wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

i would look at used linhof profi i, profi 2 and profi 3 ballheads. while some other companies make good ones, no one comes close to this head. secondly, i would look for a used berlebach wood tripod. wood absorbs vibration better than any other type. per lenear foot wood is stronger than steel. it will put you around $400.00 but both will last you forever.

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

If you want meaningful and accurate responses here, then you need to provide information about lenses and cameras that you want to support, along with the kind of photography you intend to use the tripod with.

You can forget about load carrying capacity, tripod mass, how "light" your camera gear is, and just about every myth so often repeated that leads to poor choices, and money and time wasted.

Probably the only significant things that matter are angle of view and magnification.

Carbon fiber is light and strong, and dampens vibration way better than anything made of metal, until you get into the four figure range of tripods for studio and film/video production use which is where the heavy metal tripods reign. Wood is nice but usually a bit impractical if you are carrying it, and beyond your budget anyway. For all intents and purposes, CF will be your best bet unless you aren't planning on carrying it for any distance.

Rather than dismissing your budget, tell us more about it's intended use. You and I are in the same boat, I need a less costly tripod that folds smaller and will be stable enough for wide angle to short tele and macro - for use when I go hiking. My budget is about $500 for a head + legs, or roughly $300-$350 for tripod, and the balance for a ball head. The legs will be carbon fiber.

I have never seen a bad review for RRS, Gitzo, Feisol, higher end Benro, Induro, Sirui - other than neophytes using the wrong criteria to select a tripod, or spending too little money. It stands to reason that someone buying a $300 tripod complete with head, and using to to support an M4/3 camera with a 300mm lens (effectively 600mm field of view) is under spending and foolishly using the rationale "my Olympus - OM-D E-M10 and Panasonic 100-300mm F4-5.6 lens only weighs 2 lbs" is going to be gravely disappointed. What matters is stability, and I have yet to see a tripod in that price class support, in stable fashion an effective 600mm lens. It doesn't matter that was a 1 lb point and shoot, or what I use, a D800, battery pack, and 600mm F4, weighing around 16 lbs - the requirement for stability is the same for all three - and there no $300 solution to this.

If there were, all the major tripod manufacturers would cease production on the heavier duty tripods, because the little cheap ones work just as well as the bigger more expensive ones. That would be delusional thinking - don't you agree?

ronf78155 Loc: Seguin Texas

Anything from Manfrotto is high quality......some are really heavy, some are feather light....but all are really high quality !

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

With your limited budget, there is an aluminum tripod in your future. A quality carbon fiber simply costs more than you want to spend.

A quality CF tripod is as durable as aluminum (i.e., both can be damaged, if you try hard enough).

CF is lighter for the same weight bearing capacity. Probably more importantly for many photogs, it is better at absorbing vibrations. It doesn't "ring" with vibrations the way most metals do. It also can be nicer to handle in hot or cold ambient conditions. And, it is not subject to some corrosion that can effect aluminum.

But, although costs have come down a lot, a CF tripod of equal quality is still more expensive than aluminum. You might find lower cost CD "clones" from unknown manufacturers, but have to be concerned about their durability and reliability. A good, name brand CF from a company with a long track history will not be cheap.

A tripod might be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. Bought right, you may never need to buy another. Chances are that you'll upgrade cameras any number of times, but might well continue to use the same tripod (one of mine is 30+ years old, a big heavy aluminum beast... I've also got lighter CF tripods to carry in the field, one of which is about 15 years old). With tripods, it's nearly always better to stretch your budget as much as possible, get a good one that will last for decades, and that you're more likely to find a pleasure to use, less likely to leave at home.

Manfrotto are good. In fact, their parent company is same as Gitzo, Sachtler and one or two other tripod brands.

