What tripod? (with a twist, to make it more interesting...honest!)

Dudie

Dudie

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OK, yes, another 'what tripod?' request, but a little different this time:

I do a lot of hill walking in Snowdonia and take a lot of landscape shots when I'm up there, usually hand held - obviously not ideal in failing light. I was therefore after a tripod that didn't break the bank (say, upto a 100 quid for the legs), was reasonably light and reasonably compact so that it could be strapped to the outside of my rucksac and wouldn't slow me down too much when laden with my winter walking gear. What ever I got was also to double up as my everyday tripod for all other duties, including wildlife shooting in the future.

I had decided on the Manfrotto 190 - lighter and more compact than the 055 series but, after reading around on the subject, I fear it may be a little to feeble for everyday work.

Cue joining this forum and discovering the Redsnapper tripod. Now this seems to tick all the boxes for everything except lugging up bloody great Welsh mountains. It also appears to be excellent value. So I am now thinking a Redsnapper for general use and something cheap, light and potentially flimsy but OK for occasional mountain use.

My questions to you learned people (especially those still awake after reading this far) are:

1. Should I just stop worrying and buy the Manfrotto 190 - it'll do everything?
2. Buy a Redsnapper and sommat dead cheap for mountains? If so, what?
3. Buy a Redsnapper Carbon Fibre jobby - a bit more money, but lighter and therefore suitable for everything I require of it.
5. What happened to point 4?
4. Oh, here it is.

Weight limits are not an issue and probably won't be for quite some time. Before anyone says 'use the forum search function' I have already, hence my confused state! All help, comments and abuse gratefully received.

I thang yaw.
 
Alrite, I stayed awake after reading it all :P

I think you have a few options available really

1. The manfrotto 190 would be fine for everyday use and for your hikes, i've never really heard of anyone breaking one, or complaining at their ability
2. Buy the redsnapper and then one of those cheap tesco tripods for like £5.00
3. The carbon fibre would be a good choice to reduce on weight, but carbon fibre is weaker than metal bodied tripods, so would be a little more flimsy.

Hope that helps, not really given you a definate answer but lots of ideas to think over.
 
No 3 for me :)

Buy the best you can afford now as inevitably you are going to upgrade your glass to something heavier at some point in the future and you really don't want to then have to fork out for a new tripod to go with it.
 
Hi,

I'm in pretty much the same situation...I'm currently using a Velbon Luxi F for carrying around the mountains but it doesn't really have the stability that's needed sometimes (windy conditions etc). I'm seriously looking at the Redsnapper too, sounds ideal and from most accounts more sturdy than the Manfrotto 190.

To handle the weight, which will be an issue when your up & down those mountains (even if you don't realise at the beginning of the hike) I've bought an Osprey Atmos Rucksac which is lightweight & THE most comfortable rucksac you'll find, brilliant kit.

http://www.ospreypacks.com/Packs/AtmosSeriesMens/

simon
 
Just got mine of the bay, an 055 aluminium with 701 rct head, picked up for £80 in mint condition. There are a few currently available on the bay including the 190 and some heavier duty pro stuff. Suggest looking there before wasting your hard earned dosh.
 
Read a few reviews on the 055 & it sounds good, only downside is that quite a few users mention the weight and I've really removed it from my list for this reason, great as "normal" situation tripod but not sure I want to be carrying it around mountains together with all my other camera/hiking gear ?

Some reviews on the 190 suggest it's a tad flimsy, reviews on the Redsnapper suggest it sits somewhere between the 190 & 055 weight wise and that it's very stable ?

simon
 
simonkit said:
Read a few reviews on the 055 & it sounds good, only downside is that quite a few users mention the weight and I've really removed it from my list for this reason, great as "normal" situation tripod but not sure I want to be carrying it around mountains together with all my other camera/hiking gear ?

Some reviews on the 190 suggest it's a tad flimsy, reviews on the Redsnapper suggest it sits somewhere between the 190 & 055 weight wise and that it's very stable ?

simon
Click to expand...

i have the 055 tripod and have carried it all sorts of places including up cliffs in wales, all over dartmoor and all round london. i not convinced its as heavy as people think. Why not go it to a shop and have a feel of it?
 
J4MIE_P said:
Alrite, I stayed awake after reading it all :P

I think you have a few options available really

1. The manfrotto 190 would be fine for everyday use and for your hikes, i've never really heard of anyone breaking one, or complaining at their ability
2. Buy the redsnapper and then one of those cheap tesco tripods for like £5.00
3. The carbon fibre would be a good choice to reduce on weight, but carbon fibre is weaker than metal bodied tripods, so would be a little more flimsy.

Hope that helps, not really given you a definate answer but lots of ideas to think over.
Click to expand...

Not sure if carbon fibre IS more flimsy than metal.....
 
The 055 seems heavy (unweildy) if you are carrying it in your hand but strapped to the back of a rucksack with other equipment its not too bad at all
Click to expand...

I have just got back from picking mine up (ebay) and I have to say the construction is excellent, but yes, it is a weighty piece of kit. Whilst it feels nothing when you first pick it up, I expect that over a period of hours, you are going to know you are carrying it.
 
iant said:
I have just got back from picking mine up (ebay) and I have to say the construction is excellent, but yes, it is a weighty piece of kit. Whilst it feels nothing when you first pick it up, I expect that over a period of hours, you are going to know you are carrying it.
Click to expand...

That sort of ties up with a few other user comments I've read, particularly ones from those using it for day hikes etc...the Redsnapper is a bit lighter and sounds very robust, they also do a carbon fibre version...I'm waiting to hear back from they re. prices as I think it sounds like the best compromise considering my own personal requirements. I currently carry a monopod too so may offset the additional weight by leaving it at home once i have the new tripod, although I do often find that the monopod in decent light helps to produce very sharp shots...wish I could make my mind up :lol:

simon
 
Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm beginning to think the Redsnapper carbon fibre job might be a good all-round option. At 1.6kg it's lighter than the 190 (1.8kg) and, from reading around, seems to be a sturdier design. The weight saving begins to matter when walking constantly uphill for 3-4 hours, especially when laden with winter walking gear and a camera.
 
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