Cheap tripods are usually a waste of money. They don't work very well and you end up replacing them every year or two... and probably will end up spending more in the long run. Even worse, your camera gear might be "at risk" every time you use them!
Save up and buy a better tripod... and it might last you buy for the rest of your life. It also will be more reliable and nicer to use, so you are more likely to actually use it, less likely to just leave it sitting in a closet.
Besides the price, here's a list of things to look for:
Load capacity... both tripod leg sets and tripod heads are commonly rated by their weight bearing capacity. Do a lot of research about this and, for good stability, look for something that's at least double or even triple the actual weight of your camera gear. Take into consideration the weight of gear you'd like to buy in the future, too. Tripod leg ratings need to take into account the weight of the tripod head, in addition to current and future camera gear.
Height... A tripod needs to be able to position your camera's eyeport at least up to your eye level. Measure it. A little taller would be nice in some situations. Keep in mind that the head adds to the overall height. Once you know this, when shopping you can eliminate a lot that are just too short.
Center column... Ideally, for best stability look for a tripod tall enough that you don't need to extend the center column very much or at all (two of my tripods don't even have center columns... a third one does, but this is so I can reverse the center column for low angle shooting, "hanging" the camera and lens beneath the tripod).
Minimum height... If you plan to do a lot of low angle shooting, this can be important. As mentioned above, my solution is a reversible center column, which is one of the most stable ways to do this. Some tripods have center columns that rotate to and beyond horizontal, for this purpose. But that compromises stability quite a bit.
Leg sections.... The fewer the better for stability and quick setup. The more the better for compact size when storing and carrying the tripod. You have to compromise on the number of leg sections. I draw the limit at four sections, because more than that they get too small in diameter effecting stability and take longer to set up.
Leg locks... There are three basic types: Flip levers, twist and thumbscrew/knobs. The flip lever are fastest and common on cheaper tripods. But they also tend to catch on things and will wear, get out of adjustment and begin to slip over time. Some have means of adjusting, but may need parts replaced eventually. I prefer the twist type on a field tripod... low profile so they are unlikely to catch on branches or my clothing. These are a little slower to set up and with some tripods you need to get in the habit of adjusting and tightening them in order.... largest first... or the leg can rotate on you when you try to tighten it. A tripod I only use in studio now has thumbscrews and knobs, which are fine for security, although slower to set up and can catch on things if carrying the tripod around. Not a problem in studio, might be out in the field.
Materials... Avoid plastics! Look for metal... usually aluminum. And/or carbon fiber. Some high-end tripods use some magnesium parts. Avoid "stamped and formed" thin metal. Only cast metals and heavier-walled tubing, for strength and durability. Look for info on leg diameter, if available. Larger is better... up to a point, because larger also means heavier. Carbon fiber is lighter weight and absorbs vibration better... but also tends to cost more. There are cheaper carbon fiber tripods, but I have to wonder if theyll be as durable. It's a bit of an art, to build a strong, reliable carbon fiber tripod... special glues and assembly techniques are necessary. Carbon fiber is even tricky to make, shape and cut... it dulls any cutting blades very rapidly, for example. At the lower price range you are asking about, I'd worry about any carbon fiber tripod you might find. I expect you can find a pretty good aluminum tripod and head set for around $200 to $250.... while a carbon fiber w/head would probably be more in the $300 to $400 range, at least (you can spend $1500 and more on top-of-the-line CF tripods).
Gimmicks... Watch out for them. For example, some tripods have one leg removable so that you can use it as a monopod. I'm skeptical and suspect that would compromise stability of the tripod quite a bit. It's also something else to break... which tends to happen at the worst possible time.
Tripod head... There are four major types: pan/tilt, ballhead, gimbal and fluid. The latter are primarily for video work and tend to be big, heavy and expensive. Gimbal heads are specialized for use with particularly large, telephoto lenses. For general purpose and your camera gear, you are probably only going to be considering the first two types. Pan/tilt have protruding handles that can be a little problematic working out in the field. Like the leg latches mentioned above, they can catch on things... plus often make the tripod bulkier to pack for travel. There are hybrid types of pan/tilt, though, that have lower profile and/or folding handles. Ballheads are pretty compact and a lot of people prefer them for field work. However, depending upon the design, pan/tilt might give better balance than some ballheads, when shifting the camera and lens to vertical/portrait orientation. When that's done with most ballheads, it throws the weight off to one side, which isn't ideal (but might be okay if your gear isn't too heavy). There are also "L-brackets" for cameras, which are designed to keep the camera and lens positioned most directly atop a ballhead, regardless of orientation. To use most L-brackets, you have to use a quick release system. And, L-brackets are custom made for each camera, rather expensive, and add some bulk to the camera that requires a tool to unscrew and remove, when not needed. Another hybrid type of head are "pistol grip"... these are basically small ballheads, but they have a single, spring loaded release in a grip, for fast action. Those can be fine for lighter weight gear, but also might wear out over time and need replacement.
Quick releases... These are a convenience in some cases,... And necessary for some other things. There are various types of QR, depending upon manufacturer. A lot are proprietary and non-interchangeable. If you need additional or replacement parts, this can be a problem. One of the most universal quick release systems is the Arca-Swiss. Many manufacturers make heads, camera and lens plates, and accessories that are compatible with it. The A-S system also allows for some adjustments along one axis for good balance (needed for "gimbal" heads... also useful for macro and some other things). You can choose to not have a quick release, just a screw mount for the camera (all use a 1/4-20 thread).
Bundles or separate... You can buy tripod legs separately, then choose a head to put on them. Or, there are ready-made combos to choose among. The legs w/head might be a good deal, if you find a combo where both meet your needs and wants. Buying separately, you can put together a rig that's more customized specifically for your purposes. It sounds as if you want general use, though... so I suspect you will be able to find a leg/head combo that will work... at least for now.
Other stuff... Some brands of tripod have been around a long time and many accessories are offered to work with them. For example, there are a lot of options to customize Gitzo tripods that I use. Plus, replacement parts for them are generally available, if ever needed. Manfrotto (same parent company as Gitzo... and Sachtler tripod brands) is similar. Some other brands... not so much. There can be other considerations.... such as the type of feet on the tripod (rubber for indoor/general use? spiked for field work? a combo of the two?). A hook under the center column might be provided, to be able to hang a camera bag or other weight there to increase stability.
For example, I looked on B&H Photo for a carbon fiber t'pod with a ballhead and three-section legs, rated for 15 lb. or more... The least expensive I find is an "Oben CT-2361 Carbon Fiber Tripod and BE-117 Ball Head Kit" for $355. The good news is the tripod has twist type leg locks, retractable spike feet, and a bubble level... while the head has separate pan control and Arca-Swiss compatible quick release... and the combo is rated to support up to 17 lb. and weighs under 4 lb. The bad news is that the height is only about 54 inches without raising the center column, 64 inches with it fully raised. And the head doesn't have a secondary ball tensioning control.
Then I looked at aluminum tripods and found "Benro FTA18AB0 Travel Angel Series 1 Aluminum Tripod with B0 Ball Head" for $250 with similar ratings and features... except that it uses 4-section legs and is shorter... 50" without the center column raised, and 58.5" with it fully extended. It also has at least one gimmick... one leg that's removable to use as a monopod.
Not saying either of these is the tripod you should buy (I've never used them and can't say good or bad).... I'm just using them as fairly affordable examples of that I was able to narrow down for consideration, using some of the criteria above. Once you get it down to one or two or a few specific brands/models, you can probably find some people here on UHH using them and ask for more detailed feedback, before purchasing.
Cheap tripods are usually a waste of money. They d... (
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