Off the self tripod/head combos?

Dubn83 said:
Hey guys I'm lookin to get a new tripod as I've had my current one for 17yrs plus (Jessops own Brand). And it's starting to show its again, I don't want to spend more than around £80ish. Are there any good per-paired head/pod combos I can just order?
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£80 for a stable manfrotto legs and head combo I will take 2 please. But seriously I have the red snapper rs-284 legs and rs-12 ball head that is rated for 10kg I love it very stable here is the up to date one with different head

http://www.redsnapperuk.com/camera-accessories/RSF-284___RSH-61_Ball_Head.html
 
David
I have this Tripod link and it is superb.
It is also under your original budget. it is reasonably heavey, it has all the features you could need and more.
You DO NOT NEED A MANFROTTO. Neither do you need to spend hundreds of pounds on any tripod, unless you wnat to
Read the reviews of this tripod, read the specs, it has everything
ball head
sectioned legs
ball and spike feet
QR plate
level indicator
etc etc
 
If you intend to take landscapes/seascapes I assume you will be having to walk a bit

No point buying a tripod that is so weighty it puts you off taking it so might be worth thinking of spending a bit more than first intended

Awful lot of people have bought a few cheap tripods then ended up paying more in the end so try and get it right first time

Never had a Redsnapper or Giottos, so can't comment, but reviews are positive. Have had Manfrotto, they are well made and should last for many years, decently priced too

Personally believe that a quality tripod/head can benefit your photography greatly and prepared to pay out as much as I would on a lens for a good one.
 
Personally believe that a quality tripod/head can benefit your photography greatly and prepared to pay out as much as I would on a lens for a good one
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WOW would you spend a few hundred pounds on a tripod head?????
 
I no the saying goes "u pay for what u get" but I also don't beleave u have to have the trendiest/most expensive gear to get top resaults.

Tripods r kind of hard to work out what's best for u, lens u can look at spec, reviews, images & what ur going to use it for to help u get the rights one. But as I've only ever used a bog standard, now over 10 yrs old tripod-it's hard to get my head round the type of legs, locking, height, Ali, ball/pistol heads ect?

And on top of that as I'm lookin to buy a 100mm hitech filter set up now, means I can't spare more than 80ish notes-so should I wait & what should I be lookin for????
 
WOW would you spend a few hundred pounds on a tripod head?????
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Couple of hundred plus yes and did, no point having a sturdy tripod if the head cannot hold the camera steady

You can have the best camera/lens in the world, but useless if the photo is ruined by movement. Another point to consider is perching your gear on top of a less than stable tripod combo, only way that will end and that's in tears plus a hefty repair bill

Think you can tell I place great store in a good tripod/head, really believe it's the one vital accessory you must buy and worth paying out on
 
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Gr8Shot said:
WOW would you spend a few hundred pounds on a tripod head?????
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Head is at least as important as the legs. It's the user-interface, the thing you actually use, that bit holds the camera and moves.

Easy to spend well into three figures. At the budget end, RedSnapper RSH-12 is great value at £60. With RedSnapper, you get 10% discount for being a TP member - put RED10 in the coupon box.
 
HoppyUK said:
Head is at least as important as the legs. It's the user-interface, the thing you actually use, that bit holds the camera and moves.

Easy to spend well into three figures. At the budget end, RedSnapper RSH-12 is great value at £60. With RedSnapper, you get 10% discount for being a TP member - put RED10 in the coupon box.
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I'm quite happy with my Konig tr60 with ball head. It cost £49 and is plenty heavy and sturdy enough :)
 
I've had 2 "cheap" tripods, a Camlink Pro one, cost about £40, was ok, then I paid £85 for a carbon fibre Manfrotto one that was being sold off from Jessops....it was rubbish.....just bought Manfrotto 055XPROB legs and Giottos MH1312-652 ball head.....and it is a billion times better than previous. A lot sturdier, and so much nicer to use.

You get what you pay for in my experience.
 
Another vote for Red Snapper.

They have lots of combinations and often have some good offers too.

Dave
 
Gr8Shot said:
WOW would you spend a few hundred pounds on a tripod head?????
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Absolutely, my Manfrotto 405 was about £300, plus another £75 or so for a Hejnar Arca Swiss conversion. Then it sits on legs worth another £500.

Could I have found a setup cheaper than this? Of course. Would it have done the job I want it to do as well as this? Probably not.

If you're shocked at the prices just look at the Arca cube? :nuts: £1350 for a head! (Wonderful piece of kit though)
 
Rite think we're goin off track here, I'm not saying that a good manfrotto set up isn't worth the money. It's just I've spent out for a sigma 10-20mm and about to ordera hitech 77mm w/a adaptor ring, 100mm modular set, 0.9 hard nd & 0.6 reverse so I can get into land/seascapes. But after that there isn't much left in the pot for a tripod/head (80-100max) so is there sumthing I can get off the self and will hold up the above well enough for me till I decide if that's the type of photography I'm goin to keep myself set in/I feel I must upgrade to a beta pod and sell on the one were talking about to someone else lookin for a starter pod?

