Just bought my first "real" tripod!!!!!

[robb01]

Can't wait for it to get here. I did quite a bit of research before picking this out. I currently use a cheap Sony tripod, and it was really not stable, and I knew I had to upgrade. I finally settled on the Manfrotto 055XB legs and the Manfrotto 496RC2. It cost a shade over $200.

I'm really hoping this will be a rock solid stable platform for taking landscape and nature photos

 

[nickzou]

I have an Optex tripod, 40 bucks. It's pretty sturdy. Everything locks up nicely, I use it a lot. It's short comings? Hard to set it up for portrait orientation. I might upgrade one day, but as far as I can tell the cheap 40-80 dollar tripods are pretty damn good. When you say it wasn't stable? How unstable exactly was it? Did the camera lean forward or something?

 

[Fleetwood271]

Hey, I got the Manfrotto 055XPROB with 498RC2 Head about 2 months ago and love it. Very solid and steady. As someone on Amazon said, "Good news is it's heavy and sturdy; bad news is it's heavy and sturdy.

If you're thinking about a case for it, the Manfrotto MBAG8ON is a what I bought.

 

[robb01]

I did read that . Also read, that most of the ppl complaining about it being too heavy must be weak, lol

 

[NikonME]

I did read that . Also read, that most of the ppl complaining about it being too heavy must be weak, lol

It's a solid tripod. Built like a rock, weighs like one too. I love my tripod, but when you are going to hike several miles into the woods to photograph a waterfall, every single pound starts to add up.

 

[tirediron]

I have an Optex tripod, 40 bucks. It's pretty sturdy. Everything locks up nicely, I use it a lot. It's short comings? Hard to set it up for portrait orientation. I might upgrade one day, but as far as I can tell the cheap 40-80 dollar tripods are pretty damn good. When you say it wasn't stable? How unstable exactly was it? Did the camera lean forward or something?

Wait until you work with a good tripod, $3-400 worth of Manfrotto or Giottos will show you just how lacking that Optex is; don't get me wrong, it's adequate, but there's a reason some tripods cost many times what yours did.

 

[tirediron]

I did read that . Also read, that most of the ppl complaining about it being too heavy must be weak, lol

It's a solid tripod. Built like a rock, weighs like one too. I love my tripod, but when you are going to hike several miles into the woods to photograph a waterfall, every single pound starts to add up.

If you're going to do a lot of hiking with your gear, an investment in a good set of carbon fibre legs will REALLY pay off!

 

[Railphotog]

I'm still using my Manfrotto 055 I bought about 25 years ago (can't remember exactly when). Never regretted for a moment buying it, think it cost me around $150.00, a fair amount for me at the time. In its wake I left several cheapo tripods that either were a pain to use (twisting the grips to try and tighten the legs, etc.), or simply fell apart, usually at the worst time. I didn't know anything about tripods at the time, no Internet to research, just visited a local shop and picked the sturdy looking one.

One accessory that I'm also glad I purchased was the Manfrotto strap. It screws into a threaded hole near the top, and there is a loop that wraps around the feet. It has a wide rubber shoulder rest that makes carrying it easier.

 

[kundalini]

I have an Optex tripod, 40 bucks. It's pretty sturdy. Everything locks up nicely, I use it a lot. It's short comings? Hard to set it up for portrait orientation. I might upgrade one day, but as far as I can tell the cheap 40-80 dollar tripods are pretty damn good. When you say it wasn't stable? How unstable exactly was it? Did the camera lean forward or something?

Let's say you have several thousand dollars of gear, weighing several pounds......... are you really wanting to put it on a $40 tripod?

Some light reading for you Nick.
Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan

 

[TheBiles]

Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal PAIN.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G

 

[nickzou]

Let's say you have several thousand dollars of gear, weighing several pounds......... are you really wanting to put it on a $40 tripod?

Some light reading for you Nick.
Tripods and Ball Heads by Thom Hogan

Thought the whole point of having thousand dollar gear is for that sturdy magnesium body that makes pro cameras built like tanks. I've heard stories of D80's being dropped repeatedly without so much as a scratch.

btw reading the article now.

 

[KmH]

Or even a $200 tripod.

 

[jake337]

I went with the Manfrotto 055xprob legs and Manfrotto 324RC2 head.