Quote Originally Posted by Jarhead5811


<span style="font-family: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'; color: #000000; font-size: 10pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Is it even possible to get a good one in this price range? ...or am I gonna need to increase my budget?

Though some will disagree, I say increase your budget and buy the very best tripod and and ballhead you can possibly afford. If your willing to spend $1000-1500 for a lens, be willing to do so on a tripod and head.


I have discovered (the hard way), that aluminum transmits visablehigh frequency vibrations to your camera that can be viewed when on live view X10. This will significantly soften your images,regardless of environmental factors such as wind.


When I first got my 100-400L, I was dissapointed in the IQ of my images. I tried everything; Aluminum tripod, mirror lockup, shutter release, Micro focus adjustments--nothing I did produced the coveted "tack sharp image". I even sent the lens back to Canon for adjustment, but even that didn't help. One day, I took the camera off of the aluminum tripod, sat the camera on my kitchen counter top, propped up the lens with a phone book and took a shot out of my back door---Wow, My first "tack sharp" image of a stuffed animal on a saw horse---not Nat Geo worthy, but I was happy. I then tried the same shot on the tripod again, fuzzy. When I went to live view X10, I could actually see the image vibrating---


After a little reading I was convinced that my next purchase was a good CF tripod and Ball Head. A few months later I saved enough to By a Gitzo 3530 and a RRS ball head----Not a single regret, Probably the smartest purchase I have made----But, I did have to postpone my next lens purchase.


Good luck


Bob