prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

I am looking for recommendations on reasonably priced tripods that I could use with my D7200 and Sigma 150-600C along with a Gimbal. Taking into account what ever is required when choosing a Tripod. The combined weight of my Camera , Lens and Gimbal is around 3kilograms. I found the following on Amazon UK does anyone know this Tripod?

Victiv Camera Tripod 63-73" for Canon Nikon, Lightweight DSLR Camera Stand with Detachable 3-way Swivel Pan Head Max Load 14lb/6.35kg, Aluminum Tripod with Holder and Carry Bag
Brand: Victiv Costing $46.00.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Tripods are easy to buy I purchased dozens of them. Then got smart and took my camera and lenses to a store and set up MY CAMERA & MY LENS on them to see what I like. End of buying tripods.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I’m sorry to say that a $46 tripod (unless to find a Gitzo at a yard sale) is not going to be adequate for a rig like yours - not even close. Look for used name brands such as Induro, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Sirui, etc. on UHH, kEH, MPB, B&H, Roberts or EBay.

prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

Thanks. I had the feeling it was too cheap and as the saying goes you get what you pay for -in most cases.

williejoha

Induro makes some very good carbon fiber tripods for reasonable costs. I have had mine for quite a few years before my daughter inherited it. Still a great tall pod.
WJH

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

A lot of Tripod manufactures make good tripods but you have to be comfortable with it. It should hold YOUR EQUIPMENT at a hight that you don't have to bend down to see and the hight needs to be without you having to raise the center pole up. The sturdiness, with your equipment, is the factor. If you use smaller lighter equipment you won't need as strong and expensive tripod as a heavy set up. How long or far you carry it will determine the Aluminum of fiberglass choice.
The Manufacture is not the choice but your use and equipment is.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

I have a Nest tripod and gimbal head rated to support 55lbs. Both are Carbon Fiber. MT Shooter here on UHH imported and sold them before he retired. And everyone I have known or known of had only good things to say, unless the model they got was too light for their camera rig, and then they only commented "Should have bought a different model." or similar. Well one guy slammed the tripod and MT Shooter - but he received a damaged/defective tripod with a bad camera mounting screw.

I found the company that made them -"Ningbo" - online now doing sales through Hong Kong and Alibaba ???. They still list the exact gimbal head I have but the tripods are now aluminum. The carbon fiber gimbal head I have (NT-530H) is listed under video tripods in two models with different model numbers, listed as for "Bird Watchers". The picture for the head shows it on the same carbon fiber tripod I have, but the sales link to Alibaba only has the head. And seems to be a whole sale site with some items saying minimum order 100 to 1000 pieces. The ones you can order only one the shipping costs are pretty stiff even though the item price is very low so it comes out to about what you would pay to a US seller of similar items.

E-Bay has both the head and tripod from time to time. Right now they have the head but only Nest Aluminum tripods listed.
The Ningbo site lists monopods in both aluminum and carbon fiber up to 25kg/55lb weight supporting models.

Chicago312 Loc: Western suburb, Chicago

Don’t waste your money. Max load should be 3-5x your combined weight. You don’t want a tripod to collapse and see your equipment bounce off rocks/concrete, etc.

My Nikon Z6 + battery grip + 300mm f2.8 + 2x TC + Manfrotto fluid head weighs (I’m guessing) around 12-13 lbs (6kg). I use a Feisol CT-3342 tripod (weight of 2.5 lbs / 1 kg) with a max load of 55 lbs (roughly 25 kg).

Another poster listed a number of brands, all good.

Look for max load, max height and min length (folded up - if you travel, hike, etc), weight of tripod (irrespective of carbon fiber or aluminum; there are some rather heavy CF tripods out there). The most solid tripod setup do NOT use a center column. Mount your gimbal to the center plate. The center column would be a weak point for heavy rigs.

prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

Thank you so much for taking the time you have in giving me some good considerations with regard to choosing the right Tripod!

prcb1949 Loc: Ex Zimbabwe - Now UK

Thanks for your advice !

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

You are welcome.
This has got me thinking I need to get some duplicate/backups just in case something happens to mine. I own several heads of different types and several tripods but that Nest gimbal and the Nest tripod get 99% of the use except for the Manfrotto geared head and the little tabletop tripod I use for tabletop macro work with my collection of dried flowers, butterflies and dried beetles.