Now that we've got that out is the redsnapper in the 1st link a good set up?
 
Dubn83, I suggest you get the redsnapper legs and the redsnapper ball head. That is a cracking combo for what you want to do. The legs may not last you as long as the equivalent manfrotto ones, although redsnapper customer service are also very good so if you do need spares down the line they will help.

Gr8Shot said:
I'm quite happy with my Konig tr60 with ball head. It cost £49 and is plenty heavy and sturdy enough :)
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You may be happy with it, but your standards and requirements experience may differ to someone else.

When I started out I was happy with a fairly basic 'do it all' tripod. Yes the method for attaching the camera to the head was a bit clunky but it was a solid and kept everything stable-ish. The legs were spot on but the hed was prone to some sag.

Then I upgraded my lens, and the head simply could not deal with the weight distribution and would sag lots. Plus I realised that the tripod transmitted a lot of vibration through the legs. So even though it felt sturdy, as some shutter speeds it was really hard to get a sharp shot.

So, I dispute your claim that you do not need to spend hundreds on a tripod/head unless you want to. It would better read you do not have to spend hundreds of pounds until you find you need too.

Many people have found they need to as they want a tripod that performs well, and is designed to be stable, and intuitive to use.
 
I just got my first proper tripod as I plan on doing more landscape work this year. I had more of a budget, but if I had been keeping it to under £100 then I'd have given redsnapper a very good look.

Have a look on amazon. One if the Benro travel angel tripod / head kits is around £100, search for A0685FBH00. That might be easier to carry around.
 
RichardtheSane said:
Dubn83, I suggest you get the redsnapper legs and the redsnapper ball head. That is a cracking combo for what you want to do. The legs may not last you as long as the equivalent manfrotto ones, although redsnapper customer service are also very good so if you do need spares down the line they will help.



You may be happy with it, but your standards and requirements experience may differ to someone else.

When I started out I was happy with a fairly basic 'do it all' tripod. Yes the method for attaching the camera to the head was a bit clunky but it was a solid and kept everything stable-ish. The legs were spot on but the hed was prone to some sag.

Then I upgraded my lens, and the head simply could not deal with the weight distribution and would sag lots. Plus I realised that the tripod transmitted a lot of vibration through the legs. So even though it felt sturdy, as some shutter speeds it was really hard to get a sharp shot.

So, I dispute your claim that you do not need to spend hundreds on a tripod/head unless you want to. It would better read you do not have to spend hundreds of pounds until you find you need too.

Many people have found they need to as they want a tripod that performs well, and is designed to be stable, and intuitive to use.
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i take your point, but i alaso beleive that unfortunately in todays day and age price is not a guarantee of quality in all cases.
 
I'm also looking for a new tripod, and a lot of the comments on here have been helpful. I like the look of the ex-pro heavy-duty linked to on Amazon, and the reviews are impressive - but it sure sounds heavy! The Benro is a fair bit more, but much lighter.

I use a Canon 40D, usually with a battery grip attached. Would the extra weight of the grip be a problem? My heaviest lens is another 750g on top of that, but would most likely be using a lighter one most of the time.

So far, I've only ever had dirt cheap tripods, one of which collapsed on me recently, so anything would be an improvement. I'd be looking to use it for water shots, night shots like light trails, fireworks and, if I get used to it, general landscapes. Weight is an issue, as I'd want to take this on flights and generally to carry it around when travelling.

Would the lighter Benro one have any issue with general sturdiness in wind etc?

Any advice appreciated, thanks.
 
Steelo said:
You get what you pay for in my experience.
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Absolutely.

Do some people really think that we pay £200+ on a head just because it's expensive? Do they think that we haven't tried some of these £89 bargains in the past? Do they think we abandoned them, not because they were droopy, wobbly piles of wombat poo, but because they didn't have the right label? Do they think?
 
I have the Redsnapper RS-284 legs and RS-12 ball head & can't fault it really. I use that for landscape/coastal esp ND110 exposures & urbex & it's done me well for 18 months or so now. I think that was about £120 all in & that's about the minimum I'd recommend in all honesty.
 
hollis_f said:
Absolutely.

Do some people really think that we pay £200+ on a head just because it's expensive? Do they think that we haven't tried some of these £89 bargains in the past? Do they think we abandoned them, not because they were droopy, wobbly piles of wombat poo, but because they didn't have the right label? Do they think?
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Do they think that. To coin a word, Absolutely. ;)

Seriously though, the weight of the kit and circumstances the tripod will be used in are important factors. Someone with a xxxd crop camera and a 10-20 lens can get good results from a tripod and head that would fail with a 1dx and large prime.
 
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