Newbie here, Trying to pick a tripod within my budget

[watch]

I want to start my hobby of taking videos and photos in nature, such as beautiful photos of lakes, parks, mountains and most importantly, wildlife.
Since animals don't pose when we say cheese, I plan to set up tent and watch for the best shots.
Since I'm starting out, I don't want to spend over hundreds or thousands just yet for a tripod.

Some of these on ebay are listed, can you guys list them in terms of quality? Are they good brands in general? Any personal experiences with these tripods?
Velbon Tracer 301, Vanguard PT-168, Optex T-265, AmazonBasic 60", SLIK U5500, NS-TRP58

Here is what I found from googling:
SLIK U5500

Max Load 3.5 lbs
Max Height 56.3"

Insignia Tripod (NS-TRP58-C)

Max Load 7.7 lbs
Max Height 57.8"

AmazonBasic 60"

Max Load 6.6 lbs
Max Height 60"

Optex T-265

Max Load 6.6 lbs
Max Height 60"

I have 0 clue about Velbon Tracer 301 and Vanguard PT-168, no manual online or ebay listing with the info.
Anyone own one of these and know their max load and height? Thanks!

 

[Jeff1545 45]

Hello and welcome, have the Amazon and save some money ...

 

[cgw114 140]

Lucky you. It's Friday and the cocktail hour(s)began at 4. No sin in starting at the bottom and working your way up. The Amazon model is plasticky. The pan-tilt head will survive light use. The flimsy centre column crank? Maybe. These no-name cheapies are disposable--no repair options. Most won't accept better heads. I prefer Manfrotto. So did many others. That usually means a healthy used market. Older models are mostly metal and usually fixable with replacement parts. Whatever you choose--and assuming you stick with it--it won't be your last tripod.
Might help to share what you plan on docking on the tripod? Just a thought...

 

[PhotoHobbyist113 139]

A wobbly cheap tripod defeats the purpos of having a tripod. I've had a few cheap wobbly tripods, then I stumbled on a heavy duty vintage Celestron camera tripod at Goodwill for $7. Here is one on ebay, but not cheap.
Celestron Photographic/Video Tripod with Pan/Tilt Head Vintage Heavy Duty | eBay

If you have a Canon camera consider installing "Magic Lantern" firmware. It has motion triggering.

 

[Don Fischer]

I suspect that tripods are like so many other things in photography, mostly opinion. I have a Bogen 3031 and don't use it a lot but, had one from Wal Mart years ago and couldn't set it up very well at times. Drove me off. But bet if I could have it would have worked fine, Used it outdoors and sometime it had to have a leg up two up the hill. couldn't do that with mu Wal Mart tripod. Actually doesn't make the Wal Mart model bad. For taking portraits on flat ground it was fine. Unless you use this or that piece of equipment what do you really know? Nothing probably as just to many of them out there you haven't used. So thanks for the opinion! I would not spend my money that the legs are not separate. But then what do I know I've only ever had two! One thing might be lacking on mine. Add weight to the tripod pulling down and it steady's it up some more. Need a hook that screws into the cameras support bottom to hand aa weight on that pulls from the camera steading the camera some.

Something that has become obvious to me is in photography is that opinion really is nothing more than opinion and while working for one person is useless to another. The only opinion that really matters is yours. If you like what you got, that's actually pretty much all that really matters!

 

[watch]

So no one has information on Vanguard or Velbon models?

Out of all of these tripods, which one is a good brand?

Vanguard PT-168 is very tempting with its price on ebay. But I have no clue about its load capacity.

Here is a photo of it. Are these marks a concern?

 

[watch]

Lucky you. It's Friday and the cocktail hour(s)began at 4. No sin in starting at the bottom and working your way up. The Amazon model is plasticky. The pan-tilt head will survive light use. The flimsy centre column crank? Maybe. These no-name cheapies are disposable--no repair options. Most won't accept better heads. I prefer Manfrotto. So did many others. That usually means a healthy used market. Older models are mostly metal and usually fixable with replacement parts. Whatever you choose--and assuming you stick with it--it won't be your last tripod.
Might help to share what you plan on docking on the tripod? Just a thought...

I'm looking. Thinking Trail Cam or a budget Canon like Canon 7D but no exact model in mind besides that, any recommendations?

A wobbly cheap tripod defeats the purpos of having a tripod. I've had a few cheap wobbly tripods, then I stumbled on a heavy duty vintage Celestron camera tripod at Goodwill for $7. Here is one on ebay, but not cheap.
Celestron Photographic/Video Tripod with Pan/Tilt Head Vintage Heavy Duty | eBay

If you have a Canon camera consider installing "Magic Lantern" firmware. It has motion triggering.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Dale H. Cook108 2]

So no one has information on Vanguard or Velbon models?

I don't know about the Velbon Tracer 301, but I see it described online as "lightweight." I see that same description applied to the Velbon EX-330. I own a few of the latter, which I use exclusively to hold off-camera flashes for applications such as portraiture. I would not use my EX-330s to support my Pentax K-70 - it is moderately heavy, and my Velbons would not be sturdy enough to support it, especially with a zoom lens.

My philosophy about buying a tripod is that I need to try different brands and models with my camera body and some of my lenses. Fortunately I have a local camera shop which sells Manfrotto, Benro, Velbon, and a few other brands of tripod, so I was able to try some out. I ended up buying a Benro with a fluid damped head (I fell in love with such heads during the years when I worked at a TV station). It has proven to be very suitable for me.

