View Full Version : Tripods
discoveringtheforest
11-12-2008, 00:59
Whats your fav tripod/s???
im looking for a new one myself as my current one wont hold me DSLR,so alittle insight is welcome.
andywinkk
11-12-2008, 01:05
good one in tesco at the mo, £10 bargain
Squidders
11-12-2008, 02:00
I have a manfrotto one... for rock solid photos you usually need to get a heavy tripod or hang something from your tripod.
Fortunately most of the heavy construction tripods are considered bottom or middle of the line and are a bit cheaper.
I would focus on the head rather than the 3 feet... a good ball head is a good choice, maybe check features like a spirit level.
Globetrotter.uk
11-12-2008, 08:04
I picked up a slik 88 from the charity shop last week for £15 and then had to buy the quick release post for £10, but at a total £25 a very strong reliable tripod. I had a lightweight £30 tripod from argos and it was no good in the field.
Another vote for Manfrotto's
I have three for different sizes depending how far I've got to lug them.
As Squidders says, weighing them down with your bag or a net full of rocks is a good way to get extra stability from a light pod.
Spirit levels are very useful but if the head doesn't have one you can get ones that fit into the camera hotshoe.
I have a huge heavy Giotto's tripod which is fine in the car but not much good when out and about. For this I have a small Manfrotto with integral ball and socket head and it does the trick very well.
Another one for Manfrotto.
I've been using a Manfrotto 055 with a 056 3D camera head for many years. It's been doing a superb job.
I've been wanting to get a ball head for a long time, though.
/ Karl
I use a ball head for my large format work but I can't get on with them with digital.
Although they do allow you to turn the camera vertical they restrict the range of movement too much for my liking which generally results in having to adjust the legs to get the position I need.
Just my preference though, lots of people get on fine with them.
malcolmc
11-12-2008, 10:17
Whilst out treking I find a unipod better than a tripod, just a thought.
I was thinking about getting a monopod / trekking pole combination and a Joby Gorrila Pod SLR for my camera. I'll be able to get the camera level enough by eye and apparently it has some image levelling software in built. I can't say how good it is though becuase its been taken off me until xmas day.
I've been through umpteen. The most recent was a Benbo Trekker which is good once up, but a PITA to get there. I've given up on them now and find I get good results with the camera just rested on my bag. You lose some flexibility of course, but it's my preference and worth persevering with.
Manfrotto tripod with seperate stills and video heads and a monopod for when I only want to make one hole in the mud!
Squidders
11-12-2008, 23:46
I did actually submit a request to alpkit for a camera thread mod for their walking poles but they blew me out... i'm sure there's a market for them though.
I got a manfrotto monopod too so I can keep the same mount plate and a tilt head for portrait shots using it. It's well made enough that I can use it as a walking pole... alpkits loss.
Gitzo, expensive but worth every penny.
These look expensive.
http://www.schifbenger.com/the_guardians/start_bilder/tripod95.jpg
:D
These look expensive.
http://www.schifbenger.com/the_guardians/start_bilder/tripod95.jpg
:D
They also move about a bit which is not what you need....;)
British Red
13-04-2009, 10:40
I did actually submit a request to alpkit for a camera thread mod for their walking poles but they blew me out... i'm sure there's a market for them though..
Leki already make one ;)
Barn Owl
13-04-2009, 11:14
I use Manfrotto but from a different perspective.
It's for my birding scope.At present it's a carbon fibre which allows me to be able to go a walk with it.
When I had the heavier metal version it was great but not for walking any distance.But for photography excellent.
Build quality excellent too and I reckon they're great vfm.
alpha_centaur
13-04-2009, 20:30
I've got a benbo trekker with a manfrotto head that I'd be willing to trade for something interesting. If your interested
I also carry a beanbag similar to this:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/Home/default.aspx?/arouse/beans.html
In fact, i often carry this and not the tripod - it is very versatile.