Better start watching Craig's List, E-Bay and the sales on Amazon.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Yeah, without even looking at it, I can pretty much assure you that tripod is absolute junk.

Pick "good" or "affordable" or "light weight".... You can have one or two, but never all three in a tripod.

You need to plan to spend AT LEAST $90 more. I just watched a video about a SmallRig AP-10 carbon fiber tripod with ball head that's selling for $139, is rated to support 26 lb. and appears to be quite stable even though it only weighs a tad over 2.5 lb. It does not have a center column, which is good for stability, but makes for a pretty short tripod. The guy reviewing it (YouTube "Wild Alaska") did not use the ballhead that came with it, but was planning to use a gimbal with large lenses and a fluid head with smaller. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1725683-REG/smallrig_4060_ap_10_carbon_fiber_tripod.html Something I didn't like about that tripod were that it uses lever style leg locks. Those are quick to use, but also easy to catch on things and accidentally unlock. They also wear over time and can jam if dirt gets in them. I much prefer a twist style leg lock... low profile, self adjusting and dirt "resistant"... but a little slower to set up and use.

Do you plan to ONLY use the tripod with that 150-600mm lens? If so, a gimbal head might be a good idea.... BUT full size gimbals are pretty bulky and one will just about double the weight of the above tripod. And you simply can only use full size gimbals with big lenses that have a tripod mounting collar, like your 150-600mm. Full size gimbals even feel somewhat awkward with smaller lenses that have tripod mounting rings.... such as 70-200mm or macro. If you were hoping to use the tripod with other camera and lens combos, you would need to change out to a different head. That means carry that other head around, too.

An alternative is to use a gimbal adapter. This works in conjunction with a ballhead that stays on the tripod. The ballhead continues to provide the panning movement, while the gimbal adapter provides the tilt movement. This combo allows you to quickly swap back and forth between the gimbal adapter with a big lens and the ballhead alone with smaller gear. I've been using a Wimberley Sidekick gimbal adapter for 20 years with lenses larger and heavier than yours. A problem is it's rather expensive at $250. A nearly identical Induro GHBA adapter was less expensive, but appears to have been discontinued. You can find them used. (I did, $119 and up.) There also is a Jobu BWG-M1 "Micro" gimbal adapter that's designed for 70-200 zooms and 180mm macro lenses.... However I did find reviews referencing using it with 150-600mm lenses. It's rated to support 10 lb., while your camera and lens probably weight about 6 lb. total. Might be worth a try and costs $155 new.

If you decide to go with a gimbal adapter, you will need a ballhead with an Arca-style quick release platform and at least a medium duty weight rating (25 to 35 lb.) I use my Sidekick with heavy duty ballheads, rated for 50 lb.

Jobu BWG-M1 gimbal adatper: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/754602-REG/Jobu_Design_BWG_M1_BWG_Micro_Gimbal_Ballhead_Adapter.html

Induro GHBA gimbal adapter: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/655338-REG/Induro_485_000_GHBA_Gimbal_Head.html

Wimberley Sidekick adapter: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/205329-REG/Wimberley_SK_100_Arca_Sidekick_Ball_to.html

Full size gimbals (priced under $460): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Tripod-Heads/ci/140/N/4075788769?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH&filters=fct_head-type_1544%3Agimbal-heads%2Cfct_price%3A1..460

Okay, with the above info out of the way, depending upon your gimbal decisions you're now ready to look for a tripod. Let's say, for example, that you are going to use a gimbal adapter, so will want a ballhead with an Arca-compatible platform. That ballhead needs to be at least medium duty and must have a separate panning movement. You're not too worried about overall weight, but would prefer twist locks. The best deal is usually to get a tripod and ballhead combo. Usually that saves a little money. It also can be important if the tripod is a travel type, with reverse folding legs. The ballhead has to be well matched to the tripod for that design to work.

