I have a junky (OK, it's not so bad...) "camera store brand" tripod that I bought for $75. I use it occasionally. It's tedious to set up, attach the proprietary plate to the bottom of the camera, and wiggles/jiggles a lot. I have a cheapo monopod with no tilt head - it just screws into my lens or camera.


I use the tripod when shooting still things. It's about useless to use following moving things, so I use the monopod instead. Admittedly, it's not an easy monopod to use, but it works.


Last month, I rented the 17mm tilt/shift. Since my tripod is too big for a suitcase, I rented a LensRentals "light weight" tripod for the week that I was in PA. Drool, drool, drool. Yep, it's light, but WOW was it sturdy and easy to use. It truly changed how I shoot still things, and in small ways it probably changed how I shoot handheld. Upon return to TX, I used my junky tripod for a photo contest, and realized why I didn't use that tripod too often.


All that leads to this: a quality tripod is now very high on my list. I will probably get an exact copy of what I rented, except for the lens plates (I want the Really Right Stuff angle brackets for my cameras - they just make so much sense).


My suggestion? Plan your purchase carefully - proper RRS camera plates for your camera(s), proper plates for any lenses with tripod feet, etc. Buy the tripod first, even though it's more expensive, but only when you can afford the plates and such. You can use the tripod as a monopod, but you can't use the monopod as a tripod.


Oh, and read this: http://www.bythom.com/support.htm