I use a SLIK pro 500 EZ which is great for the money
VirusKiller
13-04-2009, 21:27
Manfrotto #075 tripod and #136 fluid video head. Great build quality. I originally bought them for celestial telescope use, but used for all sorts (camera, camcorder, sound meter, light meter, etc.)
My favorites are two Gitzo carbons I have had for ages. 1228 is my lightest and it definately needs to have my camera bag suspended below it to stabilize. My hands down favorite though is the 1348 which is good most of the time without additional weight added.
Both with Arca Swiss ballheads.
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8820/melakefork2862qk9.jpg
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/8231/bearmeclaybutte2194gs3.jpg
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/4871/bearclaybutte6608fh7.jpg
I have put a braided leash on the 1348 to make adding weight easy as pie. More details in my old article in the outdoors magazine archive.
http://outdoors.magazine.free.fr/spip.php?article283
I am also a big fan of non-tripods for some uses, but almost always find one of my Gitzos the way to go.
Non-tripod support old article...
http://outdoors.magazine.free.fr/spip.php?article287
Another Gitzo/Arca-Swiss fan.
Have a read of this article, it saved me a fortune ;)
http://bythom.com/support.htm
These look expensive.
http://www.manybiz.com/images/products/thumb/28/06/43/64343.jpg
:D
you are so humor....
These look expensive.
http://www.schifbenger.com/the_guardians/start_bilder/tripod95.jpg
:D
Buying cheap tripods like that was the worst waste of money I made when I started out.
They don't do the job properly, they fall apart after any real work and they cost about half as much as a decent pod.
In the end, if you are serious about photography you will have to buy a decent pod and you will have wasted the money you spent on the carp one.
There's no point buying fancy bits of glass for the front of your camera if the camera is moving about when you take the picture.
Buying cheap tripods like that was the worst waste of money I made when I started out.
They don't do the job properly, they fall apart after any real work and they cost about half as much as a decent pod.
In the end, if you are serious about photography you will have to buy a decent pod and you will have wasted the money you spent on the carp one.
There's no point buying fancy bits of glass for the front of your camera if the camera is moving about when you take the picture.
Spot on!
The golden rule for tripods is:
Cheap, light, stable - pick any two.
John Ruskin must have been thinking of tripods when he wrote the following!
"It is unwise to pay too much, but it is also unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do."
Jim
Kikatito
09-07-2009, 22:38
i have a cheap nonbrand specific tripod just now and it just collects dust in the boot of my car, its far too light weight for anything, I have a canon 400D which aint the lightest body and that with a telescopic lens (75-300) and not having a decent trypod is awfull it just becomes top heavy.......one day i will get a Manfrotto, this i have promised myself...
i totally agree with the Cheap, Light, Stable, pick two and go with it!! For me it has to be Light and stable......
I recently bought a carbon fibre Benro Flexpod and am very pleased with it. I try not to think how much it was, though!
Jim
Kikatito
09-07-2009, 23:04
ooooooooooooooo carbon fibre..............drool's
I have to say that I am a fan of the compact tripods that you can get from Dixons for less than £20.
I have used mine everywhere that I have been from on the hill in Scotland annoying red deer, to taking pictures of Bushmen is Southern Africa.
Stainless steel, so will be coming to the Jungle with me later this year.
They pack down to aout 8-10" (by about 2" wide) and open up to well over 1m high with the legs spread and fully exptended.
Proof is in the pudding, but I like mine so much that I got one for Mel once she started to get into taking pics.
Have a look at http://www.aldine.co.uk/redsnapper/tripod-3wayhead-combo.html - they come very highly recommended on some photography forums I visit.
:lmao: I saw 'Tripods' and thought "Excellent, they've been putting up pictures of their tripods" with the image in my head of lovely forged tripods with pots hanging off of them over lovely fires :D
Carved feet, innovative designs, light weight........
:umbrella: :sulkoff:
Maybe we need another thread for that one :)
:lmao: I saw 'Tripods' and thought "Excellent, they've been putting up pictures of their tripods" with the image in my head of lovely forged tripods with pots hanging off of them over lovely fires :D
Carved feet, innovative designs, light weight........
