tdozier3 Loc: Northern Illinois

Check out Leofoto. Fantastic quality.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

As I have answered every time I see this request and as a owner of several tripods ( by not doing this). I finally went to a store (3 hour drive, each way) with my camera and lens and tried my equipment on several tripods till I found a set up I liked that was comfortable with my comfort zone and photography. The height of the set up the weight of the set up and the way bit set up.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Whatever you do, remember that you get what you pay for. IMHO, RRS and Gitzo make the very best, Carbon Fiber (CF) is very expensive but light and sturdy. Happy Holidays to all.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

I see your in CT why not take a train to NYC it's close to Penn Station. I did that because for a tripod there is nothing like hands on. I bought a carbon fiber and I really liked my non pushy and knowledgeable salesman Mike. I put a gamble head on it and trying out some BIF photos. I liked that combo so much went back 2 months later and bought another non carbon fiber for everyday use. When I went was last July (18) months ago they had covid supply chain issues. I highly recommend looking here, do a search, making sure you check the recent search button, and figure out a realistic budget.
If you plan to carry it a lot go carbon fiber. Mycsecond one I'm using in field for constlaton astrophotography so not moving it a lot. I also went 3 legs not 4. I don't have model # with me

2dawgs Loc: Eastern Washington State

Plastic milk jugs fill with water.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

Whatever tripod and head you think will work, get the next one heavier. You won't regret it. I still use my extremely heavy Bogen 3035 for macro because it's sturdy as a rock.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Tripods always involve some compromise....

Needs to be tall enough to be comfortable, but fold up as compact as possible for carrying and storage.

Needs to be heavy enough to be sturdy, but light enough to not be a burden to haul around.

Too little $ spent ends up being a waste because the tripod doesn't hold up or works so poorly you end up not using it.

But most people don't budget enough. A quality tripod can last a lifetime. (One of mine is 40 years old, another is 20 years old and still sees regular use.)

Recommendations:

1. Determine how tall a tripod you actually need. You want something that brings your camera's viewfinder up to eye level or a couple inches more. Take into account things that add to the height, such as whatever head you fit to the tripod, any leveling platform between the head and the legs, quick release platforms, the position of your camera's eyeport in both horizontal and vertical orientation.

2. The most stable tripods don't have a center column. Or, if a tripod does have a center column, ideally you need to raise it very little or not at all to achieve a comfortable height. BEWARE of tripods whose height is only achieved by fully extending a center column, or rely on the center column a lot. Some even have multi-section center columns! That's got to compromise stability A LOT.

3. You can buy legs, heads and accessories separately to put together a custom tripod, but often the best deals are on "kits" that include leg set and a head. "Travel" tripods that need to be as compact as possible sometimes are designed so that the legs fold backward over the head, which requires a ballhead matched to leg set.

4. For best stability the legs need to have as few sections as possible. One section legs that don't retract at all and 2-section are pretty impractical (but are used for particularly heavy gear, such as some video cameras). 3-section legs that are large enough diameter can work very well. 4-section legs are a possibility, too... though be more careful about too small diameter. For best stability, I'd avoid any more than 4-section legs.

5. Carbon fiber not only helps keep weight down, it also can absorb some fine vibrations that would "ring" through metal. But, of course, carbon fiber costs more than aluminum. However, as it's become more common carbon fiber has gotten a lot more affordable.

6. Consider the type of head you'll use. For trekking with a tripod, many go with a ballhead (which are largely required for "travel" tripods, as noted above). Personally I'm considering replacing the ballhead on one of my tripods with a geared head, which is only slightly larger and heavier, but allows more precise control that I think would be useful for landscape, architectural, macro and some other types of photography. With both ballheads and geared heads you will probably want an L-bracket on your camera, which adds some cost, plus a little more weight and bulk. There are a lot of ballheads to choose among (if you don't buy one in kit with a leg set). There aren't a lot of geared heads... and some of them are quite expensive.

7. Tripod legs and heads are commonly given a "weight rating"... A maximum recommended load they can carry. This isn't the best way to determine sturdiness and stability, but it's about all we have for sake of comparison across a lot of different brands and models. I would recommend you determine the weight of the heaviest lens, camera, etc. you plan to put on the tripod now or in the future, then look for a tripod, etc. rated for about triple that weight. At a minimum, look a capacity double the weight of your gear.

