Help me spend my bonus

Bluesmachine

Bluesmachine

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Niall
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Friday is yay and woo time as I get my tiny bonus and back pay. I think the time is right to invest in a decent tripod and stick my Sherpa in the cupboard.

I'm not going to go mad as I spent £400+ last month on a monitor and router!

What I'm after is a tripod for use with a wide subject of things, so after reading around I'm currently leaning towards the Redsnapper range and ball head. People seem to be raving about these tripods and they seem good value, but are they really that good?

Normally I just do candid stuff, or macro, so I don't use the tripod much but I'm starting to get an itch to take more low light shots with/or long exposure. Previously I've tried using this Sherpa I have for landscape but as soon as there's a little bit of wind the whole thing vibrates, so I'm looking for something that could handle a bit of wind (baring in mind I'm in north Wales and most things of interest are up windy hills :D).

Also, while I'm being cheeky and pestering you lot, during this weekend I went taking photos on/around a beach and have acquired a small portion of a beach in my Sigma 50mm. My lens pen seems to have cleaned it's last lens as it just seemed to be shifting the muck around. I think I'm going to need some form of suction to remove some sand, so what would people recommend, along with the lenspen I now need to replace?

I would buy a 580 flash too, but it's not dark enough yet to justify it :D

Oops, forgot to mention the budget. I'd like to limit the expenditure to £300 but £400 at most, including a head. A man has to buy beer you know!
 
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If your budget is £300, then I wouldnt even be considering a Redsnapper. They are good for a budget buy, but if you want to spend real money on a tripod, I'd be looking elsewhere.

Ive just bought a second hand Gitzo G1340 plus a Gitzo GH2750 Series 2 Head and a bag for £230. You may even find a new Gitzo with your budget.
Then there are the Gitzo copies like Benro and 3leggedthing. Should be well within your budget.

A Redsnapper just isnt sturdy enough for long exposures with a bit of wind in my experience. I have one, and this is why Ive just forked out on a Gitzo.
 
Also look at the Manfrotto range. I have the 190xpro and it's excellent. I paid around £120 for it from new and use the Manfrotto 804rc2 head which is also very good. This will leave you plenty of beer tokens!

Andy
 
Keebsuk said:
Also look at the Manfrotto range. I have the 190xpro and it's excellent. I paid around £120 for it from new and use the Manfrotto 804rc2 head which is also very good. This will leave you plenty of beer tokens!

Andy
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True enough. I was looking at getting that quite a while ago, then bought a lens :D
 
I hated my 190xproB. Didnt find it sturdy at all. Maybe the 55 series would be better if you want to go the Manfrotto route.
For long exposures, it needs to be proper sturdy.

Ive learnt the hard way, I currently have 3 tripods, and Ive sold on in the past about another 3 or 4 trying to find the right one.
Spend the money, and get it right first time. Its a very easy area to skimp on, but it will make a real difference to your shots if you buy the right one.
 
TCR4x4 said:
I hated my 190xproB. Didnt find it sturdy at all. Maybe the 55 series would be better if you want to go the Manfrotto route.
For long exposures, it needs to be proper sturdy.

Ive learnt the hard way, I currently have 3 tripods, and Ive sold on in the past about another 3 or 4 trying to find the right one.
Spend the money, and get it right first time. Its a very easy area to skimp on, but it will make a real difference to your shots if you buy the right one.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. I have also got 2 tripods sitting in a cupboard in the back room. One was free and I won the other, but they're both good for nothing other than indoor work really. Actually I think I may have offloaded them on Oxfam now I think about it :D
 
I have a Giottos carbon fibre tripod it is a superb piece of kit.
can be found for around the £200 mark new.
 
dracaj said:
I have a Giottos carbon fibre tripod it is a superb piece of kit.
can be found for around the £200 mark new.
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Another one for the Giottos carbonfibre tripod! I currently have one and it's never let me down, is immaculate, but i have now got a Gitzo tripod, too, so the poor old Giottos is now redundant in the cupboard. Not cheap, but then good stuff never is! I only got the Gitzo as it was very very cheap to buy, but now use it all the time.:thumbs:
 
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