boydimages Loc: California

Just concluded a workshop on the Eastern side of the Sierras, California. Surprising how many I saw lined up at Mono Lake with $4,000 in equipment sitting on a $40 tripod. Some left standing as they walked over to talk with a buddy.
I always recommend to my group to keep the camera strap around their necks. If the need to walk away take the camera off the tripod and carry it with them. I have seen a few fall.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Just the reason I have AND USE a QR plate on my tripod & cameras - I have a matching plate on both my cameras and my Mirrored 500 MM.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

It's the old it won't happen to me way of thinking, but we all know it only takes once.

riverlass Loc: northern California

Yes, It only takes once. Don't trust anyone to be as careful as you are... don't hope that cheap tripod will stand and protect your camera... it won't.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

An Optechusa sling strap is always around my neck when the camera is on a tripod when outdoors. ;).

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Awaaaaay back when I was in school, we were warned never to step away from a tripod-mounted camera, even for a minute. Ours were sturdy tripods. The chief danger was wind, but it was also possible that we hadn't properly locked a leg or some other dumb thing that could cause an expensive camera to crash to the ground. :oops: Best practice: never do it. :thumbup:

George110 Loc: Hershey, PA

Great advice, I would have never given this a second thought. Thank you all for saving me.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

There is the old story about the guy at Yellowstone that was not watching his back. He was set up and was taking phots of a herd of cow elk. A big bull came charging out of the trees behind him. The bull caught the Nikon strap in antlers and began a fight with equipment. Well saw a photo sort of like it. I love the OPTECHUSA straps I can disengage them and there is now loop to get caught my me. I worry about me catching things or the photog next to me. J. R.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Hmmmm, interesting. An accident could take many forms. There is one thing I would never do, that's leave the strap around my neck when on a tripod. All it would take, is for one very large hornet to land on the average persons forehead, And they would drag the entire rig, completely out of control, for 100 feet, before they even slowed down. Hmmm, interesting.
SS

shadow1284 Loc: Mid-West Michigan

If you keep a strap on the camera, but forget to take the camera off the tripod when you walk away. Buy a cheep camera and don't worry about your memory.

gusto7670 Loc: Tampa, FL

A lot of people use price to judge the quality of a tripod. Someone showed me a tripod that they had paid $1100 for. It was exactly like one that cost me $100. Same materials and construction as mine. How can this be? Are you paying for the name on it or is there really a difference that I couldn't see.

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

My $800 tripod will hold 40+ pounds of camera and lens which I do require at times.

Sure, 1100bux is a bit much, but understand this is a structure that you are placing a very expensive tool/toy on. Im not about to trust a 600mm F4 lens on a sunpak budget tripod.

One doesnt need a topshelf tripod for their D40 and 18-300mm lens. They will need one for their $10k 600mm lens.

boydimages Loc: California

I completely agree about price and name brands. What I saw was itty bitty wobbly legs more designed to hold a point and shoot camera. Some are too trusting.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Musket, just like cats, there are a lot of ways to skin a tripod, and it's not always just throwing money at it.
I have an old alloy pod that I got used for $50, 40 years ago. It holds my 600mm pretty darned well.
The main difference between a carbon Gitzo and an old sturdy pod is weight.
If you're going to hike 5 miles into the woods, yes, a $600 pod is a great asset, but NOT a necessity. Some people are in great shape.
There are a lot of pods that will hold 40 pounds for little money.
I'll agree, using a cheap Walmart pod is not the best idea. But by the time one owns a super-tele, one usually knows what they need for it.
SS

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

I'm one of those photographers for whom a good tripod is an absolute necessity. I would estimate that I shoot 95% of the time from mine. I'm 6'4", so I needed one that was tall enough for my height. It needed to allow flexible leg positioning for those times when one leg needed to be splayed wider than the other two. I did not want a center column. I wanted carbon fiber lightness, coupled with rock solid strength and good load capacity. I had found a fairly inexpensive one a number of years ago that I thought fit the bill (except it had a short center column) but it simply didn't hold up. When I went to replace it, I consciously decided that I would go for the quality I wanted, despite the cost, in hopes of having a piece of equipment that would do the job and never need to be replaced in my lifetime. I eventually found what I thought was "The One", and plunked down the (shudder) $1K it cost.

I have never regretted that decision, and can positively say I am getting every penny back out of my investment! The adage that you get what you pay for is sometimes quite accurate.

I wanted to test this pod out so I ran a quick experiment. I attached a laser pointer to my camera mounted on the tripod, and aimed it at the wall 25' away. I set mirror lockup to on. Covering my ears so that I could not hear the shutter, I had my wife trip the shutter while I stood close to the laser point on the wall. No movement. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. When I looked back to my wife she informed me she had tripped the mirror and shutter four times already! This further confirmed for me that it was worth it for me to make that type of investment.

I hate paying "for the name" as much as anybody, but when that company actually delivers it can be worth the price.