TucsonDave Loc: Tucson, Arizona

I have a Nikon D5300 that I purchased this past summer. I have been reading, watching videos and shooting. I am ready for a tripod. I looked at many reviews and the Vanguard Alta Pro 263AB 100 Aluminum Tripod Kit at $160 from Amazon seems like a good buy. The reviews had no significant cons. Any recommendations? I don't want to spend over $200 and will be using it outdoors to shoot moving objects and to shoot at night. Thanks!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Vanguard makes good tripods. I have two older models - Tracker 4. They're sturdy and durable. I prefer a tile & pan head.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

A common dilemma! When I bought my first tripod,note that I said first, I wanted to make sure it was a good one with a good head. It served me well with the major exception being vibrations with bigger lenses and breezy days. The head was very good as well with the only inconvenience of the bigger lenses causing it to drop a bit after locking it in place. My point being that it depends on your theoretical uses as time progresses.

My new set took care of these issues,but I perhaps should have gone a little heavier on the tripod,just in case...

So I guess my answer is to be satisfied with getting the best bang for your buck,just be realistic with your expectations.

Old Timer Loc: Greenfield, In.

I would agree on the above post. A tripod is some thing you want to over buy on as you add heaver camera body and lens, especially a 600 lens and a gimbal head you will need a tripod that would support them. I have several tripod but two good ones that will support a heavy rig. You would need one that should support 13 or more pounds.

Jerry Green Loc: Huntsville, AL

I have two Slik tripods and really like them. Sturdy and low cost.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I started five years ago with no knowledge,a D7000 and $450 Manfrotto 190pro carbon fiber and MH-054 head. More than I wanted to spend! After buying a heavier tripod, I purchased a gimbal and heavier head,both set up with quick releases. Unbelievable difference for me,but my needs changed. Everybody has their own ideas regarding where their hobby will take them!

Haydon

I wonder how long it will be before Gene responds to this :)

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Funny you mentioned Gene, as I spoke with him a couple times and his recommendation for me has been very satisfying!

Szalajj Loc: Salem, NH

Before deciding on a specific tripod right now, you want to anticipate your future camera and lens expansions and their combined weights that will mount on your tripod.

If you see yourself obtaining longer lenses in the future, you want to obtain a tripod and a head combination that will support that extra weight!

Then your shooting conditions will dictate your choice between aluminum or carbon fiber! Do you need to limit or eliminate camera or ground vibration?

You don't want to economize now, only to outgrow the tripod within a very short time! Do it right the first time, and you'll save money in the long run!

There have been many discussions here on UHH, use the search option at the top of the page and simply search the word tripod!

You may find that by adding another fifty or a hundred dollars to your budget, your choices will really open up.

My only comment is to choose a tripod that has 3 independent legs that can be set at different angles from the head, instead of all being tied together with a collar system often seen on less expensive tripod models! My original tripod was purchased for about $20.00 back in the mid 70's, and is useless in any situations where wind or extremely uneven ground are factors.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

It depends on what you are going to use it for. I started with a light weight Koolehaoda Carbon Fiber Portable. For what it is it works well when you have to schlep a tripod any distance but it's not the most stable and I would never use it with my gimbal head and 150-600mm lens or even my 180mm Macro. To solve the problem of stability and height I went with a Benro extra long series tripod: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157827-REG/benro_tma47axl_mach3_aluminum_series_4.html

For what it's worth I can do just about anything with this tripod but it is 6 lbs. I do use it outside as long as I don't have to carry it to far. It is without a doubt one of the most stable tripods I have ever used and I use it a lot in studio to do macro's for that reason

blackest Loc: Ireland

That tripod is pretty much the same as kingjoy f2007r They are good legs but they are not the lightest thing to be carrying round. I got a bieke bk3 ball head to go with them. not bad could be a bigger ball but my biggest lens is 300mm so suits me. The head is arca swiss that matters as there are lots of arca swiss plates around. I have one plate around 8 inches i got it mainly for shooting round the nodal point but it also lets me balance the lens and the camera if you have it well balanced on the head it's a lot easier to get to the position you want to be in when you loosen the ball. If your fit enough to carry the weight it's a pretty reasonable setup. You might want carbon fibre legs but thats outside of your budget but if you can afford them you will sweat less and your back will appreciate it.

About the only thing most people will agree on is making sure the head is arca swiss compatible. I like the screw clamps which handle any plate but the lever lock ones are faster if your plate fits well, you will pay more from brand names, but if you want lever lock then thats the price and the fit will be spot on. The screw clamps are slower but the plates are cheaper.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I ended up converting to arca-swiss after acquiring my Wimberley gimbal and followed that up with the RRS BH-55 with lever release. I then put the lever releases on the gimbal and ball-head bases for convenient changes. The head,with it's adjustments,would suffice for nice movement,but the gimbal is the way for me to go after BIF. RRS has a heck of a tilt head for monos that is arca-swiss and very solid with big lenses. Good for shakey old men.

TucsonDave Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Thanks to everyone for your replies. I won't going on long hikes so l like the Benro extra long series that "Wayne T" suggested. I will look at my budget again as suggested by "blackest". It also appears that evaluate the head type, etc. first and than purchase a tripod that accommodates the head plus has the stability and weight that I think I will need. I won't be using a lens longer than 500mm.

More study ahead along with a visit to my favorite local camera store. Thanks again and Happy New Year to everyone!

Haydon

I thankfully have missed Gene's "Sword of Damocles". I've been using a Gitzo 3530LS, a Markins Q20 and a Wimberley WH-200 for almost 6 years. Although, I'm guilty of buying junk when I first started out

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT