"budget" tripod or spend 100$ on one?

[Brotage]

So Im wondering if I should get a 40$ tripod or go and spend 90$-100$ on one. Is it worth it. It would mostly be for IR, or some low light light stuff. The only brands I've heard of are Slik and everybodys talking about those bogen ones.

If anybody could suggest one that would be GREAT and if someone could explain the differences between ball head and pan tilt. It would be great if it wasn't too heavy, I don't plan on hauling it everywhere because it seems like a pain.

I know im making a lot of "What should I get" threads and it's probably a pain for you guys, so im sorry.. and this is the last thing I need to pick out (Great Caesars ghost!)

 

[Sideburns]

100 is your max? lol.
Tripods are expensive.

Bogen/Manfrotto is probably the best bet in almost every case...
The leg/head combo can get tricky when you don't know what you want...but let me just say. Invest in a quality tripod otherwise you won't even wanna use it...it'll just get in the way of your photography.

100 might be low if you want a serious tripod. I got one one sale for 50 bucks, but I needed one. When I have the dough (I'm a college student)...I'll probably go out and buy something that costs half as much as my camera.

 

[Brotage]

Well I'm getting my camera for christmas, although mom has let me figure it out. I don't think I need a super duper tripod right now. I'm just not sure if a 40$ will be a piece of crap. or the 100$ ones will be something I don't need

 

[JESWAW]

cheap ones break....way to easy

 

[Garbz]

You have to take into account 3 factors:

1) is it strong enough to securely hold your equipment. If you have a D200 with an 80-200mm lens then you will NOT want to bolt it to a sub $100 tripod.

2) how long do you expect it to last? If you need a quick throw away tripod to take bush bashing then go for a cheap one. If you want to still have it in 10 years go for a Bogan/Manfrotto or Velborn

3) how study does it need to be? A tripod is only good if it holds the camera steady. With mirror lockup you have some leeway but with the 1-10 second exposures you'll need for IR you'll want something to hold the camera steady.

 

[Josh66]

My vote is to get a good one the first time. If you get the cheap one, eventually you'll want to upgrade. Might as well get the upgrade now.

 

[jstuedle]

Only spend the money once. They won't get any cheaper with time as raw materials are sucked up by the new emerging manufacturers in China and elsewhere.

 

[Steph]

You have to take into account 3 factors:

1) is it strong enough to securely hold your equipment. If you have a D200 with an 80-200mm lens then you will NOT want to bolt it to a sub $100 tripod.

2) how long do you expect it to last? If you need a quick throw away tripod to take bush bashing then go for a cheap one. If you want to still have it in 10 years go for a Bogan/Manfrotto or Velborn

3) how study does it need to be? A tripod is only good if it holds the camera steady. With mirror lockup you have some leeway but with the 1-10 second exposures you'll need for IR you'll want something to hold the camera steady.

I'll add a 4th factor to those:

4) weight. Sturdy, well built tripods can be heavy. If it is too heavy, it will stay at home more often than not and therefore will be useless.

 

[Josh66]

I'll add a 4th factor to those:

4) weight. Sturdy, well built tripods can be heavy. If it is too heavy, it will stay at home more often than not and therefore will be useless.

Weight can be good or bad though. Personally, I like heavy tripods. When I'm looking at tripods, that's a big factor for me. I look at how much weight it can support, then I look at how much the tripod itself weighs. All else being equal, I prefer the heavier one.

Now, if I were doing a lot of backpacking or hiking - yeah, I would go with a light weight one.

I guess it all depends on how you plan on using it. I have a big heavy tripod, and a light compact one - the heavy one gets a lot more use.

 

[Alex_B]

100$ for a tripod (without a tripiod head) i would still consider "budget" .. I agree with most things said above.

 

[usayit]

You should be able to get a nice (but used) Bogen tripod and head off of ebay for maybe $150.....

Tripods are simple things... not much to break and you shouldn't be scared to look into used. My BOgen 3001+3 way pan was obtained from a local camera swap for $35. Yeh.. its old.. scratched up.. had someone elses name etch on it but hey.. it stronger than anything new for $35.

 

[Garbz]

I'll add a 4th factor to those:

4) weight. Sturdy, well built tripods can be heavy. If it is too heavy, it will stay at home more often than not and therefore will be useless.

True this will decide if you get a set of carbon fibre legs (out of the question for $100) or a set of aluminium ones. But bear in mind if it's too light the tripod is top heavy when the camera is mounted and much more susceptible to falling.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

100$ for a tripod (without a tripiod head) i would still consider "budget" .. I agree with most things said above.

ditto.

 

[Bobby Ironsights]

ditto.

tretto?

 

[usayit]

True this will decide if you get a set of carbon fibre legs (out of the question for $100) or a set of aluminium ones. But bear in mind if it's too light the tripod is top heavy when the camera is mounted and much more susceptible to falling.

You can always weigh down the tripod with a bag or some rocks.