Why does buying a tripod have to be so difficult..

[TamiAz]

Why does there have to be so many choices..It's making my head spin. One person says buy this brand and the next person says buy another another brand. And, they all look the same online.. Vent over!!

 

[pixmedic]

its really easy...just go to the store, give them money, and take home a tripod. easy peasy.

 

[lambertpix]

I'm not sure if I can help you find *the one*, but if you can identify a trait or two you either must have or really want to avoid, that might help ease the clutter a bit. For me, for instance, once I spent some time with twist lock legs, I decided to avoid them whenever possible. You might also be able to rule some out based on load-rating, dimensions, and so on. Finally, if you're buying head & legs together, you might be able to rule out some kits by virtue of head design (ball-head vs. panning head, etc.).

Figuring out what you *don't* want might help you concentrate a little better on what's left.

 

[Designer]

Most of us seem to end up with two or three. Get a light one to carry around and a heavy one for your studio, and then (?)

 

[hamlet]

Just photography in general is a bit that way. Everyone has opinions on what is better, but in my opinion when they do give you advice on what to pick the product will likely be pretty good, because they are just nit picking between little differences that you don't really pay attention to in the end of the day.

Just focus on the general things the tripod has to do for you. like what will you do with it:

macro
wildlife
portraits
sports
video
weight it can hold
weight of the tripod
size


So go through these things and pick out the things it needs to be able to do and we can refine from there.

 

[TinySquid]

its really easy...just go to the store, give them money, and take home a tripod. easy peasy.

Because there are camera stores on like every street corner these days! :lmao:

Seriously, though... the closest camera store is nearly a 2 hour round-trip for me and I'm sure that many other members are in the same boat. OP, like lambertpix said, figure out what you're looking for in a tripod, then focus on a few manufacturers known for making quality products, and start narrowing things down based on the criteria you come up with--there's a tripod model for pretty much every use case, you just have to define your use case. Make your decision based on research, not what people are telling you to buy.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

I bought a modern tripod and then I bought an old bogen. I'll use that bogen until it breaks. I trust it with my camera in every weird position and over water. It's built like a tank and stable as a cow stuck thigh high in cement. The modern one..... Well, it's collecting dust. It's a vanguard

 

[TamiAz]

Thanks, everyone.. I'm looking for something sturdy for food (macro) photography. I have a cheap lightweight tripod that isn't cutting it. It slips and doesn't seem sturdy enough for my D600 with the 105mm macro lens. When I take vertical shots with my current tripod I don't want to take my hands off my camera.

I do know I want a Benro 3-way head, but I need the tripod to go with it. I want something sturdy. I eventually will get a custom bracket as well.

 

[table1349]

Why you ask????.....Simple but truthful answer. We are all cheap bastards and want everything for nothing! That is how the whole buy $10 tripod, break it, buy $30 tripod break it, get mad buy really expensive $50 dollar tripod and get really pissed when it breaks cycle begins.

It isn't that tough. First asses your needs. Many of them are simple.

Know what gear you have now and what gear you plan/dream of having in the future. Figure out about what that dream gear combination is going to weigh. Now eliminate all tripods that do not support at least 2X the weight of the heaviest combination you come up with. 3X would be better.

Now, figure out you uses are going to be. Studio, carry around in the car, backpack etc. The less you have to physically carry it, the more it can weigh which means in general you can buy a tripod that is cheaper than the lightest, easiest to carry on your person. You have three basic choices of materials.

Aluminum - Cheapest. Provides good stability and is of medium weight.

Carbon/Boron - Most expensive. Provides really good stability and is the lightest.

Hard Wood - Medium expense. Provides the very best in stability and is also the heaviest.

Fittings are pretty much your preferences. Twist locks or lever locks. I like both. They both work well on a good tripod.

Now comes the hard part. Narrow that list down to the ones that come closest to your price range. Yes I said closest because most people have followed the first process I described and getting out of that process is a bit unnerving. Keep in mind a good tripod can last a life time if cared for.

 

[astroNikon]

I spent $90 but got a $1,000 tripod
Then I spent $89 more and got a $300 tripod
Then I spent $90 and got a ... carbon fiber monopod and $200 head

I like eBay

So you can be cheap and eat your cake .. errr .. get that nice tripod.
But I knew what I was looking for too and I waited for it.

But either way, you need to know the weight limits. AND with that, whether the tripod is steady (cheap ones are not steady even though they may have a good weight limit). Then know if you want a 3-way, or a ball/pistol head (or nothing). And how you plan on using it Then the type of tripod itself.
Of course, you may end up using it for alot more than you think.

best thing to do is go to a camera store somewhere and put these nice tripods in your hands. Then search online of what makes a nice tripod .. such as this funny review

 

[Scatterbrained]

Thanks, everyone.. I'm looking for something sturdy for food (macro) photography. I have a cheap lightweight tripod that isn't cutting it. It slips and doesn't seem sturdy enough for my D600 with the 105mm macro lens. When I take vertical shots with my current tripod I don't want to take my hands off my camera.

I do know I want a Benro 3-way head, but I need the tripod to go with it. I want something sturdy. I eventually will get a custom bracket as well.