8. There are several types of leg locks: levers, thumbscrews and twist type. Personally I prefer the twist type because they're lower profile and less likely to catch on things like branches or sleeves while carrying or working around the tripod. The other two types typically protrude a bit. I also like that the twist type (and thumbscrews) are largely self-adjusting... don't get out of adjustment and aren't prone to getting dirt inside. The levers can wear over time and loosen, may need adjustment or repair. The lever type are the quickest to use, though. It's up to you what you prefer.

Once you have done the above, I suggest using the B&H Photo website to explore your options. Of course, you are free to buy wherever you want, but B&H stocks or can order over 1100 different tripods and have a lot of info about most of them on their website. Plus they have useful filtering tools that can really help you narrow it down to the best models to meet your particular needs.

Just for example, let's say I wanted to search for the following:

- Tripods with matched heads (i.e., complete kits)... this narrows it to 569.
- Carbon fiber tripods... now it's narrowed to around 250.
- Twist type leg locks... now there are 181 remaining.
- I use the Arca-Swiss type quick release system... filtering for that reduces the options to 171.
- No center column... now there are only 29 to choose among.
- If I eliminate the really heavy ones that are rated to hold 47 lb. or more... I've narrowed it to 18 possibilities.
- Finally I specified a ballhead (since these are kits with both the leg set and the head)... now only 9 tripods remain.

It's actually a little less because some are not currently available. If I limit it to what's in stock, I'm down to 6 specific tripods to consider. And scanning through what's shown I see some with 3-section legs and others with 4-section, prices range from $255 to $599. I could narrow it further. I also recognize some of the brand names, but not some others. I prefer an established brand in case I need to make a warranty claim. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Complete-Tripods-with-Heads/ci/2635/N/4075788742?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH&filters=fct_a_filter_by%3A03_INSTOCK%2Cfct_center-column_7414%3Ano%2Cfct_head-type_4106%3Aball-head%2Cfct_leg-lock-type_4128%3Atwist-lock%2Cfct_material_774%3Acarbon-fiber%2Cfct_quick-release-system_7375%3Aarca%2Cfct_support-weight_4142%3A22-lb%7C26-lb%7C28-lb%7C31-lb%7C33-lb%7C39-lb%7C44-lb

I didn't look at the weight of the tripod or specify travel tripods with reverse folding legs, both of which may be possible.

Of course these don't take into account height and you might choose other criteria.... but this gives you some idea what you can do.

NOTE regarding height... I think the above search of tripods with heads includes both. But you should confirm this, perhaps by visiting the manufacturer's website. And, of course this doesn't include a center column since I specified tripods without one. If you opt for a center column, B&H sometimes shows both the height without raising it and the height with it fully raised. When only one dimension is shown, I assume it means the column was fully raised, which I avoid because it typically makes for a much less stable setup.

Once you've narrowed it to a few specific models of tripod (and head, if buying that way), you can search online for reviews and/or post here to see if anyone is using the same and can give you some feedback.

I hope this helps! Have fun shopping.

ewelling Loc: Salt Lake City, UT

It is my understanding that Leofoto’s products are made in China using cheap Chinese components and materials. RRS (Really Right Stuff) tripods use American components with no outsourcing of materials or manufacturing to companies outside the US. In addition, RRS trademarks and patents all of their products. Leofoto blatantly copies RSS products with a cheap imitation in china knowing that RRS will not enforce their patents. Chinese companies are known for stealing US intellectual property. So the question is, do you reward a company for copying another’s product after the first company has invested time and money into developing a superior product? RRS also stands behind their products with a superior warranty knowing that their products have superior quality standards.

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

…Benro is your friend…

William Loc: Mississippi

stand by the Manfrotto the best

wide2tele Loc: Australia

What is the tripod model you currently have?

Jsykes

Carbon Fiber, 12 inch folded. Had this for 2/3 years fits snugly in the camera bag

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1086007-REG/oben_ct_3535_be_208t_ct_3535_folding_5_section_carbon.html

kmielen Loc: Eastern NC

MDI Mainer

Unless you rely on photography as your main source of income it's difficult to justify the cost of RRS products when there are many alternative at a reasonable price point. I frankly don't care what country an item comes from as long as it can perform it's intended function well, and I'm not in the business of defending the intellectual property rights of any manufacturer. I can remember when "Made in Japan" was an insult, so times change and I prefer to go with the flow.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida