gary8803

What is a good tripod and head for outside macro photograph. I want the ability to shoot close to the ground. I will be shooting flowers, weeds, and bugs. Budget is 500.00

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Look at Platypod. You can't get any closer to the ground than that.

http://platypod.com/

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

Ohhhhhh, I like the looks of that! Thank you for the link.

twowindsbear

Budget a focusing rail, too. This will allow you to precisely position the camera and not 'fiddle' too much moving the tripod tiny amounts to frame your subject.

Good luck & happy new year to you & yours.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

The Manfrotto tripod model 190 takes you flat to the ground. The center column can be rotated to get you positioned near a low subject. The legs can be articulated and manipulated to accommodate weird ground/rock configurations that is needed in nature .
There are many places a flat plate will not work at all.
I have used mine in many very difficult conditions I have the one with the 4 leg sections for maximum versatility and adjustment as well as ease of backpacking (It is relatively light).
I use a tilt pan head MHXPRO-3W by Manfrotto but I guess a good ball head might work.
Additionally as budget allows a 2 way focus rail helps in fine adjustments once you are set up.
I took the attached photo in a location of rocky steps in a odd location where anything less than my tripod and it's features would have failed.
Good luck.

(Download)

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

I have the Sirui EN-2204 tripod: http://www.sirui.com/store.html?p=49842
It has a 'split' center column that allows you to quickly unscrew the lower 12 inches or so of the center column and get really low to the ground.

Jerry Green Loc: Huntsville, AL

This is a budget "tripod" which is a monopod foot. Just attach a ball head to it:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1083926-REG/benro_vt2_3_leg_locking_base.html

In use:
https://gofish.smugmug.com/Nature/Fisheye-Lens-Photos/i-nS5x4JQ/A

Dan Downie Loc: Rochester, NY

Great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. I already have the rails so now all I need is the platform. I have a couple of tripods that will go to ground level, but I like the looks and size of the platform.

Take care and have a great day and a Happy New Year!

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

You would do much better to invest in flash, unless you are in an indoor studio or using clips on articulating arms to stabilize your subject a tripod is not very useful for macro because the DOF in a macro shot is so very small, any movement at all will require you to refocus and tripods just seem to make the whole process much more difficult. Flash freezes movement so even if your hands are a little shaky as long as you had the camera in the right spot in relation to where it is focused you will be ok. Most macro shooters use manual focus when shooting full macro. If you do work with flash to avoid harsh lighting in your images you will need a good diffuser.. But tripods are not really useful as even flowers move around in a very light breeze, and live bugs, forget it. Below is a 3:1 image of a bee taken handheld with a well diffused flash shot at 1/200th or slower, often I shoot at 1/125 because I know that the flash will give me a very crisp image.

Download the image and take a good look at it, you can see the fuzzy barbs on the bee's hair.

(Download)

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

I failed to say that I shoot all of my macros using a tripod, gimbal head, focusing rail and diffused flash.
You can see some of my work in the true macro and close-up sections. I shoot mostly outdoors.