Recommend me a tripod?

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nickyc

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Hi guys,

Looking for a normal sized tripod. Want to spend £45 max. What do you recommend? Just getting into photography. :-)
 
nickyc said:
Hi guys,

Looking for a normal sized tripod. Want to spend £45 max. What do you recommend? Just getting into photography. :-)
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Spend a bit more. Seriously, there's nothing worth getting for £45 unless you can find something used in the For Sale section.

For £100 you could get a decent Red Snapper with a ball head, like this one http://www.aldine.co.uk/redsnapper/tripod-283+RSH-12ballhead.html Mention Talk Photography when you order and get 10% off :)
 
For that budget, you'll end up buying twice..

The most important element of a tripod has to be stability and for £45, I don't think you'll get that unless as Hoppy says, there's an outside chance of maybe an old rigid tripod being advertised in the classifieds (like a very old Manfrotto).

I've purchased 7 tripods before settling for a Gitzo, three of them weren't stable..

If you just need one for low light indoor shots then a budget tripod should be fine, as long as you use a shutter release and mirror lock up. I don't think the cheaper units are that floppy that you get camera shake due to the shutter vibrations...

But if it's main purpose is to be used outside, any kind of wind or breeze at all may induce camera shake, so I'd suggest you re-think your budget and perhaps save a little more if you haven't the funds at present..

Just my 2p worth ;)
 
HoppyUK said:
For £100 you could get a decent Red Snapper with a ball head, like this one http://www.aldine.co.uk/redsnapper/tripod-283+RSH-12ballhead.html Mention Talk Photography when you order and get 10% off :)
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but for £50 you could get the 283 or 284 legs that come with good quality basic head and then upgrade the head in future if you want..

http://www.aldine.co.uk/redsnapper/tripod-284.html

http://www.aldine.co.uk/redsnapper/tripod-283.html

Redsnapper of some kind would defo be my choice, comes with an excellent bag aswell.
 
Seriously, £45 will not get you much, even from Argos. There's nothing worse than a tripod that isn't solid. It really depends what kind of photography you are after and what skills you want to develop. Long exposures (with ND110 filter for example), HDR's and low light you'll certainly need something that will be solid and allow you to grow into it a lot further than a plastic cheap thing.

From experience, it's a pain when you realize you should have invested in something "good" in the first place, rather than wasting £45. I would look at the Manfrotto range, their mid range tripods are optimum at around £120, and look for a deal where you get the head thrown in too.

I have a Manfrotto 055MF4+RC2322 head at the moment, but... oh! for a baby Gitzo, the best landscape tripod imo.

Scott
 
grum said:
What's the advantage of the ball head over the other heads from redsnapper?
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I just prefer them, and I think most people do. They're quick and versatile, and not too heavy, and they don't have those sticky-out arms.

They're not perfect for everybody though, or for everything.
 
If I had £45, I'd buy something for £10 and wait till I have another £45, then buy something. A cheap tripod is better than no tripod in many cases, but a good tripod is well worth saving up for.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for the feedback. OK, so lets say I up it to £70-£80. What do you suggest?
 
Add another 20 quid to make a round 100 quid and get a redsnapper 283 /4 legs and head

Good quality and holds a decent weight


If you cant stretch to that then it makes sense to wait until funds are available
rather than buy a crappy cheap tripod
 
As has been said, don't buy twice. Save up until you can afford something decent (like the fantastic value Redsnappers mentioned several times) and if you need stability in the mean time, use a table or wall or something.

You'll save £20 in the short term, but you'll spend £50 extra in the long term. Buy once and be done with it. :)
 
All good advice above. Trust me I have a £30 Hama tripod lying in a corner.

Must have used it maybe half a dozen times. It is nice and light for carrying but useless when you put a camera on it. Flexes all over the show, and then one of the plastic clips that the legs pivot on sheared completely so the leg just swings free. And I am very careful with my stuff too.
 
The head seems fine to me too. I've already got a ballhead that came with a Redsnapper monopod I bought before Christmas. Both heads hold 8kgs I think, which is ample for me at the moment. I can see me keeping these same legs for a long time, and maybe upgrading the head if I get some 'L' glass.
 
Ball and socket heads are a real pain to me. I like to be able to adjust my camera in one plane at a time, but when you release the ball head, it swivels all over the place.
 
awp said:
You only buy a great tripod once:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy...ng-tripod-with-g-lock-and-power-disc/p1026471

well worth it - I know it's beyond your budget but it just shows the cost of these things. Cheap tripods are a waste of money. If you need one - wait - save - and buy a good one.
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you is avving a larf the op says £50-70/80 and you quote a tripod for £500

"i,m thinking of buying a new dslr, my budget is £500 why not get a D3x there only"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:
 
Denyerec said:
Save your money until you can spend ~£400

www.camerabeanbags.co.uk

Highly recommended, used one extensively in Australia for dusk and night shots, never took the tripod outta the car.
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You don't have to spent £400 on a Gitzo. They are excellent, but massively over-priced. Benro are Chinese made Gitzo copies, absolutely top quality and better made than Manfrotto, or Giottos (Chinese), or Red Snapper (Chinese, made by Slik).

This one is about the same size as the popular Manfrotto 055 series, but better made and has twist-locks. I have the carbon version which is a bit lighter but double the price unfortunately. Benro A-257, £80 delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-A-257...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efcf4ad88

This is a nice strong ball head, Benro B-2, £95.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-BENRO-Ball-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3efcf4ad93

Tons of choice on that site, recommended ebay seller. Tripod above is a basic 3-section of good size, or you can get one with an angled centre column for macro and stuff, or a folding one (Gitzo Traveller style). Recommended ebay seller with good rep, delivered in a few days and nothing else at all to pay :thumbs:
 
Another vote for Benro - just got my carbon C268 with J1 head for £268 off DC Stuff on ebay, great quality gear, really smooth ball head which locks up nice & firm

I know it's outside the OP budget but have a look at the aluminium version & you won't regret it
 
Hoppy - I have the Benro 257 with a Markins head on top. I said £400 as I'm not happy with the 257 series legs, they're simply not as rigid as the 357's. The OP might be (eventually) happy with the 257s but I know I'm not, which I guess colours my recommendation. (Just clarifying why my value was a little higher!!)
 
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