blackest Loc: Ireland

I went to see if i could find my F200R I couldn't but there was this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00O0XX37U/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all&qid=1482759374&sr=1-2

It's a very good price for carbon fibre.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

I originally ordered a four section and cancelled it and got the three for my usage. Feisol CT-3372. So important to be convenient as well as solid.
I did add the leveling base and enjoy that as well.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

This is a Zombie topic. It keeps coming back and the same advice is offered. "I've got this and it works for me" or it needs to support XX number of lbs" and so on - without knowing what lenses the OP is using or plans to use, and whether or not he expects to be carrying it for any distance, or how tall he is.

TucsconDave, what lenses do you intend to use with your tripod? Will you be carrying it for any distance? Are you ok with spending $160 for a tripod that users have complained becomes loose and unstable within a year or two? Or another way of putting that last question is are you really ok with adding $160 to the cost of the tripod that you really ought to be buying, just because someone else said they liked theirs, and you decided to ignore the 30 reviews that said that they would never buy another one or would never recommend anyone else buy it? What kind of shoot do you do you believe will help you make better pictures if you had a tripod?

In the big picture the range of cost for tripods generally goes from around $50 for a Dolica to around $1200 for a Gitzo that is designed for someone shooting with a 600-800 lens (or if they are shooting cropped sensor, the equivalent field of view of such a long lens). The high end tripod mfgrs NEVER talk about load capacity, but they do talk about torsional stability, carbon fiber, vibration damping, and top leg section diameter, and how all relate to and determine stability with a given focal length - actually magnification. If you are doing landscape with a 50mm lens your needs are very different than if you are doing macro with any lens at 1:1 or larger magnification. When using a long lens many will be at or near their minimum focus distance with often results in a magnification of 1:4 or greater - the tripod for long lens use is similar to the one you'd need for macro. And a tripod that is stable for those two applications will, by default, be able to handle more than 5X the weight of the camera and lens, or more.

By the same token, you can get an old Bogen 3051 and a 3047 pan head, which is big and heavy (15 lbs or so), and has a load capacity of 26 lbs and is often rated at 5 stars and described as ultra stable and very solid. Well, you can't believe everything your read on the internet. It's a great tripod for large format cameras, using wide to ultrawide lenses. That's about it. I tried to use mine with a 35mm SLR and a 300mm lens and it's companion 3047 3 way pan-tilt head - it was completely awful. Lots of vibration, and the aluminum materials seemed to exacerbate the vibrations. Manfrotto has replaced it with the Manfrotto 058B, and other than the color it is basically the same tripod. Ok for studio and medium format cameras, but a horrible choice for high magnification applications. It now costs $450, plus another $170 for the Manfrotto 808RC4m which replaced the 3047. I can think of far better ways to spend $620 - and have something that is useful. Cost effective is buying something you won't need to replace a year or two because it loosens up and can't be tightened within a couple of years, or worse, fails and drops your expensive camera and lens.

The moral to this story is - you can either take the advice of those who have tripods that they like, and don't know what your needs are, and probably have never used better tripods for whatever reason, or you can take the advice of someone who has shoot professionally for the better part of 50 years, in most formats up to 8x10, and all lens focal lengths from fisheye to 1200mm, and used tripods from $100 economy to $2000 studio rigs, and work with students who complain regularly that their images have slight "blur" even though they used cable release, delayed shutter, mirror lockup, hung a bag of rocks from the center column, etc - and still wonder why they can't get sharp pictures.

