 Jodi Pavey |
Purchasing a Tripod Need a suggestion for buying a tripod. I have purchased a few over the years from $50 - $100 and they all fail me. They brake and are not sturdy enough. I do landscape, portrait and product photography. I work indoors and out. I rarely do hiking so weight is not of great concern but helpful if it was not heavy. I do travel and want to take it with me. There are times I need to get close to the ground so one that can help in this area would be great as well. (not for macro but for angle reasons).
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Richard Lynch |
Jodi, There is 'cheap' and then there is 'inexpensive'. amvona.com sells some pretty good equipment for not so much. I have an AT-858 with a pistol grip that is clearly a knockoff of a Bogen model, but it performs fairly well, is sturdy, and I've never had a problem. It isn't terribly light. It has several nice features like a reversible column. I've never had the sense that it would collapse or fail, and some of the equipment I use is pretty heavy. Some reviews of amvona here... You'll see a variety of comparisons to Manfrotto, but at a much lower price. I didn't see one that said they were dissatisfied with the equipment, and most mention only the weight as a negative. Hope that helps! Richard Lynch
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Jodi Pavey |
Richard, Thanks for the suggestions. I will check it out. I will also be checking out your class next month; From Monitor to Print. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again.
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Mark Feldstein |
To sort of continue along the line Rich mentioned, to some, a tripod is like a camera bag or other equipment for that matter. You can buy one that will last you a long time, that's versatile, one you can grow into, durable and reasonably portable. Or you can keep replacing one with another until your closet is like a horn of plenty every time you open the door and dozens of tripods, camera bags and shooting vests come tumbling out. My own preference is Gitzo. I still shoot regularly with the reporter Gitzo I bought nearly 30 years ago. IMHO Jodi, you need to consider present and future use, size and weight of your present and planned future equipment including lenses, ball heads if any, camera body and even format. A second Gitzo I have for studio and outdoor work weighs about 9 pounds and is sturdy enough to support a 4x5 view camera or just a 35mm Leica on a Linhof ballhead. Made in Italy, I believe. Yes, they're pricey. But with some degree of planning, it's unlikely you'd ever need to replace it and they're a solid investment in your photography. Here's a Gitzo link to get you started. http://www.bogenimaging.us/Jahia/site/bius/pid/9209
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Bob Cammarata |
You may want to check out the Slik 700DX AMT Pro tripod for several reasons: *It's relatively light but will support up to 15 lbs really well. *The pan/tilt head included is easy to adjust and locks solid, even for really tight macros or for medium to long telephoto applications. *The tripod sports tension levers to raise and lower the legs. (I like these much better than those rings you have to un-screw.) *The padded legs are great for those over-the-shoulder treks to distant shooting locales. *The threaded round quick-disconnect plate is easy to attach in a hurry...and a locking mechanism on the head insures that your camera and lens will still BE THERE after the aforementioned hike. *The three-positioning legs allow for a multitude of low-level shooting angles but the standard center column will limit how low you can actually go. A worthwhile option might be to get the shorter center column if you are planning on a lot of ground-level work. (Note: You can save a few bucks and just hacksaw a foot or so off the bottom of the existing center column...which you really should not be raising anyway.) I've been using this tripod for several years and the only negative thing I've found is that the legs are a little too unstable for really long telephoto applications. Bob
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John H. Siskin |
Hi Jodi, You don’t mention how much camera you will be putting on the tripod. This is important. I have an 8X10 camera that I use on a Reis Tripod. I would not put that camera on my Gitzo, nor would I use that Reis for my DSLR. Having said that my favorite tripod for the DSLR is a Gitzo with a Manfrotto ball head. I have tripods from Majestic Reese (2), Slik and a couple of others, as well as couple of tripod heads from Manfrotto. For quality the Gizto legs are the best for the weight. For studio use the Majestic rocks especially with a heavy camera. I would also consider getting a right angle arm for the tripod; this allows you additional flexibility in the studio. Thanks, John Siskin
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
I would strongly recommend you get a ball head, which allows you to quickly change the orientation by simply squeezing one lever. I have the Manfrotto tripod and monopod, and I can quickly relocate the ball head on both. I will never go back to using the tripods where you have to adjust multiple levers..
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Bob Cammarata |
Yes, ball heads can be a viable accessory for those who may require rapid adjustments of their camera angle but there will be limitations in how much weight all but the best ball heads will effectively support. (You may disregard that last statement if you are willing to shell out all of your intended expense budget on the head alone to get a really good one.) Generally speaking, pan/tilt heads will offer much greater stability with heavier equipment than equally priced ball heads.
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Tareq M. Alhamrani |
Gitzo and Bogan/Manfrotto are 2 of the best tripods brands. Tripods vary according to many factors: Loads, weight, portability [if for travel and so] and so, and don't forget the prices. You have to consider the heads, some tripods coming in full kit that including the heads some without heads, and also heads are vary due to loads and durability or flexibility [Quick release and so]. I think Manfrotto 190XProB which I have with let's say 488RC2 is a good starting combo, or get 055 for more sturdy one.
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