weedhook

Amen on the 3021.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

Indeed.

wapiti Loc: round rock, texas

Ed Commons

I too have a Dolicia Proline. It's lightweight and seems stable. I paid $100 for it. I also have a much heavier Manfroto that cost almost $300. I use the Proline more. I also have a couple of cheap ($39) tripods from WalMart. They also work well.

For 98% of my work the Proline works fine. Only when I am using my big 600mm Zoom do I need the heavier Manfroto because of the lens weight.

You;get dozens of opinions, but what works well for what you are doing is what you stick with

latebloomer Loc: Topeka, KS

I agree. I bought the one Gene51 recommended a few years ago (31 mm minimum top leg diameter). I added a Suri and later an Acratech ball head. This will last me the rest of my life.

Buy the best and cry once. The Feisol is cheaper than Gitzo or RRS, on the other hand, it has the specifications RRS says a tripod should have. Vibration is the issue, not weight handling. Search for Gene51's postings.

TheDman Loc: USA

I have had quite the unusual experience with tripods. My first one was an inexpensive Velbon El Carmagne 540, but after "getting serious" I figured I should step up a more serious tripod. Bought a Gitzo Mountaineer with a RRS ball head. After two trips the twist locks got destroyed by beach sand and one of the legs will no longer stay attached. On top of that, the ball head would never stay securely attached to the legs.

I gave up on Gitzo and bought a Manfrotto mt190cxpro4 with the pan/tilt. After two years of sporadic use a leg section came completely off of that one and was lost. Figuring it was just bad luck, I bought another one and took it with me to Oregon last year. Less than a week later I was shooting at Proxy Falls, picked up the tripod to change compositions, looked down and saw it was missing a leg section. If you go to Proxy and find a leg piece from a Manfrotto, please send it to me.

Meanwhile, I have a shoot today. What am I using? The trusty Velbon that I bought for about $250 back in 2000.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Depends on how you use it and how often you use it. Even a very cheap tripod can last a lifetime if you take care not to push it beyond its limits.

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

RRS TVC-34L Versa 3 series. There have been a few occasions where I could have used the additional height of their taller series 4 tripods, but not often enough to make it a more logical buy. I’ve had mine for six years now with absolutely no regrets. As I mentioned earlier, I use mine at least 95% of the time I’m shooting, so my tripod must be dependable. I’ve used this on back-country and desert hikes, set it up in salt water, set it up in the middle of the Virgin River Narrows, etc. It has never let me down. If push ever came to shove, I have a few few lens that I would sell off before considering doing without my tripod.

Not everybody needs to invest this much in a tripod, but for my needs, and the way I shoot, it was a reasonable and appropriate purchase.

Paul J. Svetlik Loc: Colorado

I always consider the weight of my camera and the weight of the lenghts I am going to take for each trip.
That tells me which tripod to take with me. For my lighter, travel gear I like to use larger ball heads.
For longer hiking or climbing trips I prefer to take a medium weight tripod with a hook on the bottom of the central column so I can hang a water bottle to increase the heft of the tripod.
Then if possible, I expose using the selftimer to reduce vibrations.

Waxhouse Loc: Tampa Via Philadelphia

Spend as much as your budget will allow.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Recently, I was struggling a little with the same dilemma. Mine was putting a 7d2 and Sigma 150-600 on a travel tripod. Gene51 chimed in with a compelling argument on the risk of that and provided these same links. Definitely worth the time to check them out, then make your own decision. Having said that, I did find some favorable reviews on the Sirui T-2205X and Mefoto Globetrotter for lenses up to 400mm.

Kuzano

Aside from price consideration and weight capacity there are various considerations, two of which are:

1) number of leg sections.... Three sections per leg is maximum for leg stability, including truly locking joints.
2) Too much reliance on center column extension. A tripod (truly being a tripod) stops being a tripod at the joint where the center column extends from. In other words, a tripod using 15-20 inches of center column is less stable than a tripod relying on 5-6 inches of center column to reach the same height.

Another plus on a tripod is a hook on the bottom of the center column/post on which one can hang added weight to stabilize the tripod/camera.

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

And if you are happy with a $50 tripod the same applies. However, the last thing you want is to find out the hard way that the $50 investment was a poor one - either in missed shots due to vibration, or a catastrophic failure that destroys itself and anything mounted on it. The $1000 investment is no guarantee that it won't break, but there is no question in my mind that the likelihood is a lot lower. I don't like sand-casted components, which is why I am not a fan of Gitzo, which uses a casted camera platform. A minute bubble, which is hard to detect, can result in failure. I prefer machined aluminum alloy, from a single billet, for it's strength and durability.

But there is nothing wrong with the $50 tripod if it works for you - at least for the time being.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

So true - I bought a very sturdy metal tripod for $20 - 20 yrs ago at a camera swap there in Oakland - I have only changed the head a couple times ending up with a very good pistol grip ball head that holds my camera/lens combos sturdy in any position - yes I still do hang some weight on it if it is windy. I also picked up a smaller one of the same type that I keep in the car all the time- just in case.
Harvey

Jerry Coupe Loc: Kent, WA

I think total weight of camera and lens combination is the most important consideration in what tripod to own. Lenses in the 300mm-800mm categories require sturdy and more expensive tripods. Today there are many choices available.

Most of us have probably gone through a series of tripods. I started with a relatively inexpensive unit and used it until the leg clamps broke. That led me to a Bogen 3021 (now Monfratto) which I have used for 20-plus years. When I acquired a Canon 300 mm f2.8L lens I also purchased a gimbal head. Amazingly, I found a Bogen 3211 tripod at Goodwill for $7.50 and mounted the gimbal on it so I didn't have to switch back and forth between my ball head and the gimbal.

More recently, I decided to purchase a lighter tripod and finally selected a Gitzo GT2531EX. It has no click stops on the legs, so it is amazingly flexible when setting up on uneven terrain, etc. I moved my Arcatech ball head from the 3021 to the Gitzo, so the 3021 is basically retired at this time. What is very useful is taking your camera and lens combination to a good camera store and trying out various tripods and making a good selection for your needs.