If you want stability when shooting in vertical orientation, get an L bracket. That's the whole purpose of an L bracket. If you are shooting in a studio and I'd recommend getting a studio stand rather than a tripod, assuming you have a dedicated shooting space. If not I'd look into something like a RRS/Gitzo Systematic style tripod. Of course knowing you're budget would help.

Personally, I ended up getting the Sirui R4203L for studio shooting. It's ridiculously stout and quite well built for the money. As you can see, it can handle anything DSLR related that you can through at it:


That 4x5 camera is heavy, yet the tripod is rock solid. That Majestic head isn't exactly svelte either. That 4x5 alone weighs more than my 600 4.5 and the gimbal head. Then add the Majestic geared head, which is quite a beast itself, then the sandbag, then hang it all precariously off the side of the tripod at an odd angle, still solid.

 

[JoeW]

Why does there have to be so many choices..It's making my head spin. One person says buy this brand and the next person says buy another another brand. And, they all look the same online.. Vent over!!

It's difficult b/c buying a tripod is very different from buying most other photo equipment. Let me give you an example....you can get cheap or discount photo equipment (a used body, a kit lens, cheap studio equipment) and as long as you're aware of it's limitations, you can learn to work with it. But cheap tripods are worse than no tripods (b/c a cheap tripod creates the illusion of some stability when if you didn't have that cheap tripod you wouldn't try the shot or you'd jack up the ISO so the shutter speed was faster or you'd lean against a door or fence to get a stable shooting platform).

The two best pieces of advice for buying a tripod:
1. Don't look for a bargain. There are tons of them out there for $50 or less (new). Just keep on walking. As a general rule, any new tripod (and ball head) that is less than $160 or $180 isn't worth considering. You'll want to look for bargains but the reality is that cheaper tripods just aren't that stable (and if a tripod isn't stable it's worthless).
2. Be clear about what you want to use the tripod for. Let me give you some examples...
--I have a Manfrotto (with manfrotto head) that is light-weight and telescopes down so it will fit in carry-on luggage. I travel with it all the time. Now, I get a crick in my neck b/c it only goes up to about 5'2" and I'm 5'10". But it's a great travel tripod.
--I have a gorillapod that attaches to my favorite holster and works superbly for local street photography when I need something stable for a slower exposure.
--I have another manfrotto with an induro head. Longer than the first manfrotto (so it won't fit in carry-on). Also significantly heavier (so I never go hiking with it). But the center column will go horizontal so I use it for macro and food photography as well as some studio work.
--I have a clamp-pod (clamps on to the car window or a chair). It's perfect for when I can't bring a full tripod or I'm in a car but want a shot that requires some stability a human body can't provide.

You don't need to have 3-4-5 tripods. Just identify what you need to do with your prospective tripod and then buy accordingly. If you're a hiker than you want something that is light, go with your gear/favorite backpack, might have provisions for spike legs or attaching sandbags/water bottles (to keep it weighed down). If you fly, than it needs to fit in to carry-on luggage. If you're tall or short than there are height considerations. If you do macro or food than you want a center column that tilts. If you do a lot of studio work than you want something that is so stable and probably heavy that when you back in to it, it won't tip over...and you can probably attach a clipboard to it (for shot sequence or shooting schedules). If you try to buy a tripod that does everything (you want it rock-stable, spikes for outdoor terrain, level to judge if it's tilted, center column that tilts, able to hold a 500mm f2.8 zoom)....well, you're not going to find one that is perfect for everything. It's like saying you want a sports car for 2 that can also hold your kid's youth soccer team.

 

[nzmacro]

Found it really easy. Went in, picked them all up one at a time and walked out with the heaviest one

Danny.

 

[Braineack]

such as this funny review

his reviews are, like always, a waste of time.

 

[TamiAz]

Thank you for all the information.. I appreciate the detailed information that was provided!!

Thanks, everyone.. I'm looking for something sturdy for food (macro) photography. I have a cheap lightweight tripod that isn't cutting it. It slips and doesn't seem sturdy enough for my D600 with the 105mm macro lens. When I take vertical shots with my current tripod I don't want to take my hands off my camera.

I do know I want a Benro 3-way head, but I need the tripod to go with it. I want something sturdy. I eventually will get a custom bracket as well.

If you want stability when shooting in vertical orientation, get an L bracket. That's the whole purpose of an L bracket. If you are shooting in a studio and I'd recommend getting a studio stand rather than a tripod, assuming you have a dedicated shooting space. If not I'd look into something like a RRS/Gitzo Systematic style tripod. Of course knowing you're budget would help.

Personally, I ended up getting the Sirui R4203L for studio shooting. It's ridiculously stout and quite well built for the money. As you can see, it can handle anything DSLR related that you can through at it:


That 4x5 camera is heavy, yet the tripod is rock solid. That Majestic head isn't exactly svelte either. That 4x5 alone weighs more than my 600 4.5 and the gimbal head. Then add the Majestic geared head, which is quite a beast itself, then the sandbag, then hang it all precariously off the side of the tripod at an odd angle, still solid.

I only do this as a hobby and I can't justify spending $500 on a tripod as much as I would like to. You have a very nice set up and the tripod looks very sturdy.. My max budget is $300, so I might look around Craigslist and Ebay to see if I can get a good deal on a used one. Thanks for the information!!