Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Don’t worry about being new here on UHH. It happens to all of us in the beginning.

I am not offended in the least bit if you don’t choose my suggestion. Carbon Fiber is lighter usually and can really take a beating. As for traveling with my gear, I carry on my camera and lenses. My tripod gets packed into the suitcase. That way, I’m not really carrying it around the airport.

Please give your Father-In-Law a shout out from me in Marine Park, Brooklyn.

Happy Shooting!

eagle76sct Loc: 10930

Thank you and i will say hi to him. He has lived in that house for 50+years. I decided i am going to get the oben 3565T in aluminum wjth the Bz 217T head. B&h has it for $129.95 and if i look i might find a discount deal someplace since they keep sending me stuff. Thanks for your suggestions.
John

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

I agree. For the most part, the combo models are also the least expensive, which is perhaps an indication of their quality. Gitzo and RRS do not, to my knowledge, offer combos. My only positive experience with a combo was that i still had a monopod when the cheap tripod broke.

One poster mentioned the center column. For best stability, you should avoid or minimize using a center column as it negates the value of the three legs.

Ebay can serve up some good deals on great tripods and monopods if you are patient.

Good luck in your search, and good shooting.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

General comments only
I prefer cam lock because the twist lock is a pain in the behind setting up and taking down - far too many actions required. Although the cam locks might come undone or loose they can be fixed (maybe a screwdriver or torx driver req) whereas if a twist lock fails they cannot usually be fixed quickly if at all because of wear in the mechanism. Twist locks require extra fiddling to level the tripod. They do, however, take up less room since you don't have to worry about the locking levers.
Single tripod able to be converted into monopod ? Also a pain for the amount of work to convert between the two in either direction. You still only have one or the other. Lose a single piece and you have lost both - not good when away from home. Check what sort of photography you do. You might find that monopods aren't quite as usefull as you may initially think - I'm talking general use here with a variety of subjects. Monopods are ideal for some jobs only.
If you end up looking at a carbon fiber tripod then check the weight as very many cf tripods actually aren't too much lighter than aluminium.
Personally I would go for a good light weight cf tripod and a cf monopod (maybe). This is for travel only.
I don't know for sure about this but I suspect that generally cf tri/mono usually have twist locks and these will pack better as they won't have bits sticking out. Easier to carry around at a slight disadvantage in erecting.
And arca-swiss only on everything.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

It would be steadier with out raising the extension.

jbmauser Loc: Roanoke, VA

Good luck sorting through all the advice you have received. Asking for advice on tripods is like asking for advice on which vehicle to buy. If you know how heavy your present gear plus future wish gear is and what kind of photography interests you, studio, landscape or nature macro closeup. You can select any special features you may want. You already know you want a more substantial head. Start there and choose a support system that has a higher load rating then you will need and any special features you will need.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

photoman43

I concur. Get one of each. Each needs to be sized properly for intended uses and your height. For a tripod I prefer longer/fewer leg sections. For travel, I have a tripod with shorter and more leg sections.

For aluminum, the flip locks are fine. For carbon fiber, I would not buy a model with flop locks as I have seen them break making the device useless.

Canisdirus

If you take the effort to bring a tripod..odds are you won't be needing a monopod.
If you shorten two legs of a tripod a few inches...you have a monopod.

uhaas2009

Best Buy have benro tripod, it’s not both but it’s nice for hiking.....

FotoPhreak Loc: Whittier, CA

Sirui makes a series of monopods that comes with a base that has 3 roughly 9" legs. You can detach the base and use it as a pure monopod. Using the base, you still need to hold the camera/tripod because the combination is top heavy. I like the Sirui monopod because it provides much greater stability than a regular monopod. I use it in situations where there there are a lot of people around or when I don't have much time to set up a tripod for the picture. I frequently rock the monopod on two of the feet to help frame the picture when I don't have much time to take the shot, so I can set up a shot a lot quicker than I can with a tripod.

