In search of a new Tripod !

Hey everyone.

First of all, a big thanks to this site as it has some very helpfull reviews for canon lensen and DSLR's!

Now onto my story:
Since1.5 years I've been going into photography and with a little hint of luck my dad also used to do some photgraphy back in the SLR days.
I've got some greatstuff thatI now use that were once his.

One among these is a Stitz TP-3UEB Tripod.
A very sturdy one, but lately it has been lacking a lott....

The clamps are not tight anymore and the ring on which the upper part ( tilting head )is attached to the tripod itself is turning arround no matter how hard it is screwed down .. =/

So i'm now in searchof a new tripod!


After reading a lott of online reviews i'm getting more questions then awnsers as thereseem so many brands for Tripods and the different types of heads for the tripods.

The most important things for me are:
Height- I'm fairly long ( about 185 cm long) and although probably no tripod will sturdy reach my height ( within my budget ) I'm looking for one that can at-least reach 140 ( 160 with center collum)
without getting all wobly in a light breeze ..
Price - I'm just a beginner and I understand the need for a very sturdy tripod, but I'm willing to pay a max of €250 for a tripod with head ( arround $320 ).
Head -I already have a Ballhead ( on a Gorillapod ) , I'm not really happy with it as it isway to loose for my liking and quite hard to completely level out again... so it will probably be a Tilt head.
Weight - Although lower is always better I've had no trouble at all with taking the Stitz arround, while it weighs about 5 kg.

The equipment I have ATM is as following:
Canon 450D + Battery Grip
Canon EFS 18-55 IS + EFS55-250 IS
Canon 430 EX II speedlight

And i've already rented the 24-70 f/2.8, 24-105 IS f/4-5.6 and 70-200 IS f/2.8 USM II for a few photoshoots and am going to probably buy the 24-70 or 24-105 in the near future.

So does anyone have some advice for me where to start or what to do?
Thanks a lott for reading and a possible awnser , and sorry for my bad english as I'm a from the Netherlands!

Welcome to the forum


For tripod, you get what you pay for. Slik, Manfrotto, and Induro all make excellent tripods, a $200 tripod should be adequate for your kit. If you want to go with the best of the best, I recommend the Gitzo GT3541XLS, it

Best bang for the buck period hands down is the Giottos professional Aluminum MLT9371B where the B stands for black. Every feature under the sun except drive you to take the pictures. Under 200 bucks where ever time I use it it puts a big grin on my face.


Key features: Very tall, I'm six feet and when I open it up fully with the center column extended I have to stand on my tippy toes and raise my arm over my head to touch the camera. The higher you can get your camera in many situations the better. (less distortion having to aim you camera up at something)


30 inches tall with ball head attached and legs spread normally not extended, lowest normal setting


2 extending leg section per a leg that are large diameter, more sturdy, three legs total


Center column comes out and allows you to use it vertically, horizontally and inverted where I use it all the time for tricky shots


Legs that open up/spread apart so that you can lower the camera just a few inches off the ground.


Comes with tripod tools in a carry pouch


Pads on the three legs


Flip levers lock on the legs


Panning feature adjustment to shoot panoramas


Has a retractable holder/latch on the bottom of center column where you can attach something that has weight to hold the tripod even more firmly to the ground


A bubble level of course


Excellent build quality! built like a tank, looks like a million bucks


Ball head not included and without the head it is lighter then all my other smaller tripods.





Buy it from anyone of the major camera retailers, I bought mine from Adorama online.

Since it is the only one I own, I will tout the benefits of the Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 carbon fiber tripod. It is lightweight, very sturdy, easy to set up, can do "aerial view" or overhead macro work with the horizontal-capable center post, and is tall enough for my 190 cm frame that I had to tip toe when shooting fireworks this past 4th of July after I set it up to get above the crowd. On B & H it is a few dollars more than your target price, but I think it is the kind of thing that is worth the slight extra investment.

I second what freelanceshots stated above..... though mine is only a 9351... giottos are really good

Hi Michiel,


I

I have a slik 700 dx pro. It is a little more on the heavy side than I was anticipating moving up from a walmart brand, it is very sturdy and very well built. Even drops down for macro shooting if I need it.

Hi Michiel (welcome, I