One suggestion... until really recently both Manfrotto and Gitzo have not offered tripod heads that are Arca-Swiss compatible. They have only offered their own, proprietary designs of quick releases. But, within the last year or two both have started to offer A-S type QR heads, too. Arca-Swiss is by far the most universal and widely used... there are many manufacturers who offer a wide variety of items that are compatible with it. If at all possible, I'd look for a head that is A-S compatible... whether it's Manfrotto or other.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

If $ 300 is your budget and you're looking for a Carbon Fiber tripod, yes, it will be very flimsy. There is a very good discussion of tripods on the website of Really Right Stuff which I suggest you read before you spend anything. Not that you have to spend more than you want to, but the information will be very useful in evaluating one against another. I have a Gitzo CF tripod, fairly expensive. I use a RRS Ballhead, also expensive but, IMHO, worth every penny I spent. The CF tripods are much lighter for the same, or better, strength and thus, when carrying one around all day at an event, I consider that money well spent. Best of luck with this choice. It is a hard one!

Kuzano

Often overlooked. Too much reliance on center post to get to proper eye height.

The more center post you use, the more compromised the stability. I use an aluminum Bogen Manfrotto 3021. Old big and heavy, but with Manfrotto 3 way head on top, I use NO center post extension to get eyeball height without crouching.

I grew up on and prefer a 3 way pan head, but fast is not a requirement for me.

Add to that three leg sections... never 4 or 5.
Add to that screw down locking on the leg sections.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I personally needed a taller tripod that was heavy duty and chose this one from Benro. A good Benro or Sirui ball head would work well for you if you want a solid sturdy tripod/ball head arraignment, and stay close to your budget try these.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1157827-REG/benro_tma47axl_mach3_aluminum_series_4.html

https://www.amazon.com/Sirui-K-20X-Ballhead-Release-Capacity/dp/B004QC3COO/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1466435038&sr=1-22&keywords=ball+head

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Here is what I recommend for you -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/371546840953?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

What kind of shooting/subjects you do and whether speed is important will determine what style head will be best for your needs.

CWW Loc: North Jersey

Thank You!

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

That's vague at best. There are many models, and if I remember correctly, all have extendable center columns and are quite heavy when compared to the competition as a result.

No point in recommending anything until the OP states what his intentions are for the tripod.

CWW Loc: North Jersey

Thank You! Looks great...

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

I agree with some of what you say here, especially the comment about the more center post extension the more instability. However, I have to disagree with the blanket statement of never getting a tripod with more than three leg segments. I understand the thinking behind the statement: fewer leg joints should be more stable if all other factors are the same, but in some cases restricting oneself to only three segments may result in tripod that will be unsatisfactory. Example, I am 6'4" tall. Finding a tripod with only three leg segments that will bring my camera to eye level without resorting to a center column, while still providing adequate "folded" dimensions is a near impossibility without going to a fourth segment. Granted, to meet my needs of a very tall tripod with no center column meant spending much more than the OP is willing to spend, but it did result in a tripod that is both tall enough and more stable than any three segment tripods available. If one adds in other factors to consider (leg tube diameter, type of joint locks, leg tube thickness, even the type of foot used) it becomes clear that while having some logic, a rule saying never buy a tripod with more than three leg segments is an over generalization.

To the OP: what many here are telling you is that your budget may be too restrictive to allow you to get both a stable tripod and dependable ball head. You may have to decide between settling for something that is indeed flimsy and which needs to be replaced in the near future, and waiting until you can invest more on gear that is more dependable and which will last you many years. If you envision using the tripod a great deal of the time (example: I use mine 95% of the time) waiting until you can afford a more expensive rig may be the wiser choice.

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

It's great if you don't mind carrying around a 7 lb tripod (with head).

PhotosBySteve

If I were you I would wait till I saved another 300 to 400 dollars to purchase a decent tripod and head. Otherwise be prepared to buy another new setup within a year or so when you realize what junk you got for $300.
This is what I recommend after you save more money:
 Arca-Swiss Monoball Z1 dp with Flip-Lock Quick Release
 Sirui W-1204 Waterproof Carbon Fiber tripod.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Love my Manfrotto 190CXPro3...been going strong for 6 years now. Of course some of it likely has to do with the Acratech GP-S ballhead. Good luck with your search...don't skimp, you'll just end up buying something better.