If you live close enough to a city with a good camera shop which sells tripods I suggest that you make that trip. I would not buy a primary tripod on eBay unless the seller was someone I know and trust, and who has ample experience with photographic equipment.

 

[cgw114 140]

So no one has information on Vanguard or Velbon models?

Out of all of these tripods, which one is a good brand?

Vanguard PT-168 is very tempting with its price on ebay. But I have no clue about its load capacity.

Here is a photo of it. Are these marks a concern?
View attachment 291374

Garage sale material. Time to try Google...

 

[watch]

I don't know about the Velbon Tracer 301, but I see it described online as "lightweight." I see that same description applied to the Velbon EX-330. I own a few of the latter, which I use exclusively to hold off-camera flashes for applications such as portraiture. I would not use my EX-330s to support my Pentax K-70 - it is moderately heavy, and my Velbons would not be sturdy enough to support it, especially with a zoom lens.

My philosophy about buying a tripod is that I need to try different brands and models with my camera body and some of my lenses. Fortunately I have a local camera shop which sells Manfrotto, Benro, Velbon, and a few other brands of tripod, so I was able to try some out. I ended up buying a Benro with a fluid damped head (I fell in love with such heads during the years when I worked at a TV station). It has proven to be very suitable for me.

If you live close enough to a city with a good camera shop which sells tripods I suggest that you make that trip. I would not buy a primary tripod on eBay unless the seller was someone I know and trust, and who has ample experience with photographic equipment.

Thanks for the tip. So Manfrotto, Benro and Velbons are good brands?

Garage sale material. Time to try Google...

Is there a list somewhere for bad tripod brands or models? How do you identify garage sale material?
I tried google, and got a mixed answer in terms of honing discernment for good and bad tripods.

 

[Dale H. Cook108 2]

Thanks for the tip. So Manfrotto, Benro and Velbons are good brands?

I did not say that Velbon is a good brand. I said that their EX-330 was described as "lightweight" (and I agree) and that I would not use it for my camera. A Honda Accord may be a good car for commuting, but you would not want to try pulling a 30-foot travel trailer with it. My Velbons are fine for holding an off-camera flash (the purpose for which they were purchased) but they are too flimsy for me to trust them with my camera and a lens. Each of my Velbons cost about 20% of what my Benro cost. To get what I would consider a good quality tripod and head combo you will have to spend over $200 new. I would not trust my camera to an eBay tripod of unknown condition, nor to any tripod I had not tried out first.

I identify suitable photographic equipment largely by trying it before I buy it, but I have 55+ years of experience to draw upon.

 

[snowbear113 45]

As with a lot of things, you generally get what you pay for. Do you need carbon fiber? Probably not, but it has to hold your camera and lens(es) and be steady. I went with a Manfroto aluminum model. Later I upgraded the ball head.

 

[1981eagle]

My advice when it comes to tripods is to get one that has a 'max height' that you think you will need with the center column all the way down. It's been my experience that the center column extended on all 'budget' tripods makes the camera somewhat 'wobbly' and even on mid-range tripods this can be a concern.

The second concern is how many leg sections there are. Every joint introduces the potential for weakness. That said, more leg sections make for a overall shorter collapsed length, and therefore easier to pack and transport. Fewer leg sections often lead to greater stability at the cost of a longer collapsed length.

Then you talk about material. Aluminum will likely be less expensive, but somewhat heavier than carbon fiber. If you shoot outdoors in cold temps, aluminum can be pretty cold to carry and hold.

This isn't a cheap one, and likely out of reach for 'entry level' but I have and love a Manfrotto 535 MPRO. I think that particular one is out of production, but I like the half ball for the mount for the head.

Tripods are like cameras and lenses; you will find as many opinions as there are photographers. I'm afraid I may not have helped but hopefully gave you some things to think about.

 

[watch]

My advice when it comes to tripods is to get one that has a 'max height' that you think you will need with the center column all the way down. It's been my experience that the center column extended on all 'budget' tripods makes the camera somewhat 'wobbly' and even on mid-range tripods this can be a concern.

The second concern is how many leg sections there are. Every joint introduces the potential for weakness. That said, more leg sections make for a overall shorter collapsed length, and therefore easier to pack and transport. Fewer leg sections often lead to greater stability at the cost of a longer collapsed length.

Then you talk about material. Aluminum will likely be less expensive, but somewhat heavier than carbon fiber. If you shoot outdoors in cold temps, aluminum can be pretty cold to carry and hold.

This isn't a cheap one, and likely out of reach for 'entry level' but I have and love a Manfrotto 535 MPRO. I think that particular one is out of production, but I like the half ball for the mount for the head.

Tripods are like cameras and lenses; you will find as many opinions as there are photographers. I'm afraid I may not have helped but hopefully gave you some things to think about.

The Velbon Tracer 301 has yellow locks at all the joints for all legs. It makes me wonder if that helps it with the wobbly wobbliness

 

[smoke665]

@watch I have an earlier version of this for travel, Vesta GO 264AB Aluminum Travel Tripod w/ Ball Head works great. Lightweight with a respectable weight bearing capacity. Several years now and still going strong.