Need a better tripod

[jcdeboever]

I bought a used Bogen 3011 with a 3025 3 axis head. It is a great tripod but it is heavy. I think I paid like $50 to $75 for it at a brick & mortar store. I use it for everything other than street stuff or long walks. For lightweight but stable, I use the sirui t2205x with a manfroto xpro 3 pan head. I also use a focus rail on occasion for product and macro work on either.

 

[Original katomi]

Twist vs leaver
I have both and they both have their good and bad pints as said above
The leaver lock you can adjust as it can get loose over time a twist is not so easy
I wiped my twist down after a beach photography it must have still been damp as the twist O ring stuck
Easy of use in the dark.. unknown I with mine in the dark sat outside just so that I learn how and what each does like the camera, that way I am not faffing around with torches
As Joe says work out what you want first
We can all tell you what is good and what works for us
If I was going off road driving I would not buy a mini knowing I wanted a 4*4 I would then ask which suited me the best sifting all the advice I was given

 

[weepete]

I've got a Velbon Sherpa 400R tripod that I've used for years, it's great. I've used it in all sorts of conditions and it's been fine. Mine doesn't go completely flat (though the new one goes very low) and I've replaced the head (but that's mainly as I like to shoot panoramas). In 6 or 7 years I've had it it's probably the only bit of kit I've not seriously thought about upgrading. I'm always suprised they seem to get overlooked by a lot of photographers.

Normally if it's very windy there's too much blur in foliage anyway for slow shutter speeds. Just something worth considering.

 

[Derrel]

I prefer lever locks to twist, for speed and convenience. Speaking of convenience I prefer a two section leg tripod most, and I prefer a three-section leg over a four-section leg....The more sections there are, the more locks must be used. multiply the number of locks by three, And my reason for thinking this way becomes clear.

 

[Derrel]

there are quite a few tripods out there and somewhere is one (or two?) with your name on it

if you spend $300 you should be able to get a pretty good tripod and head especially if you look at the used market.

it really sounds like portability and light weight would be two criteria for you to maximize. I would limit myself to some easily carryable weight limit such as 6 1/2 pounds, or perhaps even lighter. I think that for ease of portability that you should probably look at carbon fiber instead of aluminum, even though carbon fiber costs significantly more.

 

[adamhiram]

Like most people here, I have a sizable collection of tripods. My thoughts on the features you mentioned:

• Lever vs. twist locks: My preference is definitely levers. They are quicker to open and close, no chance of accidentally unscrewing them too far and losing a shim, or tightening too hard and breaking a shim. However the more compact you get, the more likely you will be locked into twist locks.
• QR plate: For quick operation, I love Manfrotto's RC2 system. Arca plates are pretty standard across all brands, but you have to slide it to the right position and tighten a thumb screw to lock it in place - not really quick. With RC2, it just snaps in and you push down a clamp.
• Size: I tend to group tripods into 3 size categories, full size, travel, and compact. Full-size is typically big and heavy, very stable, and not good for travel. Travel tripods make some compromises, but tend to be very usable, and typically get strapped to the outside of your camera bag. Compact folds down to 12-15", and is made to fit inside of luggage and sometimes even inside of camera bags, but obviously come with some compromises in stability, max load, and height.

For a full-sized, tripod, Manfrotto's 055 or 190 aluminum tripods with a decent ball head are fantastic. You're probably not going to travel too much with these, so I don't think it's worth the cost to go with carbon fiber, since the whole point is to be big and heavy. I have an 055XProB with an 054 head that come in at 6.5lbs - solid performer as long as I don't have to walk far.

For a mid-sized travel tripod, my choice is the Aluminum Manfrotto BeFree Advanced with lever locks. On paper, the specs look almost as good as a heavier full-sized version, you get the RC2 QR plate and lever locks, and a very stable platform in a 3.6lb package. I think this or one of the other similar BeFree models might fit your needs, and a good compromise between size and weight while still getting good stability.

For something compact, my go-to tripod is now a Sirui T-025SK, which folds down to about 12", fits inside my camera bag, and can still hold the weight of a full-sized SLR with a big lens. I don't know if this will be stable enough for your needs, but I have a thread about it here if you want to read my review.

Good luck with your growing tripod collection!

 

[SquarePeg]

I appreciate all the input, thanks to all! Have a much better idea of the features I need/want and have been looking hard to find it but have yet to come across exactly the right one. This will be my primary tripod when hiking or traveling but keeping in mind I don’t use a tripod 80% of the time.

Must haves
Quick release plate
Metal ball head
Center column that can be inverted or converted to a cross bar for low angle shots
Able to tilt to portrait orientation without additional bracket
Light weight (nothing over 4-5 lbs)

Secondary needs but important to me
Lever locks
4 sections
Bubble level that’s easy to see
Nice case
Fits in standard carryon bag for flying
Center column hook for weights

 

[RVT1K]

Have one great tripod, best for the buck I could find.
ZOMEI Z818C Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod&Ball Head for DSLR Camera 612032616311 | eBay

I'm not even looking to buy a tripod and I may get one of these!
Great tip, thanks.

 

[Derrel]

that looks like a decent small tripod for $94. My only doubt is about how sturdy it is. With a carbon fiber tripod that weighs 3.5 pounds, I doubt that it will be that steady. however it is small and light, and I have used crappy tripods. before, and almost any tripod is better than no tripod.

