Beginner Tripod

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inquisitive_chap

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Hi

As mentioned in another thread I am just starting out in photography. I have a camera (which I think is perfectly good but at the cheaper end of spectrum) but I don't have a tripod.

I would like something reasonably light ot at least something that can fold up well so I could put in a biggish rucksack

Any recommendations? I'm also going to see if the London Camera Exchange have any
 
I'd like to take some shots in the street of objects with motion blur of traffic in the background; and maybe try to do this at night too to capture light trails. But my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III camera is really very light at 410g plus the kit pancake lens which can't weigh a lot

I am not massively fussed if it is a little heavy if it makes it a bit cheaper.
 
inquisitive_chap said:
I'd like to take some shots in the street of objects with motion blur of traffic in the background; and maybe try to do this at night too to capture light trails. But my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III camera is really very light at 410g plus the kit pancake lens which can't weigh a lot

I am not massively fussed if it is a little heavy if it makes it a bit cheaper.
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Ok so you will definitely need a tripod for that (as you clearly knew, sorry, but I thought it'd be worth checking!). For a setup as light as yours it's not worth getting anything too fancy so it really boils down to how much you want to spend - the SIik GX 640 for £50 looks like the cheapest viable option on LCE?
 
dibbly dobbler said:
Ok so you will definitely need a tripod for that (as you clearly knew, sorry, but I thought it'd be worth checking!). For a setup as light as yours it's not worth getting anything too fancy so it really boils down to how much you want to spend - the SIik GX 640 for £50 looks like the cheapest viable option on LCE?
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Thank you very much for your help Mike!
 
If you don't decide to get it, and I quite understand that it's hard to resist when you want to try stuff, wait for a little bit until you get access the the classifieds on 21st Jan and then get in touch again.
 
Hmmm for what you wish to achieve you could just rest the camera on bridge supports / railings etc . Most of us Olympus users don’t use tripods or monopods at all due to the excellent I.b.i.s system built into the cameras . My gut feeling says you want a tripod as it looks like what photographers use. I.e I use a OM1 + 300mm f4 + 1.4 tc 90% of the time for wildlife all handheld , not used a tripod for over 6 years and I’m touching 80 with health issues . Go in the Olympus thread below plenty of examples of my work .
 
Hi there

I wasn't wanting to 'look like a photographer' particularly. In fact as someone who IRL is a complete introvert I actually don't like drawing attention to myself! I just wanted to explore different types of shots as I begin my journey. But I take the point that there could be other options in some situations to using a tripod.
 
It sounds like you are on the right track - generally with tripods you get to pick 2 out of sturdy, lightweight and cheap. But going into a shop and seeing them will help with that.

Another thing worth considering/researching is if you want an L bracket bracket to quickly switch between portrait and landscape orientations on your tripod. To use one you will need an "Arca Swiss" type platform on your tripod head, which may rule out Manfrotto, as they seem to be the main brand using their own type of mounting plate.

One brand worth looking at, which I don't think will be in LCE, is 3LT, they do some good models.
 
ancient_mariner said:
If you don't decide to get it, and I quite understand that it's hard to resist when you want to try stuff, wait for a little bit until you get access the the classifieds on 21st Jan and then get in touch again.
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As it happens, I woke up with a pinched nerve (self diagnosis) in my leg yesterday and can't walk well so am currently house bound and unable to walk to the camera shop! Hopefully it clears up very soon but I may have not made it out by 21st. If so I will be looking in there then. I think buying stuff like that 2nd hand is sensible given my camera is light and I am just starting out provided the locking mechanisms for the legs all still work ok. Going to have to concentrate on tabletop photography for now until leg heals
 
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Tripod selection can be quite a personal thing. I have about 4 of them.

1) Very lightweight "travel" tripod (well made, very expensive)
2) General use carbon fibre unit
3) An aluminium "heavy duty" unit I use with long lenses in the garden and for doing a bit of video
4) Another compact travel tripod that I use to hold a flash when doing OCF.

I would suggest something in carbon fibre with 4 leg sections, this makes the tripod more compact when folded down and easier to get into the side pocket of a rucksack. I use an Arca Swiss type of plate as my Fuji body has an L bracket attached, making it easier to switch from landscape to portrait.
 
I have 4 tripods too right now:

Red snapper that was my first decent tripod.
Amazon cheapie that's heavy and functional.
Super light carbon fibre travel tripod.
Benbo standard.

The Benbo is my main tripod, lives in the car and I use it for everything except when I need low weight. I also put ball heads on all of them except the Amazon job (already had one) because I just prefer them.
 
inquisitive_chap said:
As it happens, I woke up with a pinched nerve (self diagnosis) in my leg yesterday and can't walk well so am currently house bound and unable to walk to the camera shop!
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Know the feeling, though not usually quite that bad. Hope you recover quickly - I find ibuprofen helps reduce the inflammation and speeds recovery.
 
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