Most Sirui monopods are carbon fiber but I did see one that is aluminum. They have both twist lock and flip lock models. I can't say that it is right for you. but it is something you might consider. My Gitzo tripod is my main tripod but I use the Sirui monopod and a Sirui tripod when I need to travel light. The downside is that that I really like the stability of a tripod.

davesit Loc: Media, PA

Combo tripod/monopod sticks pretty much give you mediocre performances for both. Your setup is not that heavy. You don't need a huge tripod to support the weight. In your price range, you can certainly get a decent carbon fiber tripod from Neewer or one of the better Chinese manufacturers, and still have money left to get a Sirui monopod.

Here's one from Amazon:

https://smile.amazon.com/Neewer-Inches-Monopod-Camcorder-Work%EF%BC%8CLoad/dp/B08BJ2DH59/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=neewer+tripod&qid=1598373007&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOERQV0NZTkYwTlVOJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjA5OTA5MzlLOEdFN1NNSjJBWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTc1ODc5MVM0SlhRSEtMMEFSUiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

It is a combo tripod/monopod where one of the legs could be detached and used as a monopod. But as someone else responded, it's a pain in the ass. You are much better off getting separate pods. I bought his tripod for my wife's setup, which is very similar to yours. Just don't bother with the monopod feature and get a separate monopod.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I am not a heavy user of my tripods (I have three of varying size). However, years ago when I discovered clamp-lock legged tripods I decided they were best for me and have never owned a twist lock since. The advantages I think, are obvious.

its_yoshie

please check out the Sirui p-326R. very nice set up.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Personally I would never bother with one of the tripods that "converts" into a monopod. Usually that involves removing one of the legs and part or all the center column, attaching them together to make the monopod. Sounds like a pain in the arse and I would be concerned about how well the removable leg is fastened and if it effects the overall durability of the tripod. I also prefer a tripod that doesn't have any center column (but you're unlikely to find one tall enough without having to use a center column, in the very low $150 to $200 price range). No center column makes for a more stable tripod, but I'm using much bigger and heavier gear than you... up to or more than 10 lb., counting camera, lens, flash, etc.

I've often used my "standard" tripods as if they were monopods.... without spreading or necessarily even extending all the legs. I also have two actual monopods, so have no need for a tripod that converts to one.

I prefer and primarily use tripods with twist type leg locks. They're low profile, so they don't catch on things. They also are self-adjusting against any wear over time. That's not the case with the flip lever type locks. Those are quicker to set up, but prone to wear, needing adjustment or repair after some use. They also can catch on things like branches, brush, sleeves, cuffs. A couple tripods I've got... but mostly only use indoors... have thumb screw type leg locks. Like the twist locks, they're largely self-adjusting for wear and long lasting, but a little slower to set up and protrude, so may get caught on things in the field. (I carried one of those tripods a lot when I was younger... but at nearly 20 lb., it's more than I care to haul around now so it stays home for use in studio.)

I have never worn out a twist type lock or had one fail or jam on me. I've heard of people getting sand or dirt in them and having problems, but never had that happen to me. And I've used my tripods at times standing knee deep in the surf or a stream. I'm also pretty certain the twist locks of the tripods I use would be repairable, since there's good service and spare parts support for the brand I use (Gitzo and Manfrotto). In fact, not long ago, for all of $10 I picked up a 30 year old Bogen (same as Manfrotto) tripod and pan/tilt head at a local secondhand store and had no trouble doing some minor repairs to put it back in good, working condition. I had to buy a couple special screws that were missing... but are still avail. Works great now and will go into my studio for indoor use, when I don't need my heavier duty tripod.

Carbon fiber is the best material for strength and weight. But it also is great for absorbing some fine vibrations, something that a lot of people don't realize. Metal tripods might "ring" and transmit those vibrations to the camera. Carbon fiber is also can be nicer to handle than metal, out in cold weather.

If at all possible, I'd recommend spending more money to get a better tripod. A good one can last a lifetime (one of mine I've been using for roughly 40 years... another for going on 20 years). A good one is also more of a pleasure to use, so you're more likely to take it with you and actually use it. A cheap tripod typically breaks or wears out in relatively short time or gets left home in a closet or thrown away in frustration. You can end up buying a new cheap tripod every couple years... or instead just buy a really good one once or twice in your lifetime. I think it ends up costing less over the long run, buying a good tripod.