Advise on tripods

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haggisuk

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Hi,

I'm new to DSLR photograpy and I'm looking to buy a tripod and head but must admit that I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

A friend said I should by Manfrotto and from what I can tell from their website it looks like good kit.

My problem is I don't know what to buy.

I quite like the sound of carbon fibre, but is it just a bling thing or is the build quality/weight saving worth the price?

More confusing is what head to buy, I want to take landscape, HDR pic's, some sports like motocross, jetski's etc and night time photo's so with this in mind what combination would suit my needs best?

I would love to hear back from people who do photography with similar subjects.

Cheers
 
If you dont know what to buy then can i suggest my tripod.
I spent days researching them.
I wanted a compact, light, sturdy one within my price range.

I got the Manfrotto 190XPROB with 488RC2 Head.

I know alot of people have chosen this combo as it is the best for the price (about £150)
That might sound alot, but when you realise how good it is and that you wont want another one and you will if you buy a cheap one.

Also a ballhead wasnt my first cholice, but it is excellent as the RC2 gives you a pan and alot of flexibility when it comes to adjusting your shot.

It also goes high and low and is sturdy in windy conditions.

HTH

:D
 
kinchy said:
If you dont know what to buy then can i suggest my tripod.
I spent days researching them.
I wanted a compact, light, sturdy one within my price range.

I got the Manfrotto 190XPROB with 488RC2 Head.

I know alot of people have chosen this combo as it is the best for the price (about £150)
That might sound alot, but when you realise how good it is and that you wont want another one and you will if you buy a cheap one.

Also a ballhead wasnt my first cholice, but it is excellent as the RC2 gives you a pan and alot of flexibility when it comes to adjusting your shot.

It also goes high and low and is sturdy in windy conditions.

HTH

:D
Click to expand...

So with that head is there a handle to guide the camera round if i was following a fast moving motorbike?

Or do you just move the camera itself?
 
haggisuk said:
So with that head is there a handle to guide the camera round if i was following a fast moving motorbike?

Or do you just move the camera itself?
Click to expand...

Yes, there is one handle that relaases the ballhead for alot of movement.
The other is just for panning hirizontally.
 
I think you have 2 separate requirements

The landscapes, HDRs & Nightshots will definately benefit from a study tripod such as the Manfrotto 190 or if you are very tall or want something really beefy the 055.

The sports shots I think you'll do better with a monopod, a Manfrotto 680 cost me £33 last week and it's solid enough to work very nicely as a personal protection device too ;)
 
picked myself a manfrotto 190xprob and 804rc2 head this morning,and i must say,a fantastic bit of kit...can't wait to try it once the rain subsides...and my local photography shop price matched morris photography @£135.also ordered a tripod bag which should be in my possession by next week :thumbs:
 
Mmmmm food for thought, I think i will plump for a carbon tripod from manfrotto but not sure what head yet, there's nothing like getting something in your paws before parting with cash, but there is not much in the way of decent shops in Lowestoft.

I'm certainly going to look into the monopod because I also do a lot of travelling and it would save on lugging around a great tripod.

Thanks folks
 
Ive just got a Pro Line HD this week and must say its a little heavy to carry a long way but most of my shots are well within 1/4mile of my car and at £47 with head and bag was a cheap buy..........very strong and lots of adjustments for different grounds etc.....and im sure this wont get blown over by the wind. ;)
 
Yep, definitely get down to the shops (if you can find any that stock a decent range) and physically use and compare them side by side. I was considering the 190xprob, but after comparing it directly with the 055xprob it was pretty obvious which one to buy. The 055 is a beast, but if you're spending that much on a tripod, you'd better get something absolutely rock solid.
 
Jayst84 said:
Yep, definitely get down to the shops (if you can find any that stock a decent range) and physically use and compare them side by side. I was considering the 190xprob, but after comparing it directly with the 055xprob it was pretty obvious which one to buy. The 055 is a beast, but if you're spending that much on a tripod, you'd better get something absolutely rock solid.
Click to expand...


i considered getting the 055xprob,but it was even heavier than the 190,not one to carry on long hikes up the beacons etc......
 
I have a Manfrotto 190 Xprob and 804cr2 and really like it. But agree if you are doing motor sports then a mono pod is the way to go, makes it a lot easier. I have used both pan and tilt heads and ball and socket ones, perfer pan and tilt heads but a lot of it is down to personal preference. Another tripod that I have used is the Bembo treker if you can get used to the way the legs work then they are good tripods a bit more fiddly to set up but useful in some situations where you need to set the legs at odd angles.
 
stan the man said:
i considered getting the 055xprob,but it was even heavier than the 190,not one to carry on long hikes up the beacons etc......
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True, it can get pretty heavy after a bit of walking, carbon fiber would be lovely if you can afford it. As already mentioned, if you're tall then you should strongly consider something a bit bigger than the 190.

PS. I'm not some deranged 190 basher! Anything made by the big names, esp. Manfrotto, is going to serve you well.
 
Jayst84 said:
True, it can get pretty heavy after a bit of walking, carbon fiber would be lovely if you can afford it. As already mentioned, if you're tall then you should strongly consider something a bit bigger than the 190.

PS. I'm not some deranged 190 basher! Anything made by the big names, esp. Manfrotto, is going to serve you well.
Click to expand...

i'm 5'11"-ish,so not very tall.i tried the 190 out for height in the shop,and at it's highest is about right for me.carbon fibre would have been nice,but a second mortgage is a big no no :rules: :lol:
 
Somebody on the OcUK photo forum (may also post here) had a carbon fibre tripod, when they were going into a bird hide the wind blew the door shut and shattered the legs.

Alloy may be heavier but it can cope with more abuse :)
 
tripods only work if you take them with you, my big sturdy neo is a lovely bit of kit but it's nearly always the carbon one i take (i know it needs a bag to weigh it down but its small, light and its never a burden carryig it around)

if you can afford it go carbon (you will regret it but once you spend another £200 on a stronger, heavier, bigger pod you'll realise its the carbon one you end up taking on hoilday or on that 3 hour climb up that hill)
 
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