Picking a cheapo tripod which one?

[Onera]

Hey guys,

I want some tripod only for the stars, I'm on budget and... here's my 2 choices.


Velbon CX-460 mini and Sony VCT - R100, which one will you prefer and why?

Just looking for something low and stable, the height doesn't matter.

Any advises are very welcome!

 

[480sparky]

Low and stable? Is that all?

How about a 24" x 24" piece of plywood with a 1/4" or 3/8" bolt & nut through the center of it for a ball head?


I'm not kidding.

 

[tirediron]

Sparky's idea is the cheapest, stabelest you're going to get. Cheap tripods are generally NOT suitable for astrophotography since it tends to involve long exposures and even a breath of wind can shift those, and ruin minutes or hours of work.

 

[Onera]

Hey again,

Thanks for the fast replies!

Yeah that's all low and stable, that's a good idea with the plywood, but I'm not sure I'll manage to do it... hah but I'll surely try it! The ball head would be hard to make it with my skills.

And how do you thinks those 2 tripods won't do the job? If it's hopeless I'll try the plan above, it looks solid as hell, hah...

 

[tirediron]

They're made with lots of cheap, flimsy plastic, thin legs... 30 years of experience tells me that either of those is likely to blow over in a moderate wind with nothing on them, never mind a camera & lens.

 

[Onera]

They're made with lots of cheap, flimsy plastic, thin legs... 30 years of experience tells me that either of those is likely to blow over in a moderate wind with nothing on them, never mind a camera & lens.

hmm... What if I stable the tripod with other objects in the ground... sounds so unprofessional, hah! Or even stick the legs in the ground, lol..

I plan to make 1 row of 10 pictures every single one with 10 sec exposure. So it will be like a minute and something, I'm not interested in star trails, just trying to learn how to make photography of the milky way. = )

 

[tecboy]

I bought a $60 manfrotto, and it is good enought for me. It is lightweight and hold my light camera. One guy told me that my tripod is crap, and I should buy a $600 tripod.

 

[SCraig]

You've gotten some good advice you would be well advised to listen to. It always amazes me when people will purchase an expensive camera and lens and then trust a cheap tripod to keep it from bouncing off the ground.

If you absolutely must do this at least get a tripod that will allow the legs to fold outward. Fold them back as far as possible, get the tripod as close to the ground as possible, and put sandbags on the legs to stabilize things. It's not going to work as well as a good tripod but you get what you pay for when it comes to tripods.

 

[Onera]

Then the Velbon would be a good choice

 

[Derrel]

How about a C_clamp or large Vise-Grip pliers with a 1/4" x 20 National COarse thread welded to it...seriously...not kidding.

 

[480sparky]

How about a C_clamp or large Vise-Grip pliers with a 1/4" x 20 National COarse thread welded to it...seriously...not kidding.

 

[SCraig]

Then the Velbon would be a good choice

Not in my opinion. It is too small. Put a camera on top and the slightest wind is going to blow it over. My Manfrotto tripod has legs that are about 44" long and it will go down to 3-1/2" off the ground with the legs spread. It cannot blow over.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

I bought a $60 manfrotto, and it is good enought for me. It is lightweight and hold my light camera. One guy told me that my tripod is crap, and I should buy a $600 tripod.

The "good enough for me" attitude is a great way to waste a ton of money and energy in the long run, after you upgrade your tripod 3 times in the next 5 years and spend a lot more in total than you would have if you'd have ponied up the cash for the right one to begin with. If you buy the right tripod, you most likely will only have to buy one.

 

[480sparky]

Then the Velbon would be a good choice

Not in my opinion. It is too small. Put a camera on top and the slightest wind is going to blow it over. My Manfrotto tripod has legs that are about 44" long and it will go down to 3-1/2" off the ground with the legs spread. It cannot blow over.