Tripod from Best Buy ???

Ron Evers · May 9, 2011

I got a tripod from best buy, the one @ this link,

Velbon Heavy Duty Tripod (SHERPA 200R) : Tripods - Best Buy Canada

It was $80 on sale & is very good value for money.

I got a Manfroto 190QC with ball head for $50 @ a pawn shop that I find more versatile because of the three position leg spreads.

Superfitz · May 9, 2011

KevinPutman said:
I prefer the 4-legged tripods personally.
-shrugs-

Like this one?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Knex-Tripod-with-four-legs---collapsible/

Ron Evers · May 9, 2011

Superfitz said:
KevinPutman said:

I prefer the 4-legged tripods personally.
-shrugs-

Click to expand...

Like this one?

K'nex Tripod with four legs - collapsible!

As a former surveyor, I can tell you three legs are enough to deal with.

Vinny · May 9, 2011

I had (still have) a cheap tripod that was 30 years old that worked OK for many years. I bought a new Vanguard Alta Pro 263 which is very similar to the Manfrotto 055PROB. I could have bought the tripod with the head and saved some money but instead I decided I wanted a Arca compatible mount, bought a Benro B3 ball head and bought a Kirk L bracket for my camera. The L bracket is so that I don't have to adjust the ball head for portrait orientation I just need to change the camera position.

What you need may be different from what someone else needs but I was looking for a tripod that would hold around 3x the weight of my camera plus largest (maybe future) lens. The ball head is supposed to handle a lot more weight than 3x and although it sounds like overkill I don't want the camera to move. Do you plan on doing any macro shots? If so, a center column that can articulate more than just up and down would be useful. Do you want a ball head or pan head? If you plan on videoing a pan head may be better suited but they do make ball heads that you can unlock the rotation portion. Legs that offer different angles for getting low to the ground can be useful.

What I stated above is from a beginner's (my) perspective ... I have no clue what specialized heads are for and there are tripods and heads that cost 10x or more than what I paid for mine - I don't make a living at photography so I purchased what I felt was good enough.

Rancor said:
I was in Best Buy last night looking for a new laptop for my girlfriend. I happened to walk past a display case and thought to myself, "Hey, that's a nice looking lens..." Then after about three more steps my brain got the message to my feet that that was the camera section, and I pulled an about face and scurried back to the case. After looking over a few lenses and filters and what not, I noticed a couple nice looking tripods, for what I would call a "reasonable" price. I would have grabbed one, but it dawned on me that I know nothing about tripods other than you want highly sturdy and adjustable legs (3 of them), and a level built in. I felt uncomfortable snagging one with out first coming here and asking this:

What should I be looking for in a solid all-purpose (or as many purposes as possible) tripod. Is there a good chance that since I was in Best Buy it was junk? What features should I be looking for? Is there a best tripod brand?

manaheim · May 9, 2011

Like almost everything in photography, you get what you pay for.

I went through three best buy basic tripods before I finally gave up and spent $450 or so on a Manfrotto setup. Thing is built like a tank and has never been a problem for me once. *shrug*