:umbrella: :sulkoff:
It was in the Photo section Tone....:twak:
he he, I know, I just thought someone was showing some photo's :D
Manfrotto is the way to go.
My main tripod is 055XB with 322RC2 ball head.
Manfrotto is the way to go.
My main tripod is 055XB with 322RC2 ball head.
I have exactly the same setup, weighs a ton but stable and strong, even survived a fall down
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v108/32/39/510390704/n510390704_1021744_3924.jpg
with only a few scratches and dings and is still going strong 2 years later, although I will be replacing it with a lighter model soon.
Carbonfibre Manfrotto - I forget which one as I've had it for several years.
The thing about tripods I think, is that if you buy wisely once, you've got the thing for years, and - unlike lenses, you can use it with any camera system you change to:)
The head I use is the magnesium alloy 460 - not the most advanced of their selection, and relatively cheap compared to a lot of their heads, but its' done an excellent job for me; its compact and strong enough to use my old Canon FD kit and my Mamiya MF - neither is exactly featherweight!
I have exactly the same setup, weighs a ton but stable and strong, even survived a fall down
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v108/32/39/510390704/n510390704_1021744_3924.jpg
with only a few scratches and dings and is still going strong 2 years later, although I will be replacing it with a lighter model soon.
When I was on holidays in Poland few weeks ago I was thinking about getting 055CX3 which is exactly same as 055XB but carbon fibre. It is lighter and can take more weight. Very helpful when trekking, but decided against it.
I think I got too attached to the one I have now. It's been through a lot and I only have it couple of years.
Ball head is amazing, so easy to adjust to what you want. I also have 3-way 804RC2, but am only using it for strobist work as its bit more precise.
When I was on holidays in Poland few weeks ago I was thinking about getting 055CX3 which is exactly same as 055XB but carbon fibre. It is lighter and can take more weight. Very helpful when trekking, but decided against it.
I think I got too attached to the one I have now. It's been through a lot and I only have it couple of years.
Ball head is amazing, so easy to adjust to what you want. I also have 3-way 804RC2, but am only using it for strobist work as its bit more precise.
I'll probably get a cf 055 at some point soon, only a little bit heavier than the 190 series but can handle the weight of long (500mm) lenses.
I find 190 series to be too short for me. I know I could use centre column but this just destabilises camera. I'm planning on buying short column so it would be out of my way if I wanted to go low.
nige7whit
21-11-2009, 18:38
Manfrotto #075 tripod and #136 fluid video head. Great build quality. I originally bought them for celestial telescope use, but used for all sorts (camera, camcorder, sound meter, light meter, etc.)I've got a Manfrotto 75 too, wouldn't sell it for anything!
I have a Manfrotto ballhead on top, but I also have a cheap Manfrotto fluid video head on a QR plate that I can mount on top of the ball head when I need to do long lens work with moving subjects. Looks odd, but works well.
I also have a Benbo Mk1, but haven't used that for a long time, since I got the Manfrotto 75.
Funny thing, is the weight issue. People talk about lighter being better, but a heavy, solid tripod is often worth it's weight, especially in windy conditions. I used to have a Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod, but sold it and got the heavy metal 75.
I do have a Manfrotto carbon fibre monopod (model 449), which is great, extends to about 7 feet long. I use this a lot, almost every time I use a long lens.
nige7whit
21-11-2009, 19:12
Buying cheap tripods like that was the worst waste of money I made when I started out.
They don't do the job properly, they fall apart after any real work and they cost about half as much as a decent pod.
In the end, if you are serious about photography you will have to buy a decent pod and you will have wasted the money you spent on the carp one.
There's no point buying fancy bits of glass for the front of your camera if the camera is moving about when you take the picture.
Agreed entirely !
By the way, I love your website, Wayland, do you manage it yourslef, or have you got someone working behind the scenes? I have a small website myself, and I know it can be quite time consuming to keep up to date.