Tripods? I know sweet FA it would seem.

Syx

Syx

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Sam Hissaund
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Right, no point in pretending I know what I'm doing here - all I know is that a tripod has three legs and you stick your camera on top. Aside from that... :shrug:

I'm after a decent light-ish tripod, but have no idea where to start. Obviously I don't want to break the bank, but if something is worth forking out a bit more for then I'm happy to do so.

Can anyone give me a bit of a rundown on some info, and possibly some suggestions?

Thank you!

Edit: I did do a search, but to be honest I was just a bit baffled and ended up more confused!
 
Syx said:
I'm after a decent light-ish tripod, but have no idea where to start. Obviously I don't want to break the bank, but if something is worth forking out a bit more for then I'm happy to do so.

Can anyone give me a bit of a rundown on some info, and possibly some suggestions?
Click to expand...

Search on Redsnapper tripods on these forums. They are very good quality and won't cost you an arm and a leg. Joe (Redsnapper) gives 10% discounts for TP members as well
 
Unfortunately decent, light and cheap simply won't mix with tripods.

Decent and light means carbon fibre and that's gonna cost you 200 quid plus for the legs alone.

The Redsnapper tripods seem very popular and offer great value for money. Not as light as carbon fibre but half the price.

I have a Manfrotto 055 xprob which is an absolutely brilliant tripod but it's pretty heavy so if you're gonna be walking a long way then bear that in mind.

It's worth looking at this and this. Excellent quality and will probably last a lifetime. Just make sure the head you are getting is suitable for you need.

Generally ball heads are a lot quicker to adjust but can be difficult to be precise with. 3 way pan and tilt heads are very precise because you only have to adjust 1 plane at a time but they take longer to set up.

Hope that helps.:)
 
There are three desirable attributes in a tripod - cheap, lightweight or strong.

Pick any two ;)

Probably best to give an idea of what your budget is,what camera/lens combo you'll be putting on it and where you'll be using it.
 
Dave W said:
Unfortunately decent, light and cheap simply won't mix with tripods.

Decent and light means carbon fibre and that's gonna cost you 200 quid plus for the legs alone.
)
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I got a Carbon Firbe one from Joe @ Redsnapper with head for around £150 IIRC

take a look at them, cracking tripods for the money (link to my blog for a quick review)

even the Aliminium one which is the model below will be heavier than the Carbon one but still a good deal and nice piece of kit
 
Dave W said:
Unfortunately decent, light and cheap simply won't mix with tripods.
Click to expand...

Flash In The Pan said:
There are three desirable attributes in a tripod - cheap, lightweight or strong.

Pick any two ;)

Probably best to give an idea of what your budget is,what camera/lens combo you'll be putting on it and where you'll be using it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input here. As I said I'm willing to spend a bit more to get something of better quality, and weight isn't a major issue but it may be in the future.
Setup would consist of a D300 plus lens - for the sake of future-proofing let's assume the Sigma 150-500 as the heaviest foreseeable lens. Where I'll be using it is the difficult one - it could vary wildly! Street, studio, holidays... it will probably need to be suitable for a bit of all.

Both the Redsnapper Carbon and the Manfrotto 055XB that have been linked look like interesting candidates - does anyone have any personal experience of these (or anything else that may be suitable)?
 
Have a look at my post above, also, i use with with D300 and over the past few months the following lenses Nikkor 17-55, Tamron 17-50, Sigma 15-30, Sigma 70-200, Sigma 120-300, Sigma 100-300 with no problems
 
Thanks whitey, was just reading your review while you posted. That Redsnapper Carbon might be just what I'm looking for, but as I really don't know that much I'd like to do some more research and get some more opinions before I part ways with my money!
 
I went for a Cheap (£20) light tripod. I am regretting it as it is plastic and the leg oscillate.

If I want a really sharp photo I am having to put the 10 second timer on other wise the camera will still be shaking from the pressure of pressing the shutter release.

Stuart
 
I can't comment on the redsnapper as I've never used one but I have the Manfrotto 055xprob with an 808 spring loaded head and it's a very very good setup.

Very quick to set the legs up due to the clips on the legs which are a lot better on the 055 than the cheaper manfrottos. It's very versatile with the vertical column just needing pulling to the top of it's travel to convert to the horizontal,

I use mine for everything, macro, landscape and portrait and it does them all very well indeed especially macro where you need the precision and flexibility.

It's also able to go very tall indeed if needed or you can spread the legs right out for more stability but it's not really needed as it's solid as a rock anyway.

The manfrotto is probably the better bet as it is bigger, has more features and can hold up to 8kg if I remember correctly (with the right head of course). The only problem is the weight but it's really not that heavy unless you're going to be walking miles with it.

I suppose it comes down to what's more important to you, if you want it light then go for the redsnapper, if you want it cheaper and possibly a better overall tripod (IMO) go for the manfrotto.
 
whitey said:
I got a Carbon Firbe one from Joe @ Redsnapper with head for around £150 IIRC

take a look at them, cracking tripods for the money (link to my blog for a quick review)

even the Aliminium one which is the model below will be heavier than the Carbon one but still a good deal and nice piece of kit
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a bloomin good price for a carbon fibre tripod with a head.

I've seen a lot of people go for the redsnapper tripods and every single one has been really pleased with it, I haven't heard anyone say they regretted their purchase.
 
Syx said:
Thanks whitey, was just reading your review while you posted. That Redsnapper Carbon might be just what I'm looking for, but as I really don't know that much I'd like to do some more research and get some more opinions before I part ways with my money!
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Just search on these forums for Redsnapper and you will see what comments people give them. The thing is, you would be hard pressed to find something else in this price range that equals it in quality. The similar quality tripods made by well known manufacturers are usually twice the price...

I did have a Redsnapper aluminium with the ballhead (all for less than 100 quid) and was so impressed that I upgraded to CF one - cracking quality and Joe provides the best after-sales service I know of.

You can always email/phone him and have a chat about your requirements...
 
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