philo Loc: philo, ca

I use a tripod all the time. If the tripod doesn't do the job that needs to be done. you won't use it.
The job is to keep everything rock solid. If your camera and lens weights 7 or 8 lbs and you use a 2 pound ball head it just isn't going to work.
I just purchased a ball head that will support 31 lbs. I now know that when I put on my 100-400 mm lens in whatever position it is going to stay there.
As far as the tripod. I wanted one that went to 6ft with out the center post being extended. i now have one.
The down side is that the setup is about 5lbs and is going to be heavy to carry around all day long.
I will deal with it.

ahanonymous Loc: Queens, NY

When it comes to tripods do not buy junk. As the rental manager at various shops through the years we only rented 3 brands of tripod. Tiltall (no longer available), Gitzo (great tripods, very expensive), and Manfrotto. These tripods went through very heavy use and stand up well. You may need to re-tighten a leg lock once and awhile but you will have these for life. I personally own a Tiltall, It's over 35 years old and still going strong. I now recommend a Manfrotto, check out this one, I have used it...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/523086-REG/Manfrotto_055XDB_Tripod_Legs_Black.html

Keep in mind the weight of yer equipment and purchase a tripod that can accommodate your camera's weight. If you carry one all the time you may want to get one made from carbon fiber.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

Hello New2blog

A while back I pruchased a Dolica GX650B204 for my Canon 7D its very sturdy 65in. tall the ball head B204 is very smooth to use the price is right too under $100 dollars by the way it will hold 17lbs of hardware. I looked at few Manfrottos of the same quality as the Dolica I just could not justfy the amount of money for the Manfrottos. Just do your home work check a round stay away from the plastic ones they are just crap. Good luck hunting have fun do it too take your time. By the way I bought mine from Amazon.com...Richard

Willy Loc: Alaska

I have an old Slik U-212. It is not very user friendly and seldom gets used. I have learned that the easier a tripod is to use the more I will use it. I have also learned that the ease of use and the price are directly related. I finally spent a significant amount and bought a top quality tripod & ball head. It is extremely easy to use and I find this is causing me to use it all the time which is having a very positive impact on my photos.
Here's a great essay on tripods I found on the web.
http://bythom.com/support.htm
This gent makes a great point about the steps involved in progressing up to a good tripod.
I am currently using a Gitzo tripod with a ReallyRightStuff BH40 ballhead & clamp and a RRS L bracket on my camera (Canon 7D).
The gear was expensive but I am learning that is was well worth the investment.
Again I must state that the easier it is to use the more you will use it. Here's another website about tripods and some fabulous images as well.
http://www.my-photo-blog.com/tripods
I hope this is useful info for you.

mgemstone Loc: Chicago/Cocoa beach/La/NY

Like lenses, tripods are made for different purposes and have a different fit for the individual. The choice depends on what you plan to photograph, whether you need mobility, your height versus tripod height, on what kind of surface you will be placing the tripod, weight of camera with lens, and other factors. That's just the tripod and the head has very similar considerations. Large lenses for nature photography are usually paired with carbon fiber or wood tripods to reduce vibrations. Backpacking tripods are usually more portable (small & light) and those mainly for indoor use still require reasonable sturdiness.

You often can buy a good used tripod for 50% or less of retail. less expensive units come with a head. If you plan only occassional use indoors, you probably have great choices from $100 to $250.

mwh2385 Loc: Fairfield Glade, Tennessee

Try out PROMASTER.com.

They have the best in tripods and flash units. And their prices are very reasonable and their support is great!

I do not recommend a used tripod. You won't be happy.

AND...don't buy a plastic tripod. They break easy.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I like what this person has to say. I have a carbon fiber Gitzo series 3 tripod for my nature photography and use a Benro gimbal head to hold up my 500mm f4 lens. It's light, sturdy, and will easily and safely hold my camera lens combo while out in the bush.

I like my Monfrotto/bogen tripod with ball head for camera lens combos that use up to a 100mm lens. The tripod is light aluminum alloy and the legs clamp in place fast. It also adjusts to many positions and the center columb can be vertical, horizontal, or upside down for an array of camera positions.

Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

Tripod weight and rigidity are not always very closely related, and load bearing capacity is separate from either.

Wood and carbon fibre are much 'deader' than metal, and absorb vibration faster. But wood ends to be heavy, and carbon fibre is expensive. The old saying is,"Cheap, light or rigid: which two do you want?"

ANY half-decent head should work, but 'half decent' costs money. Basically, if you pay under $100 for a tripod, you'll be lucky to get a tripod that is reasonably light and reasonably 'dead'. Expensive tripods often have FEWER features than expensive ones (geared centre columns, built in heads, quick release plates) because such things are quite expensive to make properly, without slop and vibration.

As others have said, it's cheaper to buy a good tripod once, than cheap tripods several times. IF you buy top quality, there's nothing wrong with second-hand, but here I'm talking about $300+ tripods at $100-150, not junk. Of my 14 or so tripods, three were second hand when acquired, and I'd have no hesitation in selling my 30-year-old Gitzo (bought new) to a friend. It's battered, but it still works.

Cheers,

R.

GEARHEAD6PACK Loc: FAIRFIELD, TX

Photographically, I guess I'm a dinosaur, not to mention my real age. I don't use a tripod very often, but I have a Husky Quickset, and a StarD Professional, and I've never seen a reason to have anything else. I cannot conceive of anything they wouldn't hold.

melphoto60

my grandmother had books and books of green stamps, so yea I remember them...

ahanonymous Loc: Queens, NY

I was a Promaster dealer and sold their products. Be forewarned, not the worlds best products. As the saying goes, "ya get what ya pay fer"! Sometimes ya get lucky!

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I have to laugh......our local camera store (it is well managed and does a great service for our community - the owner and I are good friends) is a dealer for Pro Master stuff. Well, they came out with a 64 gig compact flash card in the 450 dollar range so, on the advice of the owner, we bought 4. Since the Nikon Cameras we use have slots for two cards, that game each camera a 128 gig of storage. The cards also came with a "DOUBLE LIFETIME" guarantee. I ask the owner, explain this...........I am still waiting for an answer.

BTW, these cards are working well......takes forever to dumped them but the buffer fills and empties extremely well.

So, my question, what in the world is a "Double Lifetime Guarantee." .......it is probably in the small print.

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

Jeffrey, I use Manfrotto 055 and 190 XBPRO both with ball heads, I had tried the light weight aluminum ala kmart/walmart, and never found them to be acceptable. From what I see around the shooters I meet in the fields and traails, a decent mid line name brand carbon or aluminum tripod will never let you down. I prefer the lever lock, some prefer the twist lock.
This is a place you want to invest in quality.
"store brands" in my experience are not worth the money.
Good luck

travlnman46 Loc: Yakima WA

Hello New2blog: Hmmmm I'm finding all this information on tripods very interesting. My first thought about a tripod was it needs to be able to hold the weight of what ever camera you use, including an over size lens even under the worst weather conditions. second would be ease of use, how quickly could it be set up and taken down. Third, if I have to carry this thing how much does it weigh, if I have to hold it when I carry it does it allow an easy grip. can I easily attach it to a back pack. Fourth how durable is the thing with all it's moving parts, how much use and abuse will it take. I was given as a gift an Ambico V-0552. Now I know this is a very inexpensive tripod,about $25 U.S., but the durn thing has held up for years, it weighs just over 2 lbs, will shorten to about 18 inches and up to about 5 feet. There is also a quick release mount for the camera and adjustable feet for gripping in either rough terraine or smooth for studio work. So for dollar spent the value is there. Just a thought and my 2 cents worth.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

I use a Manfrotto 190XPROB with the 322RC2 ballhead. It has a "squeeze lock/release" grip. Built in leveling bubbles on the head and on the tripod legs. The legs splay out and the center post can extend horizontally. I don't have any long teles-- primary used for landscapes with wide angle views and macro. It's fine for that. I carry it hiking attached to my backpack. Someday, I'll pop for one with carbon legs