Tripods…Oh, Tripods

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 45 total)
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  • #39536
    zincprincess
    Participant

    I borrowed this from one of my co-workers and lugged it around the woods and trails yesterday.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/220407-REG/Manfrotto_3021_Pro_Tripod_Legs.html

    Holy cow is it heavy. He hikes up the mountains around here and he wanted something that would be stable for long exposures in 40 mph winds. This is up to the task. It is just too heavy for me to lug around. The search continues although I’m narrowing it down.

    #39541
    Yugoboy
    Participant

    Question for the experts (and maybe the answers will help zincprincess:

    My Slik tripod has a hook at the bottom of the center post, presumably to hang heavy stuff from or to bungee it to the ground. Does this provide enough stability in most circumstances?

    I mean, no tripod’s going to help in a hurricane or earthquake, but in moderate winds, or on a sandy beach would that be a reasonable solution for most people? My tripod’s a nice lightweight aluminum, has a handle and is not a tremendous problem to transport.

    #39540
    ennuipoet
    Participant

    Question for the experts (and maybe the answers will help zincprincess:

    My Slik tripod has a hook at the bottom of the center post, presumably to hang heavy stuff from or to bungee it to the ground. Does this provide enough stability in most circumstances?

    I mean, no tripod’s going to help in a hurricane or earthquake, but in moderate winds, or on a sandy beach would that be a reasonable solution for most people? My tripod’s a nice lightweight aluminum, has a handle and is not a tremendous problem to transport.

    That depends on your terrain and what you’re shooting and shooting with. For most camera a light weight tripod given the extra weight on the hook improves your stability. If you are shooting on rough ground, high wind or long lens there is no substitute for a heavy duty pod. Everything about tripods are a trade off and weight is a huge issue for most people. Me, I’m a big dude and a can lug a lot of weight for a long march, so I am willing to make that trade off. If I were going deep country I would probably make a choice for a lighter pod but for most work I am willing to bear the weight.

    #39542
    sleeping
    Participant

    You can also dramatically improve the stability of a tripod by keeping it low. Not extending the center column helps a lot, and you can also leave the leg sections collapsed and/or (assuming your tripod allows it) extend the leg angle so it’s wider than normal.

    #39550
    zincprincess
    Participant

    Well after 3 months of thinking about it and researching, I finally pulled the trigger on a new tripod. Here is what I bought. Bonus is that I was able to buy it a our local photo printing shop – instant gratification.

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/738078-REG/Benro_A2691TB1_A_2691_Travel_Angel_Alum.html

    Now I just need to find the time to take it out and test it.

    #39551
    Barracuda
    Participant

    Bumping this thread instead of starting a fresh one:

    Long story short, my crap-o-matic $20ish dollar tripod I bought many many moons ago did the inevitable – broke. Tried twice to glue the nut for the screw that tightens down the head’s rotation – no go. And I wasn’t all that keen on setting up my new camera on top of that thing anyways. Difficulty is budget right now. I’ve blown far too much $$$ on camera stuff in this newest hobby of mine (why oh why do I pick the expensive hobbies?) while still having a very large bill looming for another one of my hobbies in the next couple months. I’d like to stay sub $100 at most, $60-$80 if I can help it. I’m fine with a pan head, if I really need a ball head for a project I’ll beg my coworker for his uber version.

    Thanks in advance!

    #39552
    Plamadude30k
    Participant

    Best I could find on B&H:
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/667187-REG/Davis_Sanford_VOYAGERLTB_Voyager_Lite_with_BHQ8.html
    It actually has a ball head, and it’s less than $50. Who knows how good it is, but it looks interesting.

    #39553
    Farktographer
    Participant

    Buying online is always good to get a deal, but I strongly suggest taking your camera into a camera store to try out different models. Set up, nudge it, see how stable it is, if it wobbles, how easy it is to handle, how lightweight, etc. I went to 5 different shops, trying out dozens of tripods before I picked the one that I use (given, they were all right next door to each other so it was pretty easy, but I’d still suggest trial and error before purchase nonetheless).

