Tripod Priorities

[firrae]

Hi there,

Quick question on how people prioritize building/choosing a tripod kit. Currently I'm looking at picking up a new tripod kit and while my budget is not tiny, I don't want to blow the bank if I can help it. Previously I had a cheaper Amazon Basics one to try and get used to using them and finding the situations where I like to use them. It's been good at that and I've learned that I really only use it like 3 to 4 times a year and my monopod for most of the rest of my use cases. Main use case is single person and small group portraits/pictures.

So the question: With that in mind should I look at buying a single pre-determined kit, or look at maybe doing something like buying an expensive but good head and cheaper legs (or vice versa)?

My budget is around $350 to $400 CAD ($275-314 USD/255-290 Euro/215-245 GBP) with a small amount of stretch past that. I prefer something that could stably bring my camera up to my eye level (I'm about 5'10") as I would prefer to have it be able to do that without extending a center column too far, but I can give and take there if that's the bank breaker. I use a Sony camera setup and on the tripod it'll likely be a 70-200 or smaller most of the time, maybe my 200-600 if there's some rare reason.

Some of the things I've looked at are as follows:

• iFootage Gazelle TA6 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Aluminum Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head
• ARTCISE HS80C with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 055 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• I also looked at potentially cheaper legs (or the iFootage) with a Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ6
• If you think going with a pre-determined kit package is there one you would recommend over another in that price range?

Any other thoughts on how to prioritize choosing/building out a tripod kit is also appreciated.

 

[vindellama]

Hi there,

Quick question on how people prioritize building/choosing a tripod kit. Currently I'm looking at picking up a new tripod kit and while my budget is not tiny, I don't want to blow the bank if I can help it. Previously I had a cheaper Amazon Basics one to try and get used to using them and finding the situations where I like to use them. It's been good at that and I've learned that I really only use it like 3 to 4 times a year and my monopod for most of the rest of my use cases. Main use case is single person and small group portraits/pictures.

So the question: With that in mind should I look at buying a single pre-determined kit, or look at maybe doing something like buying an expensive but good head and cheaper legs (or vice versa)?

My budget is around $350 to $400 CAD ($275-314 USD/255-290 Euro/215-245 GBP) with a small amount of stretch past that. I prefer something that could stably bring my camera up to my eye level (I'm about 5'10") as I would prefer to have it be able to do that without extending a center column too far, but I can give and take there if that's the bank breaker. I use a Sony camera setup and on the tripod it'll likely be a 70-200 or smaller most of the time, maybe my 200-600 if there's some rare reason.

Some of the things I've looked at are as follows:

• iFootage Gazelle TA6 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Aluminum Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head
• ARTCISE HS80C with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 055 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• I also looked at potentially cheaper legs (or the iFootage) with a Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ6
• If you think going with a pre-determined kit package is there one you would recommend over another in that price range?

Any other thoughts on how to prioritize choosing/building out a tripod kit is also appreciated.

Ah, good question, and looks like you've done your research. And good that you've narrowed down your choices. For me, Tripods are more a personal preference, and what works for my style may or may not work with yours. Thus, if you've not used a tripod ever, not to worry, your experience with monopod and shooting low light will help you pick a good tripod. Also, explore other options or "Work arounds" that will compensate for a tripod. Such as studio lighting, reflectors/diffusers for outdoor, or strobe while using your monopod. Or boost ISO, etc... If other options don't work there are a couple of way's you can do this.

1) since you've done your research, check them out at your local camera store if possible. Get a feel of how it will balance your long lens and camera. And if it fits your style of shooting.

2) OR, do like most of us: buy one that fits the budget, sight unseen based on reviews, and adapt to it, untill the "right" one is acquired. In most cases, I ended up getting another, and another, and another. Ended up spending 4X more on wasted tripods, vs the one I ended up with. Because each fail was replaced by a more expensive fail.

And same for video or photo heads. There are many to choose from. Also, consider a video head for photos, especially using telephotos, it will be easier than a ballhead. A gimbal head would be distracting for people portraits.

I ended up doing a mixture of this. I bought a Benro Mach3 "Large" as suggested by others in this thread as it was cheaper and now that I have it it does seem just as sturdy or even more so than the Manfrotto I looked at at the store.

For the ball head I ended up finding a local camera guy who was upgrading and bought his old ball head. It's not shiny but it seems to be well built and working. He even did something to swap it from the Manfrotto plate to an ARCA plate. Still don't know how, but it works and I got it decently cheap so I'm not gonna question it further until I see if it works for me and decide to get a new one.

The Rhino I bought is top notch.

