Tonylum

Within the past week I purchased the sigma 60-600mm lens. After watching many reviews, I kind of got the idea that I didn't need a tripod at this moment but after using it for a few days, I absolutely need one.
What I'm looking for in a tripod is:
-carbon fiber (to cut down on weight)
-ball head included (I'm buying a gimble head next month)
-sturdy (would rather not get a travel tripod, unless they're sturdy enough)
_looking to spend up to $500

Any recommendation are appreciated.
Thanks,
Tony

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Gitzo would be my first choice.
--Bob

Bob Mevis Loc: Plymouth, Indiana

I have 3pod brand. I'ts an adorama in house brand. Carbon fiber, comes with a pistol grip ballhead, which I really like and a level. You can also order as the orbit model, which features a center column that can be locked at any angle from 0 to 90 degrees. Very sturdy and will accept any head. Last I looked about 3 weeks ago, it was around $250.00.with the pistol grip bulkhead.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Don't know anything about carbon fiber tripods, but when you have got your responses and done the research, shop used. You will save a lot. I bought Tripod, Monopod, Ball Head and Gimbal, all high end, name brand, for a good bit less than your budget. All in excellent virtually unused condition.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I have found the only way to buy A tripod (Capital A is to buy and not buy a lot of them till you find one that works for you) is to go to a store with your camera and lens. The tripod must fit the camera and lens you have and fit you. That is the hight you need, without the extension up and the weight of the equipment on it with you comfort level to move it around when shooting and traveling. What do I know this? because I own a lot of tripods but only use the last one i purchased from a store that I took all my stuff down to.

Tonylum

Thanks, I was just looking into used. I just spent over 2k for the lens. Now I'm looking at another 1k for a gimble a tripod. Used might be my solution.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Tony, Carbon Fiber Gitzo. Check out KEH for used.

ricardo00

A few things you should keep in mind. First, avoid a center column, which may greatly decrease the height the tripod can extend to but increases the vibration of the camera/lens. Keep in mind that if you have your lens is aimed up (think a nest in a tree), you need a longer tripod so you don't have to bend down to look through view finder. The longer tripods will be heavier. Also, even with a single brand, the bigger the tripod the more stable it will be. Thus, lower weight often conflicts with being most stable and more user friendly. You might want to check out this website for reviews of different tripods:

https://thecentercolumn.com/tripod-reviews/

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

You are short on $$ for stable support with a ball head for a 600mm lens, unless you are only going to use it with a gimbal. Take the ball head out of the equation, and $100-$200 for the legs, and you would be at the entry level for decent support, especially if you are using a crop sensor camera, which means you'll need something that will be stable with a 900mm or 960mm lens.

You'll want something from the top 20 on this list - or similar:

https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Yeah, that's an almost 6 lb. lens.... I understand why you want a tripod!

By the time you add the weight of a camera and other accessories you are probably looking at 8 or 9 lb., which gives some idea how heavy duty a tripod will be needed. Tripod "weight capacity rating" isn't ideal, but it's what we've got to work with. It's the information that's most consistently provided for comparison. I'd recommend a capacity rating at least 3X and maybe 4X the weight of your gear.



Based on your criteria I did a search at B&H (who carry or can special order almost every brand and model of tripod, plus have useful search tools). I limited to rigs that have 28 to 44 lb. load capacity. I also limited to Arca-style quick release and removable ballhead. You'll need those to use a gimbal (more about this below).

The search results narrow down your options a lot! From the more than 1100 total tripods B&H lists, these criteria have quickly narrowed it down to 30 candidates for you to consider. And some of those are a lot more than you wanted to spend:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Complete-Tripods-with-Heads/ci/2635/N/4075788742?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH&filters=fct_head-type_4106%3Aball-head%2Cfct_leg-lock-type_4128%3Atwist-lock%2Cfct_material_774%3Acarbon-fiber%2Cfct_quick-release-system_7375%3Aarca%2Cfct_removable-head_7408%3Ayes%2Cfct_support-weight_4142%3A27-lb%7C28-lb%7C30-lb%7C31-lb%7C33-lb%7C34-lb%7C35-lb%7C39-lb%7C40-lb%7C44-lb

Among those I would look at the following:

1. Working height. How tall do you need? Measure to your eye level.

2. Does tripod reach that height without need to extend center column much or at all? Using a lot of center column extension reduces stability. (In fact, my sturdiest tripods for use with gimbals and big telephotos have no center column at all.)

3. How many leg sections? I'd recommend 3 ideally, maybe 4 at most. More than that will likely reduce stability. Of course, this limits how compact a tripod can fold up and how tall it is without using much or any of the center column. Look for your best compromise.

4. Weight, of course.

5. Accessories... nice to get a carry bag with a tripod. It's also great if one or more legs are padded. And spiked feet may be handy in some situations. But if not included, better brands often offer these things as options you can purchase separately it you wish, to further customize the tripod for your particular purposes. Support, spare parts and repair potential are also possible concerns.... though hopefully you'd never need them.

