I need a better tripod

[ababysean]

I need a better tripod. Right now I have whatever free one I got about 10 years ago with a point and shoot camera.... it sucks.

I don't have a huge budget but I need a more heavy duty tripod, maybe with a ball head, that is easier to actually move the camera without unscrewing 3 or 4 things...

Any suggestions?

 

[mrpink]

I don't have a huge budget but I need a more heavy duty tripod

But you do have a budget. A dollar amount is mush less arbitrary.

I like my SILK Master Classic tripod, it was just under $100 and very sturdy. It is more of a studio tripod because of it's weight and size.

For now, I am using a pan/tilt head but I will soon upgrade to something like this

Amazon.com: Manfrotto 322RC2 Joystick Head Short: Camera & Photo







p!nK

 

[ababysean]

sorry, I should have put a dollar amount.
I was thinking under 50 bones?

 

[RicJoe]

Ebay!

Bought my Velbon, Sherpa 435 for under $100, cannot remember exact price.

 

[mrpink]

sorry, I should have put a dollar amount.
I was thinking under 50 bones?

Yeah.... you are going to need to get lucky in the used market with that budget.

My best suggestion. Save up and buy right.








p!nK

 

[MohaimenK]

For under $50 I don't know much u can get that would support much weight. I'd start looking through yard sales. I have an old one for $2 that weighs about 10-15 lbs made out of metal that can withstand hurricane Katrina but it's too much to work with since it's so old.

 

[mwcfarms]

sorry, I should have put a dollar amount.
I was thinking under 50 bones?

Yeah.... you are going to need to get lucky in the used market with that budget.

My best suggestion. Save up and buy right.
p!nK

+1000 If your already frustrated with this tripod why buy another that may just frustrate you in the same fashion. Make do with your crappy one till you have enough money saved up to buy a decent one. This is your gear your entrusting it with. Don't chintze out on something that could literally break your glass.

 

[ababysean]

well yes, I guess I should
blah, I did not know they were so damn expensive! I am looking now....
maybe I should just hit up the studio owner that had like 50 old tripods in the shed.
I wonder what they are.
I'll go look today.
Any certain brand to look for?

 

[mwcfarms]

Manfrotto, Gitzo, supposedly make some great ones. I have a SLik series and its ooooookkkk but when i can save up for a better one i will be getting a nice ball head since the pan/tilt locking function peeves me off. If the studio has a whole bunch just mooch off him.

 

[KmH]

I like Giottos tripods because they have a weight hook, all 3 legs have gips, they come with a tool kit and a padded bag. Manfrotto is the most popular brand.

Look at the Giottos MT line of aluminum tripods www.giottos.com. just the 3 leg section tripods, not the 4 leg section tripods. Three leg sections accords a little more stability.

You want a tripod that is high enough you don't need to raise the center column for normal use, and that has a weight rating 2 to 3 times the max weight you expect to ever mount on the tripod (so you can add weight to the weight hook if it's windy out and you need more stability.)

I am not a fan of ballheads, I use 3-way pan/tilt heads.

A decent tripod will cost $150 to $200. Good tripods go up from there.

 

[Vinny]

I'm using an old Star D tripod from the 70's I got for my film SLR. It has seen better days and I will eventually buy a new one, probably next year. I don't want to invest a lot of money in one because I don't use it too often and here are a couple I found that seem to get good write ups.

davis & sanford voyager

Sunpak 3300 Pro-B Tripod Kit with Ball Head and 620-331 B&H

And right here there's a find on ebay: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...s-reviews/223909-interesting-find-tripod.html

 

[BuS_RiDeR]

I use a Slik Able... and although it does not have a ball head... I find it rather solid. I got it for under $100 at the local camera shop.