 

[RVT1K]

I guess that depends on what you do with a tripod.
I see that many do long-exposure shots and I can see why a very sturdy tripod is necessary. I've also learned a couple of things from threads like this i.e. removing the camera strap.

All I need is something to keep the shake down when shooting with a long lens.

 

[SquarePeg]

I guess that depends on what you do with a tripod.
I see that many do long-exposure shots and I can see why a very sturdy tripod is necessary. I've also learned a couple of things from threads like this i.e. removing the camera strap.

All I need is something to keep the shake down when shooting with a long lens.

I only use a tripod when I know I won’t be able to hand hold to get the shot I want. I much prefer being unencumbered when composing my photos. I took my tripod to the beach at sunrise the other morning and of the 200+ frames I took, all my favorites are from when I was free of the tripod and could chase the composition.

With my small mirrorless and small lenses I’m not as about camera shake with a long zoom.

 

[oldhippy]

Have one great tripod, best for the buck I could find.
ZOMEI Z818C Professional Carbon Fiber Tripod Monopod&Ball Head for DSLR Camera 612032616311 | eBay

I'm not even looking to buy a tripod and I may get one of these!
Great tip, thanks.

Thank you, I have 2 they are built well hold about 16 lbs. fasten weighted sack if needed, but never have bad to.

 

[SquarePeg]

I'm looking at these 2. If the K&F had lever locks I would be 100% sold as a travel tripod. I love the horizontal boom feature. I have an adapter and a variable ND filter from K&F and have been happy with the build quality on both. The second one may work for every day I think... At 28.8" folded size it's a bit big for hiking/travel.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K9WEV76/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3JK7NEF4ES3E9&psc=1

or

https://www.amazon.com/Vanguard-Alt...69337140&s=electronics&sr=1-9#customerReviews


Also considering this one but it doesn't have any panning and the reviews on quality are not great. However, it does have that Manfrotto cache'.

Manfrotto BeFree Compact Travel Aluminum Alloy Tripod

Thoughts?

 

[SquarePeg]

So... after much hemming and hawing, many changes of mind and adding/removing things from my cart, I decided on this one for a travel tripod. It was recommended by someone in my meet up group who has one. Other than the twist locks, it has everything I was looking for. Super light and pack-able, low angle adapter, metal ball head, quick release plate, hook for adding weight, bubble level, panning, carry bag...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071P8S7VW/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I still need to find something for long exposure/astro stuff. I think many of the issues I had the other night were user based. Going to give it another try with what I have after practicing a bit on setting it up in the dark and using the one snap QR now that I know it needs to be oriented a certain way I can mark and notch the plate so I can do it without a light. After that I can see where my current tripod is really lacking and go from there.

 

[ac12]

I think I have at least five tripods.
Tips from what I've learned.

• There is no ONE perfect tripod. What works well for one situation, fails badly for another. So in my mind, tripod selection is based on what you want to do with the tripod. IOW tripod selection is about compromise.
  • Travel/hiking is a compromise. The driving requirement is size and weight. It has to fit into the suitcase, so I CANNOT use my larger tripods.
  • I will not put my 4x5 camera on anything but my BIGGEST tripod.
  • So like it or not, I had to get several tripods.
• If the weather is cold (or HOT), you want a carbon fiber tripod. The aluminum legs get COLD, and difficult to handle, without gloves.
  • CF tripods are usually more expensive than aluminum tripods. But there are affordable CF tripods coming out of China.

• You want a tripod that has a 3/8 inch stud, for the head. Not the smaller 1/4 inch stud.

• Heads

• There are tripods with fixed heads. But then you are stuck with that head, forever

• This might be an acceptable compromise for a travel tripod.

• I have as many tripod heads (of different types) as I have tripods. Like the tripod, I select the head that is most appropriate for the task.

• Person preference affects this. Some people love ball heads, others hate them.

• The tripod has to be tall enough, without extending the center column.
  • Extending the center column reduces the stability of the camera on the tripod. So I use it only for minor height adjustments.
  • I found that it is difficult to find a tripod tall enough for me. The specs usually do not list the height of the tripod with the center column NOT extended.
• For removable plates, I have standardized on the Arca Swiss (AS) plate and clamps.

• I have an AS clamp on everything; all my tripods and monopod. Again, so I do not have to deal with moving a clamp from on tripod to another.
  • Caution, there is no real standard for AS plates. So a lever clamp has to be adjusted for that specific plate, as it may fit loose on another plate. This is why I use screw clamps rather than lever clamps.
• AS clamp/plates are more common and easier to find than proprietary plates.
  • Example. I have a tripod that I have no idea where I could get a replacement plate, if I loose the plate. IOW if I loose the plate, the tripod is totally worthless.
  • Proprietary clamp/plates may be limited in application. Example the Manfrotto clamp is only on the ONE Manfrotto head, not the other Manfrotto heads, not on my monopod, and not on my gimbal head.
• Though I have to admit, that I like the 1-hand operation of the Manfrotto plate/clamp.
  • But the hex plate is quite bulky. Better suited under a MF or LF camera than a small camera.
    
  • So that is a special use plate/clamp.
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• Sorry about the line spacing and indenting, the forum software seems to have a mind of it's own.