Solid budget tripod for hobby photographer

[BrickHouse]

Did the noob thing this summer and bought a $40 tripod at Walmart thinking "all it needs to do is hold a friggin camera" (It's ok to laugh). Well, obviously the thing's a piece of junk. Was thinking it might be a nice Christmas gift as I'm interested in trying to play with some star shots and long exposure stuff. Doesn't need much in the way of bells and whistles, just needs to be sturdy and do it's job better. Oh, and I should mention, I have an 18mo so the budget is tight, maybe <$100. Anybody have any recommendations?

 

[480sparky]

Try Craigslist for a used one.

 

[DougGrigg]

would definitely suggest having a look at RedSnapper tripods, they are really good value for money and good, I use it for all my cameras alongside my other tripod (which i've forgotten the name of) ha! have a look on amazon though, its always a winner!

 

[tirediron]

Agree with Sparky; you should be able to find a nice used Manfrotto/Bogen on Craig's List for ~$100.

 

[lambertpix]

This is probably pretty similar to what you got, right?

LambertPix » Budget tripod shootout, part 1

I ditched that tripod in favor of this one a few years ago:

LambertPix » Budget tripod shootout, part 2

It's much better, and there's a slightly newer version (there's a link in the article) that looks like it's got an updated ballhead, which was the weakest link in that kit. Definitely worth a look.

Another option: buy used. Earlier this year, I picked up a used Induro A113/SA01 for around $60, and while it's a little heavier in construction, it's not a gigantic step up from the Dolica, and is actually missing a couple features I really liked on the Dolica. Regardless, a used tripod is still worth considering -- you can get into a name-brand tripod for $100 if you buy used, and unlike cameras and lenses, there's not a lot that can go wrong on a tripod without it being pretty obviously broken ("dude, there's a leg missing..."). I'm still working on the review for the Induro, btw, but if you're dying to know about it, I can tell you what I thought of it.

In the end, I wound up finding a great deal on a set of Manfrotto CF legs, which I like a *lot*, but were more than $100 even on sale.

I'd recommend taking a little time to make sure you're clear on the features you want to see, and then start looking for bargains. I found the twist locks on the Induro, for instance, to be really disappointing, but I know some people prefer them to flip locks. Once you start figuring out stuff like that for yourself, you can narrow down the list of candidates quite a bit.

 

[BrickHouse]

Thanks for the replies! Lambert, your article was fantastic and exactly what I was looking for. That Dolica that you linked to in the second article is exactly what I'm looking for. Now I just need to send my list to Santa.

 

[tank121]

Don't know if this is above OP's budget but it's a great tripod and I bought it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alta-Pro-26...52503&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Vanguard+tripod

 

[BrickHouse]

Thanks Tank and DougGrigg! Unfortunately, the weakness of our dollar to your sterling pound (currently 1:1.6) and the added cost of overseas shipping puts both of your options above what I was hoping to spend. Appreciate the input though!