Tripod Recommendations

ayjay80

ayjay80

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Ashley
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Hi,

Can anyone recommend a decent lightweight tripod thats easy to carry around on a back pack but that doesn't cost the earth for a newbie hobbyist photographer?

It must be able to support a D90 with a 70-300 VR lens, so that already rules out a gorillapod slr zoom as from the reviews that i've read, isn't really worth the £'s outlay....
 
There are 3 factors that can describe a tripod

Light - cheap - sturdy

You can perm any two words from the three words and you will be left with the opposite of the third word

Just choose the two words that are the most important to you
 
I recently got a Mantona Pro Makro, and I think it's pretty decent for the price. I normally use it with an EOS 650D with a 18-135mm lens, but I reckon it should easily handle your equipment.

As a bonus, it comes with a head and a bag, but it lightweight enough to attach to a backpack.
 
Sturdy & cheap = RedSnapper
Lightweight & sturdy = Gitzo
 
I'm looking at a Manfrotto 190XPROB and am a little bemused at the array of heads available and the capabilities of the different types.

Can anyone recommend a suitable head that I could use for landscape and star & light trails?

Ta
 
What you have to check with any tripod is how stable is it fully extended and what its load weight is. So do weigh what your going to put on it, such as camera-lens-flashgun- battery pack -batteries etc. Make sure the head has quick release function. Next look at those within your price bracket, that should eliminate quite a few out of the equation. Finally do go and have a look at your final choice if possible.

As for makes etc there are many to choose from but again check that the tripod can accept different heads.

Realspeed
 
The most that will be put on it would be a d90 (no battery pack) & a 70-300 VR zoom.

I was just wondering what the advantages of a three way head had over say a ball head for example??
 
ayjay80 said:
The most that will be put on it would be a d90 (no battery pack) & a 70-300 VR zoom.

I was just wondering what the advantages of a three way head had over say a ball head for example??
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I think it's mostly about personal preference. A three way head maybe allows more precise adjustment in one axis without cocking up the other axes but will be slower than a ball head when you want to make wholesale adjustments.

Personally I use one of each and still don't know which I prefer.

I've learnt the hard way that it's worth over specifying the tripod to accommodate any possible future lens/camera upgrades. So maybe choose something that has a bit of leeway in the max load limit just in case one day that 70-300 morphs into a 70-200. :)
 
Think i'd trust my gear on a three way more than if it were on a ball head......

Anyone had any bad experiences using a Manfrotto three way?
 
Are monopods any use? Was thinking of getting one to keep in the car for times when i would need a bit extra stability.
 
Well took the plunge and managed to pick up a nearly new Manfrotto 190XPROB & 804Rc2 three way head for just over £100 which I didn't think was too bad.....
 
Ive got the redsnapper 284 with ball head for my D90 - very sturdy and strong, good price too. However its too heavy for everyday use so bought a Manfrotto carbon fibre tripod as its a lot lighter.. still keeping the redsnapper for planned use tho.
 
Already ordered a remote shutter release but i'm not sure whether my D90 is capable of mirror lockup.....?
 
ayjay80 said:
Already ordered a remote shutter release but i'm not sure whether my D90 is capable of mirror lockup.....?
Click to expand...

If its not, hold a hat or black card in front of the lens when you open the shutter for a second, being careful not to touch the camera. It gives everything time to settle after the mirror flips up and shutters open.

I have the same tripod and head as you and have had no problems with it, one of the best camera buys I have made since getting an SLR. I recently bought a ballhead to replace the the 804Rc2 as I found it awkward to point it up enough for astro-photos, and the handles are a pain if you have it on a backpack. It manages to hold a 100-400mm L rock solid, even if you do have to compensate for a tiny bit of droop once you lock everything tight.
 
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Bambi - Thanks for the "black card" tip, i'll give it a try.....

I went with the three way head because I was getting a good deal inc. the tripod but in the back of my mind I was planning on swapping it for a better head sometime in the near future.

What ball head did you get?
 
ayjay80 said:
Already ordered a remote shutter release but i'm not sure whether my D90 is capable of mirror lockup.....?
Click to expand...

There is a shutter delay mode I think. It's not perfect in that it doesn't allow very long for the camera to settle after it's flipped the mirror. It does help though. Live view would be better again particularly in conjunction with a remote or timer.
 
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