seaavee Loc: Central ILLInois

I have a Ginzo(?) with a tilting/pan head. Can go grom ground to 60" high in a matter of seconds.
I suggest you purchase the best you can afford, it will be cheaper in the long run.

Croce Loc: Earth

The L bracket vs slotted ballhead. No comparison. The ballhead slot hangs your camera and lens over the side. That makes it more susceptible to tipping over with a slight nudge or wind and it is NG period for shooting panos as your whole rig is offcenter. L brackets are a very worthwhile accessory if you change orientation a lot.

RRS? Highest priced for anything they make. Yes, they make very good ball heads. So does Markins, Arca, Kirk and a few others. The Ultimate Ballhead is the only one I have ever had which crept. It also had the most limited motion and ... IT FELL APART! No, I did not buy a used one it was straight from the factory. It separated into 2 pieces dropping my camera and lens. (A Canon 5D with 70-200 f/4 - Not the heavy f/2.8). Do not chintz on a ballhead. A bad one is agony.

RRS tripods, I believe are Gitzos but may be more expensive. I believe there is no better tripod investment than Gitzo although there are others, (Bogen-Manfrotto) which are heavy duty and stable but not as light or trouble free. Also I do not like tripods with a center column extension. It compromises stability a lot. The one advantage to the center column is it does allow for hanging over an edge or reverse mounting for very low objects. That is why I have 2. One with and one without center column. That is not really necessary though as all center columns are removable.

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

Sunpak Pro 523 PX Tripod

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I agree, what I have...

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Like athletic shoes - any number of quality tripods Suggest you look at three things in the specs:
1. Its height without elevating the center column. Its a pain in the back having to bend over to sight thru your view finder. Elevated center column can be unstable
2. How much weight it will support - look at the weight of your gear.
3. How much it weighs

Jaime Loc: Los Angeles

A good rule of thumb and something I always do is to go to your local camera shop and play with the most expensive tripod they have. Check the weight, the ease of the leg extensions, stability, etc. Then pick some other tripods in your price range and see how they compare. Buy the one that is closest to the expensive one. Keep in mind that a great tripod cann be a lifelong companion. It may seem expensive at first but if you buy 5 cheap tripods over your career or one expensive one I think the economics speak for themselves. Good luck.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

There are exceptions to this. I just recently got a Dolica AX620B100 for $39.95, a true bargain. I then found out it is used also by Ken Rockwell. Is it a Gitzo? No. Is it well made, stable and affordable? Quite so. See Instructables for an easy modification for better versatility.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Which one is the "L" bracket???

woodsliv Loc: Tehachapi,CA

I have an old Vanguard VT120X, I've lost the drop in plat that attaches to the camera. Does anyone have an idea where I could find a replacement.

PHFoto Loc: Idaho

Is this what you are looking for? $12.95
http://shop.thefotogeeks.com/vanguardvt-120xquickreleaseplate.aspx

woodsliv Loc: Tehachapi,CA

Thanks PHF that is it, I just ordered it. I knew I kept that old tripod for something

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

The "L" bracket - Really Rite Stuff- take more words to describe it tha you would need to google them and look at it on their web site

Chet Loc: Louisville, KY

Way over my budget but I bought a Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT tripod and a Induro PHQ-1 five way Head. Happy with this combo and should outlast me.

PHFoto Loc: Idaho

You are certainly welcome, Glad I could help..

nolte1964 Loc: Des Moines, Iowa

The L Bracket and ball head set up from RRS is second to non, it makes changing the camera's position a breeze and it locks in rock solid. People will spend a fortune on their cameras but will skimp on their tripods, not sure why, make the investment buy something that is good, not cheap, you will be rewarded with years of easy use and extremely sharp images. Or you can go cheap, work around the frustrations of a limited setup and complain about images that just aren't what you thought they would be.