Those cheaper tripods

I bought an Andoer QZSD Q999C from Amazon in the summer, to use when travelling with my A6000.

I've not used it a great deal, or in strong winds, etc, but have been generally impressed with it given the cost.

I chose this particular model as it had the best combination of size folded vs size extended (with column down, several of them use a centre column that itself extends in order to get the claimed height), weight, load, cost, etc. and had reasonable reviews.

It appears nice and stable in use - I'd not use my A900 + heavy lenses on it (despite it claiming a load which should be sufficient), but for portability it is hard to beat at the price.
 
Expensive tripods are much better than cheap tripods, but cheap tripods are enormously much better than no tripod.
 
I am selling a more expensive carbon one and 2 heads in the classifieds.

Not tried any of the cheaper ones, but I would not want to put my gear on anything too cheap. That being said, they are probably just as good!
 
Faldrax said:
I bought an Andoer QZSD Q999C from Amazon in the summer, to use when travelling with my A6000.

I've not used it a great deal, or in strong winds, etc, but have been generally impressed with it given the cost.

I chose this particular model as it had the best combination of size folded vs size extended (with column down, several of them use a centre column that itself extends in order to get the claimed height), weight, load, cost, etc. and had reasonable reviews.

It appears nice and stable in use - I'd not use my A900 + heavy lenses on it (despite it claiming a load which should be sufficient), but for portability it is hard to beat at the price.
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Looks a fair bit like my Caseflex alloy tripod I bought from Amazon in the summer - mind you both look like rip offs of older three legged thing designs - mine does the job - wouldn't put the 1dx with 400 2.8 on it- but for the times I need a tripod it works well and folds down to a quite compact size
 
davidy233 said:
Looks a fair bit like my Caseflex alloy tripod I bought from Amazon in the summer - mind you both look like rip offs of older three legged thing designs - mine does the job - wouldn't put the 1dx with 400 2.8 on it- but for the times I need a tripod it works well and folds down to a quite compact size
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They all look very similar, with small variations in dimensions between different models.
The one you have appears to use an extending centre column, which is something I tried to avoid, as I want the centre column to be fully down almost all the time.

As others have already said, these 'clones' are not going to have the quality of the a Manfroto, Gitzo, etc, but for the lighter cameras that are now available they provide a good and relatively cheap alternative when the size and weight of a full tripod is too much.
 
As a beginner faced with the same decision a few weeks back, I opted to buy a used Manfroto instead. Still worked out more than the sub-£100 ones on Amazon, but I couldn't find any good independent positive reviews of them.
 
chris malcolm said:
..... but cheap tripods are enormously much better than no tripod.
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Only if they do the job of providing stable support for the camera. If they don't do that they are worse than no tripod IMHO, ie money spent with nothing back other than something else to lug about.
 
I would say some expensive tripods are not any better but some are. I find the clips, the centre column and the accessory port on manfrotto are worth the extra pennies.
 
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mrgubby said:
Expensive tripods are often expensive purely because of the brand.

Take the name tags off & often the only difference is the price tag :)
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Is this factually correct or an assumption, often said about many items, but never seen any actual proof it's true
 
I know it's not carbon, but as a lightweight portable easy to set up tripod I'd highly recommend the Velbon Ultra Rexi L. I use one with my D750 and it's more than sturdy enough for most landscape scenarios, and tall enough for me (with the centre column extended) at 6'4" to be at eye level. Obviously you'd need to buy a separate head. It packs up really small, and is as light as you'd want to go without it blowing away in the wind ;)


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrFyf_UdVLY
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Is this factually correct or an assumption, often said about many items, but never seen any actual proof it's true
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I've bought standard tripods, travel tripods and monopods. Each time I've ended up with the "lesser brand" after not seeing where the difference in cost went ( other than the label)
 
Last cheap tripod was a 'slik' low in the range one. It was rated at 4kg but anything over like 1.5kg the legs started to bend.

I can safely say the finish, build quality and the added accessories on my tripod are far better than any cheap tripod I have tried.

Maybe I just haven't tried the right cheap ones, but I wouldn't really class mine as expensive for something that's holding over £2000 worth of kit on.
 
