AandAPhotography Loc: dublin , ireland

Hi there after some knowledgeable replies to a tpoic on tripods i wrote a few days ago i have decided to get one. I went into a shop and looked at a nice sturdy one the "Hahnel triad 30" and i am just looking for thoughts on this one if anyone has had any?

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Looks nice. I like the center column hook for a weight in windy conditions.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

After looking at their site, I would be inclined to choose the Triad 40 for the mounting system - and order some extra plates.

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

I would first ask what you are using this tripod with?

Second, since if you purchase a Hahnel triad 30, you will likely be underwhelmed by it and will be replacing it within a year, if not sooner, for a sturdier version.

Stiffness and resistance to vibration is the spec you should be looking at - not load capacity. 9 lbs load is nice - so your camera's weight won't collapse the legs. But when you trip the shutter, will the tripod dampen out shutter curtain and mirror vibrations? (much less of an issue with small mirrorless cameras and/or cameras with electronic shutters). Will the tripod remain stable when buffeted by strong breezes? Do you really think that raising the center column on a tripod will have no effect on camera stability?

Unless you are attaching a point and shoot or a small mirrorless camera with modest zoom, I would avoid this. It is not going to serve your purposes, and it does weigh a lot for what it does.

Bob Boner

Make your first tripod your last one. If you buy a cheap one you will probably replace it twice in the next 5 years. My smallest has a load limit of 26 lbs., and my larger has a limit of 50 lbs. I limit myself to about 6 lbs. on the smaller one about 16 lbs. on the larger one. Weight is not the only thing that causes camera shake on a cheap tripod. So do wind and just having your hands on the camera/tripod when making an exposure. A good tripod will improve the quality of every one of your lenses. Do yourself a favor and buy a good one. Make sure that the tripod head is a quality one also. Otherwise, you will probably replace it too.

When buying a tripod, extend the legs to max height and try to flex the legs using your hand on the top of the tripod, both twisting and pushing down. There should be very little flex when applying as much pressure as you can. Put your camera and largest lens on the tripod and tap the camera lens and see how long it takes it to stop vibrating. Then tap a leg and see how long the camera and lens vibrate. Then make several exposures in the 1/30 second to 2 secs., both with your hands on the camera and with a cable release. Examine these exposures on your computer with some magnification and see if you can find any blurring of the image. If you can, don't get that tripod. In my opinion,the tripod you buy is every bit as important as which camera you buy and should require as much thought and care.

Good luck.

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

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

To the OP, also take a look at the design criteria for Really Right Stuff adn Gitzo tripods on their websites - you will find some very enlightening information there. You will never by a consumer-grade tripod again.