You mention planning to get a gimbal, which will be handy with that big telephoto. I recommend you consider a gimbal adapter instead of a gimbal head. A gimbal adapter works in conjunction with a ballhead (which must have an Arca-style quick release platform and a separate panning axis). To use a gimbal adapter, you simply "flop" the ballhead to the side and lock it in place, then fit the adapter in the QR platform and lock it in place. Quick and easy to install or remove. When fitted, the gimbal provides the vertical/tilt axis, while the ballhead provides the horizontal/panning axis.

The reason I recommend one is because a gimbal adapter allows you to quickly and easily switch the tripod back and forth between being set up for big, heavy telephotos and more standard usage. A "gimbal head", on the other hand, completely replaces the ballhead on the tripod. To switch the tripod back and forth for different uses will mean removing one head and replacing it with the other. That may require tools and would mean carrying around both heads. A gimbal adapter such as the Wimberley Sidekick or the Induro GHBA can easily accommodate gear the weight of yours. I've used a Sidekick for 20 years, sometimes with gear heavier than yours... And I've seen people use them with even heavier stuff without any problem, even though it's more than the manufacturers' recommend. (Note: The Jobu "Micro" BWG gimbal adapter is probably not sufficient for that 60-600mm lens. The heaviest lens it's recommended for is 4.5 lb. and most listed for use with it are 3 lb. or less.)

If you do decide to get a gimbal adapter, that might effect your choice of ballhead... First that it needs to have that Arca-compatible QR platform, but also that it have sufficient weight bearing capacity rating to hold up (the adapter adds some weight of course, but mainly it probably puts some strain on the ballhead using it this way). The ballhead's weight bearing capacity should simply be as high as possible. I wouldn't suggest less than 33-35 lb. and in fact the ballhead I use with my Sidekick is rated for 50 lb. (Kirk BH-1).

You might find useful the link bellow, which is a nicely illustrated, partial list of gimbal heads and adapters:

http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/gimbal_list.htm

There are quite a few other heads now, than what's on that list. They're being offered by many manufacturers.

Finally, I believe the tripod mounting foot of your new lens has a built in Arca-compatible dovetail, so there's no need to buy a lens plate for it (unless for some reason you feel need for one that's longer than what's built in).

You will need an Arca-type "camera plate" in order to mount the camera directly on the tripod at times when you aren't using the big telephoto. I highly recommend getting one of the custom "fitted" camera plates, because those have built in anti-twist features to prevent accidental loosening (which can be a problem with "universal" type plates). Some companies that offer fitted camera plates include Kirk Photo, Hejnar Photo, Really Right Stuff (RRS) and others. Some of these are available at various online retailers, while others are sold directly by their manufacturers. Do a search for plates made specifically for your camera brand and model (Note: If camera is fitted with a battery grip, you might need a different plate than the camera without any grip uses).

If you have other lenses with tripod mounting collars, you may need lens plates for them, too. Often these are more "universal", but still look for some sort of anti-twist feature.

Have fun shopping!

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I recently purchased this Tripod and am happy with it, the ball head that comes on it works great and I really like the pivoting center column. I have a heaver aluminum tripod but the Vanguard even though lighter is more sturdy. You should search for a few reviews on the pod because I know that everyone here is going to recommend Gitzo and Manfroto but reading the reviews on this pod they may steer you in its direction, a lot of thought went into the design of this tripod. I made what is in my opinion the mistake of purchasing the pistol grip for it for an extra $150, not so sure that was a good idea, the ballhead is just about as convenient.

One thing that I will say is that if it is the weight of the lens that is pushing you towards the tripod then sure you are going to need it, but if it is blurry pics then maybe spending more time with the lens and increasing your ISO to where you are shooting at faster shutter speed will solve your problem. I use a 600mm lens quite a bit handheld with great results, but I also am always monitoring my shutter speeds and ISO. Above Gene recommended buying a Gimbal head for your tripod and as a former BIF guy I whole heartedly agree with him, gimbals are designed for long lenses and shooting moving subjects, and when you consider their design, they are better designed for supporting the weight of a long lens with your camera attached.

https://www.vanguardworld.com/products/copy-of-veo-3-263ab-aluminum-tripod-with-ball-head

cmc4214 Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania

I recently bought a Robus tripod, I got the heavier model (RC-8880) 77lbs capacity up to 80" tall and incredibly solid for about $750. Robus also makes a lighter version (RC-5558) still 55lbs capacity and 73" tall for about $500. They also make shorter versions of both models, if you are working on steep ground, the taller versions are worth the extra.

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

Old saying:

You want a tripod the is

1) Sturdy
2) Lightweight
3) Inexpensive

Pick TWO, because you can’t get all three.

Lots of great advice here already. You can also look at the reviews and test results at Thecentercolumn.com.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

Or put an arca swiss clamp on the top of the tripod, add a plate to the ball-head and a plate to the gimbal and they both become interchangeable without the stuffing around mentioned above. My wife uses this system and she has no problems with possible additional issues caused by the extra clamp/plates.
Use a 60-65mm clamp and similar plates and they hold really well. Try, for using on top of the tripod, 3/8" screws rather than the more usual 1/4". All good tripods should have the 3/8" thread.

Donkas1946 Loc: Southern NH

Price and quality enduro would be my choice. I have one and use it with a heavy set up. Canon 7Dii and 500 F4. Very light came with additional short support, bag and tools. Under $500.