Here are 110 tripod and ballhead combos priced from $125 to $1600. 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_quick-release-system_7375%3Aarca%2Cfct_support-weight_4142%3A25-lb%7C26-lb%7C27-lb%7C28-lb%7C30-lb%7C31-lb%7C33-lb%7C34-lb%7C35-lb%7C39-lb%7C40-lb%7C44-lb%7C46-lb%7C47-lb-and-higher

You will need to narrow the choices further, with your own price cap, with the type of materials you want... carbon fiber is lighter than aluminum, but CF also usually costs more. Too many leg sections makes for less stable tripods. I would STRONGLY recommend that you look for a tripod with no more than 4-section legs. 3-section would be even better, but don't fold up as compact. Also look for a tripod that will be tall enough to be comfortable WITHOUT having to raise the center column very much or at all. Definitely avoid the tripods with multi-section center columns... those REALLY compromise stability. Personally I also avoid center columns that rotate to the horizontal, too. (In fact, my main tripod has no center column at all.

Looking through the tripods at the above link, the K&F Concept Professional Carbon Fiber w/Monopod & Ballhead (70") is probably the first I'd consider, $200 and rated for 33 lb., it weighs a bit over 3 lb. It uses a center column, but if it's tall enough to not have to raise that or at least keep it to a minimum, might be okay. The center column prevents the tripod from going very low, but it's possible to reverse the column for low angle work.

The oddly named OrangeMonkie 30 Premium Carbon Fiber tripod w/ ballhead is $255 and rated for 26 lb., also weighing a bit over 3 lb. But is it tall enough without any center column? This allows it to go quite low, but limits its height.

Prices keep going up from there. Another that catches my eye and is a better known brand is the Benro Tortoise Columnless Carbon Fiber Two Series Tripod w/ GX30 Ballhead: $349 and rated for over 30 lb. while weighing 3.33 lb. With no center column, the height is limited to 51" (I don't know if that is the legs only, or if it includes the ballhead that adds some height. Note that adding a gimbal adapter to the ballhead will further increase height.)

Those are just some initial examples. I see a lot I wouldn't buy because they have too many leg sections and/or require multi-section center columns to achieve a workable height.

Needless to say, these prices are a LOT higher than that tripod you asked about. And, as far as tripods go, the three I picked out are actually pretty inexpensive. Something to think about... a cheap, flimsy tripod typically is a waste of money because it will be left at home because it does its job so poorly, or if it is used it won't hold up very well. In contrast, a better built tripod that's enjoyable to use will get used and might last a lifetime. (One of my tripods is around 40 years old... another is close to 25 years old. Both still work great.)

If you really have very little to spend, you still can put something together. Shop used, look for an aluminum leg set, add a decent but affordable ballhead (Reminder: to be usable with a gimbal adapter, the head must have a separate panning movement and Arca-style quick release). If you choose to go to a full size gimbal, a heavier tripod might be preferable because the large hefty gimbal will make a lightweight tripod top heavy. But you might not enjoy hauling the heavy rig very far!

If your Sigma lens is relatively new, it will probably have an Arca-compatible dovetail built into the tripod ring mounting foot. This fits into the platform used on both full size gimbals and gimbal adapters. Depending upon how long that foot is, you still might need to add a longer Arca lens plate, to be able to slide the camera and lens forward and backward to achieve the best balanced equilibrium on the gimbal. This is the whole point of a gimbal, that equilibrium allows a large rig to move quickly and smoothly with a light touch. But if it's off balance that defeats the purpose. Long Arca lens plates (150mm?) can be found on eBay and elsewhere for low prices. Look for one that has some sort of anti-twist feature... For example, two screws rather than one (if your lens accommodates it).

If you go with a gimbal adapter and want to be able to mount your camera directly to the ballhead at times, you'll also need a camera plate. Don't trust the "universal" plates. They twist loose too easily at the screw. Get one made specifically for your D7200. Those have built-in anti-twist features. If new ones are too pricey, look for one used. (There are probably two types... one for the camera without a battery grip, another to fit the battery grip if you use one.)

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

If budget is a significant matter, and weight is not, this is a very very good option - https://www.ebay.com/itm/292464133921?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818142055%26meid%3D1fe63b6cc1904ea6a0ceff36b3cbf29f%26pid%3D101110%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D292464141675%26itm%3D292464133921%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb%26brand%3DSLIK&_trksid=p2047675.c101110.m2109

If carry weight matters and budget less so, this is a very good option - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255494003447
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