    For what it’s worth, mine’s not a ball head, and I’ve never had a problem…ever.

    Here’s a website with some good tips on picking out tripods for your use:
    http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Pontification/a0099_Tripods_101/_Tripods_101.html

    #39554
    staplermofo
    Participant

    I say ebay all the way on this.
    Get a no-name ball head with preposterous specs (supports up to 1500 kg!), then get some cheap legs. As I always say, good head is more important than nice legs.
    You might still be able to use your old legs if you just want something to hold the head level.

    #39555
    ennuipoet
    Participant

    Seriously, you will end up spending more money in the long run if you buy cheap. The Slik I mentioned in the first post is around 140 bucks and is built like a tank, the pan head is sufficient for most uses and you can save up to buy a ballhead later and invest the money well after you do the research. I bought six tripods before the Slik, a while itis heavy and hard to tote around it exceeds my needs in every other way.

    #39556
    caradoc
    Participant

    Seriously, you will end up spending more money in the long run if you buy cheap.

    Thom Hogan wrote a nice article on that topic.

    #39557
    Farktographer
    Participant

    I say ebay all the way on this.
    Get a no-name ball head with preposterous specs (supports up to 1500 kg!), then get some cheap legs. As I always say, good head is more important than nice legs.
    You might still be able to use your old legs if you just want something to hold the head level.

    I’d say it depends strongly on what you’re shooting. If you’re doing a 1-minute street exposure, or a 30-minute stairtrail shot, your legs had better be damn steady. At that point, I’d take legs built like steel and a head that might not be convenient, but gets me what I need.

    #39558
    Barracuda
    Participant

    I know stuck in some closet somewhere at my parent’s house there is a large, heavy tripod that my dad used on his video recorder (circa 1985) that I am going to try to relieve him of along with his nikkormat ftn when I see him next. Thus, this purchase is more along the travel tripod needs. Something I’ll actually take with me on hikes / walks / etc. And then I’ll hope that the heavy unit my dad’s got will be just the ticket if I want to start doing very long exposure shots.

    Anyone have any thoughts on the Dolica GX650B204 Proline GX Series 65 inch

    #39559
    Yoyo
    Participant

    When I first bought my Canon T2i, I was about to head to Europe for a year, so at the time, I bought a small Manfrotto which was lightweight and suited me well for field trips. It came with a shoulder bag that was nice for carrying it around. It had a built-in video head, i.e. one handle for pan and tilt, and one knob for portrait/landscape. The head was not great, but it worked. The quick-release plate was acceptable but not rock solid, however it was small enough to leave on the camera body all the time.

    Recently, I picked up the Manfrotto 055XB. I only have two complaints: it didn’t come with a bag (and vinyl is $15/yd at the local fabric store) and I would like a built-in level on the top plate.

    To go along with that, I picked up the 410 Junior geared head. It’s amazing! I love it. The gear action is smooth and solid. There are quick releases to allow for rapid coarse adjustments. I would have liked to get the Arca Swiss Cube, but I can’t justify that price. There’s no need to “lock it down” after framing the shot. The pan axis is mounted closest to the tripod, so if the legs aren’t leveled to start with, and panning with cause the camera to tilt.

    I don’t regret my decisions. The first one served me very well, and I expect to get further use out of it for tourist type stuff, while I use my new one for more photographer type shots. Sometimes you want a sports car, other times a pickup truck.

    #39560
    Plamadude30k
    Participant

    The 410 geared head is on my list for my astrophoto equipment. It’s good to hear that you like it, Yoyo. My tripod right now is the Manfrotto 190XPROB with the 496RC2 ball head, and I have to say, it was WELL worth the money. I love it to death, it’s like night and day with my last tripod. It’s actually outside right now, doing a 30 minute star trail shot, and even though it’s a little windy, I’m sure it’ll be rock solid.

    Long story short-I agree with that Thom Hogan article-I got really annoyed with cheap tripods, and now that I have a good one, I won’t need to get another for quite a while, and hopefully I’ll end up spending much less in the long run.

Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 45 total)
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