Lionsgate Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona

shirl2sg Loc: Northern Minnesota

This article will help, I too am checking into what I want and need in a tripod.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/tripods-and-monopods-guide/

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

25 years ago I purchased an NPC ball head for $275. It lasted till this past April. I then purchased an Acratech ball head for $275 and fully expect it to last 25yrs (it is fully guaranteed for 10). The legs and durability of any tripod is important - but the head......you gotta have a good head....on your shoulders and on the pod. Check out the Acratech Ultimate ball head - weighs less than a pound and will hold 25 lbs.

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

Just a few more thoughts about $4500.00 tripods and other over the top equipment; I don't begrudge the rich gadget freak with FU money from buying them. However, anyone who thinks owning this stuff will make them the next Ansel Adams is as delusional as the 40 year old "weekend warrior" who drops 10K on a custom made titanium bike, hoping the be the next Lance Armstrong, or the 85 year old widower, living on a fixed income in a 1 bedroom apartment, who splashes on AXE cologne, expecting to show up at the next American Legion bingo tournament with a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader on his arm

docrob Loc: Durango, Colorado

ya think?

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

I wasn't thinking about buying the stupid thing. It would cost more than I've made so far this year. I was just shocked and flabbergasted that a camera holder could be that expensive. I definitely want to upgrade my flimsy cheap DigiPower tripod (it's light, but would blow over if I breathed on it), but I would have to limit myself to something around $100...and that would be stretching my budget. Anything worthwhile for that price?

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

Planepics, I didn't think that you or anyone else on the "Hog" would buy it either. Just having a little fun on the site and making a general commentary about over the top spending. Obviously selling your cameras to buy that tripod makes as much sense as my selling my sailboat, which I keep at a municipal marina, so I can afford to join a private yacht club. As to the subject of tripods, one size doesn't fit all. I just picked up an old 10 lb Husky tripod at a garage sale for $5.00. Great piece of equpment as long as you are not carrying it around all day. For that I have both a lightweight Targus tripod and monopod. When all is said and done, the best tripod is the one you have with you, and anything is better than nothing at all. As to that bicycle workstand, which I converted, it was just a winter project when it was too cold to sail, the leaves had fallen off the trees, but not cold enough to snow and take winter pictures

Lionsgate Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona

My Bogan tripod is about 20 years old. It's heavy and clunky but I love it. I take a lot of outdoor pictures and sometimes in high wind. This gem has held my various cameras steady in near hurricane force winds. I recently purchased a light weight (14 once) to use in museums or other places where I need stability AND mobility. There are advantages to having more than one. If you can find both a light weight and heavy duty that have interchangeable "quick release" heads that would be the best way to go.

p.s. I also have a very portable flexible mono-pod that can be attached to chair, pole, steering wheel for use with light weight cameras. It comes in handy.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

I've been using a SLIK U-212 for years, it's outlived 5 cameras and still holds up my Pentax 6x7 with a 200mm lens.

Dick

2th Loc: Tehran

I have a bolex monopod . and love it. can help ,very old ad swiss made.look for one won,t regret it. Dr.Farzin

snogost67 Loc: dayton, montana

Thank you to everyone who posted about the tripods. I finally purchased a used one off ebay. A Bogen/Manfrotto 3021N tripod with a Cambo CBH-5 ballhead with quick release. I am still waiting for it to get here and will report how I like it once I've tried it out. Once again, thanks for all the replies!

2th Loc: Tehran

according to kenrockwell chuck noris of digital photography we don,t need tripod anymore . do you agre ?

Bigdaver

You can replace the clamp only for about $40 with the smallest Kirk quick release.
I use Arca type on all my equipment, either Kirk or RRS.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

Well... I have to differ on the Manfrotto ideas... I did pay about $500 on what seemed to be a pretty stout Manfrotto and and Ball Head. Nope. Coffee Nerves, and the camera shutter induces sympathetic vibrations in the tripod which last seconds. Maybe not that big a deal when shooting stills at 1/1000, but when things get slooow, like 2 minutes in DSLR video, for example, the coffee nerves are a marvel to watch settle down over the first few seconds, especially with big telephotos past 600mm, like a 600mm full frame on a DX 1.5x crop.

Gotta retrieve my loaned out Gitzo Tele Studex Giant, sadly no longer made, but apart from multi thousand dollar cine tripods, I doubt any of the "lets make it really light" tripods in the world could even begin to compare in basic tripod perfection and ruggedness. No coffee nerves.

Funny, I was looking at Really Right Stuff's top tripod just now, and it has a load rating of 50 pounds. Almost comical when I think of loading my old Gitzo with a few hundred pounds of jib and movie camera. You don't even think about it. Also, the 58 inch max height of the RRS top carbon fiber tripod is a little short of the 144 inch max height of the Gitzo.

Sometimes, we set the Gitzo at about 7 feet and put the jib on it, giving LOW (few inch lens height off the ground) and quite HIGH (over 12 feet) boom reaches. Stick that on a dolly...

All that said, I am considering that Really Right Stuff tripod. I have been searching for a decent lightweight solution.

Bigdaver

Yes, I tried the rest, then got a Gitzo 320, I'll never be able to use less again. I have big ball heads and clamps, with L-brackets on my cameras. So steady after using so many lesser setups.