I want to buy a new tripod, any suggestions?
Oct 7, 2017 17:32:56 #
Gene51 wrote:
But cheap almost always means inadequate at best, dangerous in the worst case. Nothing is more sobering than seeing a pile of broken glass, plastic and twisted metal that was once your camera and lens. Not making this up, it really happens. I found out the hard way . . .
Ouch!
Oct 9, 2017 12:51:35 #
OddJobber wrote:
Cheap tripods become expensive light stands. 
I took a two day night photography class in the Eastern Sierra last month. One of the participants, who was just starting out in photography, was loaned a "great tripod" from a friend who was an "Engineer." This was an incredibly flimsy thin legged aluminum beast that halfway through the first night, collapsed from the weight of the Nikon D7200 that was attached. Thankfully, because we're all Photo Nerds at heart, somebody had a spare Really Right Stuff Versa2 that got everybody back in business.
A cheap tripod could mean ruining a photo trip let alone missing "the shot."
Oct 11, 2017 07:43:31 #
Most stuff made by Manfrotto is damn good. I bought a heavy ally one over 25 yrs ago for a Mamiya RB and it is strong enough to use as a seat or fight-off a big dog. Cheap tripods are hardly worth buying. They make nice mini ones too!!
Oct 11, 2017 10:08:35 #
Look at buying a sturdy tripod as an investment since it pay dividends for many years. Yes, many substantial tripods are rather expensive. However, in the long run pricer tripods will actually save you money which is not the mantra of most camera gear. When I shopped for a tripod several years ago I considered four criteria. First, it had to carbon fibre since this the tripod would be lighter for hiking and CF material transmits less shake to the camera than the alternative materials. Second, the legs had to be twist legs as opposed to the clamp legs. Third, the legs had to have both rubber bottoms and spiked bottoms for the different terrain that I would encounter hiking for landscape photography. Finally, the tripod company had to have outstanding customer service if I encountered issues. Considering all these criteria I bought an Induro tripod and my experience has been very positive with this tripod and I have owned it for several years and it still performs as almost new after more than a dozen long hikes.
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