dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Realistically, it depends on the type of shooting that you do. If all you need is a platform for shots no longer than 2 or 3 seconds then most tripods, fence post, porch railing or any other semi-stable surface will do. BUT, if you plan to do 3, 4 second or longer timed exposures (especially the 10-20 minute really long ones) then you need a very good, very stable tripod that isn't going to move on you. Thus, the difference in price.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Tripods have gotten expensive over time but keep in mind that we get what we pay for. Original carbon fiber tripods were selling for around $800-1000. Today you find them in all price ranges although some are better than others. Mine is a Desmond, most probably made in China but it is reasonably well made, steady, lighter than aluminum, easy to use and it has been serving me well. I paid $200 for it.
Believe it or not the majority of my travel shots are made with a cheap Dolica tripod ($45) that I bought a few years ago. It is all aluminum, light and easy to carry and with good tripod techniques it does the job to perfection. I use it often with my small mirrorless cameras but I have had the Nikon D610 on it without issues. It holds about 5 lbs of weight with no sweat.
The used market, in case you want to go that way, is saturated with used tripods of all kinds. The prices are pretty low depending on the quality of the tripod.
Now that we have discussed tripod prices let me tell you that tripods are a necessity. Always keep in mind that if it is well made it will last forever.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I bet limited production enters into it. Why does a tripod head cost $500 and more?

Kuzano

A Ferrari is not really a better car than a Chevrolet or a Ford. Nor for that matter is a Rolls Royce or Lotus.

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

I don’t know what your getting “quality with all of the gagits” camera wise for $1000 most quality lenses cost at least that and than some

Tripods of a good quality to support your awesome camera with lens for $1000 should run at least $175

Good luck

mikeroetex Loc: Lafayette, LA

Welcome to the forum. here is one that won't break the bank!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Wood-Brass-CAMERA-TRIPOD-FLEX-O-Eastman-Kodak-model-C-EARLY-1900s-/282904417641

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

The initial design of the tripod for photography was flawed and has not been re-evaluated; China, earliest Neolithic cultures of Cishan and Peiligang in the 7th and 8th millennium BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripod
"was invented and first manufactured for sale by Sir Francis Ronalds in the late 1820s in Croydon. He sold 140 of the stands in the decade 1830-40 and his design was soon imitated by others."

Question: Would it not be better to have the thick part of the legs at the bottom? Surly NASA has considered a 3 leg design ... not based on a farmers milk stool as modern tripods are !!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Good question. In part Quantity and (less [reduced]) Competition in the marketplace. Many more cameras are sold than tripods. Not everyone who buys a camera buys a tripod, yes most serious photographers do but "snap shooters" often do not. In the case of digital cameras today most people end up buying a newer better additional or replacement digital camera every few years. Tripods are generally only needed to be purchased once per lifetime if an excellent quality tripod. Also in many people's minds tripods are looked at as professional gear much like enlargers. Sure some especially color enlargers can be a bit sophisticated but plain B&W ones are of pretty straight forward and simple design. Today of course very few photographers even use or want an enlarger. And because they are an unusual item today they have gone up in new price yet down in used value. Note, I still have two 4x5" enlargers in storage. You can see Quantity vs Price everywhere, Automobiles, Home Electronics, Computers, Photography (in many other places; example a f/2.8 Zoom lens vs a F4.5-6.3 Zoom lens.), even Food. Yes, that materials that go into products also greatly affect their price, but not in a straight forward or linear way.

I'll admit I can be a bit of a tripod snub and really old school as well. I still have an old cheap-ish Velbon tripod from around 1980. I don't use that one much today. I also have a well used or abused Slik tripod that I picked out of the trash at a place where I once worked. The legs are OK, but the Head is bad and does not lock in place so I swap the head with the Velbon. Now, here we go...
...I own two Gitzo tripods; actually two pair of Gitzo legs and three rather different Gitzo heads. The first Gitzo was purchased new by my then girlfriend, now wife, as a gift to me. The later Gitzo was purchased used as extra heads, legs, side-arm from ebay rather cheaply I might add. My Gitzo tripods are all old school all metal ones from the Nineteen Eighties. I also have a relatively up to date Manfrotto Tripod and Trigger Head, but I don't really like it and do plan to sell it eventually. The bottom line is you get what you pay for.

An odd aspect of product marketing today is computer Photo Printers. You can get excellent quality for a relatively low price, i.e., they practically give you the printer for free (especially Canon and HP), but they make all their money off you selling you time after times ink cartridges. A full set of 7 inks for my Canon PIXMA PRO-9000 (predecessor to the PRO-100) costs up to $140. And I don't get many full color 13x19" prints either per set. The professional Epson printers with large ink tanks might over time be a better deal.

Kuzano

Great Tripod with excellent history in the classifieds for $85. Hope you're young and healthy with a muscular build. Not an easy all day carry. Can you say "pack mule".

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

LOL, "Marine," and painted yellow gets even worse for some reason. Yellow color must contain some "magic"

Skiextreme2 Loc: Northwest MA

Look on ebay for a used Bogen/Manfrotto and you can usually find a nice one for $50+/- but it will weigh around 7+ lbs. compared to a carbon fiber one that will weigh <2 lbs. Also, look at the price of anything carbon fiber, if it's carbon fiber, it's going to be expensive.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I have a Bogen tripod with an acro-Swiss ball head that I bought 50 years ago and still is working fine

Edia Loc: Central New Jersey

Tripods do not dampen vibration. They are designed to hold the camera and lens steady. Some may be less sesseptable to aeolian perterbation (wind). If the ground vibrates, then the tripod will transmit that vibration to the camera. The laws of physics still apply, regardless to the cost of the tripod. That said, carbon fiber legs are a poorer transmitter of vibration than aluminum.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

For your continuing education. http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tripod-guide

Skiextreme2 Loc: Northwest MA

If it works for you, that's fine, but some of us have lenses that weigh more that your tripods maximum weight rating.