Carbon fiber with a good ball head, 0 to 180cm, extra iron feet to place inside dirt and easy operation while being only 2kgs.

Tested it with 10 second shots in the window by the avenue with trucks passing by making the floor shake, and photos were tack sharp without holding it.

I don't get the mentality of the macro guy...

How is it lucky to follow the advice of a professional landscape photographer that used it continually for a year with heavier gear than me?

 

[Ellis Vener]

i realize that you have already made your choice and I hope it serves you well. Use it in good health.

what follows is my general advice about choosing a tripod.

1) you want a tripod/head combination that at least brings the camera’s viewfinder up to your standing eyelevel. If you photograph landscapes, it is more ideal if, without using the center column and the legs fully extended, the camera will be up to a foot above eyelevel; the extra leg length capacity will be useful when photographing on sloping ground

2) I prefer three leg section models over four section legs. While the latter type will be more compact, it will also be less stable due to the smaller diameter of the bottom section. It will also be more fiddly and time consuming to set up and take down.
3) if looking at a tripod with carbon fiber leg tubes, you want at least 8 or better yet 10x. This refers to number of layers of carbon fiber fabric used to form the tubes.

4) personally I prefer twist lock collars over lever locks on the legs. Your mileage may vary.

5) pay attention to the small things about the head, like whether or not a ballhead uses lubrication or not. The better head designs do not use lubrication. I also like using heads that have panning at the base of the head and at the camera platform, even if you are not planning on making panoramic photographs, camera level panning is very useful. The SunwayFoto Geared Panning Clamp is a well made, reasonably priced model that you can add later.

6) head type

Ball heads are convenient but if you photograph buildings or do close up and macro work, you likely will find a “rational” head easier to use as the roll (horizontal angle) and pitch (vertical angle) angles are set separately. My favorite small form ballhead is the Arca-Swiss p0. It is more than capable of securely holding the camera and lenses you are using.

 

[Dan W]

Hi there,

Quick question on how people prioritize building/choosing a tripod kit. Currently I'm looking at picking up a new tripod kit and while my budget is not tiny, I don't want to blow the bank if I can help it. Previously I had a cheaper Amazon Basics one to try and get used to using them and finding the situations where I like to use them. It's been good at that and I've learned that I really only use it like 3 to 4 times a year and my monopod for most of the rest of my use cases. Main use case is single person and small group portraits/pictures.

So the question: With that in mind should I look at buying a single pre-determined kit, or look at maybe doing something like buying an expensive but good head and cheaper legs (or vice versa)?

My budget is around $350 to $400 CAD ($275-314 USD/255-290 Euro/215-245 GBP) with a small amount of stretch past that. I prefer something that could stably bring my camera up to my eye level (I'm about 5'10") as I would prefer to have it be able to do that without extending a center column too far, but I can give and take there if that's the bank breaker. I use a Sony camera setup and on the tripod it'll likely be a 70-200 or smaller most of the time, maybe my 200-600 if there's some rare reason.

Some of the things I've looked at are as follows:

• iFootage Gazelle TA6 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB Aluminum Tripod with SBH-100 Ball Head
• ARTCISE HS80C with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 055 with a Vanguard Alta BH-250 Ball Head
• I also looked at potentially cheaper legs (or the iFootage) with a Manfrotto MHXPRO-BHQ6
• If you think going with a pre-determined kit package is there one you would recommend over another in that price range?

Any other thoughts on how to prioritize choosing/building out a tripod kit is also appreciated.

Sturdy is the number 1 priority imho. That said I have had several really sturdy tripods but never took them with me because of the weight. about 20 years ago I bought a carbon fiber Gitzo 200 series traveler. I absolutely love that tripod. Its light for the size of it and rock solid. I put a good ball head on it and total cost was $1100 USD. Thats crazy expensive to a tripod but its still as good as it was 20 years ago. Nowadays there are so many decent no name pods for a 1/3 the price in carbon fiber. If you can afford one, go carbon fiber for travel. Its a great balance between sturdy and light weight. I also picked up a cheap off brand carbon Amazon had on a deal for under $100 I think. With the middle pole extended its perfect height to where I dont have to bend over to use it yet packs in small carry on bag for air travel. Extending the middle pole is not ideal for sturdiness but My Gitzo is a lot larger, heavier and wont fit in a carry-on bag. It will work for what I need for my R5 doing some night landscapes with a light wide angle. I wont take it out during the day when I have plenty of light to handhold unless doing waterfalls. So I have a great pod to throw in my trunk when doing more local travel and a good pod for when I need air travel.