Or, you can decide to not take my advice either. But you owe it to yourself to read how proper tripods are designed and built and why they are so in the links below:

http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-1/
http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-2/
http://blog.reallyrightstuff.com/choosing-a-tripod-part-3/

And the Gitzo catalog, pages 13 through 15 (document attached)

You are probably thinking, is this guy crazy, I am not going to spend $1000 on a tripod and head. I am just an amateur and not a working pro - or something to that effect. Well you are right - you don't have to spend that much, but you should probably get something where the design philosophy is similar - Sirui (Korean) and Feisol (Chinese) both offer "cost effective" tripods and heads - in that they will perform on a level similar to the "big dogs" but won't require a second mortgage. I am now currently using a Feisol CT3472 ($525) with my long lenses and macro, and a CT3442 ($310) when I go backpacking, or if I am shooting landscapes with wider to short tele lenses (24mm to 85mm), though on occasion I have used it with an 80-200 and a 100-300 and been reasonably satisfied with the results.

I have a student who had a limited budget, but wanted something "reasonable" and based on another hogger's purchase (which I actually saw), suggested this Benro

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157809-REG/benro_tma38clv3_mach3_9x_carbon_fiber.html

For $350 it is a pretty substantial tripod with a decent ball head and total weight of less than 6 lbs. Very stable - better than my 3442 but not as good as my 3472. And the ball head won't let you down either.

I would be curious to learn what you end up with.

Attached file:
(Download)

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

The saga continuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuues! LOL! My Feisol works for me,but I will concede that if I needed something I'd probably get stupider and do the RRS or Gitzo. I quit!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

The Alta Pro is a good series and as a whole, Vanguard does make quality products!!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

These tripods are in the 5 1/2 range,fully extended and this makes for less stability than you may desire. You may want to consider how much you'll have to bend over to use it. If you can try a couple in the store with your camera/lens mounted,that may help you decide. A two hundred dollar tripod/ball-head may not be what you are looking for.

TucsonDave Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Again, thanks to all for the suggestions and information filled responses. Gene, the longest lens I have now is a Nikkor 18-300mm, f/3.5-6.3G AF-S DX ED-VR. I use a prime Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G. In the future, I will purchase a middle range telephoto and maybe a wide angle lens. While I may upgrade my camera once more, mirrorless perhaps, I don't intend to buy a longer reach lens. I won't be hiking much, if at all. Walking is more like it. Short distances. Night shots around the community. Some travel on airplanes also. That's it. I read all the info, (Except for the Gitzo manual), plus other sources on the internet, including a video on the Dolica. The Benro that you suggested seems terrific. I liked the Vanguard description also. So, I will be off to the camera store(s) this week to see if I can try them out in person!

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Great and good luck!

bioteacher Loc: Brooklyn, NY

Nice thing about is Vanguard that they sent me replacement parts at no charge whereas, Manfrotto nickles and dimes you for everything and charges shipping. I would go with Vanguard anytime.

wilfred

I think many photographers would agree, that if you total up what you have spent on tripods and heads over the years, you would be money ahead if you just bought a very good (expensive) legs and head to start with.

NikonCharlie Loc: Kansas USA

That Gene fellow does not much like Bogan/Manfrotto but I do. Take a look at the 475, find it on eBay. The tripod is discontinued, so snap it up before they are gone. Strong, solid; but heavy and can handle anything you will ever grow into. I use them with gimble heads. Solid as a rock, even with the 500 and 600 f4 big guns. Best I have ever used

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

There is no such animal under $200.00. Sorry.

Edia Loc: Central New Jersey

The question is "do amateur photographers using amateur cameras and lenses need a pro tripod?". Any tripod that keeps your equipment steady in the conditions you shoot in is good enough. In windy conditions with heavy, long lenses, a more robust tripod is required. I have a $30 Polaroid tripod that works with the camera and lenses I use. All the parts are aluminum and plastic and it feels cheep but it works. Will a $1,000 tripod be better? Probably, but not enough to justify the cost. I use the tripod for close up and low light photography in good weather or indoors. I do not go hiking in the woods with it. You must decide what you need based on the equipment you have and what you shoot.

ABJanes Loc: Jersey Boy now Virginia

Induro.....but $300.00 will get you into a decent tripod with ball head. Cutting corners here is not advised by most.