A 7D2 plus 150-600 is a fair weight on a tripod and with a big lens you may well end up with unequal loading on the plate. In my experience a cheap head may just not be capable of hold the load and may slip.
I have a Manfrotto Befree aluminium tripod for travel which happily supports a D750 with a short lens, but if I'm using my Sigma 2.8/150 macro I have to resort to the heavier 055PROB tripod with large ball head to keep everything steady.
 
BeccaF said:
oh dear now I am looking at investing in this - thrown everything else out of the window LOL
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You will more than likely never get one at that price again, bought a new Gitzo last year when they had a trade in offer otherwise I would have got one.

Light, strong and cheap (relatively) it's usually pick two from those three options, new models coming hence the sell off.
 
BeccaF said:
This is what I worry as it will be for a Tamron 150-600 with a 7dii but the weight of my manfrotto is going to take most of my luggage allowance LOL
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Unless you're going to get a sturdy tripod with a Wimberley type head I'd use a monopod with that combination :)
 
mrgubby said:
Unless you're going to get a sturdy tripod with a Wimberley type head I'd use a monopod with that combination :)
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Sorry Brian, honest it's not personal, but a good quality ball head would be fine, something like a Kirk or Markins can easily hold that combo rock solid. Agreed you need a decent tripod, the one I highlighted would be fine, I used a series 3 systematic and Markins M-10 head with a Canon 7d and 400mm lens, no creep at all.
 
chris malcolm said:
Expensive tripods are much better than cheap tripods, but cheap tripods are enormously much better than no tripod.
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Simply not true, it's three legs and a few screws. Heads are may be a different matter but I have both and I use the cheap one as much as the expensive one.
 
Simply not true, it's three legs and a few screws.
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Bit like saying all bicycles are the same, a frame and two wheels, don't often say this so categorically , but you are completely wrong
 
JJ! said:
I think a big plus on the manfrotto is the centre column which can extend and sit horizontal too. (not used mine that way yet) and the accessory port is good.
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Years ago I thought the adaptable centre column was a big plus a as a feature. But I've hardly used the equivalent feature on my tripod.

I have found variable angle legs very useful. Not so much for low angle shots but for using the tripod on a slope or braced against some object.

I don't find a centre column useful outdoors. I'd prefer to have decent height legs with a short fixed centre column.

IME cheap ballheads are a pain with anything other than the lightest camera. I suspect at the lower end of the market pan/tilt heads probably work a bit more consistently.

These days I use a cheap CF Giottos tripod most of the time - because I can carry it long distances without really being hampered by it. It's not up for handling a DSLR with a heavy lens except under the most benign circumstances. But it is a good match for an APS-C mirrorless or compact or a micro 4/3. It packs into checked in luggage without too much hassle or adding a lot of extra weight. And if it gets lost it wasn't expensive so no major tears.

For my main tripod - on the odd occasions I use it - I do sometimes carry a ballhead about - but these days I have a Manfrotto levelling head and panoramic rotator normally attached, I found that most of the time I was only ever using my ballhead for levelling and turning. I figure if I need to work outside the angular range of the levelling head and I don't have my ball head then I will end up using that under-used feature - the adjustable angle centre column. (but I never have yet.!)
 
mrgubby said:
Unless you're going to get a sturdy tripod with a Wimberley type head I'd use a monopod with that combination :)
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Every time ;)

Even the best tripod/head will struggle to hold a 150-600 properly steady at 600mm at longer shutter speeds in anything less than still conditions. Try it on on breezy day in live view with max magnification and watch the image dance around. Unless the camera needs to be stationary or shutter speeds long, a monopod with image stabilisation will often be the better and much more practical option.

That Gitzo Systematic linked above is a total bargain though :thumbs:
 
mrgubby said:
Expensive tripods are often expensive purely because of the brand.

Take the name tags off & often the only difference is the price tag :)
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Dad had a Manfrotto 190 clone supplied as the support for a big pair of binoculars. All was well until the QR plate crumbled when he pushed the locking lever in to clamp it tightly. He was 80 and not strong, I've tried to do the same with a genuine Manfrotto one and hurt my thumb! He reckoned that the clone was made of the same "s*** metal" that some cheap repro classic car door handles were in the '70s (? Mazack?)
 
sirch said:
Simply not true, it's three legs and a few screws. Heads are may be a different matter but I have both and I use the cheap one as much as the expensive one.
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There are differences, usually subtle or even invisible. Cast vs forged/milled, high quality magnesium or aluminum (6061) vs zinc, hard anodizing vs enamel/powder coat, bushing materials/design, etc, etc. Some of these differences may never be apparent with light use, and some may never be a real issue. But if you are hard on stuff and demand a lot, it will probably be apparent, at least over time.

That said, I believe there is a "practical balance" in there somewhere... no point in paying for things you don't need. And unless you are very nice to it a tripod is not a lifetime purchase... especially carbon fiber ones (IMO).
 
Archie747 said:
Check the specs, one site says DSLRs and lenses up to 300mm, otherwise looks a great price.
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That is likely a 300mm f/2..8 given the weight limit is 25kg although size also forms part of the maximum load.

BeccaF said:
Bit the bullet and bought the gitzo as it is such a bargain price and as I'm 5'6 it's the perfect height for me!! Ok so not the best travel option but it is Xmas soon lol
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Enjoy, sure you will be happy with your purchase, seem to recall if you register it with Gitzo you get extended warranty.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Bit like saying all bicycles are the same, a frame and two wheels, don't often say this so categorically , but you are completely wrong
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There's cheap & then there's toys. In fairness to Sirch, I suspect he's not talking about one of those iffy slik tripods from the 70s - more like Redsnapper stuff, which is well made, but inexpensive.
 
sk66 said:
But if you are hard on stuff and demand a lot, it will probably be apparent, at least over time.
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Well I take mine caving, mud, water, bashing around against rocks. The little light weight cheap Chinese job has stood up to a lot of abuse.
 
BeccaF said:
Bit the bullet and bought the gitzo as it is such a bargain price and as I'm 5'6 it's the perfect height for me!! Ok so not the best travel option but it is Xmas soon lol
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Let us know what you think of it. I am very tempted to buy one myself.
 
tijuana taxi said:
Bit like saying all bicycles are the same, a frame and two wheels, don't often say this so categorically , but you are completely wrong
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This is going to turn into a silly handbags-at-dawn kind of row but I get completely sick of togs assuming more expensive is better, Chris said
chris malcolm said:
Expensive tripods are much better than cheap tripods, but cheap tripods are enormously much better than no tripod.
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I'm not saying all tripods are the same just that expensive is not ALWAYS better. Similarly carbon fibre is not always "better" than alloy, mass, stiffness (in an engineering sense) resonant frequency, etc. all affect how a lens will move on a tripod. I know a very serious cyclist who prefers his metal framed bike over his very expensive carbon fibre one. He races the carbon fibre but says he can feel it flexing and prefers the rigidity of the metal frame.
 
This is going to turn into a silly handbags-at-dawn kind of row but I get completely sick of togs assuming more expensive is better
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No it won't, I don't do that sort of nonsense, I agree with the above sentiment that highest priced isn't always best. Maybe in hindsight thhough you can accept some three legged screwed items sold as tripods are just not fit for purpose
Getting back to my bike analogy how many cheap mountain bikes would survive a small hill let alone a mountain. That exact test was once undertaken, said bicycle fell apart, but shop refused a refund because it had been ridden off road.

I preferred my metal framed bike, it was handbuilt in the US from Titanium with beautiful welds like fish scales and bloody expensive too.
Think there is a picture of it somewhere on TP, yep here it is
img_0702_medium_150.jpg
 
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sirch said:
This is going to turn into a silly handbags-at-dawn kind of row but I get completely sick of togs assuming more expensive is better
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I tend to think that somewhere around $200-400 is the sweet spot for a set of legs (depending on weight rating/type of tubes)... by that point there isn't (usually) any serious "corner cutting" with notably inferior materials, and beyond that point you're mostly paying for "refinements" (and name) that (usually) don't really matter.
 
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