

Amazon.com : Slik Pro 330DX Tripod With Head (Black Legs) - 613331 : Carbon Fiber Tripod : Camera & Photo

I have something like this one, and has served me well. I think it's more than enough for a D3000.

How smooth is the head on this one? because the one I have now (absolute crap, found in garage) barely turns.. I just really need alot of movement if that makes any sense

 

[petrochemist]

On a budget but used. You can get good tripods that are slightly on the heavy side for bargain prices, as the previous owner can afford something lighter.
As long as the weight of the model you get is within your carrying range, and you get one that's sturdy enough for your uses....
There's an endless supply on e-bay, get a decent model that no longer suits it's previous owner & let them subsidize it.

If your requirements are for a rock steady tripod you can carry for miles budget is not an option!

 

[madisonofriel]

Thanks. what are some good models? I have no idea what brands to look for... And I don't want something heavy

 

[table1349]

The world of tripod buying is like ordering from a Chinese Take Out joint. There are three things to choose from, but you can only pick two.

Cheap, Sturdy, Light.

You have to decide which one you are willing to give up. There is one way you can have all three, but in most states that is called Armed Robbery and generally carries a minimum sentence of 5 years. :mrgreen:

 

[TCampbell]

Thom Hogan had an interesting blog article... a worthwhile read because in concept the article gives good advice... although the price he suggests he far higher than what you really need to spend.

Here's the article: Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan

The point here is that if you buy a "cheap" tripod, it will break (or otherwise somehow prove to be inadequate) so you'll buy another, and another... and if you were to just skip all the "cheap" ones and start with something durable and useful, then you'd ultimately save money just by avoiding stuff that you're buying only to wait for it to break.

A friend of mine went through precisely that experience... he bought a sub-$100 tripod only to have it break during a shoot. He bought a *slightly* better tripod at around $100 and someone hit that one during a shoot (I don't know if they tripped on it or what they did) but that one broke too. I think he's now on his 3rd tripod and that one was around $150 if I recall. But if you think about it... if you add up $150 + $100 + $75... he's currently up to $325 that he's spent to own a $150 tripod.

I have a few tripods and frankly the heads are sometimes more expensive than the tripods that they go on. But you can easily spend $1000 on a tripod/head combination. Although I think if you can manage to spend AT LEAST $150 on a tripod then while you'll still be looking at low end gear... at least it'll be low-end... but not actually "garbage".

If you are trying to be frugal... then buy the cheapest thing you can find... which is actually somewhat durable. Otherwise you'll be buying it's replacement and then you're no longer saving money.

 

[madisonofriel]

Thanks I agree. what do you think about something like this? Manfrotto 293 Tripod with 494RC2 Quick Release MK293A4-A0RC2 B&H