Help me pick a tripod

[vwkid45]

I am fairly new to photography and decided that it is time to get a tripod. I went to my local shop and they recomended the Quantaray QSX 8500. He said for the money it is a good tripod. I am looking to spend between $50-$70. Any suggestions?! Thanks

 

[KevinR]

My suggestion. Save up and buy this.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...219&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
Will last you for years and you won't be disappointed.

 

[Rob]

Buy an old '70s aluminium tripod from eBay perhaps? Spend $15 and get the same kind of robust quality and sturdyness that you get on a modern $200 tripod... just a thought - they're heavy though.

The one you've mentioned looks a bit flimsy and light, but that might be all you need - we don't all want to drag round a 30lb tripod everywhere!

Rob

 

[abaddon07]

My suggestion. Save up and buy this.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=353219&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
Will last you for years and you won't be disappointed.

I completely agree with this. I just got a Bogen/Manfrotto (3001BD instead of 3021 BN but very similar). It is WELL worth the money. I even look forward to setting up my camera now it is such a joy to use.

The ballhead really is a must if you want to maintain your sanity. The only issue with this is that you may need a bubble level for your hotshoe in order to get your shots straight. However, you can just eye things up initially and then fix later in photoshop if need be.

Just wanted to add my own experience to this excellent recommendation.

 

[vwkid45]

hey thanks guys, i will look into that.

 

[nymtber]

id reccomend the bogen as well, my mom and brother both split the cost of one for me 5 years ago, it is a VERY sturdy tripod. only thing i want now is head to extend horizontally for macro shooting...

 

[vwkid45]

how about this one?
http://www.adorama.com/NKTPFSB.html

 

[Soocom1]

Like what Rob said, go to e-bay and get an old Tilt-all aluminum tripod.
I use my father's that I inherited all the time. Works like a charm.

 

[JIP]

As far as cheap tripods go that (the 8500) is a good one. It has a very solid head (not plastic) wich is important. I have a similar one that I use for backpacking the only diffrence is my legs work with levers instead of the dials on this model mine is also a Quantaray/sunpack (I work part time at ritz) and it about as cheap as you would want to go on a tripod. I have been through a few Quantaray tripods an d most have broke when I tried to properly tighten them (my camera a Nikon N-70 at the time not a heavy camera). Consider yourself lucky I paid about $100 for it at the time. I would not rely on a ball head for any of my equipment but that's just a personal opinion so take it or leave it. This is just a backup tripod for me my main is a Bogen 3021BN very heavy and very reliable the head (bought seperately) probably weighs as much as the tripod.

 

[jeeper]

My suggestion. Save up and buy this.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=353219&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
Will last you for years and you won't be disappointed.

I have the same legs, but a different head (not really into the ball heads).
I have this head. Upgrading to this one one of these days...

It's much more stable than the other tripods I've used. I'm not yet willing to spend more than $500 on a tripod, so this the best set-up for me at the moment. The legs/head combo was just under $200.

 

[JIP]

My head is almost identical I have the 3047 it supports (well... used to support) with no problem at all a bronica ETRSI a Metz 60ct1 flash and a large stroboframe bracket alot of weight with no budging

 

[LWW]

The key things to look for in a tripod IMHO are:

1-Weight capacity. The problem with all of the inexpensive pods is they are very weight limited. Get something you can grow into. To me anthing with a capacity of less than 4 KG (8.8 lbs) is a false savings. If you get serious about the hobby that's enough capacity to hold a digicam and an 80-200 2.8 or a medium format camera. That weight capacity will still give you a fairly light carry weight.

2-Interchangeable heads, for obvious reasons.

3-How high does the go without raising the center column. All the stability on Earth evaporates quickly when you start raising the center column. I have no hard empirical data but I would guess that camera shake is multiplied by at least a factor of 2 when the center post is fully extended.

4-How short will it collapse. I find this to be as important if not more imprtant than weight because it affects mobility on remote locations. The farther under 30" you get the better.

5-What does it weigh. I think people fixate on this too much. When I go in the woods with my backpack, 80-200mm, 300mm, 28-105mm, 16mm, camera body, and various widgets I'm probably at 30 lbs +/- already. Yes a 2 lb pod would be nice but it's very weight limited. A 6 lb pod won't make much real diffence to me, or aven a 10 lb pod for that matter.

My $0.02. YMMV.

LWW

 

[LWW]

Now on what to buy. I don't think you can beat a Bogen in real value. They are relatively light and fairly cheap for a pro grade piece of equipment.

They are rock steady up to, and even a little beyond, their stated capacity. If you buy one new and take reasonable care of it...IOW don't drive your car over it, don't beat it with a sledgehammer, don't submerge it in mud and then never clean it...you may at worst scratch it up eventually but it will be your great grandkids that wear it out. This is no exageration. I can see a maintained Bogen lasting 100 years.

Now after that staement I would suggest buying a clean used one and saving some bucks. Myself, I have a Bogen 3221 wilderness. It is a tad heavy, 5.75 lbs if I remember right, but will support 13.2 and will bring a D50 to eyelevel...I'm 6-1...with the center post fully down. It folds to 2 ft +/-.

You can get one used with a decent head for $150.00 or less. You won't regret it.

If you want something super light to use and act as a stop gap until you can afford a good pod then invest in a good monopod. I use mine more than a tripod anyway.

I hope this helps. My $0.02. YMMV.

LWW

 

[JIP]

If you just want a tripod right now and don't mind upgrading later the 8500 you were looking at was a great choice. Too much I think people think they need the best of the best if you can afford $200+ a good Bogen is great but for the needs of most consumers (ie non-professionals) with basic gear like what you have a D-70 with the kit lens a basic $50-$100 tripod is perfectly adequate. I previously stated that I have a fairly expensive Bogen tripod well that is because I am a professional I shoot weddings and in a good wedding season my saturdays are filled consistently from May-October and sometimes earlier and later thats 24 weddings a year sometimes more my gear takes alot of abuse and needs to be rugged and be able to come back next week and take the same. What I'm getting at is alot of people get all caught up in buying the most expensive gear and forget that some people are doing this just for fun. Again Bogen is the gold standard when it comes to tripods that's why I bought one for Profesional use the one you named earlier the 8500 will be perfectly good for someone just doing this for fun or even an emerging pro if you can't afford or just can't juistify buying that expensive Bogen don't worry that's why they make less expensive gear just be wary of junk.

 

[jack lumber]

Have a look at this
http://www.bythom.com/support.htm

Imho ,,You will never get the best results out of your equipment, until you mount it on a decent tripod.