Tripod... What are you looking for

[karissa]

Ok, I did a few searches and found lots of stuff on which tripod to buy but I guess what I want to know is what makes a good tripod good? What are you looking for when you go out and look at tripods? Simply put... said like a kid... Why?

 

[markc]

You want both light and stable. Unfortunately it's usually a compromise. A good steady and large tripod isn't going to be nice to lug around. My main one is a Bogen 3001 with a Manfrotto 3265 head. It's heavy enough that the wind won't be moving it around too much, it's tall enough, and yet I can still carry it up the stairs. I wouldn't want to go on a long hike with it, though.

If you can afford it, getting two can be a good solution. A light one if you are going to be moving about, and a heavier one for the studio or if you won't be doing much walking. I've found that I rarely travel more than a hundred hards from the car to shoot my landscapes. If the same applies to you, get a bigger 'pod.

Defintely go with name-brand. Bogen/Manfrotto make great stuff, if a little pricey. I found the 3001 at a garage sale, so I lucked out with that.

 

[usayit]

I second Markc.

I have that exact setup. Many places will sell sets ( legs and head ) for a good price.

 

[karissa]

Thanks for the info.... How about this... I LOVE to backpack. I don't mind taking the weight of my camera it's not that heavy for what it means to me. I have never thought about wanting a tripod just because I would rather pack clothing, food, and my sleeping bag than swap something out for a bulky tripod. Any thoughts?

 

[ksmattfish]

My tripod is a heavy duty Bogen; the model number escapes me, but it'll hold my 4x5 cameras no problem. I love it. Sturdy build and rock solid even in the Kansas wind. But it's pretty heavy. I haul it on day hikes, but I couldn't imagine taking it on a serious hiking-camping excursion if I had to haul much other gear. I need to get a burro.

Bogen also makes smaller, lighter, more compact tripods. A Bogen tripod is pretty much for life because they are repairable (within reason).

Then there's the cheaper tripods. Pot aluminum and lots of plastic and very light. For 35mm or digital and hiking I think this is probably a good choice. Just accept that it's sort of disposable, and eventually (years) it will break or wear out.

Edit: the legs are 3221W, and the head is a 3030

 

[usayit]

The manfrotto/bogen 3001N legs is very light for a full height tripod. It weights in at 3.9lbs. Forget about the equivalent carbon fibre legs from Manfrotto. They will only save you about 0.4 lbs at more than twice the cost. Manfrotto also makes even lighter weight digi pods but they have a max load of less than 10lbs ( not good for your typical slr with long zoom ).

Another option albeit an expensive one, is the gitzo series carbon fibre tripods. The mountaineer series is what you want to look for if light weight is very important and you have a deep wallet. Under 2 lbs carbon fibre series gitzo will run upwards of $400+ bucks ( just for the legs ).

You can also go with the cheaper and lighter pressed aluminum pods but I have not found any that are stable enough or as durable.



3001N specs:
http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/templates.php3?sectionid=2&itemid=770

Mountaineer gitzo series:
http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/itemlist.php3?manufid=2&sectionid=274

from bogenphoto.com ( manfrotto, gitzo and bogen specs site )

 

[karissa]

http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/templates.php3?sectionid=274&itemid=2174

:shock: *chokes on price* :!: *faints* GOOD NIGHT!

This is my first endeavor into tripod land and well... I thought the $130 was a little much for 3 legs and a platform but... I looked around a bit and decided that $130 wasn't bad after all. I am eating up the information here. Thanks for the links. They where a huge help after I picked myself up off the floor. Looks like I will be waiting a bit before I get a good tripod I can hike with. I really hope to do a lot more backpacking once I move up to College but then again.. I'll just about broke then also... only time will tell. Maybe I'll just build a makeshift one as my "camp gadget" out of some sticks. If I do... you sure will see a picture here.

 

[markc]

If it makes you feel any better, my first tripod was an inexpensive metal/plastic thing. It wasn't great, but it was still better than nothing, and got me used to using a tripod. It's now been relegated to a stand for my home-made reflector, which it's perfect for.

 

[voodoocat]

As soon as I can sell my enlarger, I'm going to get the 3001. My tripod is almost useless when it comes to my Yashicamat. It's pretty useless with my 35mm. It's one of those plasticy aluminum tripods.

 

[karissa]

As soon as I can sell my enlarger, I'm going to get the 3001. My tripod is almost useless when it comes to my Yashicamat. It's pretty useless with my 35mm. It's one of those plasticy aluminum tripods.

Hmm... I have a fairly light digital cam... so uh... what are you going to do with that "plasticy aluminum" thing?

 

[voodoocat]

As soon as I can sell my enlarger, I'm going to get the 3001. My tripod is almost useless when it comes to my Yashicamat. It's pretty useless with my 35mm. It's one of those plasticy aluminum tripods.

Hmm... I have a fairly light digital cam... so uh... what are you going to do with that "plasticy aluminum" thing?

Well I would give it to you. And if you batted those gorgeous blue eyes I probably would cave in and do it anyway... but... I usually bring multiple cameras with me on photo trips. Having a spare tripod would still come in handy for me.

 

[karissa]

Well I would give it to you. And if you batted those gorgeous blue eyes I probably would cave in and do it anyway... but... I usually bring multiple cameras with me on photo trips. Having a spare tripod would still come in handy for me.

Hmm.. good point... how about a spare photographer?

 

[voodoocat]

Well I would give it to you. And if you batted those gorgeous blue eyes I probably would cave in and do it anyway... but... I usually bring multiple cameras with me on photo trips. Having a spare tripod would still come in handy for me.

Hmm.. good point... how about a spare photographer?

Well hell yeah. A spare photographer would come in real handy

 

[karissa]

Awesome! I'm in!

 

[usayit]

Oh forgot to make another recommendation....

For under $150 you can get a Manfrotto 3001 ( come in black, silver, flat green... I'd go green just to be different ) AND a non-pro head ( ball which is my preference, or 3 way ). As I said, its still relatively light for a full tripod ( 3.9 lbs ). Many full tripods weight in at over 8 lbs. This tripod should serve you well for years and be ok on day trips. Now that you have a tripod, you can start saving again for my next recommendation.

For your extended backpack trips that require less bulk and less weight, have you ever considered a sturdy monopod? Some are sturdy enough to double as a good walking stick. I don't own a monopod ( yet ) but I've played with these in the store and they seem to fit a variety of needs:

This one is neat as it can stand on its own ( a little expensive though ):
http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/templates.php3?sectionid=14&itemid=1815
only weighs in at 2.4 lbs.

or this one ( retails for 65 bucks ):
http://www.bogenimaging.us/product/templates/templates.php3?sectionid=14&itemid=1812

With a monopod, pay attention to the locking mechanisms. Especially if you are thinking of using it as a walking stick too. Don't forget the head.
I personally wouldn't mess with carbon fibre monopods either. Thats unless you have some serious cash to burn.

Has anyone tried this tripod:
http://www.feisol.com/english/enconnect.htm
I've seen them on ebay recently and for a lightweight full tripod, its not too bad. I would jump and try it out but I've already got my tripod.